Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“Maia went away for uni,” I reminded Aunt Ellie, referring to my uncle Logan’s daughter from a previous relationship. “And she came back.” Maia was a fashion buyer for Edinburgh’s most exclusive department store, Pennington’s.
“That’s true.” It seemed to brighten my aunt’s mood.
We chatted some more. My family asked about Social Queens, and I told them about the possibility of taking Aura Beauty on as a client. Mum seemed a little concerned about this and reiterated her worry that I was overworking. As we finished up dinner, I deflected her concern by asking Dad if I could talk to him in private.
This garnered curious looks from everyone else, but Dad nodded and led me out of the kitchen. I followed him to his office. While Mum’s office was light and bright with lots of white to make the books on her many shelves pop, Dad’s was moody and dark. Our interior designer created faux paneling and then painted it and the walls a rich dark blue. His desk was a sleek walnut midcentury number and his chair a contemporary button-back leather.
Dad sat on the edge of the desk, crossing his legs at his ankles, resting his hands casually at either side of his hips, while I closed the door for privacy. His body language was relaxed, but those piercing blue eyes I’d inherited were sharp with questions.
A slight nervousness had played around in my belly since arriving at my parents’, but now the sensation erupted into full-blown butterflies. The only way to get rid of them was to say what I’d come here to say. “I need a favor.”
Dad raised an eyebrow. “What kind of favor?”
“Well … I have a friend who is interested in buying one of your properties, and he’d really like to meet. Unfortunately, he tells me that you’ve knocked back all attempts to discuss the sale with him.”
To his credit, Dad appeared genuinely confused. “I haven’t knocked back a meeting with anyone recently. What property? What friend?”
“Blantyre Castle.”
Dad shook his head. “Beth, I’ve knocked back a couple of offers, but nothing recent. And certainly haven’t been approached to discuss a meeting about it.”
I scowled, wondering what the heck Callan was on about, then. “You haven’t been ignoring requests from the football player Callan Keen?”
“Since when are you friends with football players?” Dad narrowed his eyes, amusement there. “Are you dating a football player?”
“No.” I took a step toward him. “Seriously, you really haven’t knocked back a meeting with him?”
“None that I’m aware of. You know my team deals with all those inquiries. Let me ask them.” Dad suddenly frowned. “Keen? Callan Keen? Caley United Callan Keen?”
Those butterflies returned. “Aye.”
Concern gleamed in his eyes. “Beth, that family is not good news.”
“Callan’s a good guy, Dad. I went to school with him. Do you remember?”
“Vaguely.”
Vaguely.
That hurt.
I’d given up the boy I thought I’d fallen in love with as a teenager so it wouldn’t cause trouble with my parents, and Dad “vaguely” recalled I went to school with him.
“His mum and stepdad died, and Callan had to go live with his birth father. He pretty much hates him and doesn’t have anything to do with him. If that’s the family you’re referring to.”
“Gavin Urquhart?” Dad leaned forward.
“That’s him. Callan despises him. Always has. Why do you think he took his mum’s surname instead of his dad’s?”
His eyebrows rose at this news. “I see.” Dad seemed to contemplate that. “Doesn’t really surprise me, actually.”
“How do you know his dad?” I wanted to see if he’d tell me the truth.
“First … how friendly are you with this guy?”
“We’re neighbors. He moved into the flat above mine and we’ve become friends of a sort.”
“Of a sort?”
I shrugged because I didn’t know how to explain I was fake dating Callan to win over a client.
“Well … you remember I was married before I married your mum?”
I nodded.
“Gavin Urquhart was a childhood friend, and he slept with my first wife. When I met your mum, he tried to get it on with her, too, and I might have punched him.”
I grinned at the imagery. “You did not.”
Dad’s lips twitched. “He did me a favor betraying me with my first wife. He made a mistake flirting with your mum.”
My chest squeezed at that, and I blurted out with more vulnerability than usual, “I wish I could find someone who loves me the way you love Mum.”
Dad’s eyes widened ever so slightly. He pushed off his desk and crossed the room to pull me into his embrace. I went happily, wrapping my arms around him as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I won’t accept any man who comes into your life unless I think that’s exactly how he feels for you, Beth. It’s the kind of love you deserve.”
We hugged for a few seconds longer before I reluctantly pulled away. “So … Callan?”