Cece by AnneMarie Brear

Author:AnneMarie Brear [Brear, AnneMarie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AnneMarie Brear
Published: 2020-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

In the comfortable sitting room of his family’s ancient farmhouse, Ross smiled and shook hands with guests who’d come to attend his birthday party. Although he’d told Isla many times, that he didn’t want a party, she’d ignored him as usual and gone about the task with her driving personality and enthusiasm.

Yet, now he was surrounded by good friends and loving family, a drink of whisky in his hands, and the presence of Cece in his home, he considered himself lucky indeed.

‘Thirty-five, you old git.’ His cousin Donald slapped him on the back. ‘You’ll be investing in a funeral pension soon.’ He roared with laughter, nudging another cousin, Fraser, who stood beside him.

‘Nay,’ Fraser shook his head, ‘the man’s not married, he’ll live to be a hundred or more!’

‘Aye, you're right, course you are!’ Donald chuckled.

Fraser threw back the last of his dram. ‘Lucky bastard. Marriage takes years off a man, I’ll tell you no lie.’

‘Only if they are married to your missus!’

Ross grinned as they laughed again. Joking amongst the cousins was a lifelong habit.

He took their empty glasses to fill with more whisky. Beneath the smile he wore was the knowledge that his cousins were right about one thing. He was the last of the male cousins to marry. Being single had never worried him. No woman had come along to make him pledge love and loyalty. In the past he’d had flings with many a bonnie lass, but building up the farm, keeping the money coming into the family was his main concern. After leaving the army after the Great War ended, he’d wanted nothing more than to be on the farm and live an easy life. He’d been doing that for five years now and with the farm and his other investments going well, it was time to look for someone. Only, the one woman he wanted was a red-haired English rose, swelling with another man’s child and who had no room in her life for further complications.

Filling the glasses from the small whisky barrel on the table, he glanced around for Cece. She stood near the door leading into the hallway, wearing a pretty cream linen and lace loose fitting dress that hid her bump. A delicate blush coloured her pale face as she chatted to one of his aunts. Beside Cece, Finlay stood eating cake from a plate. He was dressed in a clean blue shirt and grey trousers, his hair neatly combed. The boy had grown inches since arriving at the cottage. Ross liked him and wanted to see him do well. If Cece did leave, then he’d take the boy on to work on the farm.

He took a long drink of whisky, hating the thought of Cece leaving. He had to make her stay, but how he didn’t know. He needed to gain her trust, show her that she could depend on him.

‘Ross.’ James, his best friend since childhood, and an Inverness policeman, came to his side. ‘When you’ve got a wee spare minute, I can tell you the information I’ve managed to find out.

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