Page 30 of Thick as Thieves
James comes in, followed by Bucky. “Told you they’d be crying,” he calls back to Bucky.
“They are not,” says Marcus indignantly. “They’re smiling at us.”
“I wasn’t talking about the twins.” He laughs at his dad, taking the baby from him and smiling and kissing his brother.
“That one belongs to me,” sing-songs Bucky as he takes Lochi from me. My hands feeling entirely too empty, I move over and pull Evie into a hug, kissing her all over her face, then move to Sorley.
James puts him up for a kiss. “Say bye to Papa.” He smirks at me, the little shit.
Marcus has now got Evie in a bear hug, kissing her like his life depends on it.
“Put them in their seats, James,” she just gets out as she comes up for air, adding, “We’ve got to go Kell,” as Marcus starts in on her again.
“I know. I just don’t want you to. I want you here with us all.” He’s hanging on tight.
“It’s not long. I need to see Marshall, and my buildings,” she laughs out as Marcus wraps her up again, his reach everywhere, like an octopus.
“You better not go to work yet. I’ll kill Jude if he’s been on at you again.”
“I don’t work with Jude, remember?”
“No, but you’d think you did with the amount of calling he does.” Marcus is huffy.
Evie eventually gets out of the suite and leaves to calls of, “Run for it, Mum”—James and Bucky’s voices pitched high to imitate the babies—and “Don’t leave us”—absolutely no question coming from me and Marcus.
The whole suite feels cold and empty. We sit and look at each other, desolation setting in.
“Fuck. How can one person make such a difference?” Kell asks.
“Because it’s Mum,” says James, looking at us both. “Come on, you old gits, I’ll buy you a drink in the bar.” He pulls me up as Bucky drags up Marcus, and we all move, not able to sit in the room that still smells like her and the twins.
“I’ll never be able to sleep,” complains Marcus.
“Well at least you can keep Xan company then,” laughs James.
14
Xander
Scotland
I get in two days before anyone else. Himself is waiting for me. He looks at me and just shakes his head. “Let’s go have a wee dram.” He smiles, after kissing me welcome in his highland way, then dives right into business. “This party is very elaborate. How many are coming?”
“Not many this year. Only really close friends and family. About forty, I think. Usually we have well over a hundred.”
“What’s the black tent for? I notice you’ve built a balcony in it.”
“It’s a sex show, Dad,” I say bluntly.
“Oh, I better tell Morag then, from the pub. Don’t want to put her off.” His eyes twinkle.
“It might not,” I laugh at him.
“Xander, the farthest the woman has been is Inverness. She’ll be travelling well beyond that if you’re in charge of it all.” He laughs with gusto at his own joke.
“Maybe you need to ask one of your London ladies, then.” I look at him out of the corner of my eye. The old fox thinks I don’t know about him, but I always have.
“No, I like Morag well enough. Maybe it’ll be a good test for her. If she can cope with that, she might be the woman for me.” He looks very wistful all of a sudden, it’s not a look I’ve ever really seen from him.
