9. Cian
Chapter 9
Cian
“ C ian,” Henry says, sitting forward in his chair. His tone is low and measured. This is his serious tone.
I’m really tired of things being so damned serious. I stick a French fry in my mouth. “Yeah?”
“I’m going to need you to not overreact or lose your shit. Just stay in your seat.”
We’re sitting in the café in downtown Emerald. As always, Henry is facing the room so he can see everyone coming and going and everything that’s happening.
In the beginning I wondered why he always wanted my back to the room. What if someone was coming to stab or shoot or kidnap me? But he assured me that he needed to know if that was happening before I did and that he’d shoot them between the eyes before they got close enough to hurt me.
I have no idea if that’s true. It’s never been tested. I guess, thank God, though that would be exciting. I long ago decided that Henry wants to see the rooms so he can check out all the pretty girls and just keep an eye on the general action. He’s an action guy. At least compared to me, he is.
I frown at him now, though. We’re in Ohio and like five people on the planet know that. Or, more precisely, there are five people who know who I am who also know I’m in Ohio. Is there a knife coming my way? Other than a butter knife to spread more mayo on my burger? “What are you talking about?”
“This is not a good time for her to see you,” Henry says.
Her . That one word rocks through me. That has to be Scarlett. Which means she’s here. I turn and scan the room and immediately find her at the register paying for a sandwich.
I’m not shocked. This is the main eatery in the town where she lives and works.
But I am shocked by my reaction to seeing her. She was already gone this morning when we all woke up. Last night she basically told me she didn’t think things were going to work out between us.
Yet my heart thumps hard and my entire body tenses.
I want to go to her. Right now. I want to pull her into my arms, kiss her, and claim her. In public.
But I get it. Henry and I spent this entire morning covering up who I am and why I’m here.
Fuck. It’s already pissing me off.
She’s wearing jeans, a dark green tank top that shows off her toned arms, and her hair is tied up under a dark green bandana. She’s also got black work boots on.
She looks kickass and gorgeous.
I watch her turn toward the front door. Then stop, sigh, and turn back to the restaurant. She starts toward a table where three women are sitting.
“Do not go over there,” Henry says.
“Who are they?”
“I don’t know who they all are, but the blonde is Hannah Lawton. Leah’s mom.”
“ The Leah? The one who’s been a shit to Mariah?” I ask with a scowl.
“Yeah.”
I sit, just watching, but I don’t like it. This is a very strange protective instinct. I don’t feel this toward many people. Mostly because the people I love don’t need it from me. Not only are they surrounded by literal paid protection, but they’re all strong personalities who don’t take any shit. No one wants to be on the receiving end of my sister’s ire. Or my niece’s, even at age twelve. Oh, it gets her in trouble. Always has. But that hasn’t done a thing to quell her instincts to stand up to bullies and people who are just plain wrong.
Right now, Scarlett is holding a roll of bills out to Hannah.
“You mean she shouldn’t have lied?” Hannah asks, her voice raised now, clearly wanting to draw attention.
“No. I mean she shouldn’t have spilled the juice on Leah’s shirt,” Scarlett says tightly.
“But she also lied,” Hannah says. “Are you going to apologize for that?”
“Just take the money for the shirt.” Scarlett looks exhausted.
“I’m really sick of Mariah making Leah uncomfortable and school so unpleasant for her,” Hannah says. “School should be a safe space. They need to focus on learning.”
“I agree,” Scarlett says. “Let’s talk to the girls about just ignoring one another entirely. They should just stay away from each other. They don’t need to be friends or enemies. They can just be nothing.”
Hannah sits straighter. The women with her are staying completely silent. As is the rest of the café. Everyone is listening, if not outright watching the interaction.
It has the feel of a new episode in an ongoing drama.
I look at Henry. He just shakes his head. I sigh. Do I want to go over there? Absolutely. Will it draw even more attention to Scarlett? Of course. But does it gnaw at my gut that she’s standing there, alone , facing off with this woman trying to defend her daughter? It sure fucking does.
