ANOTHER O’GRADY BITES THE DUST
MATTHEW
“F irst things first,” my dad said one morning as I stood in his office, dressed in one of my old travel suits.
Patrick and Thomas walked in and took a seat at the large table.
“Sit,” he directed toward me, and I did as he’d asked.
Our dad sat down at the head, facing all three of us. “You boys know that I won’t make a decision like this without having you all on board. It’s the three of you in agreement, or this doesn’t work,” he said like this was his first time telling us this. He’d been drilling that little nugget into our heads for years.
“We know,” Thomas said, his hands folded on top of the table.
“We agree,” Patrick added before my dad even said another word, but he started laughing.
“I assume you’ve all discussed this privately before coming to me?” he asked, but he wasn’t mad. He knew how close the three of us were.
“Of course we did.” Thomas nodded.
“And you all agree that Matthew should be the O’Grady to take over as general manager of the resort one day?”
I sat there, suddenly nervous even though I had no reason to be.
“Yes. Please. I sure as hell don’t want it.” Patrick couldn’t have answered faster.
“I know I’m the oldest, but I like numbers,” Thomas said with a slight wave. “Please don’t make me people.”
Our dad started laughing. “There is a lot of peopling involved.”
“Matthew is the most outgoing. He likes the attention. He’s great with the public. He’d be the best one of us for the job,” Patrick said matter-of-factly.
My chest filled with pride at the compliment.
“I think I could be really good at this. I know I have a lot to learn,” I started to say, but my dad cut me off.
“Son, I know you’ll be great at this. Just wanted to make sure there were no issues and we were all on the same page.” Our dad stood up from his seat and gave each one of us a hug before demanding we get back to our respective jobs.
My brothers hustled out of the office. Patrick had looked like he’d fall apart if he was forced to stay indoors for one more second. That guy loved to build things, and I thought stuffy offices gave him hives.
“Congratulations, Matthew. You ready to get started?” my dad asked, and I nodded.
My life was moving forward at a steady pace. I finally had so much of what I always wanted—my girl, a hopeful career, and a place of my own that felt like home. But a part of me was still unhappy, the sadness lingering like a black cloud over my head. And I hated feeling this way when I had absolutely no reason to.
What was wrong with me?
The next two weeks were a blur as we counted down the days to Patrick and Addi’s wedding. Bells was busy at the restaurant, the tourist season already gearing up, and I’d started officially shadowing my dad at the resort, my social media days long behind me. I had a real job now, as Bells enjoyed calling it, and honestly, it was a bit of an adjustment—in a good way.
Bells and I couldn’t get enough of one another. I drowned myself in loving her. We were constantly touching, her hands always grasping for some part of my body whenever it was within reach. Apparently, I’d woken up the sexual beast lying dormant inside my woman. She was relentless, and I fucking loved it.
I’d had no idea that she’d react that way after having sex for the first time, but my girl couldn’t wait to come home to me at night and try new things that she’d read about or always heard about. I let her have all the control because watching her experiment with my body was a joy all in itself.
“Is this normal? I feel like I think about sex all the time now,” she asked one night while we lay in bed after I tasted her body from head to toe. I had her flavor memorized.
“I’m not sure I’m the one you should ask. I’m a guy. We’re pretty much always thinking about sex,” I answered honestly.
She nodded like that was completely reasonable. “You’re right. I’ll ask Anna.” She chuckled, her fingers moving across my chest.
I loved when her nails scraped against my bare skin. I swore she could put me to sleep just by doing that.
“Move in with me,” I said.
I’d been asking her to move in almost daily. I figured that at some point, she’d get tired of turning me down and say yes instead, but so far, she hadn’t. Being relentless was one of my superpowers, but being stubborn was one of hers.
“I’m not moving in with you. We’ve been dating for, like, two seconds,” she argued. It was her typical response.
“We’ve been dating for a month!” I reminded her because, yes, I was fucking counting. I’d never had a girlfriend, and it was exhilarating.
“Ooh. A whole month,” she teased.
“Listen. You can have the bottom floor. There’s a kitchen, a bar, a bedroom, and its own entrance, as you well know. You can live there, and we don’t even have to see each other except on date nights.”
“That’s such a lie.”
“Which part?”
“All of it.” She giggled.
“You’re right. It’s definitely a lie, but just think about it. Do you want to use all your savings on rent when you don’t have to?” I knew how much she’d made on her commission check. But I also knew that if she kept paying rent on a two-bedroom apartment by herself, that money would be gone before she even had a chance to enjoy it.
“Not really. But I’m not moving in with you, Matthew. Not yet. It’s too soon.”
“You always say that. Who turns down free rent?”
“You know I wouldn’t feel right, living with you for free,” she said before propping herself up on her elbow.
“I know how you can pay me.” I raised my eyebrows and shot her a look as she rolled her eyes.
“Let me guess,” she groaned, but there was a smile behind her words.
