Mending The Billionaire Brother (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 3)

by Bree Livingston

  “Aye, gotcha.”

  “That’s her dad, Davis Winters. He’s a good guy but a little on the gruff side sometimes.”

  In jean shorts and a bright pink t-shirt that read, Awesome is a Sauce, and I’m covered in it, Bailey waved as she walked toward them and then stopped cold a few feet away. “Oh my gosh. Angus MacLachlan? You’re, like, my favorite actor!”

  How was it he was caught off guard every time? “Naw, I’m his brother, Taran.”

  She narrowed her large brown eyes as if trying to decide whether he was joking with her or not. “No way. I know just about everything there is to know about him, and he doesn’t have a twin.”

  “We’re nae twins, but I promise, I’m his brother.” He took a couple strides forward and shook her hand and then her dad’s. “It’s nice to meet ye two.”

  “Nice to meet you, Taran,” Davis said. He looked at Trudy. “I’m sorry. I had to bring work with me today.”

  Trudy waved him off. “Aw, that’s all right. Me and Taran here will take care of her.”

  “Thanks, Trudy.” He pointed at Bailey. “You don’t give them any lip. You’ll never get better if you don’t listen.”

  Bailey rolled her eyes and made a face. “I know.”

  Trudy patted her on the back. “Let’s get started. Taran, you take the reins, and I’ll help her on.”

  He looked at Monarch. When Trudy had walked him past, Taran been so thrown that he hadn’t even noticed the horse was already saddled. Trudy must have done it before he arrived .

  Taran took the reins, and Bailey struggled a moment and then threw her leg across him.

  “Better every week, sweetheart,” Trudy said and patted her leg.

  Bailey eyed Taran again. “Are you sure you’re not Angus? I mean, you just look so much alike.”

  He chuckled and tugged on the reins. Monarch slowly started walking. “I’m sure. “

  “I read that his next movie is being postponed because his wife is expecting. I guess that means you’ll be an uncle.”

  “Aye.”

  “Do you have any other brothers?”

  “Aye, I have two other brothers. Duff is the oldest—”

  Bailey giggled. “Wait, his name is Duff?”

  “It’s a good Scottish name.” He glanced at her over his shoulder.

  “Oookay. What’s your other brother’s name?”

  He glanced again. “I’m nae sure I should tell ye.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry. I’d just never heard a name like that before.” Bailey stuck out her bottom lip. “I promise I won’t laugh again.”

  “Rory.”

  “That’s a cool name. That’s the name of the character in Dr. Who. I love that show.”

  He almost lost his concentration and stopped. “Dr. what?”

  “Please don’t tell me you don’t know Dr. Who. It’s, like, one of the coolest shows ever.”

  “Never heard of it.” He glanced back again, and her jaw hung open.

  Over the next hour, he got a complete education on Dr. Who. By the time she was finished, he felt like he’d watched it from the beginning. Although, parts were rather confusing with the main character regenerating or whatever that nonsense was.

  “Are you going to be here next time?” Bailey asked as Taran helped her down.

  Trudy chuckled as she looked at Taran .

  “Aye, but I’ll still just be me. Nae Angus.” He wished he could stop the feelings of jealousy over Angus. They were brothers, and Taran didn’t begrudge his success. If anything, he was proud of Angus for doing so well.

  The teen chewed her lips and looked up at him sheepishly. “Well, I don’t know Angus—or, well, know him—but you’re pretty cool. You have more freckles on your face too.”

  Where exactly was she going with this? He cut a glance to Trudy, and she was covering her mouth with her hand, shoulders bouncing as she laughed.

  “I bet I hurt your feelings earlier. My baby sister is really popular in school. Anytime someone compares me to her, it bugs me.” She stepped forward and hugged Taran around the waist. “I like you. You’re funny, and you’re cute.”

  “Eh…” He patted her back as his cheeks burned. “Thank ye.”

