Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“I’ve made Jamie salmon.” I shrugged a shoulder as if nonchalant, though I secretly wanted those brownie points.
“Och. Jordyn, no need to tell me all you’ve done for my son. One look in his eyes, and I can tell he’s a happy man. So, I’ll teach you a few more family recipes. On one condition?”
“Yes.”
“You have his bairns.”
“Did you just ask me to have your sons’ babies?”
“Don’t give me that look, lass. I’m all for women’s rights, and if he ever pissed you off, tell me. But you’ll have to give him as many as he wants if we are to agree.”
“Okay, sure.” A laugh, carefree and unfamiliar, escaped my lips.
We’d already seasoned beef when Rory came into the kitchen—bagless—while Lachlan and Leith carried all the groceries. Rory was already live on TikTok with two million watchers, telling them that I was his new girlfriend. He kissed my cheek, and in less than three seconds, the steady stream of comments exploded, and he was out of the room again. Dang, so I guess I wouldn’t be getting 10 percent for suggesting he get a job.
My laughter died, and my heart skipped a beat. Would Aleksandr see me? Hopefully not? Probably not. Romeo had hardly shown me, keeping the focus on his adorable face.
Lachlan shook his head and asked if we needed any help.
Nan shooed him and Leith from the kitchen, and then we peeled an entire bag of potatoes that would help round off a haggis dish. Had I ever enjoyed the company of another woman? Nope. The girls I lived with were catty. They coveted the best room at Aleksandr’s or the token chance he’d take them on a vacation. No, wait. I had one friend. My palm went to my forehead. I’d never told Jamie about Aston Martin. “Nan, I—”
The doorbell rang.
“One of you get the door,” she ordered when none of the men arose from the couch.
A football game held Big Brody, Camdyn, and Leith’s attention. Leith, eyes on the flatscreen, reached over and softly kicked his younger brother’s shin. “Get the door.”
Even though Lachlan had to be in his mid-to late twenties, he grumbled, got up, and flicked Leith’s earlobe. Men. Yep. They were kids in disguise.
“What’s that, sweety?” Nan wiped her hands on a dishrag.
Before I could speak, I heard the door opening from my position in the kitchen. The extended cabinetry prevented me from setting eyes on the person who allowed himself in. But the voice sounded familiar. The oldest MacKenzie boy? Little—so not little—Brody.
“I found my key.” His deep brogue carried into the kitchen. “And I brought comp—”
“Company my …” Lachlan’s retort snapped through the air.
My breath hitched. The room tilted.
Razors of fear clawed down my throat as I whispered the name. “Rocket?” Had he said Rocket?
I thought Nan hadn’t heard me. Breathing heavily, I stumbled backward, one step at a time.
Nan retrieved the meat tenderizer she’d told me was for special, special occasions when we marinated the beef. Hand fisted like a hammer, she said, “Don’t be afraid, deary. Remember, I just said I’m all for women’s rights. Let’s go say hello to Rocket. I take it you know each other?”
Eyes on the tenderizer she wielded like Thor’s hammer, my head hardly bobbed.
“Then we will say hello.” Despite her unreadable expression, a small smile touched her lips.
From the moment I saw Nan MacKenzie, I trusted her. Had that been a mistake?
With every step, razors scraped at my throat. Those invisible blades seized my voice. Left me as speechless as I was when twenty-year-old Rocket smacked my nose like a foolish puppy for a laundry mistake after we’d made love on the dryer. No, that wasn’t love. It was … a teenage girl happy to no longer be owned by someone who she’d rather call grandpa while fishing with him instead of Governor in bed.
I took another step.
Just hours ago, I relished my time in Big Bear, my fingers threading through Jamie’s hair while we kissed. His arms made me feel safe. A haven. The world around us had washed away before the doorbell rang. Our connection ran deeper than I’d had with any other, and we hadn’t even been physical yet. Now, the doorbell had rung again. And his protective presence was gone. Where was he?
Who had he gone to see?
Did his status as a Marine matter more than us?
I took another step. Though out of my line of vision, Rocket laughed. Brody’s large frame, with his massive shoulders and muscles, concealed Rocket as the Scotsman escorted him to the living room. Lachlan led, but instead of walking with them and laughing at something his brother said, he appeared preoccupied with returning to the couch. He paused, looking at me.
Lachlan’s head tilted. The confident smirk faded. His concerned eyes seemed to question, Are you okay?