Expelling a stream of quiet expletives, Leith glances over to our daughter. She and Jake were moving around the silverware. Now, we have all her attention. Leith reaches around, holding me from behind. A grin embellishes his attractive face while he issues an ultimatum. “Tell me, right now, this very second, when we open Mia’s Place in the future,ye will stay safe!”
I glance at him over my shoulder. “Tellme,Leith. You’ll trust that I won’t place myself in a compromising position, not because you have someone in the clan watching?”
Leith’s smirk brightens, and his arms tighten around my midriff. The bastard plays the doting husband well. His lips drop gently along my collarbone, causing a tidal wave of goose pimples to shoot across my shoulder. “Someone in the clanwill bewatching, Chevelle.Feckhow ye feel about it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, okay?” His eyebrows lift.
I shrug.
The strained smile vanishes, leaving my shocked, gorgeous husband wheeling me around. “Nae argument?”
“Firth’s wife would make a good host. Although, I’m starting to get the feeling Nan had everyone play nice with me all these years. On Thanksgiving, I’ve seen her cut . . .”
I trail off when Erika maneuvers over to us.
“My da,” she whispers.
Leith’s intense gander locks onto the entrance of the restaurant where a few more men are entering. The one in the center resembles a full-bearded James McAvoy, sporting wire glasses and thinning hair. I glance over the other two again and note how their eyes flit around in observation. Of a threat? Out of context, I wouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill. But the air shifts. A few sidebar conversations throughout the room and the softchingof expensive silverware goes still.
Erika groans. “Da called a meeting with Nan and Big Brody for tomorrow. Then he rang me a little while ago. He was rather subtle in asking about my plans. I didna expect this.”
“The more the merrier,” I reply. They’re silent. While this is my first attempt at being more hospitable to my husband’s clan, their response fails to meet my expectations. I guess ‘back pats’ and ‘hand claps’ are out of the question?
“I’ll have a talk with him.” Erika’s mouth tenses. Her shoulders lift to their usual confident level while she wheels away from us.
Leith pulls me in for a kiss, whispering conspiratorially,“Chevelle, people have compared Ewan to the last Godfather in Glasgow.”
My eyebrows stitch together. “I’m not sure we watched that movie.”
“Hen, I’m not referring to the pictures. Ewan’s thetaxmanwhere we’re from. Nan’s strict about scheduling their meetings when ye’re away.”
“Oh?” My gaze lowers. I’m embarrassed by how unapproachable I’ve been with much of Leith’s family.
I find solace in the stroke of his warm hands across my cheeks. “Ye dinna understand. Mam does it out of respect for ye. Ya won’t take kindly to his ways. I didna invite thearseholehere, either.”
The main server heads over to us. She mentions how they’ll make room for the additional guests and seems to be delighted in the increased gratuity. A few minutes later, we’re all at the table for dinner. Leith and I planned to skip out within a forty-five-minute time frame while the entrées are served. Aware of our plan, the clan would ensure the fluidity of our dinner until we return. The time starts the second Leith gets up to make a toast.
As Leith arises, Ewan McFarland, who’s seated next to Big Brody, stands. Resembling a college professor, he runs a hand down his gray tweed suit.
“Da,” Erika speaks up, though her voice is more passive than usual. “Witare ye doing?”
“Leith, I’ll be needing just a moment, son.” He holds up a glass of wine.
I hitch a breath—the audacity of it all.
“When I learned of my daughter’s accident, for the first time in my life, I reflected on my lifelong relationship with Brody Boy here. Over the years, our comradery has comedeid naturalto me.”
Between the two, Ewan is all smiles, while Leith’s father wears an indecipherable mask. With the subtle sound of Mia and Jake watching a cartoon on YouTube to my right, it’s hard to crack Ewan’s cryptic speech.Is he reassessing his friendship?
“Upon arriving this evening, I learned of the event Leith had planned. Now, I’ve not seen such a show of good faith, Brody-Boy, in ages. Ye’ve raised a future-centric son in avolatile country.”
“Heh, Da! We love this volatile country,” Erika snort laughs.
Ewan continues without acknowledging his daughter. “Leith, yer intentions saved me from the speech that I’d regrettably prepared for Nan and Brody Boy.”
Big Brody snarls at him. “So, ya changed yer mind about us associating, have ye?”