Page 30 of One for the Road
What was he even doing here?
“Think she wants to sleep with all of my brothers?” Heather asked.
“Rude,” Callum scoffed. “We all know that accolade belongs to Juniper—” His words cut off with a high squeak of pain, and everyone laughed, except for me.
I was too busy watching Alistair forcibly retract himself from Jill’s octopus grip and make his way in our direction.
“Hey, guys.” Hands in his pockets, Alistair settled a few inches away, not quite part of the group. “Isla.” His gaze brushed over my face. I tried not to bristle. Clearly, I didn’t fit into theguyscategory.
“Oh my god, is that small-town hero Dr Macabe in the flesh?” Heather called from the other side of the bar, hands clutched to her chest. “Can I get an autograph?”
“Very funny.” His eyes narrowed on his sister while his siblings sniggered like five-year-olds.
He’d clearly come straight from work. His white shirt was still perfectly crisp other than a slight wrinkling at his collar where his navy tie sat just slightly off-centre. Like he’d repeatedly yanked it then straightened it back into place.
“Who cares about an autograph? I’d settle for you returning a phone call once in a while,” Callum cut in, and I watched Alistair’s face visibly shutter. His gaze kept flicking but never resting in Callum and Juniper’s direction.
“I’ve been busy.”
Was this the reason he so clearly loathed living here? His ever-present ex, Juniper? Maybe Alistair and I had more in common than I’d thought.
“Haven’t we all.” A layer of steel slipped into Callum’s tone. There was a collective intake of breath, and I shifted in my seat, guzzling down my water just for something to do.Yeah, I definitely shouldn’t be here for this.
Behind me, Heather cleared her throat. “What are you doing here? Even I don’t want to be here, and I’m being paid.”
Alistair’s brows rose above the rims of his glasses. “I can’t take an interest in my community?”
“Tonight’s focus point is how to dissuade seagulls from stealing vape pens,” Juniper snickered.
“A true epidemic,” Callum said.
Alistair didn’t even smile, just turned to me, tense all over. “I should check how your knee is healing.”
I blinked. “Now?”
He nodded. “Unless you want to come by the surgery?”
I gave him a shrewd look – one he returned – and we entered a half-hearted game of chicken until I finally sighed and slid from the stool. “Now’s good.” Better to get it over with. I handed the glass back to Heather. Tried not to blush when Alistair’s large hand settled between my shoulder blades, steering me toward one of the booths.
“I can feel your family staring,” I said. His fingers slipped beneath my hair, stretching all the way to the top of my neck.
“So?”
“So –” my lungs felt tight, and my eyes roved around the room for any sign of Annabelle – “don’t use me as an excuse to get out of talking to them. I don’t want to get caught up in your family drama.”
“There is no drama.” His fingers curled. Tightened. “My siblings love to meddle, and I prefer my space. Case closed.”
Somehow, I didn’t believe him.
None of your business, I reminded myself, slipping from his grip to sit on the edge of the booth. I had more than enough of my own problems to juggle, without adding his to the mix. So I said, “What are you really doing here? I’ve never seen you at one of these things.”
“Been paying attention?”
“Call it curiosity. I figured you spent your evenings shooting espresso shots directly into your eyeballs while dissecting human hearts.”
“Only on a Wednesday,” he deadpanned. I almost laughed. “And you?”
“I’m signing up for the Cairn & Crust,” I said a little warily, half waiting for him laugh.
