The group didn’t wait long before the chef’s crew served the gourmet mushroom and Swiss burgers with fries. Of course, they’d made provisions for Penelope, so she had steamed broccoli with her burger.
Rhona tugged on Penelope’s shirt and then waved for her to lean down until Rhona’s lips were next to her ear. “Do you like my Uncle Angus?” she whispered.
Instead of responding with words, Penelope leaned back and nodded.
Rhona giggled and popped a fry into her mouth.
Paige caught Penelope’s gaze and held it as though she sensed what Rhona had asked. Paige smiled, and Penelope held her breath, bracing for whatever could possibly tumble out of her sister’s mouth.
“So, Angus, is reality television harder than movies since you’re being filmed all the time?” asked Paige.
Whew! Penelope let out a slow breath and continued eating.
“Aye. It’s easy to forget you’re being filmed twenty-four seven.”
“Is it hard living with four women under one roof?”
Angus chuckled. “It’s a learning curve, but, no, it’s not been hard.”
“Aye, I bet it hasn’t.” Duff punched Angus.
Angus slugged him back but laughed.
Penelope glanced at Angus. He looked so happy and peaceful. His shoulders didn’t seem weighed down. She’d had a taste of him appearing light and carefree on the beach at night, but he was even more alive now that he had his family gathered around. It made her wonder what it would be like to see him at home in Rosegail Bridge.
“Is Duff your only brother?” asked Paige.
“Naw, I have two more, Rory and Taran.”
“Why didn’t they come?”
“They work the farm with my pop.”
Paige tilted her head. “Oh, your family farm? What kind of farm?”
“Sheep.”
“That’s interesting. Did you know that, Penelope?”
Penelope froze as everyone looked at her. “Yeah, I knew.”
“What did you think of that? Were you surprised?”
Penelope’s pulse jumped. It wasn’t the question. It was the attention that was making her nervous. She swallowed hard, giving herself a moment to find an answer. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Have you enjoyed being here, at least?”
“It’s pretty here. I like the fireplace and sitting outside because it’s quiet.”
Paige narrowed her eyes at Penelope and then looked at Angus. “Okay.”
Returning her attention to Angus, Paige asked, “How about you, Angus, have you enjoyed it here?”
Nodding, Angus smiled. “Surprisingly, I have.”
Paige looked at Muireall. “Are you planning to stay in the States long?”
“We’re staying here a couple of days and then taking these two wee yins somewhere.”
Kyle’s jaw dropped. “Where?”
“It’s a surprise. Uncle Angus set it up for us.”
“Uncle Angus, what is it?” asked Rhona.
“Naw, you’ll not be turning that sweet face on me. I’m a locked box.”
Rhona stuck out her lip.
Angus shook his head. “Pout all you want, but I’ll not be telling.”
The longer Angus talked, the thicker his accent got. Penelope looked at her plate and smiled. She liked the accent. It made him all that more appealing to her.
Muireall tapped Penelope on the shoulder and leaned in over Rhona. “How about you and I take our lunch somewhere quieter?”
Penelope’s mouth went dry, but she nodded as she picked up her plate. She led Muireall back out onto the patio. They sat next to each other in front of the fireplace and placed their plates on their laps. For a moment, they sat in silence.
“I get the feeling the two of us should talk,” Muireall said.
Nervous energy coursed through her. Angus’s mom had pulled her out of the dining room in front of Paige, wanting to speak with her. Inwardly, she groaned as she envisioned Paige giving her the third degree. “Okay.” Not to mention the cameras. Whatever was said would be broadcast to the world.
“Angus was always easy to love. All my boys are, really, but, Angus, he was the tender one. He loved animals. He’d bring anything in that needed fixing. Then he found acting. Broke my heart, to be honest, but it made him happy, so I said nothing.”
“He told me he wanted to be a veterinarian. Is that what you wanted for him?”
“I wanted him to be happy, and acting seemed to do that for him. What broke my heart was his leaving.”