“Henry,” I say quietly.
“No. You won’t help right now,” he says. “This isn’t new.”
“But—”
“Cian, just wait.”
“But Leah needs to call out lying,” Hannah says. “You know that. Or you should know that, anyway. She can’t just look the other way when someone is doing something wrong and sinful.”
I can see Scarlett’s eye roll from four tables away.
“Seriously?” she asks. “Mariah’s soul isn’t Leah’s responsibility. And not only are you judging Mariah unfairly, but you’re putting a lot of pressure on Leah.”
“Of course Mariah’s soul is Leah’s responsibility,” Hannah exclaims loudly. “It’s all of our responsibility.” She looks at the two women sitting with her. They both nod. She even casts her glance around the diner. “ We have to look out for her when she’s stuck with the…influences she has. That’s what being a community is all about.” She gives Scarlett a sly smile. “Your father spoke directly to the youth group about it, in fact.”
Scarlett’s face gets pale and she straightens slowly. “Excuse me?”
Her tension, the shock on her face, makes me straighten as well.
“No, Cian,” Henry says firmly.
“She’s not okay.”
“She’s tough.”
“She shouldn’t have to be tough.” Dammit. This is her hometown. She’s talking about her daughter to a fellow mom. This should be her community but it’s clear that what Hannah is talking about is not at all what I think of when I think of that word. And it’s obviously not what Scarlett wants.
Hannah goes on. “Your father said that our kids can have a special influence for good on lost and confused kids.”
“Mariah isn’t lost or confused,” Scarlett says. Her fists are now balled at her sides.
“Well of course you don’t think so. But I think we’re going to listen to our pastor.”
“Did he use her name?” Scarlett demands.
Hannah smiles. “Of course. She’s the prime example of someone that our kids can intervene with. It pains him to watch his own granddaughter reject the church and so blatantly lie, brag, and try to elevate herself with these false narratives.”
I’m scowling now, my lunch entirely forgotten as my gut tightens.
“It pains him?” Scarlett’s voice rises.
“What the fuck is going on?” I hiss to Henry.
“Scarlett and Ruby’s father is the pastor of the big church here in town.”
“ What ?”
“Their biological father. He didn’t raise them. He was never married to their mom.”
“He is invested in Mariah’s future and well-being,” Hannah says. “He’ll do whatever it takes.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Scarlett asks.
“For instance, the first one in the youth group to get Mariah to church gets a hundred dollars,” Hannah says. She looks smug.
I really dislike this woman.
I glance around. The entire café is watching. They seem entertained. But not shocked by any of this. I need to know more about what’s going on here.
I stand.
“ Cian ,” Henry warns.
“I’m not just going to sit here.”
“You will make it worse.”
“Nah, I’ve got this.”
I could absolutely be about to make this worse. I do that sometimes. But I’m not going to just sit by and let Scarlett do this alone.
“Well, I guess it’s safe to say that there’s no way Leah will ever be getting that money,” Scarlett says with a fake, forced laugh. “Mariah would never go anywhere with your snotty, mean, misled daughter.”
For the first time, Hannah’s smile wavers.
“Keep your church bullshit away from my daughter,” Scarlett tells her. “I don’t want it and she doesn’t need it.”
“Oh, of course not,” Hannah bites out. “Because you know everything and are perfect all on your own, right?”
Scarlett sucks in a quick breath, then presses her lips together and shakes her head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, just because your father has given up on you , we still worry about our youth. Even Mariah.”
She hasn’t seen me yet, but I can see Scarlett’s face and her eyes are glittering with tears.
Oh, fuck no.
I come up on her right side. “Scarlett! Hey! So glad to run into you.” I step in front of her, between her and where Hannah is sitting. I take her elbow and steer her toward the counter.
I hear Henry addressing the table of women. “Afternoon, ladies,” he says smoothly.
And that’s why I don’t worry about jumping into situations, no matter what they are. I have Henry.
