Chapter 14
Rocco turned to Cassie. ‘That was Iris. Was it my imagination or did she just see me and run away?’
Cassie was staring at the B&B as well, but she didn’t look as confused. ‘Oh no, Roc. She might have seen me hugging you and got the wrong idea.’
He widened his eyes at her. ‘You’re my sister-in-law, Cass, and even if you weren’t, you hug anything and everything when you get excited, and you’re super excited about my new home.’
She agreed. ‘I love the cabin so much. I need it in my life. And Rex will hear all about it, but right now, Iris needs you to introduce us so she stops thinking you’ve brought another woman home.’
He snorted a laugh, then frowned. ‘She didn’t seriously just think that, did she?’
‘From what I saw, she didn’t look very happy.’
Iris’s insecurities flooded him at once, almost taking his breath. He couldn’t let her think that of him. That he would be so cruel.
‘Go talk to her, Roc.’
‘But your train.’
Cassie checked her watch. ‘I can wait five minutes, at a push.’
There was no way he was going to squeeze in explanations and introductions in such a short window of time, and he’d have to find Iris first. ‘Let’s get you to the station. I’ll speak to Iris when I get back.’
Cassie got in the truck. ‘If you’re sure.’
‘Yeah, I’m going to need more than a few minutes with her.’
‘Okay, but send her a text before we head off. Give your conversation a head start.’
It was a good idea, as the last thing he wanted was Iris feeling heartbroken or let down again.
‘I feel like crap, and I haven’t done anything, Cass.’ He sent the text, then started the engine. If he didn’t leave soon, Cassie would miss her train, and it was getting late.
‘It’ll be fine soon enough.’
Just check your phone, Iris. He glanced at Cassie. ‘I told her who you are, that I’m just dropping you to the station, and I’ll be back soon… And I closed with “I love you”.’ He groaned, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. ‘That’s not something I should have said in a text.’
‘Why, what’s wrong with that?’
‘I’ve not told her that before. It should be said to her face. I was flustered, that’s all.’
Cassie held sympathy, and perhaps the slightest of smiles. ‘You love her already?’
He shrugged. ‘Feels that way. But you can’t fall that quickly, can you?’
‘I did with your brother. Love at first sight and all that. I didn’t believe in it myself until it happened to me.’
‘But isn’t it just lust or something?’
Cassie scoffed. ‘I wasn’t lusting after him. We just started talking and something told me I was looking at my husband.’ She raised a finger. ‘Now, don’t ask me what that was, because to this day I can’t explain it. I just knew he was the one for me as though I’d seen the future.’
‘I feel that way about Iris.’
‘You just tell her that, lovely, and all will be well.’
He hoped she was right.
With shaky legs and a thumping headache, Iris went on a powerwalk around the B&B, as she needed something to take the edge off, as she wasn’t just hurt, she was fuming.
No man is messing with me again. Nope. Not happening.
The walk felt so good, she decided to go home, change into her running clothes, and jog around the grounds instead.
The air was cold, the sky dark, but Iris followed the new solar lights Magnus had installed along the pathways, and as she built up a sweat, the clouds in her head started to disperse and the cobwebs blew away with the breeze.
Exercise had always helped calm her nerves, ever since her father died when she was ten. Her school’s running club was her place to heal. With a mother who preferred to travel, she had to find her own ways to soothe her soul.
Iris stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply while assessing her life.
She had always been seen as the Castle sister who didn’t cry, who stayed composed, the one with all her ducks in a row.
But none of that was true, and her last relationship had almost proved that to everyone.
She just wanted someone to love her. To make her feel wanted.
Perhaps it was too much to ask for when she was blessed with such love from her siblings and aunt.
Even Magnus was a wonderful father figure. She didn’t have much to complain about.
With a huff at how complicated things felt, she took off again, this time at a slower pace. It’s fine. I’m fine. Being self-partnered is the way for me. Yep, I’ve totally got this.
If she just said it enough, she could convince herself.
