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I marched over to them, gravel spitting from under my boots.“What are you doing out here?”
“Just taking a small break,” she explained as Callum continued the conversation they were having.
“Of course I can, lass. It’s no bother.”
“Of course you can what?” I knew I was being a high-handed arse, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
April answered.“Your brother kindly offered to install some shelves in the tasting room for me.”
“Shelves?” She hadn’t mentioned any shelves.
“I ordered some last week to hold the bottles behind the bar, they were just delivered.”
Callum’s hand found my shoulder, squeezing tightly.“And I said I would be happy to help, so long as my brother doesn’t mind loaning out his tools.” He winked at April and she laughed, rolling her eyes.
It was that tiny—probably unconscious—reaction that solidified it for me. I never should have kissed her. What chance would I stand with my brother so obviously interested? So I nodded, my next words tasting like ash in my mouth.“Of course… you should definitely help her.”
April wore dark sunglasses, but I felt her stare like a brand, hotter than the kiln I’d spent the last thirty minutes working beside.“Perhaps you could teach me,” she finally said to Callum.“I’d like to learn how to do it myself.” The night I taught her to build a fire flashed through my mind, followed by every moment we’d spent together in the distillery. What else could I teach her if she allowed me? When it came to her, I had the strongest urge to coddle and take care like I never had before, while simultaneously wanting to push and see how much she could take.
“You got it, lass, give me thirty minutes to finish up here.”
She flashed him that little Hollywood smile and we both watched her walk away.“You two still aren’t getting along,” Callum stated once she was out of sight.
I forced my features into something neutral.“Everything’s fine; we don’t spend enough time together for it to matter.”
He scratched his jaw, watching me closely.“So you aren’t interested in her?”
The confirmationhewas punched through my stomach like an iron fist.“No.”
He grinned and it was so easy, so charming. I’d never hated it more.“Then you won’t mind if I shoot my shot? It’s not often we have a woman like that on the island.” His fist thumped off my bicep and I stared down at the place it struck.“Man, she was so hot in that movie… what was it called? You know, the apocalypse film where she seeks revenge on that entire town of men who murdered her sister…” He snapped his fingers together.
“The Only Girl in Town,” I supplied.
“Yes, that one! She kicked butt in that movie.” He didn’t seem aware of the tension creeping into my body. We hadn’t fought physically since I was ten years old and caught him stealing my comic books, but right then, I wanted to pummel him into the ground. Callum might be a serial dater, but he was always respectful. Was it April’s celebrity status that made him think he could say what he wanted?
I drew to my full height. Fists clenching.“Shut up, man. She’s still Kier’s granddaughter.” It was a shitty shut-down. Sexist to tie respecting herto respecting Kier, but I didn’t know how else to shut him up without bringing more questions to my door.
So when his brow flicked up questioningly, I did what any adult would do, I flipped him the bird and stormed away.
“Don’t set it like that, love. You know your dad likes hiscutlery on the left.” My hands paused over the table setting before rearranging until all the cutlery sat on the left-hand side. I’d been in my parents’quaint cottage on the opposite side of Kinleith for only thirty minutes and I was already itching to leave. I hadn’t even seen my dad yet.
Once the table was laid, I went about setting the pink apology tulips I’d purchased on the way over in a vase and added water. Callum was out in the back garden clearing leaves from the gutter because Dad could no longer safely climb the ladder, so it was just me and Mum. I shut off the tap, carrying the vase to the table. I set the stems in the centre beside the fresh greek salad and sliced bread.“Where is Dad anyway?”
“Out in the greenhouse. He’s been spending a lot more time there since he retired.” He’d been retired from the village GP surgery for almost six years, yet Mum still spoke about it like it was last week.“It’s mellowed him out some, I think it’s all that fresh air,” she continued brightly, her impeccably styled hair swaying as she followed me around the table.Always attempting to build a bridge between us, I thought. If it hadn’t happened in the first thirty-two years of my life, I couldn’t imagine it happening now.
Crossing back to the small but neatly organised kitchen, she returned with a jug of lemonade, another place setting, and an extra set of cutlery. Shifting the others down, she squeezed it on the end of the table.“Why are you setting an extra?” I asked, counting again to make sure I hadn’t missed one. Mum and Dad at either end. Callum and I on the left. Heather, Ava, and Emily on the right.
“Oh, didn’t she say? Heather’s bringing a friend. You must remember Kier’s granddaughter, she moved away to be a singer.”
“An actress.” My heart thumped.“April’s an actress, Mum.”
“That’s the one.” She beamed and slight crinkles creased the corners of her eyes, the only sign of her sixty-five years.“Always such a lovely girl.” Before I could even process the knowledge April would be joining us, a car honked outside and the twins dashed in seconds later, hugging my mum before wrapping their tiny arms around my legs. They were in their matching phase. Matching twin braids, matching pink summer dresses, they even had matching gaps where their front two teeth had fallen out last week.
“Uncle Mal, Uncle Mal… we had a visit from the tooth fairy!” They bounced up and down on their toes.
“You did, aye?” I dropped to my haunches.“And what’s the going rate for a tooth nowadays?”
“One million pounds!” Ava cried, opening the tiny little handbag strapped to her wrist and holding it out for my inspection, dozens of copper coins jangled around in the bottom.