“I can understand that.” Now that she knew him, the idea made her sick.
“He was such a sweet little thing. Happy and joyful. The odd one of the four. Duff, Rory, and Taran were typical boys, but, Angus, he was the one to help a neighbor without being asked. When his brothers would run off, he’d stay behind with me. I called him my little heart. He loves hard and fast.”
Penelope chewed her lip as she smiled. Angus was the tender one. She believed that.
Muireall eyed Penelope. “That woman, Clara. I knew she was bad business.”
“He’s told me a little. I’ve met her. She’s…cruel.”
“Aye, but you have a gentle spirit, Penelope Cooper. I can see why Angus is smitten.”
Penelope failed to hide her smile at the compliment.
Muireall caught her gaze and held it. The corners of her mouth twitched up slightly. “He cares deeply for you. I see it.”
Penelope’s heart skipped a beat and then raced even faster as she sat back in her chair.
“And you care for him as well.”
There was no way she was lying to Angus’s mother, but putting voice to it was something she couldn’t do yet, so she nodded.
Muireall leaned in and patted her hand. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
They both glanced over her shoulder when they heard the door open.
Paige came flitting out.
Angus’s mom picked up the plate in her lap and stood. “I need some more fries.” She winked at Penelope and sauntered gracefully back into the house.
Paige took a seat in the chair next to Penelope. “So, Angus. He seems nice. His family is hysterical. Duff is so outgoing.”
“Yeah, his family is pretty great.”
Penelope chewed her lip as she debated telling Paige about what happened with Tom. The show hadn’t aired with her telling Angus about him. If Paige found out through the show, she’d be hurt. If Penelope told her now, Paige could prepare for the reaction.
“Paige, I have something to tell you.” Glancing around, she took note of the cameras. She’d already bared her soul in front of the cameras. What was one more time?
“What?”
Penelope gave Paige the version she’d given Angus, from start to finish.
Furrowing her eyebrows, Paige looked dumbstruck. A few minutes ticked by before she looked at Penelope. “Why didn’t you tell me about it when it happened?”
With a shrug, Penelope said, “It wasn’t the right time. By the time you came home, Mom was sick. Then Daddy died. And then when you came home again, you were so hurt. It never seemed the right time.”
Paige shook her head and sighed. “Why didn’t you say something when I practically forced you to come here?”
“It had been too long by then,” Penelope said softly. “And I hated admitting I’d been so stupid.” She folded her arms over her chest.
“I can’t believe you kept this from me.”
Penelope settled her gaze back on the crackling logs. “I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it. I still hate even thinking about it.”
“Did you tell Angus? Is that why you’re so forthcoming now?” asked Paige.
Nodding, Penelope brought her gaze back to Paige. “Yes. I didn’t want you to find out when the episode aired.”
Paige sat back in the chair. “I can’t believe it. And he was married?”
“Yes.”
“We should have been throwing china together, huh
?”
Penelope snorted. A vision of her, Paige, and Angus throwing plates tickled her.
Paige inhaled sharply through her nose. “And you really had no idea he was married?”
It wasn’t intentional, but Penelope heard the judgment in Paige’s voice. At least she was keeping it to herself, which meant she was trying to be understanding and kind.
Penelope nodded. “I really didn’t. He had no ring, no pictures, nothing. I didn’t have any reason to believe he wasn’t telling me the truth.”
“Jeez, Penelope, we should have thrown the plates at him.” There was venom in her voice.
“It’s okay. Talking about it has helped.”
“Listen, I know we’ve had our moments, but don’t keep something like this from me again, okay? How am I supposed to hunt down and kill the people who hurt you when I don’t know you’ve been hurt?”
Penelope chuckled as tears pooled. Her sister being supportive was such a novelty. “I won’t.”
Paige took her hand. “We’re sisters, and we’re all we’ve got left. I know I can make life difficult for you at times, but you know I love you.”
“Yeah, Paige, I know.”
