Chapter 9
Hugh rang the doorbell of his mother’s suite and was about to lightly knock when the door was pulled open. Tina, his mother’s assistant, answered with a wide smile. She must have known it was Hugh from the security camera. She was loaded down with dresses and dress bags.
“Good morning, Tina.” He reached for some of the dresses to relieve the weight from her arm. “Let me take some of these for you before you fall under the weight of my mom’s excessive shopping.”
Tina laughed and allowed him to take several. “Thank you, Hugh. Just lay them on the dining room table. That’s where I was headed when you rang the bell and, in my rush, I brought them with me to greet you,” she laughed at herself. “Matilda will be out as soon as she’s dressed. A warning, Hugh,” Tina laughed, “expect an earful about not calling before stopping by and for not warning her that you were back home.”
“I’m smart enough to let mom have her say. She always forgives me,” Hugh smiled at the older woman. Tina had been with his mom for years. She had been an accountant for O’Faolain, and when she’d put in her resignation, Hugh had called her in and asked her if she was unhappy with their company.
She admitted that she and her husband had just gotten a divorce. He’d cheated on her, and she wanted a fresh start. Her children were grown with homes of their own, and she wanted something for herself that didn’t hold any reminders of her life before the divorce. He’d offered a position as his mother’s assistant, without asking his mother first, but once the two women met, his mom forgave him his ‘presumption,’ and Tina never regretted the career change.
“Why is mom getting rid of these clothes?”
“These clothes, you fashion ogre, are evening dresses that I chose for Rowan to try on. I admit, her tastes are much more conservative for someone her age. Though the ones she did end up keeping are stunning. But anything would look lovely on...”
Hugh could no longer hear Tina through the roaring in his ears. Did she mean Rowan Byrne? His Rowan? What was going on here? Before he could start demanding answers, his mother walked in. Looked at the table of dresses, then Hugh, and finally Tina, who was still, presumably, waxing on about how good Rowan looked in the dresses she’d picked.
“Mom,” Hugh growled. “Why is Tina picking clothes out for Rowan?” He didn’t bother to ascertain if it was the Rowan. Bits and pieces of conversations from the past few weeks started clicking into place.
When Raven reminded River that they needed to hurry if they weren’t going to miss Row’s call. The wide-eyed guilt after she realized Hugh had heard. River asking Raven if Rowan had sent any pictures of the boutique she was working on. As if the girls didn’t all visit each other’s design sites. And the most damning…his mother’s houseguest that she’d successfully evaded giving him the name of.
Recovering her poise, Mom asked Tina if she would mind bringing her and Hugh sandwiches and salads for lunch after she finished her errands. “I believe Rowan’s sundress alterations are complete. Would you mind swinging in and grabbing that from Maisy?”
“No problem.” Tina’s smile was more of a grimace, clearly picking up on the tension between mother and son.
Once Tina finished zipping the garment bags and left, his mom placed her hand on one hip and turned to Hugh. “You,” she pointed at her son, “would do well to not take that tone with me, young man.”
What kind of fresh hell had Hugh managed to step in? First, the call with his boys, then finding out the woman he’d been running away from was already here and ending with pissing his mother off. Diana Gaines walking in and telling Hugh he was being dramatic would honestly be the cherry on top.
“I’m sorry for the...tone,” Hugh gritted out.
His mother stared at him for a solid minute, probably trying to gauge whether he was sincere before saying, “Fine.” Her sniff at the end indicated she wasn’t fine yet.
“Is Rowan staying here? Is she the houseguest you mentioned?”
“Yes, and yes.”
My God, was he going to need to ask a hundred and fifty questions to find out a drop of the story? “How long has she been here?”
“Umm, almost five weeks, I think.”
Hugh exploded. “Five weeks? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Control yourself, Hugh. For crying out loud, Son. How did you not know she wasn’t in Dublin all these weeks?”
Her lifted eyebrow sent a flush of embarrassment across his cheekbones. “I never asked…that is, I thought she was—” Hugh cut himself off, but his mother finished the thought for him.
“You thought she was avoiding you. Yes, I’m aware.”
Aware? Of fucking what, he wanted to shout. Hugh crossed his arms over his chest and only stared at his mother, waiting for her to explain. She crossed her own arms over her chest and stared back. Unblinking.
