Two days on, and Rory and I travelled to her appointment with the police. I waited while she completed her interview, reliving every minute of the time she’d been gone.
My fear of losing her had never entirely lifted. Even now, I dreaded the moment she told me she had to go.
When she was done, I drove us home, content to sit with her in silence while she brooded.
On the loch road, she finally spoke. “One of the questions the police asked was on whether I’d be able to appear in court. My statement was fine, and chances are they won’t need me to testify, but my problem was, I couldn’t give them a straight answer.”
My heart skipped a beat. “If any part of that is the fact you’re not sure about me, let me set the record straight. I’m all in. Whatever ye choose to do, I’m with ye.”
She shot me a look across the car. “You’d prefer to live here.”
I hesitated. “Aye, if we’re being honest.”
“Then if we’re being honest, I want to stay here, too.” She flapped her right hand. “But that’s a huge deal. For starters, I don’t have a job.”
“I can support us, even if I can’t be a pilot, I’d find a way. Tell me this, could ye be happy here? Permanently, I mean. Would ye miss your family?”
I’d dreamed about this conversation, and it was finally happening.
“Elise is already here. And regarding Mom… Is it terrible to say that I wouldn’t miss her that much? I never resented looking after her, but I want my own life. I want her to be happy in her life. And if that means not seeing her so much, I can live with that.”
I hauled the wheel and pulled over on the damp road.
“What are you doing?” Rory asked.
“Climb out and see.”
Carefully she exited the vehicle, and I made it to her side as she straightened. I guided her to the bonnet and perched her on the warm metal. Then I gazed into her pretty eyes. “Just checking something. Ye are agreeing to move in with me? Permanently. To live here in Scotland.”
She stared back in wonder. “I think I am.”
I crushed my mouth to hers.
All I dreamed about had been delivered in simple sentences.
It took everything in me to return us to the car and not outrage any passing relative with a steamy roadside scene.
But at my cottage, another delay waited. Lochie unloaded a baby carrier from his big car.
Rory clasped her hands to her mouth. “Oh my God.”
We leapt out, and the huge leader of the mountain rescue grinned. So far, the only people to have met the new bairn were my parents, and Isla, too, of course.
“Maddock, Rory, meet your new neighbour. This is Ava.”
“Ava!” Rory peered at the baby.
“Short for avalanche,” my sister said from the doorway with a grin at her own joke.
I gave the bairn a smile then moved to fold my sister into a hug.
She’d long wanted children and now had two. One Lochie brought to her, and one they’d made together.
“Don’t you dare say anything sweet or I’ll cry,” Cait said into my shoulder.
“Just happy for ye,” I mumbled, earning a sob from Cait.
With promises of babysitting, we let the new parents whisk their daughter into their home. I guided Rory into ours.
Ours, it felt all too good to say that.
Inside, I took time over stripping her bare and worshipping her body. Her pain levels were easing, so she considered out loud ways we could have sex without dinging her arm.
Up against a doorframe won.
After, cleaned up and cuddled on the couch, we put on a film.
My mind wandered.
Back to my side of creating a life for us here. My pilot career was still in doubt. Yet… An interesting thought registered.
“I think my uncle played me.”
“Oh?” Rory idly caressed my arm and drew soft lines over my skin.
“In the autumn, he took me into his office and told me he might have to shut down the private hire heli service and let the pilots go because he doesnae have the time to win more contracts. But it was mixed in with a conversation on my ambitions, and then after, he packed me off to a training course that included leadership skills.”
She pursed her lips. “In other words, he wants you to step up to take over?”
Christ. “Aye! How did I not see this? Over Christmas, he then told Ma, a contract expert, about the situation, leading her to tell me I stifled my own abilities and that she’d help me however I needed.”
Rory giggled. “Do you want that job?”
I hesitated. “I think I do. I studied business at uni but never really considered running one. I’d be based here more than I’m used to, but there would be fewer overnight stays in other cities when I’ve flown a night flight. More time with ye.”
“Then you’d better tell him.”
I grabbed my phone and mused over what to say, writing then deleting a long message to Gordain. Finally, I settled on something simple.
Maddock: I’ll take the job.
His reply came in moments later.
Gordain: Good lad.
Whether the contract for the oil rigs was ever under threat, I had no idea, but that was a concern for another day. If true, I’d find more work, maybe be able to offer Gabe a job, wherever he was in the world. But right now, my time belonged to Rory.
She’d picked up her phone and now tapped her lip. “I’m thinking of doing something crazy.”
“Do it. What is it?”
Her eyes lit. “I missed out on the internship, but I have the phone number for their chief exec. She tried calling me when I was in hospital. Because she’s in the UK, too, the number is stored on my phone, rather than just showing as international.”
“Call her back. Tell her you’re amazing. Ask for freelance work.”
“Exactly what I was considering.”
She held her breath then dialled.
Leaning in, I kissed her cheek then gave her some space, smiling to myself in the kitchen as I heard her apologise for the lack of contact then tell the woman exactly why she’d had radio silence.
The chief exec had heard about the kidnapping. Rory set her to loudspeaker, her gaze holding mine for a moment.
“I love ye,” I mouthed.
Rory swallowed, and a gap came in the other woman’s astonished speech. “So here’s the thing. I know I missed out on the internship, but I so badly want to work for SpaceTechOne. I’m living in Scotland now—”
“Are you!” the woman cut in. “My husband is Scottish, and I am a big fan of the country. What prompted the move?”
“My boyfriend’s a Scot. We have that in common.”
The woman clucked her tongue in amusement. “So we do. Listen, I loved your application. I’m always looking out for more collaborators. Do you know when you’ll be able to work again?”
For a moment, Rory closed her eyes, then explained about her treatment plan to get her arm back into working order. “I’m months off being useful, but I swear I want this so much.”
