“You could never be a villain,” London offered loyally.
“I think everyone is a villain in someone’s story.”
“Wow. Profound.” Cammie nodded. “I agree.”
Tierney glanced at all of us. “London is right. The mood feels distinctly depressing this morning. Should we at least pretend to discuss books to lighten things up? I mean, I’m happy to be depressed with you all, but I thought I’d suggest another option?”
“Lighten the mood.” I raised my coffee cup. “Please.”
“Okay. I’m reading this fabulous cowboy romance.” A mischievous smile curled her lips. “Ramsay is reading some high-brow philosophy book, and we’re in bed reading, and I got to this spicy scene and, uh, let’s just say Ramsay was happy toput his book away to read my book out loud … sort of like an instruction manual.”
We burst into laughter at her hilarious eyebrow wiggle.
London pretended to fan herself. “I don’t know what’s hotter, him recreating the sex scenes or the fact that your guy reads. Hot guys reading is sexy.”
“I’ve never dated a guy who was a big reader,” I mused.
“Quinn reads,” Cammie blurted, clearly without thinking because she blanched immediately.
Surprised and trying not to make it awkward, I replied, “He didn’t read when we dated.”
“Aye, he did.” She stared at me with that tiny hint of defiance I’d seen in her eyes over the past year. The one that told me there was a part of her that resented my anger toward her brother. “Back in your first year of uni, you took this English lit course, and you were always talking about these classic books with your friends. Quinn was worried about you leaving him behind, thinking he wasn’t educated or cultured enough for you … so he’d find the books in the library, and he’d read them so he could keep up with you.” She shrugged as my mind spun with this information. “It led to a love of reading. It’s why Heather and Angus are big readers.”
What the hell?
He’d never mentioned it back then. Never once brought it up. Surely, Cammie couldn’t be right … but it was too specific for her to be wrong.
My mind was still reeling as London, who was telling us about her latest cozy mystery obsession, stopped mid-sentence to stare at the very tall, bearded man who’d entered the store to join the queue at the barista counter.
Murray Shaw.
Murray, like me, was born on the island, but he was three years older than me in school, so I hadn’t known him that well.I knew he was in the Leth Sholas Pipe Band with Laird, Quinn, Ramsay, and Forde, so Quinn and my brother had obviously befriended Murray as they got older.
Plus, Murray was probably one of the wealthiest, if notthewealthiest, person on the island. He’d inherited his father’s small fishing company when he was very young, and he’d grown it into the largest fishing company in the Hebrides. Not only did he have multiple crews, but he had an offshoot of the company that ran chartered fishing guides for tourists. At only thirty-nine years old, he was a multimillionaire.
Not that anyone would guess by looking at the rugged islander. He had a slightly unkempt appearance that did nothing to detract from his good looks. It sounded gross now, but he really did have his pick of girls when we were younger. According to Cammie, he ended up marrying a woman from the mainland after I’d left. Jill Tinsley. Jill apparently did not adjust to island life at all. They’d had one child, a daughter called Kelly, but when Murray filed for divorce, he ended up in a vicious custody battle. For Kelly’s sake, the judge decided Murray would only get partial custody so their daughter didn’t have to shuttle back and forth all the time from the island. It meant he got to see his daughter for one weekend a month.
“Did you hear?” Cammie murmured.
“Hear what?” Tierney’s enquiry was hushed.
“The divorce is finalized. He”—she nodded her head toward an oblivious Murray—“was trying to break their marriage contract and failed. Apparently, Jill has access to the company’s funds until Murray remarries.”
I sucked in a breath. “That’s terrible. Surely, she can’t just take money from the company without tax implications?”
“She’s taking a very generous ‘salary,’ and apparently Murray is worried he might have to sell the company before she bleeds it dry.”
“I’ll never understand women like her.” Tierney shook her head. “London and I saw it all the time in New York. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I think women should be compensated for running the household and taking care of their children while the guy works, but the compensation should be fair.”
“Aye, I agree. But Jill used to bugger off without Kelly all the time, leaving Murray scrambling for a sitter whenever he had to work. She’d leave the island for days with no word and waltz back home like nothing had happened. That’s why he finally divorced her. Then she gets Kelly in the divorce, even though it seems like she couldn’t give a shit about her. And her ‘salary’ is on top of child support Murray is already paying for his daughter.” Cammie realized she was raising her voice in anger and whispered, “It just pisses me off. He’s a good guy and he doesn’t deserve this. I mean, Kiera has a real reason to be angry at Quinn, and she was so cool and chill about their divorce. They’re friends even now.”
“Did Quinn cheat?” London popped a mini cake in her mouth with a casualness that belied her question.
Cammie’s eyes flashed. “No, he didn’t cheat.” Her gaze flickered to me and back to London. “But he married Kiera when he was in love with Taran, and Kiera stuck around for far longer than she should have.”
I sucked in a harsh breath at the announcement.
“Jesus, Cammie, I love you, but that mouth of yours.” Tierney shook her head with gentle reproach. “It stings sometimes, babe.”
