“You’ve slept with three men,” Donna pointed out. “Including Callum. And the only reason you didn’t finish school is because of Jack.”
Isobel ignored her. “I’m one of those women on daytime TV. On those chat shows where they use polygraphs to find out if the boyfriend is sleeping with his best friend’s wife. I’m one of those people. I mean it. What else would you call a person who has children to three different partners?”
“Unlucky in love?” Donna said.
“A slut?” Agnes said.
“Mr President,” Mairi said.
There was a second of silence, before they all burst out laughing. Isobel sat back down at the table with her sisters and pulled the rest of the chocolate cake towards her.
“Guess I have no other choice but to wait and see if baby number three is on the way.”
“To be fair,” Donna said, “babies one and two are totally awesome.”
“There is that,” Isobel said. But she wasn’t encouraged. She knew nothing about Callum McKay, other than what he ordered at the shop, and what the rumours said about him. She didn’t know if he’d be another deadbeat dad who ran out on his kid the first chance he got. Did she even want him in her children’s life? He was sexy, and terrifying, and dangerous, but was he honourable? Probably not. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have jumped her in his hallway and he wouldn’t be hiding in Arness.
“This is a mess,” she said around a mouthful of cake.
“Aye, and it gets worse every day.” Agnes reached for the pot of tea to top them all up.
“I don’t like any of this,” Donna said. “I think we should pool our money and move away. Start again, somewhere new, together.”
“We don’t have a lot,” Mairi said, “but it would be enough to get us all settled. I’ve always fancied living in a city. You know, somewhere where there’s work and I could get a job where I didn’t talk rubbish to men online all day long.”
“You love talking rubbish online,” Agnes said. “We’d need to move somewhere cheap, though; a city would be expensive. I hear Wales is cheap. We could probably buy a whole town there for a couple of pounds.”
“Oh, I hear Welsh guys are hot,” Mairi said with a grin. “I can move to Wales.”
“Mmm, probably best if we kept away from the hot men,” Agnes said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Our eldest sister can’t keep her pants on. We wouldn’t want to exhaust her by providing too many options.”
“Funny, oh so funny,” Isobel said.
Isobel’s three sisters reached over and covered her hands with theirs.
“Whatever happens,” Donna said, “we’re in this together. You won’t be alone.”
“I love you guys,” Isobel said as she fought back tears.
“We know,” Agnes said.
“Aye,” Mairi said, “we love you too. Even though you’re a loose woman. Maybe one of us should spend the night while Callum is here? Just to make sure you keep your underwear on. I vote for Agnes.”
Agnes threw a tea cosy at her head.
There were four women waiting for Callum when he returned to Isobel’s house. Four women, and one very angry teenage boy. Jack Sinclair stood at the bottom of the staircase, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and his dark eyes filled with resentment. Callum didn’t blame him one bit.
“Later,” Callum said to the boy, who nodded tersely. They understood each other.
“Later what?” Isobel’s worried gaze flicked between the two of them.
“Never mind that,” the woman beside her said. “I’m Mairi. I’m the youngest sister. And we want to know if you plan on keeping your pants on overnight, or if someone has to stay here to chaperone?”
“Mairi!” Isobel spun on her sister.
“What?” Mairi said. “I’m just saying what everyone is thinking.”
“Not me,” the one beside her muttered. “I was thinking that he looks like he could kill a man with his bare hands.” Her eyes shot to Callum’s, and she blushed. “Which is good. You’ll keep them safe. Right?”