Page 39 of Isla

"Because Theo found me sobbing at the top of one of the towers. Said he was sorry and left me there without another word. I was annoyed."

"Why were you sobbing?" he asks, getting to the root of the issue.

My face heats. "They hired someone to work at the pub."

"And?" He's looking at me like I'm daft, and he has every right. I can't even count the number of times I've complained to him about having to work there when I don’t own it. "I didn't take it well."

"Why, Isla?"

I turn away from him, unable to take the disappointment in his eyes any longer. "Because I'm scared. My entire future was planned out, and now it's...not."

"You’re too smart to be this dumb." He smacks my shoulder with the deed, letting it flutter to the floor. "How do you feel now that everything you wanted has dropped into your lap? Are you looking forward to shouldering the responsibility of the pub on your own? What happened to the brewery you were just talking about opening?”

"Be nice, Jack," Charlie admonishes, taking my hand.

"No. She's a big girl. Answer me, Isla."

I suck in a breath through my nose. "You're right. The thought ofgoing back to the way it used to be makes me sick to my stomach."

“There you go. And how do you feel when you think about starting a brewery?”

“Excited for the challenge.” He pats me on the head like a puppy who finally learned a new trick. God, I really fucked this up. I let myself get pulled into the endless depths of what could have been instead of facing my fear of the unknown. "I'm going after them."

"No, you're not. You’re staying right here and helping us get the roof back on the old groundskeeper's house before the floors get ruined."

"The roof?" Fucking hell.

"We had a three-day window, and they left after the first day. It will take all of us to get it done before it rains.”

I want to be the petulant little sister. Ask him how that's my fault. But itismy fault. I shouldn't have let myself get in the way of the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

"I think a bit of a cooling-off period will be good, anyway," Charlie says softly. "The four of you will have time to get your priorities straight."

I don’t want to ‘cool off,’ but I nod anyway, knowing she's probably right, just like she always is.

"Meet me out back in ten. Charlie has some coveralls you can borrow," Jack says, leaving no room for protest. He wraps me in his arms, his beard scratching my temple. "You're the strongest person I know, Isla. You were wasting your potential by holing yourself up in that pub. Now's your chance to take your future by the horns and show it who's motherfucking boss." He turns me to face the mirror hanging on the wall. “Say it.”

I meet his gaze, tears of gratitude nearly spilling over. “I’m Isla MacLeod and I’m a motherfucking bad bitch.”

He grins. “Again.”

“I’m Isla fucking MacLeod! And I’m a motherfucking bad bitch!” I yell, my words bouncing off the walls.

Jack kisses the crown of my head, pride shining in his eyes. “And don’t you ever forget it.”

17

The plane ride to this middle of nowhere, tiny Tennessee town takes entirely too long. My mind races the entire time, wondering if I did the right thing by not reaching out on social media. I want to confront Theo in person–where I can see his body language–but now that I'm stuck in this tin can for hours, I'm second-guessing my decision. What if he refuses to see me? Refuses to change his mind? I ask the flight attendant for a piece of paper and pen and start scribbling down my thoughts, eventually organizing them enough to turn them into a rough outline of what I want to say to him.

The pilot's voice blares through the speakers.Welcome to Knoxville, Tennessee, where the current time is 11:54 am.

Butterflies attack my stomach. This was a mistake. I should have told them I was coming first. Got an address. Why did I think I could drive around in a strange city and find them? Even if the town their PO box is in only has a population of 574, that doesn't mean they'll be there, or I'll be able to find them.

Fuck.

I take slow, measured breaths, closing my eyes and relaxing my muscles from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

"Miss? Are you okay?" I open my eyes to the flight attendant leaning over me, worry creasing her face.

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