  Bailey let him go and snickered. “I bet Angus doesn’t blush like that either.” She smiled wide. “It’s going to be fun messing with you.” She turned and slowly walked to her dad.

  Trudy slapped him on the back. “Come on, tiger. We have another appointment.”

  Taran rolled his eyes but couldn’t keep from laughing. He could already tell working with the kids was going to be an adventure.

  Chapter 26

  Numbers swam before Sarah’s eyes. After Bailey Winter’s appointment had gone so well, Trudy felt comfortable enough to let Taran take the physical therapy appointments without her constant attention, which left her with time to work with Sarah on the finances again.

  “I just can’t seem to get it. What is wrong with me?” She looked up at Trudy, who hunched over the desk next to her.

  Trudy straightened, walked around her desk, and sat down across from Sarah .

  When she didn’t say anything, Sarah dropped the pencil she was holding. “Well?”

  “I’m trying to decide if you want the real truth or the truth you want to hear.” She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs.

  “What?” Truth was truth, wasn’t it?

  “You heard me.”

  “I want the truth, truth.” Whatever that meant.

  Trudy sucked her teeth and nodded. “Okay. The truth. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are a bright, intelligent, loving young woman with a heart so big it makes you bounce when you walk.”

  “Okay, then why can’t I get this?” If that was the truth, it wasn’t so bad.

  Then Trudy smiled, and Sarah knew she’d asked for the wrong truth. “I also don’t think this is what you want. I know you say you want to run this place, that you love being here, but I think you’re lying to yourself because you loved your mom. You think withering here will honor her memory when, in actuality, it does nothing of the sort.”

  “I do want to be here.”

  Trudy’s eyebrows knitted together, and she sat forward with her arms crossed on the desk. “No, you don’t. This wasn’t your dream. Lydia’s dream, yes. My dream, absolutely. But yours? Not on your life. And that doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you honest.”

  Sarah leaned back, a lump forming in her throat and the color draining from her face. “No, that’s not true. I want to be here.” She could hear the lack of conviction in her voice.

  Trudy took her hand and held it between hers. “Sweetheart, no.”

  She hung her head, and her shoulders rounded. Tears pricked her eyes, and she couldn’t deny the truth any longer.

  “It’s okay to want something different.”

  “But Mom…”

  “Wanted you to be happy. To fall in love, have a family, and live your own life. If that included Sunshine, great. If not, that was okay too.” Trudy stood and returned to her desk. “Don’t stay on a misguided notion that you need to stay here to keep your mom’s memory alive. She lives on in you.”

  Sarah straightened her shoulders and picked up the pencil. She’d come this far, and she was going to stick with it. “I’ve made a commitment, and I’m seeing it through. I’ll figure this out one way or another.” If nothing else, her mom had taught her determination and follow-through.

  Trudy shook her head. “I swear, Lydia didn’t give birth to you; she cloned you. You are just as stubborn and pigheaded as she was. If you’d be honest with yourself, you’d admit I’m right.”

  “I’m just having a bad day is all. I love being here. It makes me happy to see all the kids running around and doing well. I can’t leave. This is my home. “

  Everything was a lie except being happy about the kids. Nothing felt like home, and every day it took more work to put on a smile and pretend it did. Penelope and Paige were gone
. Taran would be going back to Scotland in a few months. She’d be left in Pensacola with nothing. She loved Trudy like a mom, but it wasn’t the same. And Trudy had her own family.

  “What about Taran? You know he loves you.”

  Sarah jerked her head up. “I do not. I mean, he does not. Besides, he has his family in Rosegail Bridge. He can’t stay here, so there’s no point in even thinking about it.”

  Trudy shook her head. “Stubborn as a mule on a hot day.”

  “Let’s start from the beginning. Maybe I can write down some better notes, use some examples and that’ll help.” Sarah needed this conversation to stop. Even if she did…love Taran, it wouldn’t work. No, she didn’t love him. She couldn’t.

  The older woman held up her hands in defeat and exhaled. “Fine. Let’s start again.”

