Here With Me (Adair Family 1)

Gunning it up the sand dunes at speed to make it to the top, Lachlan jogged onto the trail that led past both estate lochs and up toward the castle.

Through the blurry precipitation, Lachlan saw a figure waiting near the path that led from Loch Ardnoch to the castle. The platinum-blond hair gave her away.

Arrochar.

Slowing on approach, he noted despite outfitted for the weather, her hair was drenched and the rain lashed off her rain jacket. “What are you doing?” he called to her. “Get back inside!”

She ignored him and he halted before her, aggravated. “You’ll catch your death, Arro, what are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” His sister scowled. “You thought going for a jog in this weather was a good idea?”

Actually, he did.

“Inside.” He put a hand on her shoulder, turning her toward the castle. “Come on.”

Together they ran toward shelter, pushing into the side entrance.

A memory of another day like this, following Robyn into the same doorway, flashed through his mind, and he forced it back out until he felt nothing again.

“You can use one of the rooms to dry off,” he said to his sister. “Why were you out there?”

Arrochar stared at him incredulously. “Because I’m worried about you.”

Ignoring that, Lachlan strode into his office to his desk phone. He hit the button for Butler and Concierge, and Wakefield answered. “Mr. Adair, how can I be of service?”

“Ms. Adair requires the use of a room. Make sure there are fresh towels, a robe, and tea laid out for her. And I’ll need someone to obtain dry clothing from her house.”

“Lachlan, I don’t need people to do that for me,” his sister argued.

“Bring the key to her room to my office.”

“Yes, sir. Right away.”

Lachlan hung up and turned to his sister. She was a sopping mess. “Take off the raincoat at least.” He gestured to her to throw it over the armchair.

“I didn’t come here to be pampered. It’s a bit of rain, for goodness’ sake.”

He leaned against his desk, crossing one ankle over the other, folding his arms over his chest. “And yet I got the distinct impression you were ready to lecture me for running in it.”

Arrochar scowled as she yanked the zip of her jacket down and shrugged out of it. Luckily, knowing how to dress for Scottish weather, her raincoat kept her sweater dry underneath. She threw the coat over a chair and then rested her hands on her hips. “I don’t care about you running in the rain. I care about the fact that I said I was coming over to share lunch with you, and you deliberately made sure you weren’t here.”

Shit. He shook his head apologetically. “Arro, I forgot.”

“Did you?” she said disbelievingly. “Or are you just avoiding everyone who loves you?”

“Arro,” he warned.

“No. Every time someone tries to bring it up, you snarl at them like a big beast and we all back off. Well, I’m done backing off.”

“It’s been a month. Give me a chance.”

“Why? So you can screw up your life even further by waiting too long to fix things?”

“Arro … I mean it.”

His sister lifted her elfin chin in defiance. “Let me ask you something, and I want an honest answer.”

He sighed impatiently.

She forged ahead anyway. “Do you love Robyn?”

Agitation screamed in his nerve endings.

“Jesus Christ, Lachlan.” Arrochar shook her head at him. “As well as I know you, I can’t tell what you’re thinking half the time. But whatever you feel for Robyn is so big, you can’t mask it. I say her name, and the way you feel is right there for everybody to see.”

A walking wound.

Pride pricked, he glowered.

“If you love her, why are you not on a plane as we speak, heading to Boston to get her back?”

“I tried to get her back,” he snapped. “I told her I loved her, and she made it clear she didn’t believe me and she left.”

“And you let her?” Arrochar looked aghast and not a little disappointed in him.

That was all he needed. “Bloody hell, Arrochar, dig the knife in deeper, why don’t you?”

“Oh, I bloody will.” She stepped toward him. “The Lachlan I know wouldn’t just give up. He goes after the things he wants. He always has. He’s a man I have always hero-worshipped and respected.”

“Well, maybe I’m not him,” he barked. “Maybe that man never existed. Playing a hero on the screen doesn’t make me one, Arro. I’m just a man. As it turns out, a bloody ordinary one at that. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I just don’t deserve her?”

His sister looked stunned.

Then understanding softened her expression. “Lachlan.”

“Just leave me alone, sweetheart,” he whispered hoarsely. “Please.”

“No.” She shook her head. “No, not if that’s the rubbish you’ve got percolating in your head right now … Do you know what one of my best memories is?”