Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
SKYLA
“I ’m happy to see you, too,” Beckett says before kissing me again. “Brooks, I need to talk to you.”
He squeezes me, then lets go and turns to his eldest brother, and I see Brooks’s eyebrow cocked in curiosity.
“Okay, talk,” Brooks says and pops an olive off the charcuterie board into his mouth.
“We should do it privately,” Beck says, and Brooks shakes his head.
“We don’t have secrets,” Brooks replies, not even caring that I’m here, along with Mik, Benji, and Connor. “Just tell me what you have to say.”
“Juliet called me.”
The room goes dead quiet. Bee, who just walked into the room from outside with some fresh eggs, stumbles to a stop.
“Juliet?” Bee asks.
Brooks immediately scowls.
I sidle up to my best mate. “Who’s Juliet?” I whisper.
“Brooks’s ex,” she whispers back.
“She said?—”
“I don’t want to know,” Brooks replies, shaking his head, his face grim.
“Maybe it’s important,” Blake says, but even I can tell by the stubborn look on Brooks’s face that he won’t budge.
“It’s not life-threatening. She just?—”
“No.” Brooks’s voice is hard and firm, and Beck holds his hands up in surrender.
“Okay. Forget I said anything. It smells good in here. What’s for dessert?”
“I made some pies,” Dani says, pointing at the pies she brought. “Peach and huckleberry, because I still had hucks in the freezer from last year, and they needed to get used. But the crusts are gluten-free, so Birdie can have some, too.”
“Yum,” Benji says, winking at Birdie, who bats her eyelashes at him.
This little girl is a flirt. And she has all of us wrapped around her wee finger.
“When is the big performance?” Blake asks, and I glance at where Mik and Benji sit at the nearby breakfast table.
“In about a month,” I reply.
“How does your ankle feel?” Blake asks. “Be honest, Skyla. Don’t just say fine. ”
“I have moments when I feel like it wants to give, but I’ve learned to adjust my stance or the way I land, and so far, it feels good.”
Blake nods. “Are you wearing a brace?”
“I haven’t needed to.”
“That’s good news.”
“Where are you going to dance?” Birdie wants to know.
“London,” Mik says to her. Even Mik loves Birdie, and he usually stays away from kids. “We’re going to perform for the new king and queen.”
Birdie’s eyes go round. “Wow. I want to go watch.”
“London is far away, peanut,” Bridger says, shaking his head. “And we haven’t been invited.”
“If you all want to go,” Connor says before anyone else can speak, “I’ll take you in the jet. There’s room for everyone.”
I love my brother. I know he’s broody and can be intense, but he’s also generous, and the fact that he’d offer to take this family to London shows me that he accepts them. And that means the world to me.
“Are you sure?” Bridger asks with a frown. “That’s a lot, Connor.”
But my brother simply shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” Billie replies with a frown. “Don’t be a stubborn ass, and let people thank you once in a while.”
Connor’s eyes zero in on Bee, but everyone else is already talking about plans to travel to Europe, and I’m soon scooped up in a hug from Dani.
“What do I wear to something like this? I’ll have to call Polly,” she says.
“Oh, yes, Polly will have something brilliant,” I reply with a nod. I absolutely adore Polly Wild’s dress shop downtown and have bought a lot of my things there.
“Are you okay with this?” Beckett asks me, his mouth near my ear as he slips his arms around my waist, hugging me to him. “With everyone coming? We can whittle it down to a few, Irish. There are a lot of us.”
“I want all of you there if you’re willing to come.” I bite my lip and stare up at him. “It’s nervous I am for this performance, and I didn’t want to ask you to come, but?—”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he replies, his chest rumbling against me. “I’m so fucking proud of you.” He kisses me before he moves away, and I take a moment to breathe this all in. Apparently, Beckett and his family spend most of their Sundays like this. All together, out here at the ranch. I absolutely love it.
I hope we continue doing it often because this gorgeous farmhouse needs this. Family. Laughter. It reminds me of back home in Ireland before I left for the States. Even though it’s only Connor and me in our family, our parents come from large families, and they regularly get together for someone’s birthday, Easter, or anything to celebrate. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that essence of a large family until this moment. I love that Bridger and Brooks are chatting with Benji and Mik as if they’re old friends. Beckett is now sitting with Birdie, watching something on his phone with her on his lap, laughing. That I’m in the kitchen with Dani and Blake, making a meal for all of these wonderful people.
It feels like family.
It feels like home.
I glance around, wondering where Connor and Bee went. I’m about to go looking when Bee walks into the room, her hair mussed, her lips a little pink and swollen, and her pretty hazel eyes bright.
My brother walks in not far behind her, looking cool and calm, but I notice the way his hand lingers at the small of Bee’s back as he passes by, and her cheeks flush.
