Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Seamus shouldn’t have been so nervous about introducing Dawson to his mother.
They were two of the people he loved most in the world. Add in his dad, and he would have a hat trick, as they said in hockey. He’d been looking at a hockey script because it was all the rage right now.
But he was nervous because his mom was a force of nature, and Dawson—he didn’t take any shit.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Topher asked him, coming to straighten his shirt collar. Topher had been in the bedroom helping him get dressed because Dawson had been out swimming, working off a bunch of nervous energy, he thought. Now the guy was in the bathroom, dressing after his shower.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.”
“Liar.” Topher grinned at him then winked. “You’re nervous about your mom meeting Dawson, I can tell. You’re bouncing. Your good leg, at least.”
“Not just Mom. Stephanie.”
Topher groaned and shook his head. “She’s always such a hoot.”
He shrugged. “At least Steph didn’t want to come to the bullriding.”
That was a little too low-brow for her tastes.
“Uh-huh.” Topher winked at him. “She might smell bull poop.”
“I know. Let’s just go get it over with, huh? Just make sure I don’t fall down.” Seamus got up and grabbed his crutches.
“Got it.” Topher helped him up off the bed, handed him his crutches. “Dawes, we’re heading to the front room. We’ll see you out there.”
“Thanks, Chris.” He heard Dawson laughing because it was probably kind of weird to hear Christopher yelling at him from the bedroom, like they were some kind of weird threesome when they weren’t really at all.
Shay loved Chris, but he wasn’t going to share Dawson with the man. If he invited Topher in, he’d have to invite Nick too, and that would just get crowded.
Besides, if he was going to hook up with Christopher, he would have done it twenty years ago, when they were both younger and had way more energy.
Topher helped him get into front room, settling on a chair that was easier to get up off of than the sofa was.
They were going to supper a little bit early to try to avoid some of the crush of the cameras, but it was damn near impossible. He was one thing, but Mom was on a totally different level. She was sending a car big enough for all of them, with one following for protection.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to go?” Nick asked. “I can totally come.”
“Well, you’re welcome to, but I’ve got Dawes and Chris, and God knows Mother is going to bring Robin and his entire team, and Stephanie is. So if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
Nick looked to Chris, who kind of shook his head a little bit.
“I’m going to be completely on the job. I’m not going to be able to sit and relax and have food with you, I’m sorry. But if you want, you and I can go out to dinner together. Just you and me after I bring this hooligan home.”
Okay, that was probably the sweetest he’d ever heard Christopher be to Nicholas. Creepy, but cool.
Nick’s smile was transcendent. “Well then, I’ll stay home and get some smoothies made up that can just sit in the freezer for both Shay and Dawson.”
“Works for me.” Topher looked at him as Nick wandered off. “It’ll be better this way.”
Seamus gave Topher a look. He didn’t get it. “Why? I mean, is this any different than any other time I end up having to go out to dinner?”
“Well, it is your mother; that brings a certain set of complications.”
“True, but she’s going to bring plenty of security. And the restaurant knows they’re coming.”
“Mmmhmm. And that can be good or bad.”
“She’ll bury them if they call in the paparazzi.” Seamus chuckled, just envisioning that.
“True.” Topher waved a hand. “But you and Dawson will be a thing.”
“Oh. Yeah. True.” This wasn’t their first time together in L.A., but it was their first time out to supper somewhere.
“Why are we so serious?” Dawson came walking out, hair still damp, his pressed dress shirt and dark jeans and good boots so fucking hot. “Do I need a jacket? Like, is this place fancy?”
He loved how Dawes said “faincy”.
“No. No, this is not casual, but it’s not a jacket or tie situation. It’s as simple as Mom gets, though. It’s California cuisine—basically, we’ll love how it tastes and stop for a lettuce wrap burger on the way home.”
“Okay, cool.” Dawson grabbed his hat. “You need help, honey?”
“Nah. I got these neat sticks.” He winked, but huffed as he maneuvered out to the car with Topher and Dawson helping him. They’d meet Mom and Stephanie at her condo and go to the restaurant from there.
That way Mom could meet Dawson before they went out in public.
They had parked in the parking garage, avoiding the main entrance where there would no doubt be paparazzi, as there always were, at the hotels Mom stayed at. Seamus looked at Dawson. “Are you ready for this?”
“I am. I’m kinda eager in fact. I want to meet your mom.”
Seamus loved that. Dawson was a family guy. He had seen it with Coke and Dillon and Dawson’s friends. He liked being a part of something, so he would integrate seamlessly into Seamus’s people.
