Page 130 of A Violet Obsession

EPILOGUE

9 months later

The Monday assignment meeting runs long, the way they always do when Brady’s back from a trip with his wife and wants everyone to read him in at once. I give my report, and let the rest wash past, because two-thirds of my attention is a few miles away in a lecture hall.

Lily has a summer-session class until four. Eager to get started on her post-graduate degree, she’d immediately signed up for classes that started in June.

When I raised an eyebrow, she just said, “The kids who need me aren’t going to wait, so neither am I.”

I hide my smile with my hand. Even just thinking about it makes my chest swell with pride.

She’s changed her mind about teaching. After we talked about what she wanted for her future, Lily decided she didn’t have to inherit her parents’ careers in order to be close to them.

“I want to be the person I needed,” she told me. So now she’s focused on being a counselor with a specialty in at-risk students.

Callum has only been back in the States a few times in the last several months, so there hasn’t been much time for the two of them to talk in person, but they now text regularly. Well Lily does, Callum gives her the same five-words-or-less texts he sends everyone. They’re both being cautious. A brother and sister learning about each other, one text at a time.

The information Callum gave us about their mother—Aileen Brodie from Glasgow—has been enough for me to start building a history for Lily.

But there’s one piece that stands out.

According to Aileen’s financial records, until she immigrated to the United States, she had received regular payouts from a land trust. Right up until the day she left Scotland. It’s not the payouts themselves that bother me. It’s that I have hit one brick wall after another trying to trace the source. The fact that I can’t find who’s behind the trust is concerning.

I haven’t told Lily, yet.

Callum got back from Julian’s tour three days ago, and my plan is simple. Tell him what I’ve found, and hope he doesn’t take my head off for digging.

Except he hasn’t been acting like himself since he came home. He is totally distracted, like something occupies his mind at all times when he should be paying attention.

I find out what is causing it by accident.

I’m heading for the upstairs conference room, wondering why Brady called an extra meeting this afternoon, when I catch the tail end of something I’m not meant to hear.

Callum and Sera are standing just inside one of the smaller rooms on the second floor. It’s obvious they meant to close the door, but it’s swung open enough for me to see a sliver inside and hear the conversation. Sera’s got one hand resting on the high curve of her belly. Due any day now, she is more terrifying pregnant than she’s ever been before.

Callum’s arms crossed, his voice pitched low, so I miss the first part.

“Aye, but why?” I hear him say but then there’s a pause. “Was it the sex?”

“I can hear you,” Brady calls through his open office door to my left.

Sera leans in and stage-whispers gleefully, loud enough for her brother to hear. “The sex definitely helped.”

Brady turns purple but doesn’t look up.

Realizing they can be heard, Callum pulls the door open and glares at me, but Sera’s not done.

“Hang on.” She waddles after him. “Why are you asking? Did you meet someone?”

Holy Shit. Could that be what’s on his mind?

Callum’s face is thunder. “Where would I meet someone? I’ve been working nonstop practically for months.”

“That is not a no⁠—”

“Meeting’s starting,” Callum says, and walks away from her.

Sera watches him go, openmouthed, then wheels around and finds me.