Sighing in defeat, he asked, “What are you aware of?” He regretted the question before it even left his mouth. Sweat started to prickle along his skin. He despised being embarrassed.
“I’m aware that Rowan was in love with you for months, and you wanted nothing to do with her. She chose to remove herself from the equation to…How did she put it?” Mom paused, tapping her lips in thought. “Stop humiliating herself. I believe that’s how she worded it.”
She was in love. Past tense. Hugh’s knees buckled. He barely got his ass in a dining room chair. Rowan never humiliated herself. Ever. She was brilliant and brave in every aspect of her life.
His mom had moved to his side, patting his shoulder, and making tsking noises. Not even Mom’s sympathy could fix how bad he’d screwed up—and not just between him and Rowan, but her sisters and his own sons. He’d been making everyone’s life difficult for months.
Hugh looked up to find his mom dabbing her eyes. “Don’t berate me for sniffling. You know I’ve never been able to stand seeing you or Bran or Pat upset. I don’t care how old any of you boys get,” she said quietly. She took a few deep breaths and blotted her eyes once more.
“Sorry for upsetting you, Mom.” Hugh leaned his head against the back of his chair, studying the chandelier hanging above the table. His mom had bought the ugly thing when he was in high school and had hung it in every home since.
Hugh had been shocked when his parents had fought over it. His dad thought it was a ridiculous expense and gaudy to boot. He told her to “Take the damn thing back!” Hugh remembered his mom looked stricken by her husband’s anger. She hadn’t said a word, just started wrapping up the light so she could place it back into its box.
A single tear had run down her face before she could wipe it away. When dad saw the tear, he swayed, like her pain was a physical blow to him. He moved the light gently from his wife’s hands and set it aside. “Forgive me, Tilly. I had a stressful meeting today, and I took it out on you.” He hugged her tightly and asked her again to forgive him. That he loved the light and would hang it himself.
Dad did hang it…eventually. He and Hugh spent a considerable amount of time repairing a hole in the ceiling that Dad accidentally punched through, but true to his word, he hung it and Mom had been thrilled. Dad never complained once. He may have cursed under his breath, but he didn’t do it where Mom could hear. His father had been the best example of honor and love. Dad had honored his wife.
Hugh exhaled, picking his head up. He hadn’t honored Rowan. He should have honored her whether they were in a romantic relationship or not. His father would be disappointed in his behavior, and that crushed Hugh.
Meeting his mother’s gaze, Hugh pointed up to the light, “I can’t believe you lugged that old chandelier here. I never noticed before now, and I should have it’s so godawful. I was just recalling how you and Dad had a disagreement about it and the disaster he made hanging it himself.”
“Stubborn man and all on account of the ugliest chandelier in existence,” she laughed at his look of surprise. “What? I realized when I got it home that I’d made a mistake, but then your dad got sideways, which made me dig in my heels. I would have returned it and gladly, but he had hurt my feelings, and he admitted it.
“Watching him make amends to hang that damn light felt the same as if he’d carved J + M in a tree trunk. I’ve lugged that eyesore to every home we’ve ever had because it reminded me of that day. Of how much your father loved me...and his ability to apologize.”
“I miss him.”
“He would be so proud of you, Hugh.”
“Somehow, Mom, I doubt that.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself.”
“I haven’t been hard enough. I allowed my?—”
His mother cut him off. “...fear of commitment?”
“...fear of the future to sway my decisions,” He finished, ignoring his mom’s interruption.
“You know your happiness is my happiness. Your sadness is mine as well. I believe you are accustomed to how parenting works by now.”
“I am.”
“Do you care for Rowan as only a friend or family member, or is it more?”
“More.”
His mom stayed quiet for a time before asking perhaps the most dreaded of questions. “Would you tell me why, then, that you pushed Rowan away?”
Hugh covered his face with his hands, elbows propped on his knees. He needed a moment to digest the fact that he was discussing...this with his mother. “I’m too old for her, Mom. Way too old. Twenty-nine years too old!” Hugh pounded his fist on the table to emphasize the discrepancy. “I never wanted her to regret her choice. Waking up next to an old man while she’s still the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“Hugh Darcy O’Faolain, if only your father were here to box your ears! Did he or I raise you to believe, to ever consider, that love is so fleeting? That love is skin deep?”
