“No, it wouldn’t.” Agnes held up the envelope. “It’s blank. Did you write instructions on any of the envelopes you handed over?”
“I didn’t think I needed to,” Jean said, and her friends groaned.
“Okay,” Dougal boomed. “I think we’re done here. I have a pub to run and a council meeting to prepare for. Ladies.” He nodded his head at them before striding from the room.
“Do we have to pay for the last two years of supplies?” Margaret asked as she frowned at Jean. “Again?”
Weariness suddenly swamped her. If Dougal wasn’t bothered about the missing shampoo, she wasn’t going to lose sleep over it either. “No, just stop helping yourselves and we’ll call it good.”
“I know it’s pushing it a bit,” Shona said demurely, “but is there any chance we could buy some of the soaps and shampoos? I love the wee bottles. They’re great for travel, and we heard you have a new range that you can’t get on the internet.”
Against her better judgment, Agnes caved on that. “I’ll set up a shelf behind the front desk where you can buy bottles of product and bars of soap. You’ll pay Bernadette, who will put the money straight into the till.” She stared at her receptionist, who nodded fervently.
“Thanks, Agnes,” Margaret said. “We appreciate it.” She turned to her friends. “Come on, time to go.”
As they passed, Margaret stopped in front of her. “You’d make a great member of Knit or Die. We already have a couple of younger women, but they weren’t in on Jean’s soap caper. You’d fit right in. We need your backbone, and you need some women at your back.”
It was hard not to smile at Margaret. “I’m not staying in Invertary long enough to join anything.”
“Aye, well, we’ll see about that,” the woman said. “You don’t choose knitting. It chooses you. Come on, ladies.” And she herded her friends out of the room, leaving Agnes to wonder what that meant.
Last to leave were Shona and Darcy. The young girl wasn’t shy—she came right up to stand in front of Agnes. “I know you aren’t my dad’s girlfriend, but if you have time to tell me any tips and stuff for getting away with things, that would be awesome.”
“Darcy!” Shona snapped.
The girl gave her grandmother a contrite look before winking at Agnes and making a call-me gesture with her hand.
“You do realize I’m standing right here, don’t you?” Logan said. “And we’re going to talk about all of this tonight when I get home.”
“Bummer.” Darcy’s whole body slumped as she dragged herself from the room, leaving Agnes alone with her father.
“You were no help at all,” she told him.
“You didn’t need my help. But I do wish you’d asked how much was in the envelope every month because I’d like to know what Bernadette considered a reasonable tip.”
“That woman is more work than she’s worth.”
“Maybe, but I think you’re more than capable of sorting her out.” He stepped into her space, but Agnes retreated to the other side of her desk.
“You realize we still have the stolen jewelry and booze from the bar to account for,” she said, her gaze fixed on the desk. Not on the man who’d been kissing her senseless an hour earlier. “I don’t think your mother and her crew were responsible for those.”
“Probably not.” He folded his arms and considered her. “What’s going on now?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she lied.
“Aye. You do. One minute you’re melting in my arms, the next you’re an iceberg. I deserve to know what’s happening here.”
Sadly, he was right. “I can’t do this thing.” She motioned between them. “You have permanent written all over you, and I’m not staying in Scotland.”
“I’m not looking for anything long term.”
She gestured toward the door, where his daughter had disappeared seconds earlier. “Little Miss Curiosity says otherwise.”
“She misses having a mum, but that doesn’t affect us. When I say I’m not looking for long term, I mean that I’m not going to ask something from you that you aren’t willing to give. You’ve made it plain you don’t want to stay in Scotland. I respect that. The kids knowing about you doesn’t change anything.”
Oh, he was fooling himself more than she’d thought. “Yes. It really does. Maybe you should ask Lake to assign someone else to work with me. I think it would be for the best.”
