Chapter Ten #4
day.” Her mother sank down on the sofa opposite her. “Thanks for this, Nathan.”
Nate tipped his head and strode for the door. “Anything for
the O’Donnell ladies. I’ll see you in a little while, love. Listen to your
mum.”
So this was going to be a lecture. She took a sip of the
“tea” that was really whiskey. And then another. “This is so much better than
what Da used to keep.”
Her mother smiled wryly. “Well, your uncle has far more
elevated tastes than your father.” She poured herself a cup and took a sip.
“I’m afraid in so many ways your father is still the poor Irish kid who had to
find a way to put food in his brother’s mouth when his mum was off doing her
important work.”
“You mean trying to drive the English out of Belfast?” She
knew her family history.
“That’s what I mean.” Her mother took one of the sandwiches.
“Your father had a rough life. Unlike me. Or you. I need for you to think about
that while he’s gone and think about forgiving him for acting like an ass. He
loves you.”
Daisy wasn’t sure. “He loves the idea of me.”
Her mother’s head shook. “No. He loves you. He loves the
Daisy O’Donnell who’s always been a walking ball of chaos. And who’s also
always been kind and loyal to her friends. Who’s been a good daughter, despite
the experiments with teenaged drinking.”
“Aidan always covered for me,” Daisy admitted. “And he would
mostly be there. He and Tris would hang out with us, but we knew what they were
really doing. Supervising.”
“Yes, and he never said a word to me or your da. So you
should think about forgiving him, too.”
“I already did, though it was mean. He came very close to
ruining my positive self-image. I thought maybe I was losing my mojo or I
wasn’t attractive to Doms, which was sad because I like a top.”
Her mother took a long swig. “See, I think this is what your
father has been avoiding.”
“Knowing I like sex?”
“Knowing how much like him you are,” her mother pointed out.
“Well, I would say I would hope I’m like you, too. I know
all my friends get the icks when their parents get affectionate, but you should
be having great sex. I want to have great sex when I’m your age. You and Da
love each other. That love is physical, too.”
“My darling, I am talking about who your father was before
he met me,” her mother said.
Daisy suddenly wasn’t sure she was ready for this
conversation. “He was Da. Just without you. So I bet he was sad. A little
lonely.”
“Oh, loneliness was not his problem, child.” Her mother
sighed like she was remembering something.
Daisy was now certain she didn’t want to know. And yet she
asked the question. “What do you mean? Like he had friends?”
A wry smile crossed her mother’s face. “My darling, he was
friends with every waitress in the hot wings business. I’m not sure why hot
wings in particular, but it was his thing. And I mean it. I’m pretty sure it
was all of them. Like he was a rite of passage.”
“My daddy was a ho?” Her brain couldn’t grasp the concept.
Her father was attractive, of course. But he…he was Da.
Her mother laughed. “I don’t think we’re supposed to use
that word.”
Daisy waved her off. “We all have a phase. I mean now we do.
I didn’t think like you did.”
Her mom’s head shook. “Oh, I didn’t. I had a teen pregnancy
phase and then a mourning phase and then I was in the hospital for a long time.
Then I met your dad, who changed everything for me. But he did have a phase. A
very long and storied one sweeping across two continents. I know you think
you’re a bad girl, Dais, but you got nothing on your da. And guess what—he
turned out fine. Well, until today.”
Guilt swamped her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come between
the two of you.”
Her mother’s head shook. “I think we’ve been moving toward
this moment for a long time. It was different when you were in college. Your
father could keep fooling himself then.”
“That I wasn’t a…”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare use that word.
It’s kind of funny when it’s him. But he would never think that word about a
woman. He could pretend you weren’t as active as you were.”
And there was the shame. It wasn’t something she normally
felt. Her sex life felt normal to her. She’d gone a little crazy in college,
but she’d settled a lot since then. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay pure.”
Her mother sighed. “Daisy, this is a hard conversation.”
“I don’t understand why. If it had been Aidan having a good
time, I doubt Da or you would be upset.”
“I’m not upset at all, baby,” her mother explained. “Please
don’t take my frustration with your father to mean I’m angry with you. I’m not.
I’m so happy for you because I think you and Nate are going to be good
together. And I don’t care what you did in college as long as you were safe,
and you seem to have been. I’m frustrated because your father can’t look past
his own issues to see it.”
