Among the Heather (The Highlands, #2) (56)
So having her take that one pure source of love away from me … it didn’t just hurt, it fucking killed. She wasn’t a kid anymore. She could inflict damage, and that scared the shit out of me.
My work phone rang, yanking me out of my maudlin musings. The screen told me it was security. After North’s public statement, the paps promptly disappeared from the estate gates and things had been quiet the last week. “Aria speaking.”
“Ms. Howard.” Jock insisted on formality. “We have Jared McCulloch, Sarah McCulloch’s cousin, at the gate, asking permission to enter.”
I frowned. “For what reason?”
“I’m afraid he’s got some bad news for Sarah.”
My heart raced in sympathy for Jared McCulloch as soon as I met him in the reception hall. I’d seen the young farmer in passing in the village and knew from Sloane, who knew from the Adair women, that Jared was a bit of a ladies’ man. He’d arrived in Ardnoch four years ago to live with his grandfather Collum McCulloch and his cousin Sarah. Collum McCulloch’s family had farmed the land north of Ardnoch for generations. The McCullochs had insisted for centuries that they used to own land south of Ardnoch that bordered Adair land. It wasn’t a huge piece of property, but it was coastal.
It was Adair land now, and Lachlan’s members, including myself, had homes on it.
The farm still existed northwest of the village. Apparently, things had been frosty between Lachlan and Collum but had eased somewhat a few years ago when Collum saved Lachlan’s and Robyn’s lives. It wasn’t friendly by any means, but I knew Lachlan respected Collum.
Now his grandson’s handsome face was etched in haggard, restrained grief.
“We’ve called Sarah down. She’s on her way. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
Jared nodded, swallowing hard, and I did him the courtesy of not forcing him to speak.
“This way.” I turned on my heel and heard him following me as we passed two lounging members who stared at us in curiosity. Jared was dressed in jeans, muddy boots, and a plaid shirt with a padded vest. Glancing over my shoulder, my heart twinged at how lost and dazed he looked.
The staff elevator was just beyond the dining room where a few members sat, including North and Theo. North happened to look up as I passed, and I saw his smile turn into a frown as I marched on.
We stopped at the elevator just as the doors opened to reveal a concerned-looking Sarah and a white-faced Agnes who’d gone upstairs to fetch her.
“Agnes, can you take Jared and Sarah to your office?”
“No.” Sarah stepped out of the elevator, her jaw set with uncharacteristic stubbornness as she stared at her cousin. Her cheeks drained of color. “No.” The word turned to a plea.
Jared made a hoarse sound and bridged the distance between them. He yanked her roughly into his arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he forced out. “Granda’s gone.”
“No,” she whimpered, shaking her head frantically. “No.”
“I’m so sorry.” Jared visibly forced back tears.
“No!” A wail of grief exploded out of Sarah as her knees buckled, and I covered my mouth to hold in an empathetic sob, tears blurring my vision as Jared held her up. He crushed her to him as she sobbed loudly against his chest.
I knew from Agnes that Sarah’s mother had died when Sarah was a little girl and Collum raised her. She’d lost more than a grandfather when Collum McCulloch died of a heart attack that morning. She’d lost the only real parent she’d had.
A touch at my hand startled me, and I turned to find North and Theo at my side, clearly drawn from the dining room by Sarah’s cries. “Her grandfather died,” I whispered.
North’s expression tightened with sympathy, and he squeezed my hand.
“Come, come now.” Agnes rested an arm around the grieving cousins. “Let’s go into my office.”
I wanted to tell them I was here if they needed anything, but the words wouldn’t come as I watched Jared steady Sarah while they stumbled away. My heart hurt so badly for them.
“I’m surprised the mouse has a man,” Theo muttered.
North glowered at his friend while I cut him a dark look. “He’s her cousin.” What I wanted to say was that perhaps the asshole could show an ounce of compassion for once, but I couldn’t get away with talking to a member like that. I’d sniped at North, but that was different.
Theo nodded and stared after the retreating cousins. He frowned, gazing after them for a second too long before he pivoted and strode back into the dining room.
“He … he means nothing by it. He’s just not good with emotional displays,” North explained haltingly.
“He’s unkind,” I disagreed. “I don’t understand why you’re friends with him.” Shrugging off my annoyance, I glanced back down the hallway where the McCullochs disappeared. “Poor Sarah. Collum was more like a father to her.”
North tightened his grip. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’d like to know the answer to that too,” a familiar voice said behind us.
I whirled, heart racing harder to discover Wakefield standing next to Allegra. She looked beautiful but tired, her clothes a little disheveled. She shrugged, her expression wary. “We didn’t want to interrupt.”