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“I’m not sure I can come with you, she’s in a bit of a state. Had a lot to get off her—”
A bang behind him had us both whirling and standing up all of a sudden. I clutched my chest when I realised it was her, having knocked into the toy box on the floor in her clumsiness. Caelan gave me a look that said, “Shit, I thought…”
I gave him a look right back. “Me too.”
“Sorry, I’m a bit… yeah,” she said tiredly, before she collapsed on the nearest sofa and dragged the robe she was wearing tight around herself.
“Some coffee?” asked Caelan.
“Tea,” we two girls said at the same time. “Lots of it,” I added. “I’ll sort it.”
Caelan came to me and grabbed Logan. When he did, we snagged eyes and there was something weak in his stare, untethered and sad. I made sure the children were okay before I moved into the tiny kitchen next to the living area. Caelan followed me in and we threw our arms around one another, him gasping into my hair and me trying to make sure Logan didn’t end up crushed between us—while also trying not to cry, too. Caelan kept the boy high on his chest and I buried my face against the bicep of his one free arm, my hands clutching the material around his waist.
“I love ye so fuckin’ much,” he said, sounding as untethered as he looked.
“We’ll get through it,” I assured him. “Somehow, we will.”
“Aye, we’ll get through it, lass.”
I took a deep breath, willing myself to believe it.
“I love you, Caelan.”
“Ah ken ye do, lass.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
We went home and I saw he’d packed a few bags for us already. I was about to say I really didn’t want to go up to Scotland and be stuck in that castle with a baby, especially as the days hotted up, when he said, “D’ye trust me, Flora?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“Then let’s go away and really blow out the cobwebs. If ye trust me, ye’ll no ask where.”
I stared down my nose. “Somewhere hot? With a pool?”
He couldn’t help but smile wide, his face crinkling up in that extra cute way, and it was so nice to see that handsome man staring back at me I’d always loved but hadn’t seen much of lately.
“Aye, perhaps.”
“Goodie. I’m in.” I stared at the cases. “Plenty of summer clothes?”
“Aye, but we can buy some where we’re going anyway.”
“Okay. And we’ll be safe?” I asked after a few beats.
“With me, ye’ll always be safe, my one.”
I took a deep breath. “What about him? Where’s he gone, do you know?”
“I’ve an idea. But last we heard, he took the Eurostar… then wasna seen when the train pulled into Paris. So… it’s a guess, really.”
Pulling my lips inside my mouth, I cringed. “Did he take the money?”
“What d’ye think?”
He’d taken it… and absconded. It wasn’t looking good. Still, a tiny part of me believed that he was still, somehow, working to protect me. Perhaps, with a fool’s hope to one day get back to me. I saw in Caelan’s eyes his distaste.
“Where did you go last night and this morning?” I asked, wondering why he’d packed me off to Sophie’s—when apparently, he was going to “finish it”. I’d expected to be left nursing my broken friend’s heart for at least or week or something. Not that I had my own issues and all…
