Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“To be fair, you haven’t had to make many decisions lately.”
“Aye, because the ones I already made are keeping you busy.”
I smirked. “True.” I shot him another look. “You’re not bored working security for the estate, are you? I know it’s not the jet-setting life you’re used to.” Walker had been a bodyguard to several celebrities before he became head of my security detail.
“If I were bored or unhappy, I wouldn’t be here.”
Fair enough.
My not-so-loquacious friend characteristically didn’t speak for the rest of the ride. Thane and Regan had invited us over for Monday night dinner—we missed Sunday because of the chaos my new nieces had rained down upon my siblings. The new parents and their adorable but very loud daughters were not attending tonight. I made a note to look in on them this week. To make sure they were all okay.
I hugged Regan as she welcomed us and tried not to laugh as she held out her arms to Walker and he scowled at her in warning and patted her shoulder awkwardly in greeting.
“He’s not the cuddling type,” I murmured in her ear as we walked into the main living space.
Her dimples popped as she nodded. “Duly noted.”
“Uncle Brodan!” Eilidh jumped from a stool at the island and rushed me. She was getting too big to haul up into my arms, I realized as I hugged her back. The thought made me feel shit about missing out on so much, so I threw it away.
I was all about the present these days.
No dwelling allowed.
Eilidh released me with a cheeky grin and stepped over to Walker, tilting her head back to look up at him. “You’re as tall as Uncle Mac.”
Walker’s expression softened the tiniest bit. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. He’s my Aunt Robyn’s daddy, but he’s married to my Aunt Arro. That must be really confusing for Skye and Vivien.”
I coughed into my fist to cover my laugh, my eyes meeting Arran’s across the room. Eredine had turned her head into Arran’s shoulder to stifle her own amusement, but Arran was blatantly chuckling.
Walker, however, kept a straight face. “You just have to explain it to them when they’re older.”
“Explain it how?” Eilidh wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think you can explain that.”
Thane coughed loudly, most definitely covering a laugh as Regan turned her back on the lot of us and busied herself in the kitchen, definitely trying not to bust a gut.
“Well, let’s see,” Walk said patiently. “Skye and Vivien are first cousins because Lachlan and Arrochar are brother and sister. But Skye is not only Robyn and Lachlan’s niece, she’s Robyn’s half-sister. Vivien is not only Mac and Arrochar’s niece, she’s Mac’s granddaughter, so that makes Skye Vivien’s half-aunt.”
Eilidh’s hands flew to her hips in indignation. “And you don’t think that’s confusing?”
Laughter burst out of me before I could stop it, and Walker’s lips twitched with amusement. “I suppose it is.”
“I love this kid.” I bent down to press a quick kiss to Eilidh’s temple, grinning as I straightened, eyes on Thane. “Good job, Bro.”
Thane raised his hands. “I can’t take credit. She came out like that.”
Thundering footsteps on the stairs drew my attention, and Lewis suddenly appeared at the bottom of them. “Is dinner ready yet? I’m starving.” His eyes widened at the sight of Walker, and then he swung his gaze around the room as if searching. At the sight of me, my nephew beamed in a way that tugged at that gnawing ache in my chest. “Uncle Brodan!”
Lewis was usually so quiet, it was gratifying to see him show enthusiasm about my presence. “Hey, bud, how’s it going?”
He hurried across the room, slipping slightly in ill-fitting socks.
“Pull up your socks, Lew, before you break something,” Thane said from the couch, taking the words out of my mouth.
“Uncle Brodan, I need to ask you something.”
“Lewis, let your uncle eat before you ask him for favors,” Regan called from the kitchen.
His face fell, and he trudged to the table with an “Okay, Mum.”
Christ, he was a good kid. Curious, I turned to Thane and mouthed, “Favor?”
Thane gave me a strange look, almost wary. His lips parted as if to say something, but then he just gestured to the table.
Soon we were all seated and helping ourselves to toppings for the chicken fajitas Regan had cooked. It was messy and delicious because the woman had the magic touch, but my focus was on my nephew. Once I’d inhaled one fajita and was piling toppings on the next, I said, “Okay, hit me with it, Lew. What’s up?”
Fucking great kid that he was, he looked to Regan first for approval.
She smiled and nodded.
Lewis turned back to me, his expression pleading.
What the hell …
“Uncle Brodan, my class and the P6s and P7s are doing The Wizard of Oz for our Christmas musical.”