“No.”
“Do you think your father loved me less as I aged? When I no longer had a tight ass and perky boobs?”
Hugh cringed at that unneeded description. “Of course not.”
His mother was on a tirade now, and sugarcoating wasn’t on the menu. “Exactly. He loved me more, as I loved him more. Every year we had, we loved each other more.” She placed her hands on his knees. “You underestimated yourself, and I believe you underestimated Rowan. I also don’t believe turning Rowan away had anything to do with your age or at least, it wasn’t the only reason.
“That woman you were married to made you afraid to take a chance again, and you knew that Rowan was all or nothing. You’re still letting that poor excuse of a wife and mother color your decisions. She was horrible, Hugh. It was never your fault. She had something horribly wrong with her long before you came along. She was just a good enough actress that she fooled everyone. Everyone, Son, not just you.”
This was a lot for Hugh to take in, and it certainly was not what he’d expected would happen when he returned to Oklahoma. Jesus, he felt wrung out, and it was only ten in the morning.
“Where is she?”
His mom sighed, clearly expecting the question and clearly not looking forward to giving him the answer. “She’s been working on a new designer boutique downtown. It’s a gorgeous space, and it’s not far from Wolves, actually. Rowan has worked tirelessly on the space, and she thinks she should be able to wrap things up soon. Very exciting,” his mom added in a decidedly unexcited way. She was rambling. His mother wasn’t a rambler.
“Where is she now? Right now,” Hugh thought to add in case his mother chose to misinterpret his question. Again.
“She’s at the boutique, of course.”
She was not telling him something important, but before he could poke further, she got up and told him she had something to show him. Swallowing his agitation, he trailed after his mother into the living room. She went to the armoire that he’d gifted her. River found it in Scotland from some artist outside Inverness.
She opened the doors, and Hugh almost lost his fucking legs again. “Rowan’s been working on it for weeks. She says it isn’t near done, but I can’t believe it isn’t close. It couldn’t be more stunning. She only hung the oil paintings in yesterday.”
Hugh couldn’t even speak. No words could explain the scope of Rowan’s talent. All the details, letters, homemade gifts, and knickknacks were special enough on their own, but the paintings...
“Did she paint these?” he asked with a sizable lump in his throat, taking in the painting of him and his father. It was his sixteenth birthday, and Dad had gotten him a Porche. This picture showed both of them grinning at each other. It was taken right after his dad had whispered in Hugh’s ear that he’d rip Hugh’s nuts off if he had an accident and scared his mother. Not even the threat of castration could dim the thrill of his first car.
Unbeknownst to his mother, the two of them had snuck out that night and took it for a rip on Highway 169. It was one of his favorite memories. And Rowan had painted it.
“I had no idea Rowan was such a talented artist,” Hugh admitted as he examined the paintings of his parent’s wedding and of Mom and the boys. There was so much to look at it would take hours to study each inch to find the hidden treasures.
“She could make a living off her art alone,” Mom agreed.
“Yes, she could,” Hugh agreed. “When will she get home?” He would like to see her. He’d like to do a lot more than that. He’d like to beg her forgiveness, apologize for being the world’s biggest idiot…ask for one more chance.
He would settle for being near her again.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. When I see her, though, I can tell her you’re in town and would like to see her. Maybe?”
Hugh knew when he was being put off. “When does she usually get home?”
“Well, that depends on if she has a date.”
This wasRowan and William’s third lunch date. She had to continually remind herself to not compare him to...another man—there were times when those negative thoughts slipped through the cracks—but otherwise, she was enjoying Will’s company.
Her sisters found it hilarious that she was seeing Diana Gaines’ nephew. Rowan kind of found it funny, too, but she and Will never ran out of things to talk about. He was very close to his family, which was important, and he was clearly a tech genius, totally impressing Rowan. River would love him for sure.
It didn’t matter that he wasn’t a giant. Most men weren’t, for heaven’s sake. And it didn’t matter that he didn’t have a luxurious beard. Rowan was able to see his smile even better. And it certainly didn’t matter that when Will held her hand or touched her lower back that her body didn’t sizzle like a livewire.
No, it didn’t matter at all.
Because it couldn’t matter.
