Here With Me (Adair Family 1)

“Collum!” Morag snapped.

But the farmer was already striding out of the shop.

My hands fisted at my sides so tightly, my nails bit into my skin.

“He didn’t mean anything by that, Robyn. His issues with the Adairs go back a long way.”

Yeah. They sure did. But that sounded a lot like a threat to me. Either he didn’t see me as someone he needed to watch his words around, or he actually didn’t care if he was a suspect. I knew from Mac that the police had interviewed McCulloch, and he’d staunchly denied having anything to do with the events at the estate.

If I were McCulloch and I wasn’t behind the crimes but I wanted revenge on Lachlan, I’d leak the situation to the press, right?

But he hadn’t.

Because he was behind the crimes, and that was a much more satisfying revenge?

If I found out Collum McCulloch had paid someone to attack my father …

“Oh, Robyn, I see what you’re thinking,” Morag said. “But Collum wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

Yeah?

We’d see about that.

* * *

Thankfully, it was Jock, and not Lachlan, who let me onto the estate and then escorted me to Mac’s second-floor suite.

“How is he this morning?” I asked as we climbed the main staircase.

“Frustrated. Mac wasn’t built for bed rest,” Jock said with an amused twinkle in his eye.

I remembered what I was like on bed rest. “Yeah. I feel for him. But he has to stay put for now.”

At my warning tone, Jock smiled. It was an incredibly attractive grin that transformed him from ordinary to handsome. “Don’t worry. Mr. Adair is pulling out all the stops to make sure Mac stays in bed and is taken care of.”

“That’s reassuring,” I muttered.

The security guard chuckled as if he knew exactly how much his boss and I bothered each other. I realized Jock referred to my father by name while his other men called him Mr. Galbraith. It revealed a familiarity and friendship that perhaps the others didn’t have with Mac. Curious, I asked, “How long have you worked here?”

“As long as Mac. I hadn’t long joined Mr. Adair’s private security team when he …” His voice trailed off, his expression solemn for an instant before becoming neutral again. “When he decided to quit Hollywood and turn the estate into a members-only club.”

“And he retained your services.”

“Exactly. Mac and I have a rapport, which is essential as part of a team. It transferred to life here at Ardnoch.”

“Still, there’s a big difference between traveling around the world and being stuck in a tiny village in the north of Scotland.”

“Aye, right enough. But I missed her. Scotland. I liked the idea of being able to do my job here.”

“Are you from Ardnoch?” His accent sounded more like Mac’s.

“No, no. I’m originally from Paisley. Near Glasgow.”

“Wife? Kids?”

He eyed me. “Is this an interrogation?”

I gave a huff of embarrassed laughter. “No, actually. I was just curious. Guess I’m not so good at the small-talk thing. I didn’t realize I sounded like a cop.”

“Och, I’m just teasing.” We stopped at double doors that required a key card. Mac was in one of the best suites in the castle, in the east wing, which had added security for privacy. The card unlocked the doors, and Jock pushed one open, gesturing for me to go ahead.

“Thanks.”

As we fell into step again, he said, “I have a wee boy, Adam, and a fiancé. William.”

Lucky William. “I shouldn’t have assumed ‘wife.’ Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured me.

“Did you guys adopt?”

“No.” We drew to a stop outside Mac’s door.

“I’m being nosy. Again, I’m sorry.”

“Not at all.” Jock stood, his hands behind his back, stance wide. It was the alert-bodyguard pose that seemed to be his natural resting position. “When we moved to Ardnoch, I met my ex, Kayla, on a night out in Inverness. We dated, she got pregnant, she had Adam, we broke up … and Will moved to Ardnoch. He’s an artist. I fell in love with his work first.” Jock shrugged with that lazy, gorgeous smile of his. “Then I couldn’t deny how I felt about him.”

He was being lighthearted with a woman he barely knew, and I understood. However, there was a slight shadow behind his happiness that made me wonder how hard the road to admitting he was gay had been for him, and why.

“Does your little boy stay with you?”

“Full time.” Jock’s eyes glittered with utter love. “He’s amazing. Hilarious. I highly recommend procreation.”

I laughed but didn’t ask why he had Adam full time. None of my business. “Maybe one day.” Who knew? I always imagined I’d have kids, but only if I was as madly in love with a guy the way Jaz loved Autry. Not everyone got to have that, though. In fact, as far as I could tell, lots of people settled for less than what they wanted, deserved, or needed.