Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Angry, frustrated tears threatened. I didn’t have an answer for Becky’s behavior, but I knew with certainty that this wasn’t over. She was determined to make things so hard for me here … to make me leave? To get me fired? And she was doing it in a way that made it hard to prove.
In that moment, there was only one person I wanted to see.
The person who did believe me.
As if Baird heard my thoughts, he texted me during my lunch break.
We should talk b4 the venue promo shoot 2mrrow.
I started to spiral again, wondering if that meant he’d changed his mind. Had I left it too long to respond to his declaration?
My fingers trembled as I replied.
Why don’t we meet for a swim tomorrow before the shoot?
His response was instantaneous.
Usual time. C U there.
No flirting. No banter. Straight to the point.
Oh goodness. My stomach flipped unpleasantly. What if he’d changed his mind?
Panic suffused me at the very thought.
Just like that, with such inconvenient timing, I knew exactly what I wanted to happen between us.
I had to hope I wasn’t too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
MAIA
Between today’s revelations about Becky, the anticipation of seeing Baird tomorrow, and not knowing how things between us would pan out, I was a jittery mess when I rang Joss and Braden Carmichael’s doorbell that evening.
My pseudo-aunt and -uncle were hosting a college graduation party for their son Luke. Luke was the middle Carmichael child. Beth was the eldest and Elle the youngest at sixteen. Luke had graduated from Glasgow in prelaw and was attending Edinburgh’s law school after the summer. He’d decided to come back home because his Portuguese boyfriend Afonso was attending the same law school at Edinburgh and Luke didn’t want to be without him. They’d been together since freshman year at Glasgow and were madly in love.
Luke was big into his designer clothing, and I often used my Pennington’s discount for him. If the party was for anyone else, I’d possibly make my excuses, but I loved Luke, and he deserved to be celebrated for his hard work.
Joss opened the door and pulled me into a hug. “Your dad and Grace are running late. Apparently, Lockie wanted to sleep at a friend’s house tonight so they’re dropping him off first.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sometimes I’d like to shake some sense into that kid. He doesn’t know how lucky he is to have a family this big who want to spend time with him.”
She gave me an understanding smile but said, “He’s a teen boy. His family are pretty much furniture at this point. He’ll come around.”
Nodding in agreement, I followed Joss through the huge townhouse to the large kitchen/family room where everyone was already congregated, drinking, snacking, and listening to music as they chatted.
There was Luke and Afonso, Elle, Uncle Braden, and then Braden’s sister Aunt Ellie and her husband, Uncle Adam. There was Aunt Shannon with her husband Uncle Cole, and Uncle Cole’s sister Aunt Jo and her husband Uncle Cam. Uncle Cam’s best friend Uncle Nate and his wife Aunt Olivia, Aunt Ellie’s half sister Aunt Hannah, and Aunt Hannah’s husband Uncle Marco.
Then all of us kids.
I was the oldest of the second generation. Beth was second eldest. There were also the younger kids who I could hear out in the garden—my cousins, Aunt Shannon and Uncle Cole’s kids, Freya and Catriona, and Jo and Cam’s youngest, Louis, who was a late baby. There were seven years between him and my cousin Belle, who I didn’t see in the room.
I spotted Beth, though. She stood by the island laughing. With Callan and Baird.
As if he sensed me, Baird glanced over at the doorway and his dark eyes warmed.
I felt a wee bit breathless. I hadn’t known he’d be here. Yet seeing him … it felt like forever since I’d seen him.
“I’m going to let you process everything because as much as I want you, I want you to want me back and not just physically.”
His words from that night replayed in my mind for the millionth time.
“Maia, you made it!” Luke pushed gently through his relatives to cross the room.
I beamed, always happy to see my handsome pseudo-cousin. “Happy graduation!” I held out the package I’d wrapped.
His gorgeous blue eyes lit up. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” He leaned in to kiss my cheek as he took the gift.
Afonso appeared at his side and eyed my outfit. “Maia, looking chic as always.”
I glanced down at my leopard-print slip skirt, cropped black T, and brown leather brogues. This was my casual summer evening look. “Chic? Really?”
“You could wear a paper bag and make it chic,” Afonso opined in his lilting Portuguese accent. “It’s so unfair. I should hate you for it, but you’re so lovely I cannot.”
“Well, the gift is for both of you, if that makes you less inclined to hate me,” I teased.