Page 23 of Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye

Looking over her shoulder, she stifled a laugh. “Did your parents hate you or something?”

“Sometimes I think so.”

“I always wanted a middle name.” She dropped back against the bench but didn’t stray into his space. “Something normal. Something I could use instead of Leia.”

Tarquin’s jaw dropped with mock shock. “That’s blasphemy!” He relaxed into a playful smile and picked up his cocktail. “You could’ve done what my mother did—rebrand yourself.” He knocked the orange garnish riding the lip of his glass into the red liquid and took a long sip.

“I thought Kiki was short for Katherine.”

He swallowed and shook his head, setting his drink on the table. “Hell no. Her real name is Tracey. Tracey Pinches.”

Leia gaped.

“I know, right? She changed it when she started modeling in the mid-eighties. First, she was Kiki Lascelles, then Lascelles became Balfour when she married Dad.” His fingers swept over the screen, landing on a photo depicting domestic family bliss. Kiki, dressed in an aqua Juicy Couture tracksuit, was flattening a slab of dough with a rolling pin while her three sons stuffed their faces with fresh-baked shortbread cookies. “Her personal assistant made these. Mum never baked a day in her life!” Tarquin set Leia’s phone on the table. “We had a huge row when this article came out. She said I made her look like a bad mother.”

“How?”

“My sneezing, my red eyes? I looked like I had been bawling. She said I damaged her image, eroded her self-esteem—so bloody melodramatic, my mother.” He shook his head. “So, in typical Kiki fashion, she chipped away at mine—she took away my skateboard, told the girl I liked to stop hanging about, and yanked me out of cross-country trials. I was really good, too. I was supposed to represent Berkshire in the national championships. I never got the chance again. I was gutted, actually.”

“Tarquin, I’m so sorry.” Leia reached out, clutching his forearm. “That must’ve hurt.”

His eyes flitted down to her hand, her grip soft and reassuring. She’s so lovely. He looked up with a wistful smile and met Leia’s eyes, but she abruptly pulled her hand away like she had been zapped with an electric shock.

Oh?

Leia swerved his gaze and snatched her drink, her lips desperate for her glass.

What’s with the unsettled look? His stomach pinched. Did I say something wrong? What did I do? He ran his hand over his chin, his lips twisting. She seems out of sorts. Say something to put her at ease. Dropping his hand into his lap, he flashed a wry smile. “Probably for the best. I reckon those teeny tiny jogging shorts were a full-on dick slip waiting to happen.”

Mid-sip, the corners of her mouth tweaked into a quick grin, then she looked away again, her eyes roaming about the pub.

Tarquin’s mouth opened, but he didn’t speak. You’re single. I’m single. What gives? You were into me, but now you’re not? A text woke up his phone. Now what? Biting his lip, he blinked and reached across the table, tilting the screen. An image of a young redheaded girl, long curls blowing in the breeze, grinned back.

Leia lowered her glass. “Is everything okay?”

I don’t know, Leia. Is it? Tarquin cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. It’s just Rupert, sending a pic of Ava.” A sweet smile replaced his frown. “She had a good ol’ natter with me yesterday. She’s going to be a big sister soon. Rupert and his wife are expecting their second child this summer, so Ava made me promise she’ll still be my favorite.” He chuckled, setting his phone down.

“Did she like the unicorn?” Leia’s grin returned. For Tarquin, it was like the sun emerging from behind a dark cloud.

“Oh, she doesn’t have it yet. Soon. They live on Orkney, the archipelago off the north coast of Scotland.”

Leia’s face lit up. “Really? Wow!”

Seriously? “You know it?”

“Sort of. I know a bit about Orkney’s archaeological treasures. I completed a minor in museum studies along with my art history degree.”

“And what’d you think?”

“It looks like a beautiful place! And I had no idea it was so rich in Neolithic sites. But we kinda skimmed the surface. I wish we’d spent more time on it.”

Tarquin nodded. “There’s even Norse graffiti in the chambered cairn at Maeshowe.”

“Oh, I read about that! And the 5,000-year-old village at Skara Brae. But what really caught my eye was the Ring of Brodgar—I’m a sucker for ancient standing stones.” Leia chuckled. “Who doesn’t dream of their own Outlander moment?”

I’m gobsmacked that she knows Orkney—sort of. Tarquin laughed. “My dad’s side were born there.”

“Oh, nice! Were you?”