Chapter 7

7

T he guys meet me at the castle bright and early the following morning. I’m not happy about giving up my gym time for the second day in a row, but mornings are the only time we can all meet, and I want them to get started on the renovations ASAP. I called Jack yesterday to give him a heads-up, and despite wanting to fight someone over the sale of the pub, he was pleased to finally have help.

We enter through the back service door, straight into the kitchen. Charlie and Cam are cozied up at the table, Jack is making coffee, and Lachlan is behind the stove in an apron. Charlie jumps up to hug me.

“Guys, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is Theo, Henry, and Dylan,” I say, introducing them.

“Nice to meet you!” Charlie turns her back on them and wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Why don’t you all sit down? Breakfast will be ready in just a couple of minutes.”

“You’re American,” Theo says, studying her.

“You caught me!” Charlie laughs. “I came over for work, met these assholes, and never left.”

My heart rate ticks up. I hadn’t considered how the guys would react to Charlie’s relationship with my brother, Lachlan, and Cam. It feels so normal–so right–that I didn't even think about the fact that they may not receive it well. I watch as Theo studies them, then glance over to see Dylan and Henry whispering to each other. Fuck. I should have said something before we came over.

Charlie and Cam help Jack and Lach plate up the food, then carry the platters to the table. As Charlie bends over to set her platter of eggs down, Jack slaps her on the ass. She squeaks in indignation.

Lach pulls her to him, rubbing her butt with his palm. “I’ll make it better, Care Bear.”

She pulls out of his grip and stumbles into Cam, who kisses her long and hard. “The three of you are insufferable,” she says when she finally pulls away, her cheeks rosy, eyes sparkling.

Theo pushes away from the table, his chair grinding against the floor, and storms outside. Henry and Dylan look at each other and then scramble to follow him.

“Sorry, guys, give us a second,” I apologize, running after them.

Theo is standing in the courtyard waiting for me, his anger palpable. “Is this some sort of fucking joke?”

“I’m sorry. I should have told you guys before we came over,” I stammer, wracking my brain to figure out why he’s so upset.

“How’d you find out?” Theo demands.

I pull my brows together in confusion. “Find out what?”

“Don’t play dumb, Isla. They’re obviously in there mocking us. Is this payback for the pub?” His eyes are murderous.

I turn toward Dylan and Henry. “Will one of you please explain what he’s talking about?”

“He thinks they’re making fun of our last relationship,” Henry says quietly.

“What?” I'm so fucking confused.

Henry turns to Theo. “I think you're misreading the situation. I know it’s a slap in the face, but it has nothing to do with us.”

“What’s a slap in the face?!” I ask, throwing my hands up in frustration.

“Their relationship,” Henry says, motioning to the kitchen .

“What, it’s against your morals or something?” I ask, grasping at straws.

Dylan barks out a laugh. “Not quite.”

“Will one of you please fucking explain what’s going on without speaking in code?” I snap, frustrated.

“The three of us were in a relationship with someone a few years ago. Theo thinks you found out about it and are using it to get under our skin,” Dylan explains.

My heart thuds in my chest as I replay his words in my mind. “The three of you were in a relationship with one woman? Is that what you’re saying?”

Dylan and Henry nod. Theo stands still as a statue, his predatory gaze locked on me.

“And you thought I would use that against you?” I ask Theo.

He finally drops his gaze and sighs. “Sorry. Being in there brought up some stuff I haven’t thought about in a while. It seemed like too much of a coincidence.”

“Maybe it’s not a coincidence. Maybe it’s fate,” I say as I turn back toward the kitchen, leaving them before I do something stupid like blurting out what I’m really thinking.

Charlie raises her eyebrow at me as I walk back inside. “Everything is fine, just a misunderstanding,” I say, looking over my shoulder as the guys follow me inside.

“I’m sorry if we made you uncomfortable," Charlie tells them. "I forget what a shock it must be when people first find out about us.”

“It’s not shocking to us,” Theo mumbles, pulling out a chair for me to sit in.

“Oh,” Charlie whispers, her lips forming a perfect O.

“What are the fucking chances?” Lachlan asks, slapping me on the back.

“What am I missing?” Cam asks, looking between all of us, totally lost.