“Sorry to steal her away,” Henry said loudly enough for the whole diner to hear. “But she’s fixing our car. We broke down here this morning and just got some news about the special part we need. It’s a bit of an emergency. Here, let me buy your lunch.”
I continue walking with Scarlett across the diner, until we get to the take-out counter and bakery case.
I turn her so her back is to the table and then lean in. “Breathe.”
She stares up at me, confused, and it takes me a moment to remember my makeover.
She frowns. “ Cian ?”
“I’m actually going by Dean Brady.” I give her a grin. “Kind of sounds like Cian O’Grady, right?”
Her frown deepens. “ What ?”
I’ve dyed my hair black, shaved, and I’m wearing glasses. I’m also wearing dress pants and a button-down dress shirt to cover my tattoos. It doesn’t sound drastic, but all together, it’s altered my appearance significantly. Especially for people who don’t know me, have only seen me in photos, and are in no way expecting me to show up in their little town.
At least that’s the plan.
Scarlett’s voice drops. “What are you doing?”
“I’m undercover.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. You can’t spend time with a prince who is regularly covered on a podcast that some people here have discovered, so I’m now a professor of world history and political science. My car broke down as we were coming through Emerald. You’re fixing it. But it’s a fancy something and you have to order a special part that will take a few days.”
“You don’t even know what kind of car you’re pretend driving?” she asks, the tiniest hint of a smile teasing her lips.
I shake my head, fully smiling. “Henry made that part up. I didn’t really catch it. The rest of this we’ve done before.”
“You’ve been a professor of world history and political science named Dean Brady before?”
I nod. “Yep. Have the ID, the papers, all of it.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh.”
I shrug. “I’ve been doing the royal in hiding for a while.”
“So who is Henry supposed to be?”
“Henry Duke. He says Henry is a common enough name he can keep using it.”
“Is he also a professor?”
“I’m his boss, actually,” Henry says, coming up beside us.
I also made him cut his hair—which he’s pissed about—shave, and drop his British accent, which he says Ruby will be pissed about.
Then he sighed and said she’s already avoiding him anyway so it didn’t matter.
The two of them are really pretty pathetic.
“Head of the department at…” Henry frowns. “I need to look up which college we’re supposed to be with.” He looks at Scarlett. “We haven’t done this in about five years.”
“Been professors who have car trouble?” Scarlett asks.
“We haven’t had car trouble before. We’ve been traveling for book research. Traveling back from a conference.” Henry glances at me. “Usually things that only require us to stay wherever we are for a night or so. We’ve never needed nineteen days before. We have to draw this one out.”
She nods her understanding. “Well, you’re both handsome, charming strangers. I don’t think anyone is going to dig too deep. At least not as long as you’re respectful to the right people. But to that end, you might want to go to church on Sunday.”
I frown but Henry says lightly, “Sounds like I could make a hundred bucks if I tell Mariah I’m taking her out for donuts and take a detour.”
Scarlett shakes her head. “God, that’s fucked up, right?” She looks between us. “I mean, her grandfather is paying people to get her to church? Under the guise of what? Friendship? Maybe a cute boy pretends to be interested in her and tricks her into it?” She rubs her forehead. “That would be ironic. And hypocritical. But he’d do it that way.”
She’s almost talking to herself.
“Were those women mean to you in high school or something?” I ask.
She looks up at me, startled. Then she laughs. “Oh, God no. I was mean to them , Cian.” She sighs. “I don’t actually blame Hannah for totally hating me. I just wish she’d leave our girls out of it.”
I have so many questions. I don’t like any of this.
Henry suddenly moves in a little closer to Scarlett and stands taller. He clears his throat, then asks, “So you think it will be that long for the part?”
I realize a man has come up to the carry out counter and Henry has shifted into character.
“Isn’t there anything you can do to speed it up?” Henry asks Scarlett.
Scarlett catches on immediately. “Yeah, sorry. We’re a small operation. Not much I can do.” Her eyes meet mine. “They said nineteen days to get it here.”
Oh.
Oh . Fuck, yes.