Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
B usiness Trip
Ronan
Two months later …
I sit in the dining room in my parents’ house as we have dinner. I have a ton on my mind after the meeting I had with my da, brothers, and their sons. Things are moving along.
Rumors are getting out about Logan’s release. Changes are coming for everyone. Carrick is a good choice to head to California. Especially now that Toby has gotten himself involved in all this.
Carrick has shadowed Jonah enough to know the family business. He and Brooklyn also have a relationship that will prove beneficial. I’ll be able to transition him into our West Coast operation effortlessly on da’s timeline.
Jonah was right, the others will want to follow. Toby will have a force behind him. I’m lost in thought about all the changes and moves I’ll need to make as I stab at my steak and potatoes.
“I ran into Keira at the market earlier,” Ma says, breaking into my thoughts. “Ro, she told me she ran into ya at the pub a few times.”
“Aye, a time or two,” I grumble, still sorting through my thoughts.
“Ach, I don’t see why ya never settled down with the lass. It’s clear to see she has a thing for ya.”
I grunt. “Maybe because she has a head like a bag of spuds.”
“ Ronan ,” Ma chides.
“What? We all know she didn’t get on the line for looks when the good Lord was handing them out. I was going to say she has a face like a blind cobbler’s thumb, but that would be too kind.”
“She’s a nice girl. At yer age, ya should be looking at the heart, not the face. She’s still young enough to give me a grand or two if ya stop fucking around.”
“I don’t know how the hell that’s supposed to happen. She has the body of a rawny banjaxed lad. Nothing about her gets me excited.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who raised ya? It wasn’t me. I failed ya, I did.”
I shake my head to myself. Keira is too skinny for me. I don’t tell a fib. She looks like a skinny, broken boy, not a grown woman.
“Ya didn’t fail me at all. Not everyone needs to be married and settled down. I have bigger things to worry about.”
“Cianán, will ya talk to the lad? He’s too oul to be fucking about.”
I look to the oul man to see his shoulders shaking as he tries to hide his laughter. Anytime I come home, it’s the same. Ma wants me to find a wife.
I never told her about Sasha and the baby. The only reason I told Da and my brothers was because I wanted to make Oland O’Brien pay for what he had done. Helping the Murphys almost cost me my nephews and my sister.
It did cost me the woman I loved and my unborn child. Oland should have paid for that then. I grind my teeth as I think of how I never got the chance to make things right.
“Laoise, Ronan is a grown man. I don’t think Keira is right for him. She’s a nice lass, but she does have a hard bake to look at and she talks too much.”
“Thank ya. I was trying to spare her a wee bit. I didn’t want to say her gub runs like a river, so it is.”
“Ya know what the problem is, Cianán? Ya spoiled the big oul brat. Ya should have arranged his marriage like the others,” Ma huffs with a scowl thrown at me.
“I’d like to see how that would have worked for ye,” I scoff.
“Keira wouldn’t have made the list. That family is full of chancers and melters,” Da mutters.
“Keira is a nice girl, she is.”
“She could be the queen herself, born in the Dunluce Castle as the last member of Clan MacDonnel and I wouldn’t stick my?—”
“Ronan, that’s enough, ya made yer point.”
I bite back my anger, happy Da cut me off before I said too much. Ma means well. She doesn’t know how much I have been through.
“Jaysus, what’s gotten into ya?” Ma says as she frowns at me.
“I’m knackered,” I huff.
“Tired or not, yer trying to make me batter ya.”
In all honesty, Keira is the reason I haven’t gotten a taste of Dean. I don’t want to hear about her. If she hadn’t interrupted that kiss, Dean would be here with me for me to introduce her to my ma.
Aw, what the fuck? That can’t happen. Ma would get the wrong idea.
My mind goes to the gorgeous woman who stays on my mind when I’m not fully concentrating on business. Two more months and still nothing. Not even a hint of who she really is.
I should take that as a sign and let it go. I have too much going on for anything serious. I’m never in one place for long. How would I protect her?
What happened to Sasha could never happen again. Still, I can’t get her off my mind. Day and night, I think of her.
I texted her to take her out tonight in hopes I might get lucky and find out something to help me out. She’s been tight lipped so far, but I plan to crack her soon. I’ve never in my life worked this hard for a woman or information.
“Ronan—”
Thankfully my phone rings and stops whatever my mother was about to say. I don’t want to keep going back and forth with her about this. I know she’s going to keep going until she gets me to agree to take one of her friends’ daughters out.
“Ach, I need to take this.”
“I’m starting to think the lad is a ponce,” Ma mumbles as she crosses her arms over her chest.
I snort as I continue to walk out of the room. My father roars with laughter. I grin as I hear his words on my way out.
“Our lad is far from gay, Laoise. That one is a connoisseur of the opposite sex. Leave him be.”
“I’ll believe it when he brings me a daughter-in-law.”
“Hello,” I say into my phone, ignoring my ma.