Refocusing on her date, Rowan asked, “Tilly seems excited about dinner tomorrow night.” Owen Stanton had asked if Matilda and Rowan would like to join him and William for a charity cocktail party at the gorgeous Philbrook Museum. Rowan’s parents had gone to all the exhibits and shows at Philbrook. She was thrilled with the invitation and even more thrilled that Matilda blushed every time they discussed what to wear.
“Dad’s been a nervous wreck for days. Whether anything comes of it, I’m just pleased that my father has found something besides financial projections to pique his interest.”
“I think it’s great they discovered ththey enjoyed each other’s company when we met for dinner at the Club. I think they both would enjoy just having a friend to do things with. It’s not as though they didn’t know who the other was before that dinner, but I don’t think they ever looked at one another before that as anything other than a connection of Diana’s.”
“Seriously though, I never thought my father would ever try to move on from my mother, even for female friendship. She passed away so long ago, I’d given up hope that Dad might find a life after Mom.”
“Do you mind me asking how she died?” Rowan was always careful not to pry into another person’s loss. It was so personal, and everyone handled the death of a loved one in different ways.
“Breast cancer. She was sixty-five. The doctors believed it had been growing for quite a while before they caught it. She stopped getting mammograms at sixty. That choice killed her. I was so angry for years that if my mother had made different choices, she’d still be here—with my father and with me.”
Rowan reached across the table and took William’s hand, squeezing in comfort and support. “I get it, Will. My sisters and I lost both our parents to a car accident when we were in college. There’s always a hole left in a child’s heart, but I don’t know…If your father loved your mother like my parents loved one another—sometimes I don’t mind that they went together. To not be the one left behind. I can think of them as always standing side by side in my thoughts and dreams.
“Your father is very brave to step out of his widowed comfort zone, as is Matilda. I’m proud of them both.” Thank goodness she and Will were tucked away in a corner at the sandwich shop where they were dining that day. They were discussing some weighty topics over soups and salads.
Rowan let go of Will’s hand and sat back in her seat again. He looked pensive, and when he spoke, she understood why.
“I do not want to come across as presumptuous, assuming things...” he trailed off with a slight wave between them. “If you were to ever agree to date me, seriously date me, would our age gap be an issue for you?”
Rowan tried to control her eyes from rounding. If he only knew how little of a problem that was. She shuddered as Hugh’s face popped between her and Will. Damn that interfering man, even when Hugh wasn’t present, he could ruin a mood. Another reminder of why she was in Oklahoma.
Will was still waiting for an answer. He really did have a model’s looks and build. If she were only concerned about a man’s appearance, he would certainly tick every box, but more than that, William Stanton was a genuinely nice man.
Rowan didn’t want to rush anything, but there was no viable reason not to see if there could be something between the two of them. “Age has never been an issue for me. I have…my last...” Rowan cut herself off. Lord have mercy. Why bring that up? “What I meant to say, Will, is that our age difference is not an issue.”
Will looked at her, his scientific mind probably trying to fill in the missing strings of data from her foolish past relationship blunder. To make matters worse, the ‘relationship’ had only ever been one-sided.
“I have wanted to ask you about your ex-wife. I don’t need to know why you aren’t together anymore, but I would like to know if you two have managed to keep a friendship.” At his look of surprise, she added, “It’s just that family is obviously very important to you, as it is to me, and it would be lovely if you guys had been able to maintain...something. For your children’s and grandchildren’s sake at the very least.” From their first lunch, she knew he’d been divorced for a couple of years, but he’d offered no other information.
Will cleared his throat, clearly not comfortable with the subject matter. Rowan didn’t regret asking. A lot could be learned by how a person handled divorce.
“Katy is always invited to family functions, and we attend my granddaughter’s school functions as a family.”
He did not like speaking of his ex. Perhaps there were still feelings on one or both of their parts. It would be understandable and certainly something to address if she and William continued to see each other for long.
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said, taking his hand once more and smiling. The slight tension melted between them instantly.
“So then, would you be my date at the Philbrook? We would go separate from Dad and Matilda.”
“I will definitely be your date,” Rowan smiled. She felt warmth blossom in her chest. Will smiled, clearly excited about an evening date after their lunches.
The fact that her kneejerk reaction was to say no was the impetus to accept.
