There with You (Adair Family 2)

“Got it. Lachlan is a horndog. Moving on.”

She grinned cheekily. “My point is, he made the first move. But you … you put yourself out there with Thane, even after he’d treated you not very nicely and with full knowledge and awareness that the idea of you two together is a little controversial. You still did it. You still followed your feelings—”

“And my libido.”

“My little sister doesn’t have a libido, and putting yourself out there with him is really brave. I’m proud of you.”

Her words were like water on a thirsty seedling. “Thank you.”

“Now that we’ve established you’re brave … my sister is nobody’s punching bag—”

“I said those same words to him!” I exclaimed.

“Good. Now live by them. If you’re mad at him, be mad and stay mad at him until he mans up and apologizes for being a dick. But once he apologizes, you move on. Thane goes back to just being your boss, and you take care of those kids. Don’t let him put you off the ancestry visa.”

“I told you I’m thinking about it, and I won’t let him put me off. That’s not a decision I’m going to make based on a guy.”

“No. Just make it based on your sister who wants you here to help plan her wedding and see her get married and be there the day she finds out she’s pregnant and the day you become an aunt and—”

“I get it.” My eyes filled with a different emotion. “I don’t want to miss those things either. I’m just … what kind of life could I have here? It’s not the remoteness that bothers me, or the small town. It’s just … I still want to meet someone, eventually. Someone who wants me in return.” I looked down at my sneakers. “If he’s out there.”

“He’s out there, Regan. You just need to stop renting space in your head to Thane Adair. You’ll see things clearer once you do, and I promise, I was kidding before. No more pressure from me. Stay or don’t stay, I just want you to be happy.”

* * *

With my sister’s advice fresh in my mind, I braced myself for Thane’s return from work that night. Determined not to stop with my icy response to him until he apologized, I kind of got myself worked up about it. Even more so when I picked up the kids from school. As I started the engine, Lewis announced, “Eilidh and I know what we want to do for Dad’s birthday.”

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, staring at them in the rearview mirror. “What’s that?”

“Dad talks to us about the bird show at the castle that looks like something out of Disney. Dad said he would take us next summer, but we thought we could go at the weekend.”

Castle like something out of Disney? I didn’t know what castle he was talking about. “I’ll mention it to your dad.”

“You have to come!” Eilidh said, kicking her legs with the words.

Inwardly, I grimaced. There was no way in hell I was spending a day out with Thane. Trying not to wince at the lie, I replied, “I can’t, honey. I have plans this weekend.”

“What plans?” She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her chin sternly at me.

“Noneuhyurbusiness plans,” I singsonged.

She giggled but a quick glance at Lewis revealed he wasn’t laughing. He stared out the passenger window, his brow furrowed in thought.

He was quiet for the rest of the drive and while I settled them at the dining table with their homework and a snack. After I started dinner, I sat down with them to see if they needed help with anything. Not that they ever needed much help. Thane’s children were smart as whips and quick too.

While the Scottish system had adopted a play-based strategy for primary one and two classes, Eilidh still got some reading, spelling, and math work sent home a couple times a week. Not a lot. We usually blew through it in twenty minutes. Lewis, now out of the play-based learning years, had transitioned with no issues. As Eilidh kept herself busy drawing on a tablet, I watched over Lewis as he did his multiplication homework.

“Very good,” I murmured as I watched him do it with ease. He seemed to whiz through his math work while he took a little more time over spelling and language questions. To be fair, spelling and language posed a slight learning curve for me, too, considering the differences between British and American English.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Lewis surprised me by asking.

He looked up from his booklet to stare at me like a little interrogator.

I swallowed hard, not wanting to lie to his face. “The truth is, I’m not going to crash your weekend with your dad. This weekend is all about his upcoming birthday and spending time with the two people he loves most. It’s not fair to your dad to keep involving me in family days.”