Well, look at that. Maybe these two will make their way to each other after all.
Blake’s phone rings, and Birdie scowls.
“Are you being called to the hospital?” the little girl demands, clearly not pleased with that idea.
“No, peanut,” Blake replies as he declines the call but sends a text. A second later, they must reply because he smiles. “But I have a date later.”
“A date ,” Bee demands, her hands on her hips, clearly recovered from whatever she and my brother were up to. “With who? I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“You’re so fu-freaking nosy,” Blake says, eyeing his niece. “You don’t know her.”
“Oh, I bet that’s a big, fat lie, Blake Adam Blackwell,” Bee says. “I know everyone in this town. Who is she?”
“Now I know why Skyla fits in so well here,” Mik says loud enough for us all to hear. “She’s as much a busybody as Billie is.”
“Hey.” I toss a hard noodle at my best friend, hitting him in the forehead and making him roar with laughter, which Mik doesn’t do. He’s never roared in his life. “Be nice.”
“It doesn’t matter who she is,” Blake says with a shrug as he shoves his phone in his pocket and returns to stirring the sauce. I may be madly in love with my Beckett, but I’m not blind, and all of these brothers are handsome. With a capital H. “She won’t be around long.”
“He’s so romantic,” Bee says, shaking her head. “I’m so proud of his playboy ways.”
Connor smirks at that, and I blink at him. My brother doesn’t laugh at much. He’s always so serious. I love that the Blackwells bring out the humor in all of us. They’re good for us.
“And what did you think of the cabins then, Connor?” I ask him.
“You were right, they’re beautiful. That view is … bloody amazing. And I’ve been thinking about an idea.”
Beckett’s eyebrows climb. “Okay.”
“You and Skyla have both mentioned that it hasn’t been easy for you with destructive and annoying guests. That’s going to happen, but I’m sure you feel it harder with only having a few rentals.”
“Go on,” Beck replies, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Something that we’ve wanted to do with Dreams for Kids is have a place, like this if I’m being honest, where families can come to decompress. To play. To spend time together and enjoy something that they wouldn’t normally be able to, especially before their wee one passes away.”
My heart flutters. Oh, this would be the perfect spot for this idea.
“What if, instead of continuing to rent your cabins out to anyone and everyone, you contracted with Dreams for Kids and other similar charities?”
Beckett frowns, dragging his hand over his beard, clearly thinking it over.
“I can’t honestly afford to give them away for free. A few weeks a year, sure, but I depend on the income from those units.”
“I’m sorry,” Connor replies, shaking his head. “I’m not suggesting you should offer them for free. The foundations would pay you the nightly rates. It would be free for the families, but you would still be paid.”
“And he could do that year-round?” Billie asks, tapping her lips with her finger. “Do you think there would be that much interest?”
“I can guarantee you’d have a waiting list,” Connor replies, holding Billie’s gaze for a few seconds longer than necessary.
Is it a wee bit hot in here, or is it just me?
It’s not just me because I notice Bee’s blushing, too.
“If these are sick children,” Blake cuts in, leaning against the counter, “they may need medical care while they’re here. Would you have a team for that? Do they have hospice doctors and nurses who travel with them?”
I love that all of Beck’s family is here to ask these questions, and I know there will be more, but there’s no one better than my brother to answer.
“Some travel with their own care team,” Connor replies. My brother’s super casual today, in jeans and a T-shirt, and I like seeing him like this. It’s rare. “Some may need emergency care here, but there’s a hospital in town.”
Blake hums, and I can see the wheels turning in his head.
“It’s an idea I thought I’d toss out there.” Connor shrugs. “I know that you’ve not enjoyed the guest side of things, Beckett. This could be an answer to that.”
“I definitely want to think on this more.” Beckett nods. “Because it could be something great. We could probably hire a couple of guys to offer horseback rides, and if the families are interested, we could give them a tour of the dairy side.”
“Beckett, this could be exactly what it was meant to be all along.” I nod as the idea takes root in my mind. “What a special thing to offer people who desperately need something happy in their lives. There’s nothing like that view.”
He’s already nodding, giving me that special smile. “Yeah. We’ll talk, Irish.”
“Connor,” I say, leaning on the counter, “how long are you in town for this time?”
“After I wrap things up in Miami and Dublin? Indefinitely.”
My jaw drops, but Billie goes pale, and her body jerks in surprise.
“Really? Don’t you have properties in Bermuda to oversee or something?” I ask.
“Not right now.” My brother shakes his head. “Now that the sale has gone through, I can tell you that I bought the ski resort. We’ll be tearing everything down and building from the ground up. It’ll be a Gallagher resort.”
I clap my hands, so excited by this news. “That’s brilliant . I knew that it would be perfect for you. So you’ll be here to oversee the whole build?”
