Can't Buy Me Love (Sinclair Sisters 3)

“And he was okay with that?”

“He said he’s happy to take what time he can get.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? I mean, if you don’t want anything serious.”

And that was the problem. She wasn’t sure a relationship with Logan could be anything but serious. “He has kids, Isobel. Two. A boy and a girl, fourteen and twelve. I met the girl today—she’s cute and funny. She reminds me a lot of her dad.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Isobel reached out to touch the screen, as though she could touch her sister. “I know how hard it was for you growing up, looking after all of us when you were only a kid yourself. You gave up a lot to take care of us when I was so busy with Jack. I know you feel you want to have a break from responsibility, but Agnes, was it really all so bad?”

“No!” The answer was instant—she didn’t even need to think about it. “I love you guys to infinity. Hell, I’d die for you, no questions asked. It’s just that I have plans now. Things I’ve dreamed about doing since we were kids.” Like getting out of Scotland and getting away from a life that was one long struggle to survive.

“You know your plans can change, don’t you? Nobody would hold it against you if they did. And, on the flip side, no one will think you’re selfish if you hold on to those plans and see them through. You deserve to have the life you want, Aggie. There’s no need to feel guilty about it. You’ve earned it.” Isobel bit her bottom lip for a second before continuing. “Why don’t you take him up on his offer? Why don’t you spend the year with him, with no expectations for the future?”

Her chest tightened and her eyes stung. “I’m scared I’ll fall in love with him, Isobel.”

“Oh, honey, our parents really stuffed us up, didn’t they?”

Agnes nodded because her throat was too tight to answer.

“Not all men stop you from following your dreams,” Isobel said softly. “Not all men press you down until there’s nothing left of you.”

“If I fall in love with him, I’ll have to stay here.”

“No.” Isobel shook her head. “But you’d have to give him up to go. You know how this works. You can’t have everything in life; it’s all about negotiation and compromise. We learned that young. You’re smart, Aggie, and you’ve got time to think things through. Just make sure the dreams you’re following now are the ones you want as an adult, not the desperate dreams you had as a kid. And remember, whatever you do, whichever way you go, you’ll always have us at your back.”

“Even if I’m half a world away?”

“Even then.”

“Thanks, sis.” Agnes took a deep breath. “I have to get back to work.”

“Call anytime,” Isobel said. “I’m just sitting around incubating anyway.”

“Love you,” they both called out, and her phone went blank.

Agnes spent a few minutes staring out across the loch as the bitter chill from the wind ate right through her bones. As far back as she could remember, she’d always been the strong one. But, at that moment, she wouldn’t have minded if Logan had been there so he could hold her for a while. Sometimes she ached for someone who didn’t mind being strong for her, now and then, when she needed it. But Logan was a temptation she couldn’t afford to succumb to. No matter how hard he was to resist.

After clearing up her things, she headed back to work. And, still, that one question repeated in her head: ‘What do you want?’

Chapter 12

“I don’t understand women,” Logan said to his son’s football coach as they stood together on the sidelines during practice.

It had been a day since he’d told Agnes to call if she wanted him. She’d emailed Lake about thefts at the hotel, but hadn’t reached out to him. If he hadn’t been getting updates and random photos from Bernadette, he would have worried she’d skipped town.

“What?” the coach said.

“I said, I don’t understand women.”

Not many junior teams could boast an ex-premier league footballer as their coach, but Flynn Boyle had grown up in Invertary and, now that he was home, he wanted to give something back. Of course, most folk would say all the animals he rescued was giving back enough. Well, okay, only his wife said that, but she was the one overrun by them. Flynn was studying to become a veterinarian and was a magnet for other people’s unwanted pets. And injured wild animals. And, well, just any animal that wanted a free feed.

“What’s to understand?” Flynn said, his gaze on the field. “You tell them they’re pretty, give them chocolate, make a fuss when they do stuff, and keep them sexed up. It’s harder to look after a goat.”

“Why am I even talking to you about this?”

“Uh, because the only other guy in Invertary with as much experience with women as I have is Josh, and you don’t want to take advice from a guy who asked his manager to find him a wife.”

He had a point. “I didn’t ask you for advice. We’re just talking.”