There with You (Adair Family 2)

“Where were you?” Robyn tried not to laugh as she addressed her fiancé.

Lachlan grinned. “On a movie set somewhere.”

“And you?” Regan asked Thane.

Thane found himself smiling, despite his unhappy thoughts. “At uni.”

“At uni?” Brodan scoffed. “It was his bloody plan! We were just his foot soldiers!”

Thane cut his brother an annoyed look as Arrochar turned on him. “You did not!”

Rubbing his neck sheepishly, he shrugged. “I couldn’t be there to make sure you were all right. And anyway”—he shot Lachlan a warning look—“I was only following orders.”

“No!” Arro turned on Lachlan, making them all laugh.

Lachlan grinned unrepentantly. “You were fourteen. If boys were going to date you, they needed to know what they’d be facing if they hurt you.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t get asked out again for two years!”

“Well, that was just an accidental bonus.”

Robyn shoved Lachlan playfully on Arro’s behalf, and he roared with laughter, setting them all off. Thane caught Brodan watching Regan again as she fell against Arro giggling, her dimples so damn appealing. Any amusement Thane felt died at the definite interest in Brodan’s eyes.

Not long later, when Regan announced it was bedtime for Eilidh and Lewis, Thane took them up and settled them in as he always did. Eilidh was more hyper than she’d ever been, and he regretted allowing her that final hot cocoa.

“I don’t wanna sleep, Daddy,” she growled at him in the monster voice.

“You have to, Eilidh-Bug. It’s past your bedtime.”

“But I wanna be downstairs!”

“Come on.” He lifted her into bed, pulled up the covers, and settled down beside her in one swift move. “I’ll read The Night Before Christmas to you.”

She harrumphed like an eighty-year-old but couldn’t resist snuggling into him as he slowly made his way through the Christmas book. Thankfully, despite her excitement, she was also an energetic five-year-old who needed her sleep. Her eyes closed, lashes thick and casting shadows across her chubby cheeks. Thane squeezed her closer, just watching her for a bit, preferring to feel the utter relief of knowing no one could ever take his daughter from him rather than dwell on the panic that one day soon, another female who had become precious to him would slip through his fingers like sand.

A while later, Thane came downstairs to find the adults—except for Arro, who was driving Mac home—had moved on to a glass of whisky. Brodan had somehow insinuated himself into a seat next to Regan. He had his arm stretched along the back of the couch behind her. Thane tried not to let it bother him, considering Regan was engaged in conversation with Robyn, but as he sat down at the end of the sectional, he couldn’t stop his eyes from moving to them.

Brodan was chatting with Lachlan but Thane’s eagle eyes caught his subtle movement. His brother started drawing circles on Regan’s shoulder.

His gut tightened with anger, and he was about to snap at Brodan when Regan suddenly launched herself off the sofa. “Sorry, have an itch behind my shoulder blades. Robbie, can you get it?” She crouched, and while her sister frowned at Regan’s randomness, she reached up to scratch her back.

“Got it?” Robyn asked.

“Yeah, thanks. I hate those awkward itches.” Regan grinned breezily but Thane recognized it for what it was—a fake smile. When she returned to the couch, she sat down next to him instead.

His gut unknotted.

He wanted to lay his hand on her thigh in an obnoxious, claiming gesture.

Not long later, Brodan’s cell rang.

“Damn.” He looked at the caller ID. “I need to take this.”

“At this hour?” Lachlan scowled.

“It’s my agent. He’s on LA time. I’ll just be a second.” Brodan got up and strode toward the bifolds that led outside. “Hey, what’s happening?” he asked as he opened the door.

Ice-cold air immediately encased them, and they all shivered. The door closed behind Brodan and the air warmed again.

Five minutes later, when he still hadn’t come back, Thane’s annoyance grew. It wasn’t just about his flirting with Regan; it was the fact that he hadn’t seen his family in half a year, and he couldn’t go one night without shoptalk? Aggravated, Thane got up and strode toward the bifolds.

“Thane,” Lachlan called in warning.

Thane waved him off and slipped outside onto the deck.

His breath puffed in the air as soon as he shut the doors behind him. It was fucking baltic. Shivering, he turned to find Brodan sitting on the stairs at the bottom of the deck. No phone in hand. Just staring out at the blackness beyond. While he could smell the sea and hear it lapping at the rocks below, he couldn’t see a damn thing, which was why the kids were never allowed out here in the pitch-black.

“What are you doing?” Thane sat down beside his brother, the icy wood seeping into the arse of his trousers. “It’s bloody freezing.”