There with You (Adair Family 2)

We’d commandeered a round table at the back of the large hall. Mac, Arro, Lachlan, Robyn, Thane, and me. And when I wasn’t being hauled around the dance floor, I sat at a table laughing and joking with Robyn’s other family, feeling like maybe—just maybe—they were my family too.

Later when we got home, Thane insisted that Eredine sleep in the annex rather than drive all the way back to her cabin, but she refused. I worried about her. Robyn did too. She said that since Lucy, Eredine seemed like she was slipping further away. I’d been so consumed with my own mess, with Thane’s, with my feelings for him, that I hadn’t given her enough of my time. I vowed when things calmed down a bit to do that, to make an effort, to bulldoze where Robyn refused to bulldoze because it wasn’t in her nature to push people. Other than me.

It was definitely in my nature. And sometimes, people needed it.

Lachlan’s security guys promised to escort Eredine home, and with the kids asleep long ago, Thane dragged me into his room. He shoved me toward the bed. A little rough, a lot exciting. “I’ve wanted to kiss and lick and suck every inch of you from the moment you walked downstairs in this bloody dress,” he growled.

To be fair, I had bought it to drive him crazy.

It was a departure from my usual preppy style. I’d chosen a calf-length, silk jersey blood-red dress that had a demure neckline but sculpted (like, painted on!) to my body. It left very little to the imagination, despite very little skin showing. However, it was probably one reason I didn’t enjoy the ceilidh dancing so much because I couldn’t stretch my damn legs in it.

“And I’ve wanted to put my hand up your kilt since I came downstairs.”

Thane grinned wolfishly as he coasted his hands over my ass. “Nothing stopping you now.”

Remembering he’d had more to drink than me, I glanced back at his closed door. “You need to remember to be quiet.”

“I’m not the one who’s going to need to be.”

I understood that comment seconds later when he pushed me down on the bed, shoved my skirt up to my waist, ripped off my underwear, and settled his mouth between my thighs to satisfy his hunger.

* * *

Three days later, I was loading the laundry at around ten in the morning when I heard the doorbell. I hurried to answer it, greeted by our local postal worker, Pauline. She had a few parcels in hand.

“More Christmas presents?” Pauline smiled as I signed for them.

Probably. I thanked goodness our mail always arrived when the kids were at school or I’d never be able to hide their gifts.

“Some mail too.” She handed over the envelopes as I struggled to hold on to all the boxes.

“Thanks so much,” I said, trying not to drop the parcels.

As I was closing the door with my foot, I looked down at the top envelope, and my heart stopped.

Oh my God, it was here!

Hurrying into the kitchen, I dumped the packages onto the counter and rushed for my cell on the dining table. Hands shaking, I dialed Thane and hoped he wasn’t in a meeting, that he’d pick up.

He did on the third ring. “Regan, are you okay?”

Hearing his concern, because I never called him at work—he was always the one ringing me on his lunch break—I blurted out, “It’s here. The results just arrived.”

Thane hesitated a moment. “Give me a second.” I heard some muffled talking on the other end, and I slumped into a dining chair, clutching the envelope. My knee bounced with nerves.

“Right, I’m back,” Thane said a little breathlessly. “What does it say?”

Surprised, I replied, “You want me to open it?”

“I can’t wait the hour it will take me to get back home. So yes, open it.”

Shocked and humbled that he trusted me with this, I switched my cell to speaker, took a breath, and ripped into it. I almost dropped the damn letter I was trembling so hard.

And there it was.

Tears flooded my eyes and I sobbed, “She’s yours! She’s yours, baby, she’s yours!”

I heard the choked noise he made down the line, the sounds of him trying to catch his breath, and I suspected my big, brave Scotsman was crying.

Aching to be with him, I let him take his time to process.

Finally, in his voice gruff, he said, “Thank fuck, mo leannan. Thank all the fucks in the world for that.”

I gave a bark of laughter through my tears. “We knew it. We knew it in our guts.”

“Aye, but now I have a piece of paper I can give to my lawyer so she can tell Sean McClintock he can go rot.”

“Yes, you do.” Relief melted through me. Now Thane could just enjoy Christmas with Eilidh and Lewis without this cloud hanging over his head.