Page 8 of Business or Pleasure

I’d only met Alec’s daughter Evanne once when she and her mother visited years ago. Evanne was only a baby then, but I’d seen pictures of her up to the age she was now. She had Keli’s dark hair, but those intelligent blue eyes were all from Alec.

He told me the other girl coming with them was Lumen’s daughter, Soleil. One look told me that Soleil was adopted. It was not because she had raven-black hair and naturally tanned skin. No, the age difference between Lumen and Soleil made it biologically improbable, if not impossible. Not that it mattered to me. The differences between Alec’s family and mine proved that blood wasn’t what made a family.

“The lads are in the garden,” I said. “I thought we could enjoy the day.”

“Garden?” Soleil’s voice was low but still audible. “Like with flowers and stuff?”

“Garden is what they call yards,” Evanne answered in a similar stage whisper. “Grand-dad still says it sometimes. They have lots of funny words.”

“I don’t get it,” Soleil continued. “We all speak English, so why don’t we use the same ones?”

I glanced at Alec to find his lips twitching. Lumen's cheeks were pink, and I saw Alec squeeze her hand as if to reassure her that Soleil wasn't rude.

“Because we don’t speak English,” Evanne said knowledgeably. “We speak American.”

“Oh.”

“Is this your first time in Scotland?” I asked Lumen as we stepped into the kitchen.

“It is,” she said. “Both Soleil and I hadn’t ever been out of the United States before this trip.”

“Well, I hope we’re living up to your expectations.” I smiled at her and then at Soleil. The teenager almost flinched, her eyes skittering away. I let my smile soften and move to Evanne, but I made a mental note to find out from Alec if I could do anything to help.

Each member of my family had a cause to support, and I chose domestic violence. While I didn’t know this girl’s story, I’d seen that look in too many eyes over the years. Someone had hurt her.

If I could, I would help.

Today, I planned to enjoy time with my closest friends and get to know the new women in Alec’s life.

Except my friends seemed determined to make this all about my love life. Or lack, apparently, of one. If I hoped having guests would change things, it had been a vain one.

“All right, Bay, time to fess up,” Cirion called out as we entered the garden. “The last time you…” his eyes darted to the girls and back to me “…the last date you were on.”

“I’ve been busy.” I dodged the question again.

“Maybe you’re rusty,” Colin suggested. “We could help you out. I’m sure, between the three of us, we can find someone to take pity on you.”

“If there’s no one in Scotland, you can always come to see me.” Alec joined right in as if he’d never been away. “Plenty of attractive women in Seattle, and they always love an accent.”

“Is that so?” Lumen asked, poking him in the arm.

“I’m not looking for me,” he protested. “The lad needs help, can’t you see that?”

“I don’t need help.” I kept from snapping at my friend. “I can find dates on my own.” I pointed at Colin and then Cirion. Then Pierre, just for good measure. “But maybe I will take you up on a visit someday soon, Alec.”

“Anytime, my friend…” Alec grinned at me, more at ease than I had seen him in a long time. “But enough of that talk.” He turned to the others. “All right, lads, what have you lot been up to while I’ve been away?”

* * *

I loved my family.

I really did.

It was important to remember things like that when they were driving me around the bend.

Like now.

Family weekends weren’t a weekly occurrence, but we kept in touch enough to know what was happening in everyone’s lives. Unfortunately for me, that meant Angie and I were still a topic of conversation two months after she eloped, along with our business disaster. I avoided either issue while putting my things in my old bedroom, but I knew nothing would be off-limits as soon as we all sat down for dinner.

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