— Like someone who accidentally wandered onto a movie set without reading the script, I reply, watching Callum and Ewan. What do you think they’re talking about?
Keira follows my gaze and bursts out laughing.
— Oh, it’s obvious. My dear brother is politely—but firmly—explaining to his best friend that he didn’t appreciate the way he was touching you during archery practice.
— What? I squeak. You’re kidding.
— Not at all. Callum might look like Mister Self-Control, but he can be very possessive. I’ve never seen him jealous before—it’s fascinating.
I study the two men, and now that she’s pointed it out, I do notice the tension in Callum’s shoulders, the way he’s standing a little straighter than usual, that small crease between his brows when he’s irritated.
— He has no reason to be jealous, I say, even as the thought secretly pleases me.
— Of course not, Keira agrees. Ewan is friendly and touchy with everyone. But it’s a good sign, you know.
— What is?
— That Callum is jealous. It proves that whatever is happening between you isn’t just a practical arrangement like some people think.
I turn to her, alarmed.
— What do you mean—some people?
Keira suddenly looks like she might have said too much.
— Oh, nothing important. You know how small communities are—rumors spread, people speculate…
— Keira, I cut in firmly. Tell me everything.
She sighs.
— Okay. Heather has been suggesting to a few people that your marriage to Callum might be more strategic than romantic. A mutually beneficial arrangement, basically.
My blood runs cold. Our worst fear is confirmed—Heather is actively planting doubts about the legitimacy of our marriage.
— And people believe her? I ask, trying to mask my concern.
— Some, maybe. But after today? I think a lot fewer will. The way Callum looks at you, the way he supports you—and now this obvious jealousy. That’s not how a man in a convenience marriage behaves.
She’s right, and the realization warms something deep inside me. What we have has grown far beyond the cold terms of our original contract. What started as a transaction has become something real—something deeper—even if neither of us has quite found the words for it yet.
— Then it’s time I show everyone I’m a real McGregor, I say, a new determination settling in. Including your mother. And Miss Perfect.
— That’s the spirit! Keira cheers, giving me an enthusiastic pat on the back. Now come on—let’s go rescue your coach before my brother strangles him with a bowstring.
I glance over at Callum and Ewan, arguing like a pair of teenagers, and I can’t help but smile.
Maybe, in the end, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
CHAPTER 28
CALLUM
I’ve never believed in signs or fate. Life is a matter of careful planning, not mystical intervention. But watching Jane now—bow drawn, her focus sharper than I’ve ever seen—I find myself questioning everything I thought I knew. If it isn’t fate that placed this unlikely woman in my life, then the universe has a particularly twisted sense of humor.
—Ladies and gentlemen, the final shot of the McGregor Archery Championship!
Cousin Lachlan’s voice carries through the evening air. The crowd—family members and villagers alike—holds its breath. My mother stands with her bow lowered, studying Jane with an unreadable expression. Six targets ago, no one would have bet a penny on this outcome: Jane Carter, the American actress, tied for first place with Isobel McGregor at the end of the family championship.