“Aye, I will,” he says with a nod, and I’m pleased to see that everyone here looks happy by the news. “And I can talk with you, Beckett, about your cabins.”
I should say that everyone looks happy except Bee.
“How long will the build take, do you think?” I ask Connor, not taking my eyes off my best friend.
“From start to finish, probably two years,” Connor says, and Bee slowly shakes her head. “It’s a big resort, and it’s going to be top of the line in luxury.”
“Two years,” Billie whispers, then takes a breath.
Connor’s gaze finds hers and narrows. Billie shifts back and forth on her feet, bites her lip, and finally tears her gaze from his. There’s so much sexual chemistry you could cut it with a knife.
But Billie finally scowls, shakes her head, and turns to me. “Give me a job. What can I do?”
I quickly glance around. “You can make the salad.”
“Done.”
Connor looks like he wants to say something, but he firms his jaw and remains unusually quiet. Gods, this could be a tricky situation.
And I’m here for it.
I notice that the group in the kitchen nook is still chattering away and that dinner is just about ready, so I let it go. But I wish I knew what was happening between them.
* * *
“It only took a month for my feet to callous up a bit and my body to remember how to do this correctly.” I have Riley on his leash, and Mik and I are walking down the footpath, away from my studio and toward the coffee shop. We decided to end rehearsal early and take a walk in the sunshine.
Spring has exploded in Montana, and it’s the loveliest thing. It reminds me of Ireland, with the greenest trees, flowers spilling out of baskets, and air so fragrant, I can’t get enough of it.
“Hey, Skyla,” Jackie, the owner of The Sugar Studio, says with a wave as we walk past her.
“It’s a lovely day, Jackie,” I reply with a smile.
“You’ve become part of this community,” Mik says quietly.
“Aye, I have. And I love it, Mik.”
“But, malishka, you are wasting your talent here. Now that you’re back in shape and no longer rusty, you are as good as you were before. Maybe stronger. You should come back and dance with me.”
“I love you.” I take his hand and hold on tight. “And I will always love you, Mik, but my life is here now. I love these people and the mountains, and I enjoy my wee studio. Even you said yourself that my kids’ classes are fun.”
“They’re tolerable,” he grumbles.
“Your exact words were ‘This is more fun than I thought it would be.’ See? Fun.”
I wave back at Polly, who’s stepped out to write something on her wee board in front of her shop.
Mik halts me, and Riley comes to a stop at my hip. Mik takes my shoulders in his hands.
“I love you, too, my malishka. I am selfish, and I know this. But I miss you. No one dances with me like you do. No one ever will. This one performance won’t be enough for me.”
“I know.” He takes my face in his hands, and I lean into him. “I know, my sweet Russian. And it’s sorry I am that I left you, especially in the way that it happened. We both deserved so much better. I miss you, too. Every day, and I’m not lying about that, Mik.”
His eyes, those beautiful eyes, are full of torment as he watches me.
“But you’re not going to come back to me.”
“No.” It’s a whisper, and I clear my throat. “I can’t. This is my home now. Maybe, one day, when you’ve retired, you and Benji could live here.”
“I hate snow,” he says.
“But you love me, and I’m your family.”
He huffs out a breath and leans in to kiss my forehead. “Benji loves it here. And I’ve grown fond of the Blackwells, too. They’re good people. Your Beckett will likely marry you.”
My heart jolts at that thought, and I can’t stop the smile that spreads over my face.
“I’d like that.”
“You are so special, malishka, and not just for your dancing. Although I’ve never seen another dancer like you.”
I can’t hold the tears that drip onto my cheeks.
“But because of your heart. Your sweetness. You make me a better person because you’re my best friend. So because I love you, I will consider moving to the frozen Siberia of North America when I finish my dance and am one hundred years old.”
I laugh and wrap my arms around him, hugging him close. “Good. In the meantime, you can visit me between projects.”
“Yes, yes. Now, buy me coffee.”
With his hand in mine once more, we walk into the coffee shop, but rather than walk up to the counter, Mik leads me through the archway that leads to Billie’s Books.
“I thought you wanted coff—” I cut off, stunned. Mik and I stand side by side, and finally, I snort. “Hey, Benji.”
Mik’s husband blinks behind his glasses. He has a pen clenched in his teeth. His blond hair stands on end as if he’s run his fingers through it a million times. But the best part is the array of mostly empty drinks sitting before him on the small table. There are seven of them—some were iced coffees, some were hot. There’s a bottle of water and an empty cup, aside from the teabag in the bottom.
“Hi. Hey.” Benji blinks some more and then takes his glasses off to rub his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Mik asks.
“The house was too quiet,” Benji replies. “I’m used to a loud city, so I decided to come work here. Billie set me up, and Millie kept bringing me drinks.”