Moving on was a real bitch.
Since it was a beautiful day, Will walked Rowan back to the boutique after lunch. She had a few more hours of work before she could call it a day. Will surprised her by sliding his hand down her bare arm and twining their fingers together. That sped her heart rate up. Rowan could feel his gaze, and she looked up and smiled slowly.
It looked like their dating status triggered Will’s need to mark his territory, which in this case was her. She was well aware of the varying methods a man might take to show others what they considered theirs; an arm around the shoulder, handholding, and her favorite, a hand pressed against the small of a woman’s back—subtle but effective.
Hugh had made her an expert on alpha attitudes. He didn’t need to physically touch her to warn off possible competition. It was all in his dark stare. She shivered, remembering how it felt when he turned his intense eyes on her.
Rowan cringed. Damn her wandering mind.
She was walking hand in hand with a man that might one day hold boyfriend status in her life. She led him to the back of the shop, where there was a small, covered pergola with seating for future clients who, weather permitting, wanted to comfortably wait for their rides after spending an exorbitant amount of money inside.
Rowan walked them under the shaded pergola to the left of the back entrance. She could hear men and women working inside, but even if any of them stepped out to gather more tools or materials, they wouldn’t notice her and Will. Once they stopped walking, Rowan let go of his hand so she could position her body in front of his.
“Thank you for lunch.” Rowan could see Will was considering his chances of whether or not Rowan would allow him to kiss her.
If Hugh wanted to kiss a woman, he would simply say, “I want to kiss you.” Damn. Damn. Double damn.
She started mentally ticking the pros and cons of hypnotherapy when Will gently placed his hands on her hips. His palms were warm through the light cotton of her rusty orange sundress. The material was lined but thin enough Rowan knew he could feel the thin bands of her panties. She didn’t say a word as he used the purchase to move their bodies just that little bit closer.
“I won’t see you until I pick you up for our date tomorrow night. I have meetings all day tomorrow with an up-and-coming tech firm. They believe our company might be interested in buying them out. Supposedly, they have some genius new tech they think Dad and I won’t be able to pass up.” Will smirked, probably having heard that line a million times before.
“We didn’t make the trip from Houston to specifically meet with them, but since we were in town, we decided to give them some time. Dad loves dissecting any new technology and its potential pitfalls and usefulness.”
Rowan laughed, imagining Owen looking at boring data and prototypes like a child at a toy store. “Are your children involved in the family business?”
“They are,” he grinned proudly. He paused before asking, “Would you let me kiss you?”
Rowan was green but she’d known this was coming, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious. “Yes.” He ran one of his hands gently up her back until his fingers slid up her nape to tangle in her hair, essentially holding her head steady while he bent low enough to breathe against her lips.
Rowan’s stomach was doing somersaults. He didn’t care that they were in public. He didn’t care if the world knew he was interested in a younger woman. He only cared, at this moment, that they shared the intimacy of kissing.
“I’ve wanted to taste you since the first night we met,” he admitted against her lips.
Rowan’s toes curled at how good it felt. “Taste me then,” she urged as she slid her hands up his chest to his firm pecs and hardened nipples. He took her mouth on a groan, her own moan mingling with his tongue.
Rowan wasn’t sure how long they kissed, but when Will finally broke away, her body was flush with his. Both were out of breath.
“That…that was…meant to be a small kiss,” he admitted with a sheepish look on his face.
“Would you say it was the best kiss you have to offer?” Rowan raised her brows in question.
“Not even close.”
“Thank God, you didn’t give it your all then. I would have burst into flames if you’d put some effort into it,” Rowan laughed, a husky note in her voice that immediately had Will focusing on her mouth again.
“If you let me kiss you again, I’m afraid you won’t make it back to work.”
Rowan touched her tongue to her bottom lip, feeling its fullness. She liked how that felt. A man wanting her like that felt delicious.
“I’m letting you go now.” Putting action to his words, he let his hands fall from her body and took two steps back. “Go while the getting’s good, Miss Byrne. Friday night can’t come soon enough.”
Rowan grinned as she backed up, turned, and started walking toward the boutique entrance.
When the door closed behind her, Rowan realized she hadn’t thought of Hugh once while Will had kissed her.
She was thinking of him now, though. Damn.