  * * *

  Sarah trudged into the house. Hours working on trying to get her brain to cooperate had left her with a headache and her mind mushy. Her eyes burned from watching the numbers dance on the paper like ballerinas .

  She sniffed the air. The smell of something savory and delicious floated from the kitchen, and her stomach growled. She was sure if it had feet, it would have been pushing its way out to get to the kitchen on its own.

  Her body pulled her from the entrance into the kitchen where she found Taran cooking. He cooked too? Mentally, she added to the list of all his other wonderful qualities.

  He threw a glance over his shoulder and smiled. “Hi.”

  Her lips curved up in response. “Hi. You didn’t have to cook.”

  “Ye were busy, and I thought you’d be tired. I figured I could throw somethin’ together, that way ye could just relax. Besides, Ben canceled his appointment this week, so I didnae have a lot to do today.” He glanced at her again.

  “What is it? It smells great.” Whatever it was, she was ready to devour it. She’d skipped lunch without realizing it, and the little snack bar she’d eaten a few hours ago hadn’t lasted long.

  He shrugged. “Just eggs, potatoes, and sausage. I wasna kiddin’ about it bein’ thrown together.”

  “As hungry as I am, I don’t care. I’m just thankful I don’t have to cook. Not that I would have minded. I actually like cooking.” For you, she wanted to add but didn’t. Sarah walked to the cabinet, pulled a couple of plates out, and set them on the counter next to the stove. It was a good excuse to be close to him.

  His hand brushed hers as he picked up the top plate, and tingles erupted on her skin. The butterflies in her stomach were singing hallelujah. Between her tired mind and her traitorous body, she felt outnumbered.

  He smiled as he handed her the plate full of food. “I hope ye like it.”

  “I’m sure it’s wonderful.” It sure did smell yummy. “Want to sit in the living room?” She’d missed watching the sunset with him over the last week. More so, she missed him. After his little probe into her soul, she’d shrunk back. He’d asked questions she didn’t want to answer, at least not aloud. Or to him.

  With his own plate full, he followed her to the couch, and they each took an end. “How did ye do today?” he asked.

  “I’m so frustrated with myself. I’m trying, but it’s all so hard.” She covered her mouth as she yawned. “I’m even dreaming about the stupid numbers.”

  Taran’s laugh was like warm, comforting milk. “I dinnae doubt it will be long and it’ll be another thing ye can tick off yer list. Yer a brilliant woman.”

  The blood rushed to her cheeks. She wasn’t brilliant, but she loved that he thought so. “Maybe.” She took a bite and moaned. “Oh, this is delicious.”

  “Good. I was hopin’ for the best.” He took a few bites and then washed it down with water. “Ye look tired.”

  “I am tired. I wasn’t overstating how difficult math is. Numbers don’t make sense.” She took a few more bites before continuing. “I wish it was easier for me.”

  Taran finished the bite he’d just taken and shook his head. “Well, let it go for tonight and rest.”

  She needed to get the focus off of herself. “How is rehabilitation going?”

  His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “It’s incredible. The changes seem so subtle, but they make such a huge difference. I never would have believed it could be so effective.”

  The animated way he talked made Sarah long to feel the same way. At the moment, all she felt was pressure. She wanted to be excited and happy, but her heart wasn’t there. Her heart was somewhere else. The thought was a slap. She needed to be content with where she was. Just because she wanted a happy ending didn’t mean she was going to get it. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Like it? I love it. I want to learn as much as I can. I’m thinkin’ I could find a few kids and let them ride Banner a couple times a week. I’ll have to figure out what I need to do that, but I think it’s worth it.” He finished his dinner and set the plate on the coffee table.

  She’d lost her appetite and started to set hers next to his.

  “Ye need to eat more.”

  “I’m done.”

  He closed the gap between them and touched her cheek. “Eat. Yer losin’ weight again. I know ye cannae be full. How are ye ever goin’ to give those numbers what for if ye dinnae take care of yerself?”