Mik and I share a look, then he takes his husband’s hand and pulls him to his feet, planting a kiss on Benji’s forehead.
“Let’s get you home, and I’ll feed you.”
“Yeah.” Benji grins and cups Mik’s cheek tenderly. I love their love so much. “I guess I’m hungry. How did you two do today?”
“It was a good rehearsal,” I reply. “We’re ready for next week.”
I didn’t think we’d ever be ready. The rehearsals and getting back in shape were much harder than I remember. But it’s also been magical to dance with Mik again, so I’ve savored every moment.
I’ll be as sad as he is when it’s all said and done.
“Of course you are,” Benji says as he throws his empties away. “You two are the best there is. Do you guys want something from next door?”
“Yeah, I want an iced coffee,” I reply and wave at Billie, who’s busy ringing up customers. It’s crowded in here today.
Mik and I order an iced Americano, then the three of us walk back to the studio with Riley still at my side. My phone rings.
“This is Beckett,” I inform them and answer. “Hello there, handsome.”
“Hey, gorgeous. I’m so sorry, but I can’t come to town to pick you up. We discovered some fence down, and I’m dealing with a grizzly bear.”
My eyebrows wing up. “Wait, you’re dealing with a grizzly bear right now ?”
“No, I have a call out to Fish and Wildlife. Usually, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but it’s too close to my cabins, and I don’t need anyone getting hurt. So I can’t get away, baby.”
“It’s okay.” I turn to the boys. “Can you two give me a lift home?”
“Of course,” Benji replies.
“I have a ride. You take care of what you have going on out there, and I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Thanks, baby. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I hang up and see both of the boys watching me. “What?”
“You’re so lovesick.” Benji shakes his head.
“Uh, hello. Do you even see the way you two look at each other? It’s borderline disgusting most of the time.”
“Touché.” Benji laughs. “Come on, let’s get your stuff and get you home.”
* * *
“Hey, Miss Gallagher,” Brad says when I walk into the horse barn an hour later. After getting home, I changed clothes, got Riley some dinner, and decided to see if I could find my man.
Not the bear.
“Hello, Brad. I don’t suppose Beckett’s back yet?”
“No, ma’am.” He grins when his dog, Sadie, hurries over to say hello to Riley. “Those two are good friends. If you ever need anyone to watch over Riley for you, I’m happy to do it.”
My jaw drops in surprise. I’m still getting used to this small-town hospitality.
“Really?”
“Sure. Riley’s the best-trained dog I’ve ever met, and Sadie loves him. He’s welcome at our place.”
“You know, we’re all going to London next week for the coronation, and I’d rather not take Riley. It’s a tough trip for him.”
“Don’t even worry about it,” Brad says, shaking his head. “He’ll be here with us.”
That’s a weight off my shoulders that I didn’t realize I was carrying. “Thank you so much.”
“Beck should be back in a few. He was heading this way about ten minutes ago.” He smiles at me, then whistles for Sadie to follow him, and the golden lab follows her master, but Riley looks up at me with sad brown eyes.
“Aw, did your friend have to go home?” I rub him behind his ears and bend down to kiss him. “It’s okay. You’ll see her soon.”
I hear the clop of horse hooves and see Beckett riding this way. Bloody hell, he looks good on a horse. He’s wearing riding chaps over his jeans, along with brown leather gloves and his cowboy hat, and my core tightens.
“Well, shite, Riley. He’s a sight for sore eyes, isn’t he? Look at how he fills out those jeans.” Beckett swings off the horse, giving us a view of his arse, and I bite my lip. “Oh gods, that butt. And the shoulders. Have you ever seen a man so… big ? He’s bloody huge, Riley.”
I’ve buried my face in the dog’s neck, hugging him as I talk.
“I fucking love that dirty mouth of yours.”
I don’t pull away. I smile against Riley and let out a little giggle. Then his hands are on me, pulling me up and against him so he can hug me.
“I hope you were talking about me,” he growls against my ear as his gloveless hand drifts down my hair.
“You’re the only sexy cowboy I know.”
Beckett kisses my temple, then my forehead. “Good answer. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to town, Irish.”
“Hey, you’re busy. I get it. The boys didn’t mind giving me a ride. Now.” I snatch his hat off his head and settle it on mine. “I think we should get you inside and directly into the shower. You’re filthy.”
His slow and sexy smile makes my nipples harden.
“Is that right?”
“It is, Mr. Blackwell.”
“I might need some help reaching all the nooks and crannies.”
“I am a capable shower attendant,” I inform him, squeaking in surprise when he easily lifts me into his arms. Riley barks and hurries after us. “Why are you carrying me?”
“I have to dirty you up, too, Irish. It’s only fair.”