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“Look,” Agnes was saying. “This isn’t about fighting fair. It’s about fighting dirty. You want to take her down in as few strikes as possible, then walk away with your head held high. This is a message to all the other little shi…farts who think you’re an easy target. We. Are. Not. Easy. Targets. Got me?”
Darcy nodded solemnly. “Is this what you did when you were in school?”
Agnes got a very scary look on her face. “I annihilated anyone who picked on me or my sisters.”
Darcy’s eyes went wide. “And did they stop?”
“Oh, aye, they stopped.”
Drew shuddered. “No offense, but next time I’m in trouble, I’m calling her, not you.”
Logan didn’t blame him.
“Do you think she’ll still be here if there’s a next time?” It was clear that Drew was trying to look like he didn’t care, but it was there all the same. In the solid set of his shoulders, and the blank look on his face.
“She’s trying, son. I think she definitely wants to stay.”
“How will we know for sure that she’s decided to stay and that she means it?”
“I really don’t know.”
They watched Agnes and Darcy spar for a couple more minutes before Drew whispered, “I like her, Dad. I hope she stays.”
“Me too,” Logan said. “Me too.”
Agnes got out of Logan’s car, which she’d borrowed to get to the council meeting, and strode up the steps to the front door of the castle.
Yes. Castle.
Although not huge by castle standards, it was still impressive. Four stories tall and flanked by matching turrets, the gray stone structure sat in a park-like setting full of manicured hedges and huge old trees. Even if the castle and grounds hadn’t been covered in snow, it would still have been gorgeous. It was a shame it was a private residence. If it hadn’t been, she’d have added it to her list of ways to attract people to Invertary. Tours of this castle would have been a massive hit.
The large oak door with its brass knocker and stained glass might have increased her nerves if she hadn’t spent the past hour teaching Darcy how to defend herself. Now, she felt nothing but confidence. She wouldn’t let a kid at school intimidate Darcy, and she sure as hell wouldn’t let anyone inside this castle intimidate her. Nobody messed with her or her family. Nobody.
Agnes stopped short of ringing the bell.
Her.
Family.
The one she’d chosen, not the one that’d been forced on her through crappy circumstances.
A clarity, the likes of which she’d never experienced before, settled over her. She loved her sisters, but the weight of having to care for them when she’d been barely able to care for herself had been a heavy load to bear. The kind of load no kid should ever have to deal with.
But she wasn’t a child any longer. Her shoulders were broad, and she had more strength now than she ever did then. She could care for Logan, Darcy, and Drew without drowning under the weight of it. And she could choose her career now, instead of taking the first offer that came her way. Or working in a job she hated just because she’d spent time training for it.
Her dreams had changed. And instead of feeling guilty about letting her old dreams go, she would embrace the new ones. Which meant compromise. If she wanted her family and a life in a town that was every bit as crazy as she was, then she’d have to stay in Scotland. But she’d do it on her terms. And that meant making enough money to get her and her new family out of the country every damn winter! Because, seriously, there was a limit to how much rain and cold she could deal with, and she figured she’d reached hers about five years earlier.
With a renewed sense of purpose and a lightness she hadn’t felt in years, she rang the bell to the castle.
A few moments later, the heavy door swung open, and Caroline smiled out at her. Today, she wore lilac cigarette pants with a matching cashmere sweater—total Grace Kelly. “Are you ready?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” Agnes said.
She was ready for everything. It was right there before her, and all she had to do was reach for it. Which she intended to start doing straight away. With that thought, she followed Caroline into the castle, ready to pitch her ideas for town rejuvenation to the council.
Chapter 25
Agnes’ sisters arrived in Invertary the day before Christmas Eve. Logan hadn’t known they were coming until Agnes borrowed his car, went into town, and came back with them in tow. They’d then spent a raucous evening in his living room, catching up with each other and telling the kids stories. Ones that no doubt put ideas in their heads Logan would have to deal with for years to come.
