Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
“That’s nice.” I wasn’t sure, but I think I might have been staring at her like a deer in the headlights. Did her dad know she’d come to speak to me?
“Anyway, tomorrow we’re taking a wee jaunt around the island. Kind of goodbye for now for me since it’s the last time I’ll be here before heading to Glasgow.”
“Right. Of course.”
“We’re taking another picnic with us. And the fishing rods.”
“Great.”
“So, you’ll be at our place for ten?”
I blinked slowly. “How? What?”
“You’ll spend the day with us, right? I really want you to be there. Dad needs some grown-up company and I need some female company.” She grinned innocently, but I saw the devious wee twinkle in her eyes.
“Did … did you run this by your dad?”
“Of course! Okay, I have to go, but be at the house tomorrow at 10 a.m. See you then!” She waved and hurried out of the shop, her ponytail swinging from side to side with her speedy departure.
Ewan sidled up next to me. “When the kids approve of you, that’s when you’re in trouble.”
“Aye, thanks for stating the obvious.”
“You’re welcome.” He patted me on the shoulder with a chuckle and walked over to the door to lock up.
Heart racing, I strode into the staff room and pulled out my phone. I had a text from Cammie inviting London, Tierney, and me to dinner at hers. I shot a quick “I’ll be there” before finding Quinn in my contacts.
Heather just invited me to spend the day with you tomorrow.
It was only as I approached Cammie’s house twenty minutes later that my phone buzzed. I pulled in behind Tierney’s brightly colored Suzuki SUV and switched off the engine before I yanked my phone out of my purse.
Quinn had replied.
What did you say to her?
My heart sank. Not the reply I was hoping for.
I was so confused.
She didn’t really give me much of a chance to say yes or no.
Three dots bounced on the screen.
Do you want to say no?
Scowling, I replied,
Do you want me to say no?
Don’t put that on me, Taran. You know where I stand.
Shit.
Shit shit shit.
I don’t want to disappoint her.
Then we’ll see you tomorrow.
Cheeks flushed with guilt, I quickly texted back,
See you tomorrow.
Drizzle peppered my windscreen as I parked outside Quinn’s house the next morning. The skies above did not look like they were in the mood to oblige a road trip around the island, never mind a trip to the beach or a fishing expedition.
By the time I even made it to Quinn’s front door, my hair was wet from the density of the drizzle. I glanced over my shoulder as I waited for someone to answer the door and shivered at the sight of the ginormous rain cloud sagging off the coast of Glenvulin.
The door opened as I turned back and stood face-to-face with a grim Quinn.
“Hi,” I offered quietly.
He searched my face with that familiar intensity before he stepped back to let me in.
“The weather isn’t looking great,” I murmured, trying not to stare at the wall we’d had frantic, scrumptious, animal sex up against.
“There’s a storm coming in. We’re not going anywhere today.”
“Oh.” I frowned. Why hadn’t he texted me? “Do you want me to leave?”
“Do you want to leave? Because you know it’s easy to just tell someone that.” He cut me a dark look. “Rather than sneak out like you’re ashamed to be there.”
I kept my voice low, not knowing where the kids were. “You know it wasn’t like that.”
“Do I?” Quinn shook his head. “It certainly felt that way.”
I winced. “Quinn—”
“Taran, you’re here.” Heather appeared in the hallway out of a door on the left.
Forcing a smile, I nodded. “How are you?”
“Annoyed about the storm.” Heather crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as if she sensed the tension between me and her father. “But we haven’t done a family game day in ages, so we thought we’d spend the day doing that. We’ll have the picnic inside. Sound good?”
“Sure.” I followed her as she gestured me down the hallway. A glance into the room she’d come out of revealed a bedroom. Heather’s bedroom, by the looks of the pink and purple bedding and custom shelves filled with books. Quinn’s daughter guided me into an open-plan kitchen and living room where Angus was already lying on the couch watching what looked like anime on the TV.
He waved but didn’t get up. “Hiya, Taran!”
I still hadn’t quite gotten over how much Angus looked like Quinn at that age. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”
“Weather’s crap.” He pouted. “Wanted to fish today.”
“Aye, but we’re going to play board games.” Heather ruffled his hair as she passed on her way to the dining table. “We’re playing Do You Really Know Your Family? first.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Tough shit, you’re going to.”