“Sexual favors,” I blurted out before she could say it.
“Knew that was coming.” She shook her head and pursed her lips together. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” I said, noting the more serious tone her voice had just taken on.
“What’s the real issue?” I reared my head back slightly as she kept talking. “I mean, I get that you want to live together, but there’s something else behind it. What is it?”
I moved to sit up, pressing my back against the headboard. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like you being alone. Living by yourself doesn’t seem safe, does it?”
She blew out a quick breath, but she didn’t look annoyed. “Because Sugar Mountain is so dangerous? Women live alone all the time.”
“I know that. And it’s not that Sugar Mountain is dangerous, but even you have to admit that we become a completely different place during tourist season.”
Sugar Mountain turned into a town where you had to search to find a familiar face at times. It was overcrowded, and the locals tended to hunker down at home instead of venturing out. There were rowdy crowds, drunken idiots, and people who felt like they had nothing to lose because they didn’t live here and no one knew who they were.
“I appreciate you being concerned for my safety.” She leaned close to me and gave me a soft kiss. “How about a compromise?”
“Let me hear it.”
“We’ll discuss living together when my lease ends.”
I bobbed my head from side to side, as if I actually needed to consider this completely logical response. “Sounds fair.”
“In the meantime, one of us needs to let my brother know this is happening.” She wagged a finger between our two bodies.
“You don’t think your parents have filled him in already?” I asked.
She shook her head fiercely. “They told me they were not getting in the middle of that discussion. That it was on us.”
“Damn.” I shrugged. “I’ll tell him. What’s he going to do? Drive up here and try to fight me?”
I honestly couldn’t imagine Leo being that pissed off that I was banging his little sister. Okay, wait. If I put it that way, he might sucker-punch me for being a crude asshole. But even if he did have an issue with our relationship, once he knew that I was in love with her, he’d have to get over it. Right?
“Can we do it again?” Bells asked in a mischievous tone.
“I’ve created a monster,” I said as I pulled her tiny body on top of mine and started kissing her sweet mouth.
I’d give this woman whatever she asked for, even if it depleted me. I’d die making love to her. There were worse ways to go.
All four of us O’Grady men were currently huddled in Patrick’s bar, sipping on drinks, while Addi was in a room somewhere, getting ready with the rest of the girls, Bells included. I loved how easily she’d slipped into my family dynamic.
When Jasper whined, the four of us glanced down at him, and I laughed when I saw the little bow tie wrapped around his neck.
“I like his accessory.” I grinned and patted his head.
“Well, he is my best man,” Patrick said.
Thomas and I started arguing and talking over each other. No dog was going to be the best man over the two of us, even though there weren’t technically any titles at this wedding. Everyone in attendance knew how special they were to Patrick and Addi, and simply being there meant a lot.
My dad threw up a hand to get us all to shut up without saying a word. “If you girls don’t stop bitching, I’ll be his best man,” he said with a huff.
“You can’t be the minister and the best man,” Thomas argued, and I made an agreeing sound.
“Jasper’s not really your best man, right?” I whined louder than the dog had.
“He’s carrying the rings. Calm down,” Patrick reassured us.
Our dad cleared his throat. “I want you boys to know how proud your mom would be of the men you’ve become. I can’t take any credit because she was the one who raised you, and she deserves all the damn credit for everything good. But, by God, do I wish she were still here. Especially on days like today,” he said.
I swore I could hear my own heart beating as the world around us went silent.
“I wish she were too.” I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. It was like the accident had happened yesterday; the ache still felt so raw sometimes.
“It’s not fair that she missed out on all the good stuff,” Thomas added.
I noticed our dad wipe a tear from his eye, and that was all it took for my own to fall.
“She didn’t miss all the good stuff.” He tried to smile, but it was weak. “But she has missed a lot of it.”
“I think she’s with us,” Patrick said with a soft shrug. “If angels are allowed to leave heaven, she’d be the first in line.”
“Fuck,” I whispered as I let go of my emotions. I couldn’t stop the tears from pouring from my eyes.
“Please tell me you all know how much she loved you. And how much I do too.” Our dad choked on the last part, his words getting all tangled up in the emotions we didn’t typically share.
Thomas blew out a long breath before he leaned over, his hands on his knees as he focused on his breathing. “This is why we don’t talk about Mom.”
“Because we turn into blubbering messes?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“Because when it comes down to it, we’re nothing but a bunch of boys who lost their mother and never got over it.” Thomas stood up straight and wiped at his own face.
“You don’t get over something like that,” Dad said.
Patrick put a hand in the air, most likely to offer a subject change, but Jeremiah—Addi’s dad—walked up to us with a huge grin on his face.
“Shit.” His smile fell as he took in all of our expressions. “What happened?”
“This guy brought up our mother.” Patrick thumbed toward our dad.
“Great job, O’Grady. Remind me to invite you to all the fun things,” he teased.