“No.” He shook his head determinedly. “No. This is bullshit. You’re just using this as an excuse to retreat. I don’t know why, but I know you are. You might not believe me when I say I’m not looking for something serious, but it’s the truth.”
He rounded the desk to stand in front of her before putting his hands on her shoulders. And weak as she was, she couldn’t move away from him.
“Contrary to what my daughter told you, I’ve had my fair share of relationships since the divorce. The kids just don’t know about them. All of those relationships were casual and, if I’m honest, pretty empty. But I’m used to situations that end.” He cupped her cheek, staring into her eyes with such intensity she could see her reflection shining back at her. “Do I think there’s the possibility we could have a future together? Aye, I do. I think there’s something between us, something that could be special if we let it grow. But I also know that you have different plans for your life.”
“Logan,” she tried to cut him off before he cracked open her heart with his words.
He shook his head to stop her. “Before we married, my ex-wife told me she didn’t think she wanted kids. I thought she was too young to know her own mind, that she’d change it once she saw how good we were together. I was young, stupid, and wrong. It’s not a mistake I’ll make again. I believe you when you say you’re leaving and that you’re only here for the year. What I’m asking for is a chance to spend that year with you.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Our chemistry is off the charts, we have fun together, and I even appreciate that violent streak of yours. But I’ve grown up a lot since my divorce, and I won’t ask anything of you that you aren’t willing to give.”
Damn, listening to him offer her everything she wanted was agony. “The kids…”
“Let me worry about my kids. I’m their father. If you want to explore this thing between us, then we’ll keep it to ourselves—for however long it lasts. The question is, what do you want?”
Chapter 11
‘What do you want?’
Logan’s words tormented Agnes through the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. After he’d finished his speech, he’d given her the gentlest kiss, then told her to call him when she made up her mind.
Men.
They were genetically programmed to know exactly what to say and do to drive women mad. Now, instead of getting on with her work and straightening out Dougal’s hotel, she was spending her time thinking about Logan.
It just wasn’t fair.
Needing some fresh air, she took her late lunch down to the loch and stared out over the water, her brain replaying Logan’s question over and over.
What did she want?
At that moment, it was to be as far away from the hotel industry as possible. Although Agnes knew that wasn’t what Logan meant, her job was getting her down. The truth was, and she’d known it from the first day she’d worked in a hotel, she wasn’t really a people person. She was more of a behind-the-scenes person. She was good with project management and strategy, which is why she needed to work in a huge hotel, where the guests never dealt directly with the manager. If she was stuck in a tiny boutique hotel, there was a good chance she’d end up the female version of Basil Fawlty. Because, in general, people sucked.
After placing the nylon-covered cushion she’d brought with her on a rock, Agnes sat at the edge of the loch and unwrapped her sandwich. With a heavy gray sky that hung low over the murky waters, the weather matched her mood. Dense clouds shrouded the hills on the opposite side of the loch, and the muted daylight sucked
the color out of the landscape. Everything around her was gray and brooding, pressing down until she swayed under the weight of it all.
Even wrapped in a knee-length padded coat, the cold still seeped through to her bones. It brought back memories of her childhood, trying to sleep in icy cold rooms under threadbare blankets, going to bed wearing layers of clothes and still shivering. If she never saw her breath again, it would be too soon. No, staying in Scotland wasn’t for her. She needed a position in a nice big hotel, somewhere in the sun, where she could manage from her huge office, far away from every single person in the building.
It was what she’d been working toward since she was fourteen. And now that her sisters were all settled, starting families of their own, happy and in love, it meant she was free to follow her dream. They didn’t need her anymore. Although, a small voice in the back of her mind wondered how she’d cope without her sisters nearby. Maybe, just maybe, she still needed them.
As the gentle lapping of the water soothed her frayed nerves, and the sandwich took the edge off the biting tension that consumed her, Agnes had to admit that Invertary had a certain charm. In the summer, she imagined it would even be considered beautiful, with the green rolling hills and the blue loch, the whitewashed houses and the old stone castle. It had everything tourists wanted from a trip to Scotland. And, yet, it struggled to survive.
