Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“All right, fine,” she puffed out, though she couldn’t quite hide she was pleased with his words. “We’ll go on a date tonight.”
This time, he grinned. “I know we will.”
She squinted her eyes at him. “You can uncage me now.”
He looked down at their bodies, moving his hands from her jaw to cage her another way, in his arms. “Like ye where ye are, lass.”
She pushed at his chest. “I need to make eggs.”
She barely finished that before they heard his mother saying, “Och no. Are we interrupting something?”
Blake pulled from his hold and scuttled out from in front of him.
He turned.
His mother looked better than yesterday.
Her father had a light shining in his eyes as he gazed at them.
So, approval there then.
Good to know.
“No, now’s the perfect time,” Blake said. “I was about to make eggs, and I could use some help setting the breakfast table.”
His mother practically rubbed her hands together with excitement she had something to do. “Tell me what you need.”
Blake started giving instructions while pulling out a skillet to make eggs, and the rest of them joined in to help set the round breakfast nook in its nest of even more windows off to the side of the kitchen.
The muffins were exhumed from their tins. The bacon pulled from the warming oven. Bowls of fruit, the butter keeper and sauces were laid out. And they all climbed into the nook around its circular table, with Dair arranging it so he sat beside Blake.
They filled their plates, but before Davi dug in, she announced, “Dair, I reckon you’ll be particularly happy to know that Mum and Ned decided we’re moving here for the duration of our stay.”
Blake made an alarmed sound.
Dair smiled broadly. “Aye, I feel particularly happy about that.”
“It’s only a couple of days, dear,” Kenna said to Blake. “But if you’d prefer us not to be here—”
“No, no,” Blake interrupted her. “The hotel is lovely and convenient. But it’s far more peaceful here.”
“It is that, aye,” Kenna said distractedly, looking out the window.
Dair switched his attention to Blake and saw her profile soft with concern as her eyes rested on his mother.
He curled his fingers around her thigh under the table and earned her focus.
“She’ll be okay,” he mouthed.
Blake nodded, but it wasn’t persuasive.
He gave her another squeeze and went after his muffin.
He’d never had a pistachio muffin.
It was outstanding.
“You play golf, Dair?” Ned asked.
“Am I Scottish?” Dair returned on a smile.
“Fancy a round today?”
“Love to,” Dair said.
Blake sighed a beleaguered sigh, but when Dair looked at her again, her gaze was still soft, this time resting on her father.
“I’ll ring for a tee time after breakfast,” Ned declared.
“So we women will be hauling around luggage while you blokes wander around putting tiny balls into tiny holes,” Davi groused.
“I’ll move us before golf,” Dair said.
“I’ll arrange the tee time for this afternoon,” Ned put in.
Blake tore off a piece of muffin and put it in her mouth, and now she was wearing a peaceful expression.
Christ, she had no idea.
Even sitting in that nook in a kitchen she designed, eating food she cooked, she had no idea.
No idea what she gave, and how important it was.
Dair was really looking forward to helping her find out.
Chapter 9
Points
Blake
* * *
Oh God, was I going to do this?
Ugh.
I was going to do it.
I knocked on Davi’s bedroom door.
“Aye?” I heard from the other side.
I opened the door and walked in, only to have Davi shoot a beaming smile at me while she shrugged on a cardigan.
“I’m leaving Mum and Ned to their whiskies tonight and coming up early to spend hours in that tub,” she announced. “I’m rubbish with that kind of thing. I’m thinking of redoing my bathroom at home. Do ye think you’d have time to help?”
Startled, for a second, I didn’t know what to say.
“I ken you’re probably busy,” she went on.
I was never busy.
But, wait.
I was.
I was always busy.
How was I always busy?
And how had I not noticed I was always busy?
“So forget I said anything,” Davi finished.
“I’d love to help. I love doing things like that,” I told her.
Her face lit up. “Really?”
I nodded.
“That would be pure dead brilliant,” Davi gushed.
“And it’d be my pleasure,” I replied.
Davi’s brows knit. “I thought ye were going out with Dair about now?”
“I am,” I told her. “He just knocked on my door and told me he’s ready when I was. But, I…could you…” I took in a breath. “Okay, I know I’m going out on a date with your brother, so this might be a strange thing for me to ask, but do you think my outfit is okay?”
I was wearing high-waisted, parchment-white trousers that fit snug at the ass, hips and upper thighs but had a wide leg.
I topped this with a sleeveless, high neck, soft super-faded denim top that was blousy and gathered at the waist and had a bit of a crop, so it showed a hint of skin at the midriff.