I could envision it. Grandad walking in and laying his eyes on this down-on-his luck lad and just knowing he was right for the job. He always seemed to know what a person needed most.
“He took one look at me and said ‘What d’you know about maintaining an estate?’” Callum continued. “And that was it. The man didn’t even give me time to answer the question. He told me to get the drinking under control, and the next thing I knew he’d welcomed me to the guest house on the property, made sure I had everything I needed and took me out for a stalk. We bagged a buck that day, and he invited me around to dinner the next night. Not a pretense in the world. He was exactly what he’d always seemed to be: a good man.”
I nodded, my throat thick.
“If I’m being honest,” Callum continued. “I wasn’t sure whether you really deserved to take the place over. Lord knows that cousin of yours would’ve been outright shit at it. Did I tell you I caught a couple of suits out near the property line hammering in stakes?”
“What? Why didn’t you say something?” This was ridiculous.
“Bah. Soon as they left, I moved the markers over onto the other land and gave ol’ Conor a warning call in case they come knocking. He’s looking forward to taking the piss out of ‘em, so don’t you go and ruin our fun.” He clapped me on the shoulder and I chuckled wanting to know what they had planned but also wanting to plead ignorance.
“Just so you know, I think you’re doing a decent job of proving yourself. That was a bonnie speech you gave at Pete’s funeral. My wife, Maisie, also works down at the Deerhound Inn with Isla. And according to Isla, you did well handling the crowd at the committee meeting. Christ knows how uptight and argumentative they get about their festival.”
I huffed a laugh.
“Anyway, Lena seems dead brilliant, so if she likes you, maybe you’re a good one after all,” he concluded.
“Sheisbrilliant,” I agreed, because that was the truth.
Callum tipped his head, and I was glad we’d found a better understanding, and that part of him thought I could live up to Grandad’s legacy. “I’m gonna tidy a few things,” he said. “Feel free to head back to bed.”
I said goodnight, then stuck around for a few more minutes, watching the calf take in its new surroundings as I mulled over a name. Nothing came to me, but I couldn’t help smiling as the calf started shifting around in the straw. I looked on with pride as it figured out how to use its limbs, and I wondered when I’d last felt such strong satisfaction.
More than that, I wondered what Lena would have thought of this moment, and I couldn’t help wishing she’d been here. Part of me regretted not waking her, but she’d returned late from Paris and was probably exhausted. Still, I knew one thing for sure: this moment, welcoming a new life, would have been so much more special with her by my side.
14
WESTON
“Did the preliminary sketches come through from the architects?” I asked as I leaned on the doorway of Pete’s office. Lena was parked behind the massive desk, laptop in front of her.
For a moment, I simply admired the way the light caught her through the window, highlighting streaks in her dark hair, brightening those blue eyes. She was wearing a jumper the color of purple heather to fight off the chill of the office. I’d never seen her in that color before. She looked…Well, she looked good.Soft. Touchable.
“They did not,” she said, tapping her nails against the wood, breaking me from whatever spell had momentarily captured my attention. I’d blame it on the lack of sleep, but deep down I knew it was a lie. “I’ve been in touch with Houston,” she continued. “Just waiting for them to get back to me.”
I nodded and cleared my throat. “Good. I’m eager to see what the initial thoughts are for the wind farm design.”
Lena cocked her head as she looked at me, her eyebrows knitting together.
“What?” I asked, glancing down at my outfit. It was nothing grand, just trousers and a loose denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up. What about that had Lena catching her lip between her teeth? “Something wrong?”
Lena collected herself, rolling her eyes at me. “Bedhead is definitely a look,” she said, lips twitching. “We should give it a try around the boardroom.”
I lifted my hand, flattening the hair I thought I’d sorted earlier.
“Here, let me do it,” Lena said, sounding half exasperated, half amused as she stood, coming around the desk. “It’s just this back part here.” She reached up on her tiptoes, running her hands through my hair. The sensation sent an electric shock from the back of my skull straight down my spine.
“Is that me sorted?” I asked.
“All good,” she said, pulling away, her eyelashes fluttering.
“So, you survived Tess’s hen do?”
“I did. Everyone else was also alive and well as we made our way to the airport.”
I smirked. “Am I off Tess’s shit list yet?”
Lena’s lips twitched in amusement. “You’re definitely moving in the right direction.”
