Page 11 of One Hot Moment

I relax in my chair, unhooking the bolt that prevents it from leaning backward too far. While I speak to my brother, I rock my chair. "How is the lovely Rachelle? Can't believe you married a vivacious American woman. Talk about opposites attracting."

"Did you ring me strictly for harassment's sake?"

"Maybe I, ah, sort of missed the family."

Kendall says nothing for a few seconds, then he chuckles. "You do miss me, Spence, don't you? How sweet."

"I'm in a strange country. It's rather disconcerting." I stop rocking and sigh. "Yes, all right, I miss you and Bindy, Mum and Dad too. It's bloody humiliating. I feel like a schoolboy who just arrived at summer camp."

"You'll make friends. You've always been much more outgoing than I am."

"I do have one mate." I wince, though Kendall can't see that. "But she's my administrative assistant."

"Do you have a crush on her, Spence?"

"No."

He chuckles again. "Your emphatic exclamation proves the opposite."

My brother is right, of course. But I won't tell him that. "How are things at Sommerleigh House these days?"

"Hugh won't let Avery lift anything, not even a paper sack. No matter how many times she assures him that she's barely even showing, he worries about her and the baby."

"Well, Hugh is madly in love with his wife."

"Just as I am with Rachelle." Kendall pauses, but I can hear him moving about as if he's doing something. Probably attending to his butler duties. "One day, you will meet your perfect match, and everything will change."

"Enough romance talk. Are there any cricket matches coming up at Sommerleigh?"

"No. This time it's shinty. Callum and Kate will be arriving in a few days, and they're bringing along some of Callum's cousins and mates."

Another round of shinty with the MacTaggart clan. I should have guessed. Hugh is best mates with a Scot, after all.

"Spencer, you'll be missing out," Kendall says. "Thane Buchanan and his fiancée, Rebecca Taylor, will be here too. Thane owns a distillery, so we will get to taste the latest variations of his single malts. He's bringing several bottles."

"You mean several cases of whisky. When the MacTaggarts and the Parrishes are involved, a simple affair inevitably turns into a bacchanalia." I glance at the clock on my computer. "Sorry, Kendall, I need to get back to work. Not everyone has your easy schedule, with breaks for shinty and whisky."

"Of course. But you will be here for the wedding, won't you?"

"Do you think I'd miss the chance to watch you tie the knot? Since Mum and Rosalyn are planning the festivities, it's sure to be on par with a royal wedding."

Kendall and I say our goodbyes, and I get back to work. Sort of. I can't stop thinking about whisky and shinty. But more than that, I keep wondering what Kendall's wedding will be like. Rosalyn Parrish, Hugh's mum, is conspiring with our mum and probably Avery too. Oh, yes, Hugh's wife will want to be involved. Lady Sommerleigh has become good friends with Rachelle.

At least I know my brother is marrying the right woman. Rachelle is beautiful, sweet, and perfect for Kendall.

Tabitha was right. Talking to my brother has eased my anxiety.

Suddenly, my work seems much easier and more fun too. I breeze through the risk analysis data, jotting down notes about items I want to discuss with my team---one on one, not as a group. I never want to embarrass anyone. There will be many times when I'll hold a group discussion. But not on my first day.

Once I've finished my analysis of the team's analysis, I grab my desk phone and ring my assistant.

"What can I do for you, Spencer?"

Just hearing her voice gives me a flashback of that moment when I kissed her, not five feet from where I'm currently sitting. I clear my throat. "Ah, well, I would like to schedule private meetings with some of the blokes and ladies on the risk analysis team."

"I can set those up for you. Just email me their names."

"Can't I tell you the names now?"

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