“Excellent. Call me when you’re ready, and I’ll find you something. And thank you for making contact.”
Rory hung up then squealed in joy. I sprinted back to her and carefully took her into my arms.
Our future together sparkled.
A few more days passed, and Cameron and Elise married. Their simple ceremony in Castle McRae had every eye teary. Rory stood with her sister, proud and so perfect, their sisterhood only gathering strength.
I got to walk her down the aisle, and I had a flash of imagining our own wedding.
One step at a time.
The day after, a knock came at the door. Rory answered, an instant grin for our caller.
Max entered, his coat over his head like he was sheltering something. Then a tiny cry told me what.
“Ava,” Rory cooed. “Gimme.”
She closed the door and crooked her arm for the bairn. Max handed the baby over then tilted his head at me.
“Ye should see your face, bro.”
I stared at the pretty sight, my thoughts scrambled. “What?”
“Rory, snuggle Ava and watch Maddock melt.”
The two of them spun my way, and my lass did exactly that. My gut tightened at the perfect scene of woman plus bairn. I couldn’t help it.
Together, they broke out with a laugh, heading into the kitchen to the coffee jug Rory had installed—an essential item I’d been apparently lacking. We’d seen little of Max in recent days, as he’d been back out fixing cars with youngsters in remote communities.
I still had no idea what went down with the police, only that Max was no longer driving his scrambler. Joining them, I took over baby cuddles so Rory could drink.
With tiny Ava settled against my chest, I pitched my voice low and addressed my twin. “For the hundredth time, what happened with the cops?”
Max’s lip curled. “Nothing major.”
“Bull. Where’s your bike?”
He rolled his eyes. “They still have it.”
“Why, when only one part of it was stolen?”
He darted his eyes left, and my back stiffened.
“They might think I’m involved more than I claimed.”
“But ye had nothing to do with it.”
He shrugged. “Better they thought I bought a stolen part than ye.”
My jaw dropped. “Ye confessed?”
“Something like that.”
“And…?”
“And nothing.” He downed the scalding coffee and winced, backing away. “I need to go. Lochie’s taken Isla out for a walk, and Cait’s asleep. Bairn’s yours until one of them starts yelling. They know she’s here.”
“Max,” I hissed.
“Laters.” He hauled on the front door then was gone.
I dragged my fingers through my hair. “Holy fuck. He’s risking a criminal record. I need to fix this.”
“How?”
Ava grumbled, her wee face reddening. I hushed her, deciding what I could do.
“By telling the police exactly what happened.”
“Will Max be in trouble for lying?”
“No clue, but that can’t be worse than the accusation of being a thief.”
The minute we’d handed Ava back to my bleary-eyed sister, Rory and I hopped in the car and drove to Inverness.
At the police station, I met a duty officer and told them everything that happened, from when I’d contacted Lucas to my brother stepping up for me.
The woman questioned me for what felt like forever, then released me with the order to make myself available when they’d advanced the investigation. She gave me no indication that Max was off the hook, but one way or another, I’d make sure of it.
In the reception, Rory rose from the seat and yawned.
“Sorry I kept ye waiting. Hungry?”
“Hell yes.”
Instead of returning home, we walked to a restaurant for a late lunch. Over pizza, I gestured to Rory.
“We never went on a date. I know we’ve eaten together, travelled together, and everything else, but I’ve never taken ye out like this.”
She smiled, but her focus was set on someone behind. “The waitress over there keeps glaring daggers at you. Do you know her?”
I peered across the half-filled restaurant, spotting the woman in question.
“Ah Christ, I don’t know her, not well, but she’s the lass who filled me in on who Max’s ex was. After, er…”
“Sex outside the bar? It’s okay, we can talk about our pasts. I’m not jealous.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Not my style. You could have an ex-wife and kids and I wouldn’t care so long as you were mine.”
Rory gave the woman a small smile then returned a speculative gaze to me. “Something has been bugging me about that for the longest time. This ex-girlfriend targeted you, right? That’s what you believe. Lia needed to hurt Max, or end things, so she did the worst possible thing she could and screwed his brother.”
“I guess so. Aurelia, that’s her name. Max told me recently.”
“God, okay. What if she didn’t?”
I squinted, not following.
Rory sat taller. “What if she didn’t know?”
I…had never considered the option. “Can that be possible?”
“Yes! Max never told me he had a twin, so maybe he didn’t with Lia either. And I think he’s wondered about that possibility of her making a huge mistake, too. Probably torturing himself. When he came to collect me from the airport, he didn’t say who he was. He was waiting to see if I’d mistake you two again, probably because he thinks she could’ve done the same. He can’t ask you for details as it would be too painful, so he tested me.”
“He did what at the airport?”
She flapped a hand. “Not the point. He’s so hung up on that moment. On the betrayal. He’s never got over it. I want to know the truth.”
She stood, her chair grating, then marched over to the waitress.
“Rory,” I said, but too late.
Across the room, my lass introduced herself then held a short conversation, noting something in her phone.
For some reason, my heart sped.
She returned, her grin smug.
“What just happened?”
“She doesn’t know Lia well, but she remembered her surname and some specifics that meant I could find her online.”
“Let’s do it.”
“Already done. It took me a second, and I already sent her a message.” Rory’s expression sharpened. “I knew you’d tell me not to interfere, but tough shit. Max has done that multiple times, and he needs closure. Something he’s never going to get on his own.”
God, but she was right. My brother was stuck in the past, and if this helped, I was glad for it.
We left the place for home.
Because my little cottage had become a place of happiness and light.
No matter the outcome for Max and his lost love, I’d found myself the perfect person. My other half. The beautiful woman who’d stolen my heart.
