Only You (Adair Family #5)(3)

Worries up to my eyeballs, I strode down Castle Street toward Flora’s to grab myself and Mum a coffee. I nodded hello to a few locals as I made my way to the counter. Flora looked up from cleaning and gave me a wide smile.

“Monroe. How are you today, sweetheart?”

Flora was always lovely to me. Her mum, Mrs. Belle Rannoch, was Mum’s neighbor, and while Flora was older than me and we didn’t exactly grow up together, she’d known, as her mother did, what my family situation was like. I didn’t confuse their kindness for pity, and I was grateful to them both. Coming home had not been easy, so having a couple of friendly faces among those who gossiped about my return meant a lot.

“Rushed off my feet, as usual.” I smiled at her. “How has your day been?”

“Quieter. There are only a few tourists left now. Usual?” she asked.

“Please.” I popped in nearly every morning and afternoon for my coffee.

Flora got the fancy artisan coffee machine going and then turned to me. “So, reconnected with any old friends yet?”

I tried not to wince at the pointed question. Flora had encouraged me to make more of an effort to rekindle my old friendships. Unfortunately, all three of my old friends belonged to the same family—the Adairs. The Adairs were part of what was once known as landed gentry, their castle and large estate passed down through the generations. When we were kids, they were also what was known as land rich but cash poor. Until the eldest of the five siblings, Lachlan Adair, made money as an actor and businessman, and retired from acting to transform their home into a members-only club for those in the film and TV industry. Thane, the second eldest, was a respected architect; Brodan obviously was an even bigger Hollywood star than Lachlan; Arran had returned from his travels to buy the Gloaming with Lachlan, renovate it, and run it; and the youngest, Arrochar, was a forestry engineer. As close as I used to be to Brodan, I’d also been good friends with Arran and Arro … once upon a time.

While Arran had already made it quite clear that he wanted to be friends again, there was just too much water under the bridge. I’d avoided Arro, and she’d made no attempt to reach out, so I think avoidance was the right way to go.

As for number three, he was probably off in some exotic country filming his latest movie.

It didn’t matter, anyway. I’d already started reaching out to schools along the Central Belt in the Lowlands, enquiring about open teaching positions for next year.

At the abrupt shake of my head, Flora frowned but turned back to finish the coffees. With two to-go cups in hand, she rounded the counter to hand them to me. “On the house.”

“Flora, you have to stop giving me free coffee.”

“I have to do nothing of the kind.” She pushed them toward me.

With a grateful smile, I took them. “Thank you.”

She refused to let go of them, however, as she bent her head to give me a very serious look. “There’s something you should know about Brodan—”

“If it’s about his collapse at the wedding, Flora, I already know.” I cut her off, my heart racing at the mere mention of his name. I’d escaped seeing Brodan Adair when he was in town a few weeks ago, but not only had the villagers told me about him collapsing at his brother’s and sister’s double wedding, the tabloids discovered it from someone at the hospital where he was treated.

“No. It’s about—” She cut off as the bell above her door rang, and she turned to see who’d stepped in. Flora released the coffee and tensed before shooting me a worried look.

Pulse racing at her strange reaction, I looked toward the door, and it felt as if the floor gave way beneath my feet.

Brodan Adair.

In the flesh.

More handsome now than he even was as a young man. Brodan was classically good-looking with a strong, straight nose, beautiful pale-blue eyes, and a mouth with a lower lip much fuller than the upper. He had lines around his eyes that didn’t use to be there, but they only made him more attractive. As did the five o’clock shadow.

He was thirty-seven now. We both were.

It’s so unfair that men age into their looks, I thought.

I hadn’t seen Brodan in real life in almost eighteen years.

And he was staring at me as if he’d seen a ghost.

Strain tightened his features as our gazes connected across the room. Those pale-blue eyes used to give away everything Brodan felt. Now there was nothing in them other than polite coolness.

Even anger would have been better than that.

A man shifted at Brodan’s back, and, for the first time, I realized he wasn’t alone. How I had missed his companion was evidence of Brodan’s ability to make me forget everything else around me. His friend was at least six foot four, six five, and ruggedly handsome. He had a trimmed beard and dark hair that was shaved at the sides and longer on top. His chest was as broad as Brodan’s, and the two of them seemed to fill the entire café.

Feeling attention on us as patrons watched the reunion of Brodan and Monroe, my cheeks grew hot, and I felt more than a bit sick to my stomach.

The nausea only increased when Brodan strolled toward the counter, his gaze moving to Flora. “Flo, how are you?” he asked, moving behind me and not acknowledging my presence. “Can we have two Americanos, please?” I tried not to shiver at the rumble of his familiar voice.

Flora gave me a pained look I couldn’t stand.