At the sound of Thane’s voice, my curiosity piqued, so I snuck out of my room and stood at the top of the stairs to eavesdrop. Not very mature of me, I know, but I hoped that he’d come over to ask Robyn about the job. They disappeared into the kitchen, and I tiptoed downstairs to listen out of sight. I had to strain to hear as they spoke in low tones.
When Thane finished explaining my proposition to Robyn and Lachlan, I waited tensely for my sister’s reaction.
Finally, she replied, “What is it you’re asking me?”
“Two things, really. If you think it’s wise to hire Regan to look after Eilidh and Lewis, and if so, would it be an issue for you? I don’t want to make any problems for you, Robyn. For all I know, you want Regan on a flight back to the States.”
I sucked in a breath at the thought, squeezing my eyes closed.
Please don’t hurt me, please don’t hurt me.
“I don’t want that,” Robyn replied wearily.
I relaxed, tears burning my eyes.
“I prefer her here where I can keep an eye on her.”
Like I wasn’t a twenty-five-year-old woman but a wild sixteen-year-old up to no good?
Jeez, my sister really was living in the past.
Your fault, a sneering voice said in my head.
Yup, I knew that too.
“Do you think I’d be insane to hire her? I’m really in a jam here.”
Insane?
A little melodramatic.
Stung, I crossed my arms over my chest. This was what happened when you eavesdropped.
“Of course not,” Robyn replied, and she sounded a little defensive.
I smirked. Thank you, sis.
“Are you sure?” Lachlan asked. “This is my nephew and niece we’re talking about, Robyn.”
I scowled. I knew he didn’t like me.
“I know that. And I know how much they mean to you. I love them too. I would never suggest putting them in harm’s way. And while Regan has acted impulsive and irresponsible in many situations in her life—”
Say what?
“She’s like a whole other person with kids. I always thought she should go into teaching.”
She did? She thought I could do that?
“But anyway, Regan is only ever irresponsible with herself.”
“Really, because I thought abandoning you after you got shot and then ignoring your calls after Lucy tried to murder you was pretty irresponsible.” Lachlan’s voice was hard.
I flinched, remorse an ugly sensation.
“I can’t explain that.” I barely heard my sister’s response.
There was a moment of silence and then Thane cleared his throat. “So … your opinion is that she’s responsible with children?”
“Absolutely. She’s never lost a job, nanny or otherwise. And she didn’t just do it for the money. She enjoys taking care of kids. And you saw her with Eilidh and Lewis the other night. Kids love her. She’s great with them. If you want to hire her, do it. But keep looking for someone else, Thane. I don’t know this version of Regan as well as I used to know her. This version of her is unpredictable. Selfish and unkind in a way she never was before. So she might decide next week to pack her bags and leave.”
The tears in my eyes slipped free.
It was an awful thing to hear the person you loved most call you selfish and unkind.
“Maybe I shouldn’t hire her.” Thane sighed heavily. “I don’t want someone selfish and unkind looking after my kids.”
To my shock, it was Lachlan who spoke up. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but … for someone apparently so selfish and unkind, she taught Lewis a lesson about kindness without preaching at him. She sensed the tension Lucy’s name caused with the children at the table and defused it in seconds. She was naturally aware of their emotions throughout dinner and steered the conversation around them. I thought she showed intuitiveness and caring toward them that frankly shocked me.
“And while I know you’re not ready to hear this, Braveheart, there is something going on with that woman. Mac thinks so too. She’s not telling you something. Mac thinks it could be why she’s been avoiding you for so long.”
Damn. I gaped down the hallway toward the sound of my sister’s fiancé’s voice. Mac (and Lachlan!) saw too much.
After a moment, Robyn said, “Calling her unkind was wrong. I’m frustrated with her for acting like everything is all fine and dandy between us, and it came from that. It’s not true. Regan is not an unkind person. She never has been. Inconsiderate is a better word for her. And Lachlan’s right. There’s something going on, and I won’t find out what that is if she doesn’t stick around. While her having a great-paying job she enjoys would help in that matter, I don’t want you to feel obligated to hire her when it involves Eilidh and Lewis.”
“We’re talking in circles now,” Thane huffed, a tinge of amusement in his voice. “Robyn, I’m in desperate need of a nanny housekeeper. Arrochar is watching the children tomorrow, but she has to return to work on Thursday.”
“I told you I’d take the kids to school and pick them up,” Lachlan offered.
“I can do the same. We’ll take turns,” Robyn added.
“And I appreciate it. But we can’t go on like that, never knowing until the last minute who can watch them and when. I need a nanny and someone to take care of the house. Regan emailed over a very impressive set of references. So … should I hire her or not?”
I waited with bated breath.
Robyn replied, “Do it. She’ll take good care of them. But like I said … don’t stop looking for someone more permanent.”
After that, I’d hurried quietly upstairs and tried not to let their words repeat over and over in my head.
That morning, Robyn drove us to Ardnoch to meet with the yoga and Pilates instructor, Eredine Willows, who was training in MMA with Robyn too.
“Do I get a tour of the castle and estate at some point?” I asked as Robyn swung her car by what she called “the mews.” Turned out it was just an old-fashioned term for garage.
“Lachlan is pretty stringent about stuff like that. His members pay big bucks for complete privacy.”
“Didn’t he let you roam the estate?”
“I was investigating a crime.” Her tone brokered no further argument, and I shut up. “And he wanted in my pants.” She shot me a smirk.
I chuckled, but it still bugged me to be treated like I was untrustworthy. While I had shown a lack of consideration for my sister these past eighteen months, I’d done nothing in my twenty-five years on the planet to suggest I was the kind of person who couldn’t be trusted to walk around a private estate without pissing off its inhabitants.
As we walked down the gravel driveway, past the impressive castle, I caught no glimpses of a famous person. I caught no glimpse of anyone. Robyn ushered us down a path that led away from the castle. Soon, however, a small loch edged with modern cabins appeared, and I forgot my annoyance.
The cabins were compact and clad in silvered wooden larch. Each had a floor-to-ceiling glass window that looked out over the loch. The flowered shrubbery and small trees that grew around the loch reflected in the water so it was more green than blue.
“This is so pretty.”