Iris stopped at a bench over by the pond at Puddle Cottage. Norma was probably tucked up in bed, and Josie would be at home by now, so she sat for a while and simply stared at the still water, the peace warming her.
‘Iris,’ came Rocco’s voice, making her jump.
Tightening her jaw, she shifted so she had her back turned to him. Not interested. Not listening. Not paying attention. Yet there she sat, interested, listening, paying attention.
‘Did you get my text?’ he asked as he sat.
‘I’ve not checked my phone.’ She gestured at her clothing. ‘As you can see, I’ve been jogging.’
‘Iris, I know you saw me hugging Cassie.’
Cassie, so that’s her name. Like I care.
‘Hmm,’ was the sound that slipped out without her permission.
‘She’s my sister-in-law.’
Not quite sure if that makes things worse.
‘She was on her way home from a job and decided to take a small detour to see my new home.’ He lightly tapped her shoulder. ‘Iris, please look at me.’
How could she not with so much softness in his voice. Slowly, she shuffled around, losing herself in his eyes at once, which was annoying because she was supposed to be staying mad at him until… Until when exactly?
‘Cassie didn’t have long before her train was due, but she hopes to meet you the next time she’s here, which should be Easter, with Rex and their kids.’
Well, it sounded like a proper explanation, one that didn’t require any more death glares from her, but still she frowned, unable to shake off the hurt.
Rocco reached for her hand, bringing it to his lap where he curled it into the warmth of his coat.
‘Iris, I love you. I knew there was something about you the moment we met, but I pushed it down, thinking myself daft, but ever since our first kiss, all I’ve wanted is to be with you.
To see you every day.’ He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles, and Iris was quite sure her heart swooned.
‘The last thing I want is for you to think I would cheat on you or treat you as though you meant nothing.’
It was time to be honest. ‘I did think that.’
He nodded, moving her hand to his chest. ‘Yeah, but are you feeling okay now you know who Cassie is?’
‘I feel a bit stupid. If only I had come over to you, none of this would have happened.’ She sighed deeply, irritated at herself. ‘I was so happy coming to see you. I’d made up my mind to talk to you about us being a couple, even though we’d pretty much announced that to everyone.’
‘You mean, I announced that to everyone.’ His head dipped. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘I was the one holding your hand.’ She sighed once more, meeting his eyes. ‘I’ve made a right pig’s ear out of this whole thing, and all because I let my past rule, and then when I saw you with Cassie, it all came flooding back, and I’d only just told myself to burn the past.’
‘It’s all right, Iris. I can see how it would have been triggering.’
Iris huffed. ‘I don’t want triggers.’
‘No one wants triggers, but they happen. It’s how we deal with them that makes a difference.’
She gazed at her trainers. ‘I went running.’
‘Exercise is good for the mind as well as body.’
‘I know, and it did help a little.’ Slowly, she smiled and reached to cup his face. ‘Your cheek is cold.’
‘We could fix that by going back to mine for some hot chocolate.’
‘I’d like that.’
He turned his head so his lips met her palm. ‘I like you.’
‘A moment ago, you loved me.’
‘I like you and love you. Double whammy.’
Iris chuckled. ‘I’ve fallen for you too.’
‘Sounds like we’re off to a good start.’
‘Even though I got the wrong idea and ran off?’
‘You did what you needed to do to clear your head. And now look, here we are solving our problems together, just how couples should.’
She shuffled closer to him, and his arm curled around her waist. ‘But we didn’t have a problem, did we? It was just me being—’
‘Being nothing. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is we’ve sorted it.’ His brow furrowed. ‘We have, haven’t we?’
Even his frown was adorable, and Iris could wait no longer to kiss him. ‘Yes, we have. And I feel so much better now I know who Cassie is.’
Rocco kissed her mouth. ‘So do I, because for a minute there, I was worried I’d lost you already.’
She pulled back to meet his eyes. ‘Seems you’ve found more than you bargained for coming here.’
‘Yeah, I was only looking for a quieter life.’
‘Now you have family and me.’
He gave a slight shake of the head. ‘Not family and you. You are family now, Iris. If we’re doing this, I’m all in.’