Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“This is the tourist shop next to Morag’s?” That was prime real estate.
He shrugged slightly and said, as if it was no big deal, “I convinced Gordon he’d be better off renting the place to you than competing with the other tourist stores. And everyone, including Gordon, knows you can afford the rent. In fact, I think if it works out for you, we could persuade him to sell the place.”
I picked up the key with the ribbon on it, tears filling my eyes. “You got me … a bakery?”
“Happy Birthday, baby,” he said gruffly.
When I looked at Callie, her eyes filled with tears too. Happy tears. I held my arms out to her and she rushed me, almost shoving me back into Walker with the force of it. “I love you so much,” I choked out.
“I love you too.” She squeezed me tight before releasing me. Her eyes went to Walker. “But it was Walker who did it.”
He tugged affectionately on a strand of her hair. “It was your idea, though.”
I stared in wonder at this magnificent man, questioning what I’d ever done to deserve him. “I love you. Thank you.” I knew it had probably taken some fierce persuasion to get Gordon to relent to this.
His eyes glimmered with pleasure. “You’re welcome. I love you too.”
“Okay, this is the last thing, and then we’re gonna stop being mushy,” Callie announced like a little adult before she stared at Walker with eyes that seemed too wise for her young age. “Walker, thanks for saving my mom’s life. I love you.”
My heart swelled as Walker swallowed hard. It took him a minute, as if he was beating back emotion, but then he sat forward and drew Callie into a tight hug. His voice was like sandpaper over stone as he replied, “I love you, too, wee yin.”
I didn’t know where to look. At the two people I loved most loving on each other or at the gift they’d given me.
“Jesus,” I said to the ceiling, “I hate to break it to you, pal, but I totally won Best Birthday this year.”
Epilogue
WALKER
Six months later
My phone rang in my pocket as I was settling Callie and the cakes into the passenger seat of my SUV. “You got them?” I asked her, pointing to the box.
She pressed her wee hands to the top of it as she vowed solemnly, “I’ll protect them with my life.”
I gave a huff of amusement, wondering where kids picked that shit up. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, wee yin.” As I closed her door, I pulled out my phone. It was Mum.
“Walker,” I answered, as I rounded the bonnet of the car.
“I know. I called you.” There was amusement in her voice that relaxed me. It had taken a while, but it finally felt comfortable between us.
“Everything okay?” I swung into the driver’s seat.
“Just calling to wish you good luck.”
I glanced down at Callie and the cake box. “Thanks, Mum.” I’d told her the other day about my plans, and she was pleased for me. And desperate to make up for lost time. “You and Dad are still planning to visit next week?”
“Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss it. Your dad says good luck too.”
“Tell him thanks.” The reconciliation with my father was a bit more strained. Unfortunately, I think I’d inherited being too hard on myself from him. While I’d forgiven him for the past, he hadn’t yet forgiven himself. His gruffness wasn’t about me, and I knew that because I saw myself in him.
“I’m on my way there now.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go.” I heard her sigh nervously for me. “Let me know how it goes.”
Maybe it made me an arrogant bastard, but I wasn’t nervous. I was 99.9 percent certain I knew how it would go.
Callie chattered excitedly about the day’s upcoming events. When she began talking a mile a minute about possibly becoming a big sister one day, however, I questioned letting her eat so much of the leftover buttercream from the cupcakes. The subject didn’t bother me. But her mouth was moving worryingly fast.
“Can we pass by the front of the bakery first?” Callie asked as we drove down Castle Street.
Sloane’s rental agreement with Arrochar and Mac ended two months ago, and since I was a man who knew what he wanted, I asked Sloane and Callie to move in with me. Sloane was all about living without regrets these days, and she’d said yes. It surprised me how quickly I adapted to the feminine invasion of my space. How I barely blinked when a new cushion appeared on my sofa or a pointless candle showed up on the coffee table. My ordered tidiness required compromise with a preteen around. Callie left homework, books, her laptop, schoolbag, shoes, and hair accessories lying about … I found them everywhere.