There with You (Adair Family 2)

Emotion choked me, tears flooding my eyes at the thought of my sister’s heart breaking over me. And suddenly, I knew why.

Yesterday, she wasn’t angry with me. She was angry with herself.

Damn it, Robyn!

It was not her job to protect me all the time. I shook my head. “She takes on too much.”

“It’s who she is. It’s why we love her. But—and I know I probably don’t need to ask this—I want you to do your best to convince her she didn’t fail you. Because right now, she’s next door kicking her own arse, and nothing I say seems to penetrate.”

Seeing his concern and frustration for her, I swiftly crossed the room and hugged him.

Lachlan seemed surprised at first, hesitant, and then he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a sweet kiss upon the head.

I smiled and whispered, “Thank you for loving her the way she deserves to be loved.”

His arms tightened just a fraction, and when I pulled away, I saw emotion brighten his eyes.

God, what a gift to be loved by an Adair man. They could be infuriating sometimes, but Lachlan with Robyn and Thane with Francine were proof that when they loved you, they loved you with everything they were.

I’d never been such a confusing mix of gloriously happy for my sister and so envious at the same time.

“I’ll talk to her,” I promised.

“Good.” He brushed my cheek affectionately, like a big brother might, and I decided it was really nice. “I better get the kids to school. You okay?”

I nodded. “I’m going to be fine. I promise.”

That promise didn’t seem to alleviate his concern, but he had to leave and I had to go see my sister.

I didn’t bother knocking. I strode into the house, calling Robyn’s name, and when she came hurrying downstairs, I didn’t let her speak. I rushed her, throwing my arms around her. “Robyn Penhaligon, what happened to me was not your fault. You didn’t fail me, and I won’t ever think that. Ever.”

“I know that,” she murmured, not letting me go.

We swayed a little in each other’s arms at the bottom of the stairs. “Then why did Lachlan tell me you cried last night?”

She stiffened and then sighed into me. “He is such a meddler.”

Grinning, I shook my head. “Well?”

Retreating, Robyn brushed my hair behind my ear. Turmoil roiled in her eyes, turning them a smoky gray. “I was so mad at you,” she whispered, remorse etched into every feature. “That entire time I was angry at you and judging you and feeling like I didn’t know you anymore … and all the time you needed me. You really needed me. And I should have tried harder to track you down. I should have known something wasn’t right.”

“No.” I grabbed her hands, squeezing them, my words fierce. “We will not do this. We will not go around and around about the past two years. We both did the best we could at that time. If we feel now like we can do better going forward, great. But we can’t go back, and I won’t let us self-flagellate over the mistakes. Not when we’re here, right here together, closer than ever, despite it all. It’s pointless, Robbie. It’s not worth it.”

She swiped at a wayward tear, shaking her head, something like awe in her eyes. “When did my little sister get so wise?”

“I learned from my big sister.”

“No, you’re outwisdoming your big sister right now.”

“Outwisdoming?” I teased, pulling her into the kitchen. “Come on, we need coffee.”

“I’ll make it. You sit.” Her tone turned serious again. “I have something I need to tell you.”

My stomach flipped again as I settled on a stool at the island. “Yeah, Lachlan said. Is it about Austin?”

Robyn glanced over as she switched on the coffee machine. “It is.”

“Is it bad?”

“Please don’t be angry with me.”

I tensed. “Okay …”

“I told Seth.”

“Dad?” Horror flooded me. “Why would you tell Dad?”

“Because …” Robyn squeezed her eyes closed. “The day after McClintock attempted to kidnap Eilidh, Seth tried to call you and couldn’t get you because of everything going on. So he called me instead. And he mentioned that a man named Austin Vale came to the house looking for you. Said he was a friend you went backpacking with, and he’d just gotten back to Boston and was looking you up.”

Nausea roiled in my gut.

Robyn’s eyes changed color, golden now with anger. “The fucker lied. Getting antsy waiting for you to come back to Boston. Thankfully, Seth is a paranoid cop and didn’t tell him where you were. But I had to explain to him who Austin is. He and Mom need to know that Austin is a danger to you. Seth said he’s going to look into the guy’s finances to make sure he isn’t in the position to come chasing you across the Atlantic.”