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“Pleasure, Freya. And it’s lovely to meet you, Miss Maddie.” Maddie grinned at Colin and held out her new stuffed bear.
“Oh, I like your bear. Who gave you that?” Colin asked, crouching beside the restaurant's highchair.
“Ja’per.” Maddie said, beaming.
“Is that right?” Colin said with a low chuckle, glancing at Jasper with a huge grin.
“I figure my stepdaughter deserves all the bears she wants.” Jasper winked at Maddie. And her kid stared at Jasper like he was the most awesome individual she’d ever met and was totally gone over on him.
Her heart warmed. If nothing else, Jasper might help shape her daughter’s formative years and plant the seed for the type of man to look for when she got older. And hopefully erase any trauma left over by her father.
“I hear Maddie loves mac and cheese,” Colin stated, rising from his crouch with a question in his gaze, like he was asking her for permission to feed her kid mac and cheese. Would wonder never cease?
“Yes, she loves it. And if you have any apples, she loves apple slices and milk too.”
Colin nodded. “I’ve got ya covered there. Do you know what you want, or would you like me to make something for you?”
Freya leaned back in her seat and said, “Show me what you’ve got. Jasper claims you’re an amazing chef.”
The light of challenge entered Colin’s eyes. “That’s because I am. Any food allergies I should know about?”
“Nope. I—”
“Hey, boss, I’ve got an issue when you’ve got a minute,” the waiter murmured quietly beside Colin. The younger man had to be in his early twenties with spiky blond hair. He was attractive, although young. He might be fairly close to her in age, but after everything she’d experienced in her lifetime, she felt ancient.
“I’ll be right there, Victor.” Colin acknowledged him with a slight nod.
After he walked away, Freya asked him, “The wait staff comes to you? But you’re the chef.”
“I own the New Dublin Table company. When you’re the boss, it comes with the territory. I’ll get your meals out in a jiff.” Colin nodded at Jasper, then sauntered away.
Her jaw dropped once he left the table. “He owns the restaurant company. Really? But he’s here cooking too.”
“Aye. He owns the whole chain. He recently expanded and has partnered with a bakery. But that’s Colin.” Jasper shrugged. “He’s always wheeling and dealing. My Ryan cousins have the Midas touch.
“But he’s Irish, while you’re Scottish?” She didn’t see how they were related when they were from different countries.
“Aye, it can be confusing. Our mums are sisters. Aunt Molly fell in love with an Irishman when she was away at university, much to our gran’s dismay.”
“And what is it you do exactly?” She wanted to know more about her future husband. If they were spending the next year together, it was better if she understood him more.
“My family owns a silica mine in Scotland. With the rise of cell phones, the need for silica has increased to epic levels. And our home, Kingairloch Manor, has been in the family for centuries. While the mine tends to run itself with the managers we’ve entrusted to oversee the daily activities, I have calls with different departments. Then there’s the schmoozing with the companies we sell our product to. My brother Xavier and I split the various duties of CEO. And I also work with Colin’s brother, Dean, whom you’ll meet, eventually. He owns Meath Irish Distillery. I’m a brewmaster for the company. Which means I help my cousin craft whiskey. They come at it from an Irish approach and me from a Scottish one. The blending of the two works like a charm.”
“I see.” Holy mother of god! Jasper wasn’t merely loaded. He was uber-wealthy. “And are Colin and Dean your only cousins?” Who owned businesses as well and must rake in the dough for Jasper to proclaim they had the Midas touch. Just how wealthy were these people?
“Nope. Dean and Colin are two of six from that branch. There’s also Gabe, Jase, Finn, and Emilia. Then their cousins Josh, Aiden, and Sean. And that’s it for family in America. We’ve got so many Campbell cousins in Scotland, I don’t even remember half of them. But those are mainly the second, third, and fourth cousins, twice removed.”
Wow. They were that numerous he couldn’t remember them all. Freya couldn’t comprehend having that many extended family members she forgot who they all were. It was the opposite of her life. Maybe if she had more family and family that actually cared, Ian wouldn’t have been able to isolate her like he did. But down that what-if path lay madness. She could second guess all her choices until the end of time, and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. What’s done was done. All she could do was move forward.
“Here you go.” Colin had a server with him who set steamy plates of food before them. But he picked up Maddie’s and set it before her with a dramatic flair. Maddie busted a gut laughing at his antics.
Her mouth watered at the meal. “This looks amazing. Thank you, Colin.”
“The chicken has been stuffed with spinach and goat cheese with a balsamic glaze drizzled over it with a side of roasted new potatoes and carrots.”
“I can’t wait to dig in,” she said, turning to Maddie. She scooped some mac and cheese onto a spoon. Maddie was hungry. She ate the mac and cheese like she hadn’t been fed in days.
Colin clapped Jasper on the back. “I’ll let you guys eat.”