Mom came as she always did, a wild, tornadic swirl of flowing clothes, a mass of golden curls, snapping eyes, the scent of vanilla like a balm to his soul.
She slid into the limo and grabbed him with tiny hands that should never be able to hold the strength they did. “Baby, I’ve missed you. Can’t believe you’re hurt; how bad is it? I’m going to rip someone’s head off. This isn’t a stunt. It’s dancing.”
Obviously the way he did it was dangerous. “It’s better, it’s broken, but it’s healing.”
“Of course it’s healing.” Stephanie leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Hello, dear.”
“Steph. You look amazing.”
“I hope so. When do you see the doctor again?”
He opened his mouth to answer, and then Mom jumped in. “Is Nicholas going to do your physical therapy? Why didn’t he come? Oh, Christopher, love—are you two fighting again? You know that’s bad for your soul. You deserve peace, and—”
“It’s good to see you, Mum.”
She beamed at him. “It’s good to be seen. Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes. It’s been too many weeks, and I need to meet your man, who—” She looked around, eyes fastened on Dawson. “—is you. I looked you up. I like what I’ve seen.”
“Thank you, Miz O’Houlihan.”
Seamus bit back a grin. He’d told Dawes his mom hated ma’am, but he would bet she shut that shit down fast. “Pleased to meet you.”
“You as well. Call me Kat. That mouthful. Ugh.”
“Yes, ma— Ahem. Yes, Kat.”
His mom’s laugh trilled out. “You’re a cowboy, sweetie. From you I’ll forgive the occasional ma’am.”
To his delight, Dawson’s deep laugh rang out too. “Well, now, that’s right decent of you.”
“Please don’t let anyone know. You’ll ruin my entire reputation, and then where will I be?” She winked at Seamus. “I’d like to note that you’ve worked with this young man for how many weeks? And didn’t manage not to get hurt, and yet—”
“Thanks, Mum.” Seamus rolled his eyes.
“Mmm…” She hummed for a second. “So tell me all about you, Dawson.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes, then leaned forward to talk to him. “Everyone is incredibly pleased with how you handled the shoot. Good job.”
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I try. You know that.”
“I do.”
Mom patted his leg, catching his attention. “Hugo is a huge bullriding fan. I know that he must have been very excited.”
“He was. I’m going to bring Dad out for a couple of events when he’s not so busy. He’s on a shoot right now.”
“What’s he doing?” She tapped her pointed chin. “Let’s see, reality TV, some island thing with women in bikinis that make him queasy?”
They both chuckled.
Seamus shook his head. “No, he’s actually hosting a competition reality show about miniatures—dollhouse miniatures.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Wow, that’s fascinating.”
“He says it’s really easy, it’s really fun, and Brian gets to be with him.” He reached over and took Dawson’s hand, knowing his mom would notice.
“Well, Brian is an interior designer, so at least he’ll be able to help your father say fascinating things.”
“Only if we’re lucky,” he agreed.
“Honestly, dollhouse miniatures?” Stephanie almost sounded offended.
Seamus shrugged, unable to hide his smile. Da wasn’t ambitious like Mom was. Mom wanted to take over the world, to be political and artistic and fabulous, while his dad just liked to make things that were gentle and made people laugh.
It suited Seamus to the bone. It was easy to match Dad’s energy, Mom’s not so much.
“So, tell me about your latest project, Mum.”
She slumped back into the cushions. “I just wrapped shooting, and I’m about to get into the editing room before we head into any reshoots, so I’m taking a break. It’s fabulous script about the death of an environmental warrior in the .”
“Wow, that sounds deep.”
He squeezed Dawson’s fingers as he spoke, encouraging him to keep going.
“Definitely not the kinder, gentler kind of work. It was very emotional, but all of my cast and crew were on it, they were excited. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Dawson nodded soberly. “I bet it was tough.”
“It was! The best kind of work is.”
“Mum believes in no pain, no gain, babe.”
“Hmm. I try to keep everyone from getting hurt, so I reckon we’re opposites, Miz Kat.”
“Oh no, I don’t know if that’s opposites, because I think that’s perfect. I think my son needs someone who is committed to him not getting hurt. I like this. I like it a lot.”
Dawson chuckled softly, relaxing a bit. “Well, I’ll do my best, but you know I can’t be here all the time. And he keeps doing these crazy things…like dancing.”
“Just think, the poor girl who was dancing with him was having to do it backwards in high heels.”
Seamus snorted, tossing his head. “We were dancing side-by-side, I just fell off the damn stage. And you know, we don’t know. It may have been she was pushing me too close to the edge; maybe she had it out for me.”