Patrick had practically lived over at Jeremiah’s house after our mom died. We’d all escaped in our own way. I never realized before this moment that we’d all run away from the farm and all the memories it held, but we’d left our dad alone in it.
“Your mother was a hell of a woman. Not sure what she ever saw in this guy, but everyone in Sugar Mountain adored her,” Jeremiah added to the conversation that I’d assumed was over.
“I’m going to cry again.” I waved a hand and took a step away.
A door opened, and Addi’s younger sister, Sarina, walked out quickly. Her eyes met mine, and she waved before disappearing down the hall. This was the perfect change of subject.
“When did Sarina get in?” I asked as I made my way back toward the group of men who had somehow pulled it together in my quick absence.
“She’s been here a couple of days now,” Patrick answered.
“Is she staying with you guys?”
When Addi’s parents had gotten divorced, her mom had moved to New York and taken Sarina with her. The girls were just kids when it happened. Addi moved to NYC a few years back and trained under some big-name chefs. She’d bonded with her little sister during that time, and they’d been thick as thieves ever since. Her mother was another story, which was why she wasn’t here. I didn’t think she’d been invited.
“No, she is not,” Jeremiah responded with a grin. “She’s with me. At our house. Has her own room and everything,” he said, sounding like Patrick did when he talked about Clara’s room here.
I snapped my fingers. “That’s right. Didn’t she decorate it when she came out?” I remembered something about that from her very first visit all those months ago.
“She did. Bought everything from the general store. Looks like a twelve-year-old threw up in there.” Jeremiah laughed, but he loved it. Even though the man looked tough as nails and could probably still kick my ass, he was a big softy at heart.
Sarina reappeared and gave us each a hug in greeting. “Are you guys ready?” she asked.
Patrick stood a little taller and started adjusting his tie.
“Let’s go get you married then.” She giggled before shoving us toward the balcony, where the ceremony was taking place.
“I guess that’s our cue.” I nodded and started following my dad and Patrick outside.
“I’ll see you out there,” Jeremiah said as he headed toward the room where Addi was getting ready.
The oversize balcony was covered in mini twinkling lights. They were everywhere and created a magical scene as the sun started setting in the distance. There were lit candles of all sizes in glass cases. It was simple yet perfect. Intimate. My dad stood against one of the wood railings, a notebook in his hands, while my brother Patrick stood to the right of him.
When Bells appeared, I reached for her and held her body in front of my own, pressing her tight against me. “You look beautiful,” I whispered against her ear as I planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself.” She leaned her head on my chest. “Wait till you see Clara.”
As if she was summoned, my little niece walked outside, wearing the fluffiest dress I’d ever seen. She looked like a proper ballerina—minus the shoes, of course. Our little darling was wearing two different-colored combat boots. I wondered if she’d ever grow out of doing that and I secretly hoped she wouldn’t.
Brooklyn was right behind her, cradling her stomach with her hands. She did that a lot, even though there was nothing showing yet. Thomas’s face lit up whenever he saw her.
Sarina headed onto the balcony and stopped in between me and Thomas. “This is really pretty.”
“Pretty low-key,” I added, and she socked my shoulder.
“It suits them,” she defended.
I let out a huff. “It does.”
Jeremiah and Addi walked outside, arm in arm. Addi was wearing a white dress that wasn’t quite a gown, but wasn’t super casual either. It was perfect. Jeremiah delivered Addi to my brother, and they shook hands. Then, Jeremiah maneuvered his big, muscled body next to his other daughter.
“I’ll move,” I ground out, scooting to the side.
“Thanks,” he said as my dad started talking.
I zoned out a little, thinking about my own life and the woman I currently held in my arms. I was grateful that we’d finally moved out of the friend zone she’d pretended to put me in. When the quick ceremony was over, we all cheered and congratulated the happy couple. It felt so different from Thomas and Brooklyn’s wedding. Granted, theirs had been much larger, but them finding each other had also been unexpected.
Everyone had expected this wedding to happen. Give or take the last few years anyway.
Spinning Bells around so she could face me, I asked, “What did you think about the wedding?”
She glanced up at me, her eyes filled with joy, and I swore I’d never take seeing that for granted.
“I liked how intimate it was.”
“Is it what you’d want?”
She laughed. “Have you met my mom? There’s no way she wouldn’t want to invite every single relative. Intimate is not in her vocabulary.”
“So, not this small then?” I pretended to be thinking.
“Definitely not. It was perfect for them though. Don’t you think?”
I leaned down and took her lips with mine. “I do. But what kind of wedding do you want, Bells?”
I tried to kiss her again, but she shoved me away.
“Why? Is this you proposing?” She shot me a look.
“Oh, please, baby. When I propose to you, you’ll know it’s happening,” I said, and I swore her face paled two shades. “So, a destination wedding then?” I suggested as I gripped her tighter, and her color slowly started returning.
“I don’t hate that idea.” She grinned, and I stored that little nugget of information for down the line.