Young people were leaving in droves, the high school had very recently shut down because of declining numbers and the kids had to bus to Fort William. Shops were closing due to lack of business, and there was an air of stagnancy about the place. In fact, the only thing she was aware of that brought people to town was Josh. Half of the hotel’s patrons were there to catch a glimpse of the singer.
It was little wonder Dougal wanted to build a conference center in an attempt to attract people to the town. But Agnes wasn’t sure it was the right way to go. Without expanding his hotel, there would be no place for the conference attendees to stay when they came. It seemed like bad planning to her.
As she ate, she pulled out her phone, opened the app she used with her sisters and started a group call. If they were free, they’d answer, if not, she’d try again later. But she wanted to spend a few minutes touching base with them, reassuring herself that they were fine and happy. They’d been living in each other’s pockets their whole lives, and it was far too unsettling to be without them. It was as if she were missing three limbs.
The screen changed, and a tiny image of Isobel’s dark-haired visage appeared. “Aggie!”
Unexpectedly, Agnes’ eyes welled up, and she blinked rapidly to clear them. “Isobel, how are you?”
Before her older sister could answer, Mairi’s head appeared in a little window beside her. “Hello! What’s going on?”
The last window popped up, showing Donna’s smiling face. “I’ve missed you three,” she said.
“Me too,” Agnes said, her heart already feeling warmer at the sight of her sisters. “I’m sitting out by the loch, having lunch, and I thought I’d check in. You’re all too far away now.”
“Not that far,” Donna said. “Just Glasgow.” Someone called out behind her, and she turned to wave. “I’m in the studio,” she said when she turned back. “I’m working on a set of illustrations for a kids’ fantasy book.” She practically danced with joy as she spoke, and Agnes melted inside. At last, her gentle sister had found something she loved to do: studying art at the same college her husband lectured at.
“That sounds awesome,” Mairi said. “Send us some pictures. I love your drawings. As for us, we just woke up. It’s absolutely Baltic here, I’m freezing my backside off. And there’s snow. So. Much. Snow. Look!” She turned her phone to show them the view from her hotel window. Mairi was in Montreal, meeting with two of the geek boys who’d signed up for her dating agency and recruiting more talent. Her matchmaking business had taken off, and she was having a blast with it.
“I’m getting cold just looking at that,” Isobel said. “It’s raining here in London, and everyone’s in a bad mood because of it. Or, it could be because they’re working on a tough case right now. Who knows? All I know is everybody’s grumpy.”
“It’s cold here too,” Agnes said. “And damp. And gray.” She swung the phone around so they could see the loch.
“But pretty,” Donna said.
“Yeah.” Agnes sighed. “It’s pretty.”
The sigh wasn’t loud or heavy, but it was enough to make all of her sisters focus on her.
“What’s wrong?” Isobel demanded.
“Who do I have to hurt?” Mairi said. “I can be on a flight within the hour. It’s only seven hours between here and Glasgow. I can be with you in about twelve.”
“You look sad, Aggie,” Donna said, her brow furrowed with worry. “You never look sad. Do you hate it there? Do you want to come live in Glasgow with Duncan and me?”
Her smile trembled. “I love you three, and I miss you. I guess it’s just that I’m used to having you around.”
“Oh.” Donna softened. “I never thought of that. You’re usually so strong all the time. Now I feel bad that we’re all getting on with our lives, with our men, and you’re doing a job you don’t really want to do, with no one beside you. I can come to Invertary as soon as this term ends. I’m so sorry you’re there on your own. I’d hate that too.”
“It’s fine,” she reassured her soft-hearted sister. “Honestly, none of you need to rush to my side. I only wanted to see your faces.”
“Callum has other connections,” Isobel said. “He can ask around and find you a job in a different hotel if that’s what you want. Maybe one in London, near us.”
