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“Thank Christ for that,” I say with a chuffed laugh. Then my brow knits. “Besides, I can’t rule out that her being here is a bad omen.”

“You really believe some auld poem?” Rory’s nose wrinkles. “Not a very good one at that. How did it go again?”

I heave a sigh, readying myself to repeat the words I’d heardoverandovergrowing up, but a bell sounding behind us has me turning in my seat, and after the initial frown that touches my lips at the sight of Brodie’s familiar and irritating visage, there is a punch of surprise when I see wild red curls bouncing in after him surrounding delicate cheekbones and fair, freckled skin and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen.

“Bloody hell,” Blair says a bit too loudly. “Who’s that?”

“My newest complication,” I murmur back.

Blair hums appreciatively. “I’d let her complicate me any day.”

“You’re no worse than a man,” Rory tsks. “You know that?”

“You lot had centuries of being lecherous bastards,” she says primly. “It’s all about equality now, mate.”

They’re still bickering behind me, but the sound of it fades away a bit when Key’s eyes find mine studying her. Her mouth parts in surprise as she noticeably stops listening to whatever Brodie is saying to her, her body visibly bristling at the sight of me. Which, for some reason, elicits a smile from me, and I raise my glass in her direction in a mock toast.

Brodie must notice then that he’s lost her attention, because his eyes follow the line of her sight, frowning when he sees me sitting atthe bar. He shuffles inside with Key in tow, giving me a wary look as he offers a threadbare greeting. I can’t say what I did to the man, given that we barely speak, but he’s made it clear on more than one occasion that he doesn’t care for me. Since the feeling is mostly mutual—I’m happy to leave the situation unsorted.

“Lachlan,” he says curtly.

I nod my head. “Brodie.” I turn my head away, finding Key’s eyes again, noticing the wariness there as she regards me, like she’s unsure of how I’ll be after everything that transpired today. “Leo’s fixed your car,” I tell her. “He’s going to drop it off in the morning.”

“I know,” she says. “We just came from there.”

I quirk a brow. “Didn’t trust me to get the job done, princess?”

“I don’t even know you,” she says irritably.

My mouth tilts at the corners. “And yet you’ve already decided you don’t like me.” I clutch at my heart. “You wound me.”

“You called me stupid within ten seconds of meeting you.”

“Is that what you’re so riled about? I was only pointing out how…unwise it was to ignoremanysigns warning you to not do exactly what you were doing.”

“Well, you didn’t have to play the ‘I own the place’ card just to chase me off.”

“You didn’t,” Blair tuts. “That was an arsehole move, Lach.”

Key throws out her hand in triumph. “See?”

“Don’t worry,” Blair says sweetly, extending her hand. “We’re not all a bunch of wankers here in Greerloch.”

Key takes it, shaking it lightly and flashing a smile in Blair’s direction, and I think to myself that it must be the first time I’ve seen it. Because I would remember it had she given it before. Hell, it might as well be imprinting itself on my brain in real time. Her smilechanges her already pretty face to something breathtaking—straight white teeth with the two front ones justslightlylonger than the rest and somehow making her smile all the more endearing.

I curse my own train of thought. I do not care about Keyanna MacKay’s smile.

“Careful,” I warn Key as I finish off my drink. “She’s taking your side because she thinks you’re bonnie.”

“I’m taking her side because you’re a right arse,” Blair argues. She winks at Key. “Not that I don’t think you’re bonnie.”

Keyanna’s fair skin pinkens with a blush, and something sharp pokes at the insides of my chest. My jaw works, not having time to really assess the feeling since Brodie chooses that moment to chime in.

“Key has had a hard day,” he says. “I reckon she needs a pint or two to wash it away.” He glances at me pointedly. “She’s dealt with all sorts of unpleasantness since she arrived.”

“Och,” Rory scoffs. “And then she had to climb into a car with you? Definitely be needing a pint.”

Brodie’s cheeks go ruddy, but I catch Key’s mouth twitching with a smile before she schools it away. Perhaps she’s not as charmed by her new cousin as he’d like her to be, then. I can’t say why that pleases me. Probably because sometimes he looks at me like I’m a bug on his shoe.