Penelope was dumbfounded. She’d fully expected Paige to throw nothing but harsh words and judgment. Instead, she was offering comfort and support. The deep breath Penelope took felt like a fresh start.
“You know, I half expected you to tell me you’d fallen in love with Angus,” Paige said with a mischievous grin.
Angus saved her from responding by bursting through the back door with Duff close behind him.
“I’ll get you!” Duff growled.
“You’ll have to catch me first.”
Kyle and Rhona came chasing after them. Their laughter was infectious as Penelope watched Duff chase Angus around the yard.
Annis and Muireall followed them out and sat around the fireplace.
“Uh, what happened?” asked Penelope.
“Duff being Duff and Angus being Angus.” Annis snorted.
“Rowdy boys bent on one-upping one another, I suspect,” Muireall said.
“Do they do that a lot?” asked Paige.
Annis and his mom shared a laugh.
“Aye, they arm wrestled, and Angus cheated. Duff’s gonna wallop him.” Annis straightened.
Duff and Kyle were trying to pin Angus to the ground. Angus rolled as Duff tried to sit on him, and Kyle jumped on his back. It was mayhem, and Penelope loved watching every moment. Maybe there was a chance her relationship with Paige could be like that again someday.
“I told Penelope about that awful, cruel woman, Clara,” Muireall said.
“Aye, he wasn’t the same,” said Annis. “These boys are as much my brothers as they are Duff’s. I’ve known Angus since he was a baby. Clara was acid eating away at him. He brought her home before they started dating. We tried to warn him off, but he was deaf, and she was charming. He’d already fallen for her, and she knew it. Angus couldn’t see her for what she was.”
“A snake. Her heart’s as black as her hair,” Muireall added.
Paige exhaled. “What did you think of all that tabloid stuff?”
“Paige!” Penelope huffed.
Her sister’s mouth dropped open, and she shrugged. “What?”
Annis crossed her arms over her chest. “I hurt for him. We all did. He wasn’t himself. We knew she’d broken him.”
Muireall nodded, her lips set in a thin line. “Aye. He closed himself off, distanced himself from us, and turned into someone we didn’t know.”
“Until we saw him today.” Annis gave Penelope a quick glance.
Paige caught it too. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
Great. Penelope shook her head. “No.” Even she didn’t believe it.
Her sister chuckled. “Liar.”
Heat rushed from Penelope’s face to her ears. “Stop, Paige.”
Paige tilted her head. “Why won’t you tell me?”
Penelope settled her gaze on the family scuffle. Duff eventually pinned Angus to the ground. Rhona and Kyle piled on top of Angus, who let out an oomph as they knocked the wind out of him.
“Because I don’t know what to tell yet.”
Paige nodded. “Okay, you’ll tell me when you know, right?”
“I’ll tell you when I know.”
A burst of laughter drew their attention as Angus grabbed Rhona and tickled her until she squealed. She ran to the patio and into Muireall’s embrace. “Uncle Angus doesn’t play fair.”
Muireall smoothed her hair back and chuckled. “Aye, he never has.”
Penelope enjoyed Angus’s family. They were so close and loving. It made her miss her Mom and Dad. Thoughts of Christmas in Scotland caught her off guard. Suddenly, she was glad they were all focused on the ruckus in the yard and not her. The tips of her ears were burning, and there was no way Paige would let it go.
Muireall was right. She cared for Angus, and it was quickly moving in a direction that she hadn’t been expecting.
Chapter 38
Angus stood and shuffled out of his room toward the patio. He didn’t have to check Penelope’s room to know she wasn’t there. She loved waiting until it was dark and then curling up in front of the fire. Sure enough, when he stepped out the back door, there she was.
“I thought our late-night talks were over.” Penelope cast a glance sideways as Angus took a seat in the chair next to her.
“Nothing was said about the patio.”
“Oh, Angus, I don’t want your career hurt because you didn’t follow through with the show.”
