There with You (Adair Family 2)

And yet the ordinary clothes did nothing to distract from her striking features. She wasn’t classically pretty; she was something more. I wasn’t sure if it was her eye color or the way she held herself or what … but Arrochar Adair was an unusual kind of beautiful.

If she sensed my perusal, she ignored it as she responded to my question about Thane. “Inverness at his new job. He can’t find a nanny, so I offered to take a few days off work to look after the kids so he can find someone. Pronto.”

I frowned. He’d made his sister take time off work when he had a perfectly responsible adult with a lot of time on her hands around to help? Not wanting to utter my irritation in front of the kids, I pressed my lips tight.

Arrochar spoke as we pulled into Thane’s driveway. “You’re not at all what I expected.”

“Because I’m not Lara Croft’s younger replica?”

She snorted and threw me an appreciative grin. “Pretty much.”

I rolled my eyes but chuckled as I eased out of the Defender, grateful Thane’s driveway was paved and not gravel.

“Can Regan come play with me, Aunt Arro?” Eilidh asked around the other side of the vehicle as they got out.

“I’m sure Regan has plans.”

“I really don’t.” I walked around the SUV to join the threesome. “If I’m not intruding, that is.”

“Not at all,” Arrochar assured. “But”—she gave Lewis a pointed look—“you will do your homework first.” She turned to me. “Eilidh doesn’t get homework. They’ve introduced a new style of teaching since I was a bairn and primary one is a lot like nursery now. I don’t get it. I could handle homework when I was five.”

I didn’t have time to offer an opinion about how not all kids were at the same stage developmentally at five because Eilidh rushed to me and grabbed my hand.

“Come on, Regan.” She tugged me forward, overjoyed to have me there.

A tender ache echoed in my chest as I let her lead me toward the house. Catching Arrochar’s curious look, I saw a hint of bemusement in her expression.

Lewis waited for us at the house, and as Arrochar let us in, he said, “I told Connor we should stop saying Mrs. Welsh smells when it isn’t true.”

I tried not to raise an eyebrow. “And what did Connor say?”

He wrinkled his nose. “He called me the teacher’s pet.”

Oh, shit.

“But then Mrs. Welsh was mean to him for no reason. She made him read out a chapter of the book we’re reading, and he isn’t so fast and she kept being mean and telling him to read faster. And I told her she was being mean to him. So me and Connor are okay now.”

I met Arrochar’s gaze, and she said, “Tell her what happened next, Lewis.”

Frustration crossed his face. “We both got sent to Mrs. Cooley’s office.”

At my questioning look, Arrochar supplied, “The head teacher.”

“What? What for?”

“For being disrespectful,” she replied as she guided the kids to the kitchen. “You can grab a snack before you start your homework.”

“Surely that’s not fair if the boys weren’t in the wrong,” I said quietly as Lewis and Eilidh hurried ahead into the kitchen.

Their aunt turned to me. “It isn’t fair. Mrs. Welsh spoke to both me and Connor’s mum first without explaining the situation. The kids told us exactly what happened once we came out of the classroom, and Connor’s mum lost her shit,” she whispered, her eyes sparking with anger. “She’s filing a complaint with the head teacher. But in the heat of the argument, Lewis called Mrs. Welsh names, and that’s not on, so Thane will need to have a chat with him.”

It didn’t sit right with me that he should be vilified in this scenario, but he also shouldn’t call his teacher names. “Rock, meet hard place,” I muttered under my breath.

“Exactly.”

“Aunt Arro, I can’t reach the peanut butter!” Eilidh yelled from the kitchen.

We caught up with the kids to help them. For two strangers, we fell into a companionable sync as we prepared a light snack for Eilidh and Lewis and settled them at the dining table. Afterward, Arrochar gave me some salve and Band-Aids for my battered feet.

“So.” Arrochar smiled curiously as we sat beside each other at the island with coffees. “What brings you to Ardnoch?”

Right to it, huh? I smirked. “My sister.”

“Aye, that visit is long overdue.”

I raised an eyebrow at her directness, and she shrugged. “Sorry. None of my business. But you should know I’m not just Lachlan’s sister. I’ve become very fond of Robyn.”

The warning made me bristle. “Well, I’m more than fond of Robbie. I love her more than I love anything.”

“Does she know that?”

I jerked back like she’d slapped me.

Arrochar winced. “Regan, I’m sor—”

“Regan! Can you help me with my homework?” Eilidh yelled across the large living space.