Lewis frowned. “But … don’t you like Dad?”
Shocked by the question, I nodded. “Of course, I like your dad. That’s why I’m not crashing his birthday plans with you two. Now finish up. I’m going to check on dinner.” I left the table before he could ask more questions I didn’t know how to answer.
At around six o’clock, just as I was setting the table for dinner, Thane returned home. Over the past few months, I’d taken to eating with the family. We’d all fallen naturally into the habit. With Robyn’s words in mind, however, I left my plate aside for now. If Thane apologized, I’d put my plate out and eat with them. But if he didn’t, then maybe it was time to draw some lines in the sand. The kids would find it weird at first, but they’d get used to my not being there.
As always, Eilidh ran to greet Thane at the front door, and I tried not to let his tender hello to his daughter melt my resolve. He wandered into the living area with her in his arms as usual and smiled over at Lewis first. “Hey, buddy. How was school?”
“Fine.” Lewis shrugged and turned back to the television.
Thane frowned and then looked at me in question. I shrugged.
“Eilidh, go sit with your brother for a minute.” Thane lowered her to the floor, and she skipped across the room to throw herself on the couch at Lewis.
“Eils!” Lewis giggled, pushing her off, and I relaxed at the sound.
“Can I have a word?”
I glanced over at Thane. “Now?”
He gestured down the hall. “Now.”
“Dinner’s ready.”
“I’ll be quick.”
Pulse picking up at his request, I followed him down the hall and into his office. When he closed the door behind him, I got worried. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes and no.” Thane stared directly into my eyes. “I owe you an apology for the way I spoke to you at the weekend. I took too long to say sorry, and I’m sorry for that too.”
Relief flooded me, but I nodded in agreement.
He nodded back, his expression stern. “It was unbearably rude of me, and it won’t happen again.”
“Apology accepted.”
Thane exhaled slowly, relieved. “Good. The second thing is, I wondered if I could pay you overtime to watch Eilidh and Lewis this Friday night?”
I answered without thinking. “Of course.” Then I thought of that McClintock guy who had approached him about Eilidh. “Is something wrong, something going on?”
“No, no.” Thane dropped his gaze as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “I … I have a date.”
Honestly, I didn’t think I could have flinched harder if a cannon had exploded behind me.
He wanted me to work overtime so he could go on a date?
And I’d agreed.
I was so infuriated and hurt and disappointed, I couldn’t even look at him or speak. Instead, I walked out of his office and back into the kitchen. Attempting not to tremble with rage as I plated up the homemade macaroni, I also pretended I couldn’t sense Thane watching me.
“Dinner is ready, kids,” I announced as I walked into the kitchen to get my purse and car keys.
“Where’s your plate?” Lewis asked.
I grabbed my stuff and looked over at the three of them as they settled at the table. “I have plans tonight.” Forcing myself to enter Thane’s space, I walked past him to kiss Lewis and Eilidh on the head. “Enjoy dinner, cuties. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I didn’t acknowledge their father and walked out the front door, not knowing where to go. I could drive to Eredine’s and confess it all to her. Or Arro and not confess anything. Or I could do what I really wanted and just be with Robyn.
Decision made, I strolled next door and hoped Lachlan wouldn’t mind me crashing their evening. It turned out Lachlan wasn’t home from the estate yet.
Perfect.
Over a glass of wine and a salad I wished was my homemade macaroni, I told my sister about the apology followed by the date bomb.
She gaped at me for a second and then shook her head in despair. “These Adair men … emotionally constipated, I tell you.”
“So what are we? The laxative?”
Robyn gave a bark of laughter, and I grinned despite my inner turmoil.
“I don’t want to be anyone’s laxative, Robbie. It’s not cute.”
My sister laughed so hard, she snorted.
When she finally calmed, wiping tears from her eyes, she said, “I’ve missed you.”
I smiled tenderly at her. “I’ve missed you too.”
Reaching over to squeeze my hand, she asked, “So, what are you going to do?”
“What would you do?”
“Well …” Her amusement faded. “Before we knew it was Lucy behind Lachlan’s stalker, we thought the stalker put her in the commercial fridge.”
“I remember.” Jesus, what a psychopath. Robyn would never use that word, but I was all too happy to. The bitch tried to kill my sister.
“Lachlan started spending all his time with her, and I was hurt and jealous, even though I tried to tell myself they were just friends. But knowing they had history … well, to me it looked like he had realized how he really felt about her.”
“That must have sucked.”
“No, what sucked was walking into his bedroom to find Lucy in silk lingerie lying on his bed while the two of them watched movies, like that was perfectly acceptable.” I could hear the residual anger in my sister’s voice, and I didn’t blame her.
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“I told you, emotionally constipated. I left, he followed me, and we got into it. Turns out he”—she flicked me an unreadable look—“thought it was me who’d been taken, that it was me he’d find in the fridge. When it wasn’t, when it was Lucy, he felt—”
“Relieved,” I guessed. I saw the way the guy looked at my sister. She was his world. He must have been terrified that night.
“Yeah.” Robyn raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, he was relieved. And he felt—”
“Guilty,” I guessed again.
She quelled a grin for a mock stern look. “Am I telling the story, or are you?”
Chuckling, I waved her on. “Continue.”
“Anyway, my point is, he hurt me by choosing her when I needed him, and even though he did it out of guilt, I didn’t know that. And I didn’t cover up my feelings to spare his or hers or anyone’s during a difficult time. I just let it all hang out. I told you I never would have made the first move with Lachlan, and that was the truth. But once I was in it with him, I couldn’t lie about how I felt. And I believe it was my honest reactions throughout our whole affair that allowed things to progress naturally and for Lachlan to slowly but eventually work out his own feelings about me.”
“So you’re saying I should react honestly?”
“Yes.”
“What if my honest reaction is to be so mad, I can’t even look at or talk to him?”
“Then do it.”
“It’s not very mature.”
“Neither is punching someone, but I was this close”—she squeezed her forefinger and thumb together—“to punching Lachlan in the junk that night.”