“Boss, we have a problem.”
“I’m on my way.”
Looks like I need to head to California. Rory and Lochlann don’t call me for just anything. Fuck, I’ll have to cancel my date.
* * *
Dean
I can’t believe how disappointed I am that Ronan had to cancel our date. Knowing Felix has dropped in to surprise Kaye, I didn’t want to head back to the house. Instead, I came out to the bar with Graham and Connie.
I had already been out with Connie after we finished some shopping when I got the text that Ronan had a business emergency that would take him back to the States for a bit. I should have been grateful. That man applies pressure without applying pressure.
I need a break from that. He’s not going to find out who I am and I’m starting to get frustrated that he has to. I’m so close to telling him myself.
However, that has its own risks and problems. This trip has given me a break from everything. Although I did have a long conversation with my agent and lawyer about my remaining book contract.
The publisher can have their funky-ass advance back. I’m not writing a damn thing else for them. Rumor has it I’m not the first this has been done to in the last six months alone.
The sooner I come out of the contract, the better. I’m going to hit them with everything I have when it comes to litigation. Gabby will pay for this shit.
I haven’t decided what I plan to do about Lauren. She’s not going to get away with that shit either. All I needed was time and space. My temper can cause me to do things I don’t like after the fact.
“What’s the point of asking me out with ye if the two of ye planned to be lost in space?” Graham grumbles, pulling me out of my thoughts. “I should have gone with me brother and Uncle Ro.”
“Your brother is Carrick, right?” I ask as my interest is piqued by the mention of Ronan.
“Aye.”
“Uncle Jonah’s boys are the oldest. They are closer to Logan and Cole’s age. Then there’s Uncle Raymond’s son Malcolm in the middle. Jeremiah and Reilly are the youngest,” Connie says absently.
“Cole. That’s your brother, Brooklyn, right?”
“Aye, ya haven’t met him in person, have ya?”
“No, I’ve seen his back over video chat.”
“You’ll meet him soon enough. He’s coming to—Aye, ya will meet him.”
I don’t miss that she’s cut her words off before saying too much. Connie has secrets. I can tell she does by the way she keeps peeking at her phone tonight.
She looks like a nervous mom waiting for the babysitter to call and ruin her night. I know what it’s like to have things I don’t want others to know, so I don’t pry. Instead, I change the subject.
“Where does that put Felix?”
“Uncle Jack’s boys are right under Felix. Aunt Cassie was pregnant at the same time as Aunt Róisín both times. So Brax and Jeremiah are a few months apart, as are Ryan and Reilly. Aunt Cassie’s lot being the oldest,” Graham replies.
“Jamie and Dylan are younger than Felix too. Jamie, by a few months. Felix and I are two years apart. I’m the older one. Kate is between Logan and Cole.”
I go to ask more questions in order to get back to Ronan and his trip, but my phone rings. I look down at the screen and a mix between a smile and a grimace comes to my face. This call can go one of two ways.
I’m not in the mood if this is about business. I want to remain disconnected from all of that. When I decided to take a break, that meant from it all.
“Excuse me, guys.”
I get up from our table and move outside the bar. The weather is crisp. The air slaps me in the face, bringing a smile to my lips as I take in a lungful of fresh air.
“Hello, Unc,” I say into the phone.
“Hey, Baby Girl. What’s this I’m hearing from Lyric that you’re out of the country?”
“I had to get away. I’m spending some time with a friend, everything okay?”
“I called to ask you the same thing. It’s not like you to cut out like this.”
“Yeah, I know. I just had a lot going on. I need to readjust and figure some things out.”
“Freddie would be so proud of you, Baby Girl. If I could get my boys to be anything like you, I’d have less gray hair.”
I release a much-needed chuckle. This is the first time I’ve thought of home with fondness. Uncle Freddie might be gone, but his friends stepped right in like the uncles I never knew I needed.
With my trust issues, it took me a while to allow them to play such a big role in my life—well, not all of them. I have my limits. However, when my inheritance came, everything changed. My relationship with my uncle began to make sense.
“I miss him. I still had so much to learn from him.”
“You’re doing fine. You know exactly what he wanted you to know.”
“Sometimes I wonder if that’s true.” I sigh. “Anyway, sounds like you were looking for me. Did you need something?”
“I had some business to discuss with you, but it can wait. I’ll handle it,” he replies.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive, Baby Girl. Lyric was right, you need a vacation. You wear so many hats. If you don’t give your head a rest, your shoulders will ache with all the pressure.”
“If you don’t need me, I’m going to go. I don’t want to be rude to my friends.”
“All right, Baby Girl.” He chuckles, then sighs heavily. “Byron says to give him a call.”
I laugh. “Tell him I will. Talk to you later, Unc.”
“Later, Baby Girl.”
I hang up and force myself not to think about what might be going on back home. That’s not the headspace I want to be in. Danika Peoples is on hiatus.