“No, no, it’s fine. It’s just”—Agnes heaved a sigh—“there are days when I wonder what I’m doing.”
There was silence for a second before Isobel answered. “You can do anything you put your mind to, Aggie. You’re the strongest and smartest of all of us. None of us would have made it this far if it hadn’t been for you. Don’t let a bad day get you down.”
That made her swallow hard. “I’m having second thoughts about being in the hotel business,” she confessed. “I don’t really like people.”
The phone erupted with laughter.
“We know,” Mairi said with a huge grin.
“But you’re good at organizing them,” Donna said.
“That’s why you’re a manager,” Isobel added.
“Look, it’s early days,” Donna said. “You’ve only been there a few weeks. Maybe once you get to know some people, it won’t seem so hard.”
“Don’t mind me,” Agnes said. “I’m feeling lonely today, that’s all this is.” Especially seeing as she’d tried to end things with Logan. Again. Why did the one man she’d been attracted to in years have to come with so much baggage? And why, oh why, did he live in the middle of bloody Scotland?
“You do know that you don’t have to stay in the hotel industry if you hate it, don’t you?” Isobel asked.
Agnes barked a mirthless laugh. “I spent ten years studying for this, and more years than that getting experience in hotels. It would be insane to walk away now, and a waste of all the support you guys gave me while I studied. You scrimped and saved to put me through college. I can’t throw that back in your faces by walking away.”
“Is that really what you think?” Mairi gaped. “I wish I was there right now to smack some sense into you. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in ages. Why would you changing careers upset us? You have a degree. You worked hard for it. Lots of people have degrees and never work in the area they studied. Look at philosophy majors, most of them work in McDonald’s.”
Donna nodded. “We want you to be happy—we don’t care what job you do.”
“You could never disappoint us,” Isobel said. “Never. Don’t even think it.”
Agnes’ throat tightened. Things were getting far too soppy for her liking. “Anyway, forget that. Tell me how the baby bump is going,” she ordered Isobel, who promp
tly angled her phone camera so they could see her belly.
“Big as a house,” she said cheerfully.
“And happy,” Donna added.
“And happy,” Isobel confirmed.
“I’m so pleased for you,” Agnes said. “For all of you. I love seeing you all looking so content.”
“You’ll get there too,” Donna said.
“I know.” She took a deep breath and sat up straighter. “I’d better get back to it. Love you.” After they’d finished telling her the same, their images blinked out, leaving her alone again. And then a new call came in.
Her big sister.
“Are you okay?” Agnes said as soon as her sister’s image appeared on her screen.
“That’s what I’m calling to ask you. I know you’ll tell me things you won’t tell the other two, so I wanted to give you the chance in case there was something else you wanted to talk about. There is, isn’t there?”
Isobel was right. Although Agnes loved all her sisters equally, there was a special bond between her and Isobel. Probably because they’d spent those years alone together, trying to bring up Isobel’s son, Jack, with no help from anyone. They’d been tough years. There had been times when she’d thought they wouldn’t make it.
After a fortifying breath, she told her, “I met a man.”
“Is he a good one?”
“I think so.” She looked out over the loch before returning her attention to the screen. “You met him too when he went to the London office. Do you remember Logan McBride?”
“Oh.” Isobel nodded solemnly. “He is a good one.”
“I told him I’m going away when I’ve done a year with Dougal, that I plan to apply for jobs in other countries.”
“And he was okay with that?”
“He said he’s happy to take what time he can get.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? I mean, if you don’t want anything serious.”
And that was the problem. She wasn’t sure a relationship with Logan could be anything but serious. “He has kids, Isobel. Two. A boy and a girl, fourteen and twelve. I met the girl today—she’s cute and funny. She reminds me a lot of her dad.”
Can't Buy Me Love: Romantic Comedy (Sinclair Sisters Trilogy Book 3) Page 10