  Just the thought of another bite made her nauseous, but she took three just to make him happy. Then she set the plate down and leaned into him. “I’m so tired. I just want to sit here and watch the sunset and not think.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” He stretched his arm across her shoulders.

  Turning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into him. “Why is everything so much better when I’m with you?” Her lips moved against his neck, and his scent was a balm. All her aches and pains dulled as contentment flooded her. Just being close to him gave her such a sense of peace.

  “Will ye let me know when ye have the answer? Because I’ve been wonderin’ that myself.” His arms circled around her until she was tight against him.

  Drowsiness settled on her and coated her all the way to her bones. She wanted to give him a cute reply, but she was sinking too quickly. She felt a kiss on the top of her head, and the last thing she heard was a soft, “Goodnight.”

  Chapter 27

  Even in the barn, Taran could feel the heat of the midday sun of late July. In the two weeks following Trudy’s little talk, he’d been walking on eggshells around her and Sarah. He’d also been doing everything he could to make sure he didn’t receive another little talk. The last one was giving him heartburn, and weird dreams.

  It didn’t make things any better when Sarah was holding on to him, lips moving against his skin, and murmuring sweet nothings. She’d fallen asleep in his arms again. This time, he’d carefully taken her to her room and put her to bed. He didn’t want the awkwardness that followed like the last time.

  The whole thing had left him confused and frustrated. In response, he’d done his best to stay out of sight since then. He wasn’t trying to avoid her, but that’s how it probably looked to her. He needed to get a handle on his feelings for her first. Confessing anything without thinking it all the way through was a surefire way to ruin any chance they might have.

  “You know what?” Freddy grinned up at Taran and tugged on his shirt. With school out, her time at the sanctuary had increased. Her dad worked during the day, and Sarah had offered to let her stay with them. Taran was soaking it up. When he left, he was going to miss her tremendously. He’d grown attached to her .

  “Taran?”

  A poke to his ribs shook him out of his thoughts. “What?”

  “I’m kinda glad you turned out to be you instead of Angus. I mean, I bet he’s nice too, but I’m glad it’s you that came to help Miss Sarah.”

  His cheeks heated with the compliment. No one other than Sarah had ever said that before. Most people had always wanted him to be Angus. Finding out he was only the brother usually led to disappointment. “Thank ye.”

  “
You don’t get that a lot, do you? People want you to be Angus because he’s famous and they want to meet him. I bet it makes you feel sad.” She shoveled another forkful of dirty hay into the wheelbarrow.

  At first it had hurt, but over the years since Angus had become a huge star, Taran had learned to live with it. “When I was younger, it did.” Or so he’d thought. If he was honest, it still bothered him at times.

  She stopped and put one fisted hand on her hip. “Are you and him close?”

  “Aye. Of my brothers, he and I are closest. My oldest brother, Duff, was much older than me, Rory, and Angus. He was already pretty much grown when we came into the picture, so he was more like a dad than a brother.” Talking about them made him ache with homesickness. He missed his family. He wondered what Rory and Angus were doing. If that ewe was staying out of trouble. Did they need him?

  Freddy leaned the fork against the wall and stopped in front of him. She took his hand and patted it. “It’s okay to be sad and miss your family.”

  A lump formed in his throat and stifled anything he could say, so he nodded.

  “Trudy was right too.”

  He stared at her, wondering what she was talking about. “About what?”

  “About you loving Miss Sarah.”

  Heat rushed up his neck, and his heart pounded. He thought Freddy had gone home that day. Maybe she was just messing with him. “What are ye talkin’ about?”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “My dad was late picking me up. After I waited a while out front, I came back to the barn. I wasn’t hiding; she just didn’t see me. And I didn’t realize I needed to be seen until she started talking.”

  “So…”

  “I heard everything.”

  Taran was desperate to catch his breath. He swallowed and rubbed his face with his hand. “Is there any chance ye could keep that to yerself?”

  “I’m precocious, not stupid.” Freddy smiled.