Good Girl Gone Plaid(53)

Sarah lifted her head and met his gaze. Her eyes were void of emotion. “I won’t leave. Besides, I can’t break the conditions of inheriting the house. I’m here for the month.”

Three more weeks? It was suddenly like sand slipping through an hourglass. A ticking clock before she planned to take Emily and leave him again.

That wouldn’t happen. He’d drag her through every court if needed before he let that happen.

Caught in the crystalline blue of her eyes—and realizing he wouldn’t find any answers there—he released her abruptly and strode toward the door.

“I can’t be near you right now, Sarah, but we’re nowhere near done discussing this.”





Chapter Fourteen

It wasn’t due to a natural disaster. There’d been no death in the family. But for the first time in years, the McLaughlin Pub was closed for business. At least it was for the next hour.

“You didn’t have to do this.” Ian sat at one of the round tables in the pub, hands folded on the polished wood surface.

“Aye, I did,” Aleck murmured grimly as he set up a Skype session on his laptop with their parents across the pond. “Family first.”

“Absolutely. Family first.” Kenzie had placed herself to his right and would occasionally squeeze his shoulder.

Colin sat at his left, quiet and seeming deep in thought, but their gazes would meet and Ian could see his twin was disturbed by the news of the night.

“Besides, we don’t get busy until near ten anyway,” Aleck murmured. “All right. I think we’ve got them. Can you see and hear us all right, Da? Ma?”

“Aye.” Their father nodded. “We can hear ya just fine, son.”

Hit with a pang of guilt, Ian observed his parents with their mugs of steaming tea, sitting at the table in their kitchen.

Even though it had to be the wee small hours of the morning in Edinburgh, their parents looked alert and properly concerned.

“Hello, you two.” Ian didn’t have to force the slight smile, or his next words. “It’s always lovely to see you both—even if it’s on the laptop screen. And I’ll thank you for waking up to chat with us.”

Their mother gave a loud, cheerful laugh. “Well, you send us a text calmly informing us we’re grandparents of a ten-year-old, and aye, we’ll wake up right early for the details.”

“Aye, we will. I’m still trying to understand why the lass didn’t tell you, Ian.” Dismay shone clear on their father’s face.

Kenzie snorted. “Join the club. I’m her best friend and she never once even hinted at the fact.”

“Well, if she didn’t find it important to tell the father of her child, it seems unlikely she’d spill the beans to you.” Colin grinned and blew the wrapper off a straw at his sister, before plunking the straw into an iced beverage. “Even though I know you’re good mates and all.”

She crumpled the wrapper and tossed it back at him. “I’ll thank you to keep your sarcasm to yourself, dork.”

Ian’s lips twitched. Ah, and this is why he loved his family. He would be an utter mess without them right now.

It was a Friday night, and they were having a family meeting. Ian would’ve never asked Aleck to close the bar on one of the busiest nights of the week during the summer season.

And in the end he hadn’t needed to, because Kenzie had done it. She’d seen how torn up and angry he was. How much he needed advice and a thread of normalcy in his suddenly chaotic life.

Word had spread quickly among the McLaughlins about Emily.

After leaving Sarah’s, Ian had found Kenzie and asked her to get the word out to the family and see if anyone had a free moment. The most he’d been hoping for was a few minutes of their time to garner some advice.

He should’ve known better. His family always rallied for one another. Aleck had texted their parents, and hung a sign on the door that said the bar would be closed until nine p.m. due to a family emergency.

And now here they all were in a family meeting at the pub. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time, but since their parents had moved back to Scotland, they’d turned to relying on technology to keep everyone together.

“How are you doing with this discovery, Ian?” Their mother’s brows were knit with concern, but even through the screen he could see the faint sparkle of excitement.

She obviously was pleased at the notion she had a grandkid, no matter how frustrating the discovery.

“Not so well, honestly.” Ian’s attention was snagged by the whisky his brother sat down in front of him. “Though this’ll help. Thank you, Aleck.”