Jack leans back in his chair, enjoying the show.

When Theo doesn’t respond, Henry speaks up. “My brothers and I are familiar with relationships like yours.” His cheeks turn scarlet. He’s adorable.

“No fucking way!” Cam exclaims. “We haven’t ever met anyone like us. It’s nice to know we’re not alone. Not that we give a damn,” he clarifies.

“You all need to eat,” I butt in. “We have work to do.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the three boys echo each other, smirks on all three of their faces.

I stand side by side with Jack, drying the dishes as he finishes washing them. “Do you want me to take them right to the outbuilding? Or should I show them the entire castle so they can better understand what you're looking for?”

“They need to be familiar with the castle. We want everything to flow and feel cohesive, so it’s important for them to get the feel of the place," Jack says, drying his hands.

“That’s what I was thinking. I’ll show them around today, and then we can work on getting a supply list together tomorrow.”

Jack looks down at me, pride in his eyes. “I don’t know how you convinced them to do this, but it’s brilliant. Thank you.”

“Honestly, I’m still not quite sure why they agreed, but I’m running with it.”

Jack looks over my head toward the table, then back down at me. “I think I know why they agreed.” He smirks, his eyes sparkling.

My brows furrow. “Please share because I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Isla, all three of them look at you like Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth," Cam says, resting his arm across my shoulder.

“In the beginning or at the end?” I laugh, not taking him seriously. They have an entire life to go back to in the States. I haven’t asked, but I bet they're planning on getting the pub to the point that it can run without them, and then they'll return to their real lives. I have no interest in getting involved in something that has a guaranteed chance of breaking my heart. Unlike Emily Bront?, I do not find that romantic at all.

We split off after breakfast—Charlie and Jack go to check on the sheep, Lachlan heads up to his office, and Cam has to go to work. That leaves me and the guys to tour the castle on our own.

“What exactly is the purpose of this?” Theo grumbles as we make our way up the original servants' staircase to the central part of the castle.

“I swear I think you’re the only person who would complain about being given a tour of a castle by a descendent of the family that built it.” I roll my eyes.

“Seriously?” Henry asks, eyes wide.

“Yep. Twelve generations ago.” I push through the door at the top of the stairs, and we spill into a wide hallway.

“That’s amazing. I can’t believe it’s stayed in your family so long.”

“A lot of sacrifices were made–especially in the last few generations.“

Theo butts in, “You still haven’t told me why we're wasting time with a tour.”

I spin toward him, poking him in the chest. “If you just shut up for one damn minute, I might get to it.”

He matches me step for step until I have him backed against the wall with nowhere to go. “We want the renovation to look the same as the rest of the castle,” I say, flattening my hand against his chest to keep him against the wall. He looks down at my hand, then back up at me. A muscle ticks in his jaw, nostrils flaring, eyes dark. He raises an eyebrow, challenging me. My heart races in my chest, my gaze bouncing between his eyes and lips. I'm so out of my league. This is bad. So fucking bad. I lick my lips nervously, watching as his pupils blow out in response.

“Um, we’ll leave you two to figure this out,” Dylan says, dragging Henry down the hall.

Theo steps forward, and I step back, instinct telling me to run. Fast. He keeps going until he has me pressed against the opposite wall .

“Why are you so annoying?” he asks, his face only inches from mine.

I snort. “I’m the annoying one? You’re the one that has perpetual ornery disease.”

He throws his head back and laughs—a real laugh. God, he’s beautiful. I’m mesmerized by the strong column of his throat, the dark stubble sweeping over his jaw. He wipes his eyes and looks down at me. “I didn’t plan for this.”

“Plan for what?” I ask, focusing on how his tongue slides over his lower lip.

“You,” he growls.

My gaze flies to his, and I suddenly feel like an apex predator has me cornered. He catches me by the chin before I can run. Turning my face up to his, he studies me, his gaze catching on my mouth. “

That’s my favorite one,” he says, sliding his thumb over the corner of my bottom lip.

“Your favorite what?” I rasp.

“Oh good! You’re both still alive,” Henry says, rounding the corner and stopping abruptly. Theo growls in warning, but Henry ignores it. “We better get a move on if we want to get to the bar in time.”