A sense of her own weariness hit. Nate liked her now, but
what if he turned out to think like her father? “I like him. But I’m sure it
won’t last…”
“Why wouldn’t it last?” her mom asked.
“Because it’s me, Mom. Some guys might think I’m attractive
for a while, but they usually go away. They think I’m high maintenance or
something. I don’t know. I’ve kind of gotten used to the idea I won’t find
anyone. Why do you think I want a career so badly? I’m pretty sure I’m not
going to have a family.” She didn’t like to wallow, but she was feeling raw
right now. “I mean, I’ll be a great aunt to Aidan’s kids and to my friends’
kids. So I know it won’t last because no guy wants to put up with me.”
Her mother’s face fell. “Baby, what made you think that?
Daisy, you’re a beautiful, smart, funny young woman. Everyone adores you.”
“Really?” Daisy could hear the disbelief in her own tone.
“It feels like they tolerate me most of the time. I’m merely Aidan’s kid
sister. Da has always been the one who supported me no matter what, and I know
that’s because I hid a lot from him. But now he’s starting to see who I truly
am, and he’s got a problem with me. Nate will, too.”
“Your father has some blinders on when it comes to you,
sweetie. Like I said, it was inevitable they would come off at some point. The
way he treats you has a lot to do with his past.” Her mom sat back, considering
her. “Your father’s family was complicated. His mother, from what I can tell,
was a hard woman. He didn’t have a sister growing up. He only had a brother and
a mom. His mother was bitter, to say the least, and so he took care of his
brother.”
“The one we don’t talk about?” She’d always thought it odd
since there were pictures of her mother’s family—including her first husband
and Daisy’s half-sister, Madison. They were all gone now, but there was a place
for Mom’s family in their home. But nothing for her da’s family. He’d taken
them to Ireland, shown them around Dublin, and every now and then he would
mention his brother. He would show them a building and say this was where he
and Rory used to hide when the bullies would come for them. Or that’s the
church where his mum took them every single Sunday. But no real information
beyond what they’d passed, and that was that.
Her mom nodded. “Because he betrayed your father in the
worst way. Your dad put a lot of his soul into Rory, and it turned out so
badly. He watched him die, would have been the one to pull the trigger if he’d
been given the chance. He was trying to save me at the time.”
Daisy felt her eyes go wide. Her parents seemed to have
perfect lives. “Da’s brother tried to hurt you?”
“Yes,” her mother agreed. “You know your father and I met
during an investigation, but what we don’t talk about is the mission itself. He
was investigating a man who turned out to be his own brother. It’s a very long
story. Serena did a good job with it. A Soldier is Forever.”
Now she felt her jaw drop. “The one where Amy works for the
dude who stole a billionaire philanthropist’s identity, and Leo has to romance
her to get close only to discover it’s his long-lost brother who is using the
charity as a front for an arms dealership?”
Her mom winced. “Yup.”
Daisy felt her stomach roll because she’d read the book.
Several times. And not merely for the plot. “But that’s the kinkiest one.”
She’d never seen that shit-eating grin on her mother’s face
before. “Like I said, she did an excellent job with it.”
“I know I said I thought it was awesome you and Da still do
those things, but I’m a little disturbed right now.”
Her mother pointed her way like Daisy had made her point.
“Exactly how your father is feeling. All I’m trying to say is that your father
loves you, and he’s doing the best he can.”
“My father doesn’t know me, and I’m not sure he wants to.”
Daisy sat back. “I’m very tired of pretending to be something I’m not. I hide a
lot of myself because I know I can never compete with Aidan.”
Her mother leaned in. “You don’t have to compete with your
brother. There’s no competition. This is a family not a race. I need you to
understand I see you, Daisy. I see who you are, and I’m very proud of the young
woman you’ve become. You don’t have to be a doctor to be a good person. And I’m
happy you’ve explored the world. Your father is worried the world will hurt
you. I happen to know it will happen whether we protect you or not. That’s the
way life is, my baby. It’s how we react to the hurt that matters, and you get
up every single time. That’s what your dad isn’t taking into account. He’s so
busy trying to pretend you’re perfect he doesn’t see how gloriously beautiful
your imperfections are. Perfect is boring and it’s not real. I’m going to tell
you something I won’t admit to anyone else. I’m worried about Aidan. I’m
worried if this thing with Tristan doesn’t work out it will break him because
he’s never had a damn doubt in his life. But you, my sweet girl, have had all
of them, and you keep going. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not the