He held up a hand. “It’s okay. Actually, I was encouraged to come out here. Apparently, the audience is more interested in us than anything.”
Penelope sighed and shook her head. “Fine.” A smile slowly spread on her lips. “Your family is incredible. Actually, they’re more than incredible. They’re addictive.”
Angus’s grin grew wider. “Aye. I can’t argue.”
Their families had stayed two nights, but he’d not had a chance to be alone with Penelope the entire time. His mum had loved her just like he thought she would. Annis and Duff even gave their approval. Annis was even more protective of him than his mum. To get her approval made him happy.
“I didn’t spend a lot of time with Paige, but she seemed great too.”
“Paige has her moments. I enjoyed seeing her.” Penelope pulled her feet up and wrapped her arms around her legs. “You and Duff seem close.”
“We are. Even though he’s sixteen years older than me.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Sixteen years? He didn’t look that much older than you.”
“Aye. Mum and Pop were young when they got married and thought they were done, but then I came along. Rory came along two years later and Taran three years after that.”
“What do they think of you acting?”
“Duff is supportive. Rory thinks it’s okay. Taran is angry I live here. He and I were closer than me and Duff until I came here. He’s shunned me ever since.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be done. I love what I do. I’ve begged him to come here and stay, but he’s as stubborn as Pop. Pop doesn’t like it either.”
She tilted her head. “Can’t you live there primarily and then come here when needed?”
“Clara didn’t want to live there, and I wanted her more than I wanted to live there. I could have gone back after, but I was angry and lost. I didn’t want to take that and spread it to my kin.”
“I can understand that. What did they think of Zora, Jeanie, and Amber?”
“Mum thought they were…interesting in their own ways. So did Duff.”
Earlier, everyone had eaten dinner together before they left. Angus’s family would be staying a little while longer, but not at the lodge. He’d made arrangements for them to visit Disneyland. Hopefully, Annis would remember to take a video of Kyle’s and Rhona’s reactions when they found out.
&n
bsp; “Mum liked you. As did Annis.”
A dark crimson spread on Penelope’s cheeks. “I enjoyed talking to your mom and Annis. They had interesting stories about you.” She grinned as she caught her bottom lip in her teeth.
Angus laughed and rubbed his mouth with his hand. “Mere stories. None of them were true.”
Penelope grinned wider. “I can see on your face that they were.”
Taking a deep breath, he chuckled. “Okay, some were accurate.”
“You looked happy with them here.”
“Aye. It had been at least a year, and I’d missed them.”
She set her elbow on the arm of the chair and set her chin in her hand. “I guess you had a good visit, then?”
He shrugged. “They didn’t harp on my bad behavior. I deserved it, but they’d forgiven me. I’ll be visiting home when the show’s over. I want to see Rory and Taran. And Pop, of course.”
“I bet they’ll be glad to see you.”
Angus gave her a side-glance. “How was your visit with your sister?”
She smiled. “Actually, it was really great. I told her about Tom so she wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Did it feel good to tell her?”
“Yeah, it did.”
Angus stared at her, eyebrows drawn. “What did she say?”
With the way she shifted in her seat, it almost seemed she was uncomfortable discussing it, but she kept going. “She was surprised I kept it from her, but overall, she was supportive.”
“You seem a little shocked by that.”
“I kinda was.” She looked down and fidgeted with her fingers.
“Why?”
“Paige and I were really close until high school. Then something changed. Our relationship has been strained since then. I’ve tried talking to her, but she dismisses it as me being oversensitive.”
He cast his gaze to the floor, crossing his arms over his chest. “Maybe she’s ready to let it go.”
With a deep breath in, followed by a slow release, she said, “I hope so. It would be nice to have my sister back. It would be even nicer to have the kind of relationship with her that you have with Duff.”
“Duff is a character. Almost like a second father to me and my brothers. Annis acts more like my mum than my sister-in-law sometimes.”
Mending The Billionaire Movie Star (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 1) Page 20