7
Ronan
“Fitz, those were the best steaks I think I’ve ever eaten in my entire life,” Ronan said, setting down his knife and fork beside his empty plate.
“Me too,” Jude agreed. “We’ve had the turf, now we need the surf.” Jude rubbed his hands together. “I want to spend this vacation eating my weight in lobster dripping with melted butter.”
“Me too,” Fitz agreed. “I made a reservation at Moby Dick’s for tomorrow night at six,” Fitz said.
“What’s a mobydick?” Everly asked. “Is that when they curve to the side like those wonky cucumbers in that commercial?”
“What?” Ten asked, looking appalled. “No! Where the hell did you see that commercial?” His gaze was on Ronan.
“Not it!” Ronan shivered in the warm room. “Those commercials make me nauseous.”
“Is that because you’ve got a bend in yours?” Jude asked, his face turning red, as he burst out laughing.
“Ewww.” Everly shook her head and pushed back from the table. “First Bigfoot and now this. I’m out.”
“Wait! Bigfoot? Who was talking about Bigfoot?” Jude asked, finally getting himself back under control.
“Daddy said he wished he’d borrowed Uncle Cope’s fur coat so Dad could play Bigfoot. Then Dad roared like a hungry pterodactyl. I didn’t know my fathers put on plays at night after I go to bed.”
“If Ten is playing Bigfoot, who is Ronan playing?” Jude asked.
“Long Dong Silver,” Everly said with a shrug. “I’ve never seen his movies before, but I think he’s that bald guy in Die Hard.”
“Long Dong Silver?” Jude asked. “What the hell goes on in your house at night?”
“Beats me.” Everly set her plate and silverware in the dishwasher.
“Never mind that,” Ronan said, waggling his eyebrows. “Moby Dick was the name of a whale in a famous book. The restaurant is named after him.”
“Oh, was he a cute whale?” Aurora asked. “We love cute whales, right Everly?”
“Right!” Everly agreed, looking as if she were over her Moby Dick confusion.
“I’m not sure if he was a cute whale. Captain Ahab didn’t think he was, that’s for sure.” Ronan had no idea what standards Everly and Aurora judged whales by.
“I know Captain Ahab!” Everly squealed.
“You do?” Ronan asked. Who the hell had told Everly about Ahab? It sure as hell wasn’t him.
“Uncle Fitz told us all about him when we watched Jaws. Mr. Quint was based on Ahab. He was obsessed with Jaws the same way Ahab was with the white whale.”
“I didn’t realize you were a literary genius, Fitz.” Ronan couldn’t care less that Fitz schooled Everly on classic literature, he was just happy he wasn’t the one in the dog house for letting her watch Jaws.
“What you don’t know about me could fill Davy Jones’ locker.”
“You mean that cutie from The Monkeys?” Everly asked. “Why does he have a locker?”
Ronan snorted. “Not the cutie from The Monkeys.”
“Phew,” Everly said. “We’re gonna go watch a movie now.”
“Hold on, guys. Just an FYI, we’re gonna spend part of tomorrow morning on the beach and then we’re going on our shark watch.”
“Me love ‘harks!” Ezra half-shouted, climbing out of his booster.
“’Harks!” Lizzie echoed.
“Okay, bye!” Everly went to run into the living room, but Ronan reached out and grabbed her around the middle.”
“Daddy!” Everly shrieked. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself be pulled onto Ronan’s lap.
“We’re gonna need to have a chat about your gift and what is and is not appropriate for you to eavesdrop on or repeat to other people, especially Uncle Jude. Got it?”
Everly nodded. “Got it. There are just so many things I don’t understand, like why Dad likes to dress up in dog collars.”
Jude barked a quick laugh. Cope whacked him.
“Uncle Jude likes to wear them too?” Everly’s eyes were on Cope, who blushed. “I guess they are kinda cool looking. Maybe they’d look good on me and Aurora too.” Everly pressed a kiss to Ronan’s cheek and was on her way.
“Do not say one word,” Fitz muttered, his attention on Jace. “The last thing we need is for Everly to report back on our night moves.”
“My lips are sealed. Mostly.” Jace chuckled.
“Switching gears,” Fitz said, clearing his throat. “What else do you all want to do while we’re here, aside from hitting the beach and the local leather daddy shops.” Fitz waggled his eyebrows.
“I definitely want to visit Provincetown,” Cope said. “We only made it as far as Hyannis when Jude and I were here last time. I want to see a drag show or go to a drag brunch and get cool t-shirts.”
“I’m in for drag brunch,” Fitz said.
“There’s one on Monday geared toward families with kids,” Ronan said, sending the show link to the others. “They even have face painting for the kids. Everly will lose her mind over drag make-up.”
“So will Aurora,” Fitz agreed. “If Ten and Cope are game, I’ll make the reservation now.”
“I’m good,” Ten said. Cope nodded along with him. “But, I do want to talk more about this shark watch. Is this gonna be bloody?”
“The tours tout being able to observe great white sharks in their natural habitat and predation is part of the circle of life.” Fitz paused. “I think the kids will be okay. They were okay watching Jaws.”
Ronan burst out laughing.
“What the hell is so funny about our precious babies watching a shark chow down on vacationers?”
“First of all,” Ronan began, “it was a fake shark who pretended to eat actors. Secondly, I wasn’t the one who showed them the movie, so I’m tickled pink to be off the hook.”
Ten raised a questioning eyebrow. “No, you were just the one who showed the kids Jurassic Park, with the T-rex eating the scuzzball lawyer and Top Gun with the tongue kissing scenes.”
“Wrong!” Ronan crowed. “Jude showed the kids Jurassic Park! However, in his defense, and mine and Fitz’s as well, none of the kids have had nightmares about being eaten by a shark, a T-rex or Tom Cruise.”
Cope snorted. “He’s got a point, Ten.”
Ronan threw his hands in the air like Tom Brady after throwing a Super Bowl winning touchdown.
“Don’t encourage him.” Ten rolled his eyes.
“You know you love me. Maybe we’ll go to bed early tonight and I can be your leather daddy.” Ronan waggled his eyebrows.
Jude gagged. “I just threw up in my mouth. I’m gonna grab the Scope. Anyone else want some?”
“I’m gonna head on upstairs.” Ten got out of his seat and pressed a kiss to Ronan’s cheek.
“Oh, god, if the two of you want to do that freaky shit, do it on the beach.” Jude strode out of the room, gagging.
“I’m gonna take a shower and go to bed early, not do freaky shit.” Ten sighed. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
“Do you want me to come up and tuck you in?” Ronan asked, hoping Ten would change his mind about the freaky stuff, and if not, he’d have to settle for their usual.
Ten shook his head. “I want to read for a bit and go to sleep.”
“Me too.” Cope got out of his seat. “You guys will be okay putting the kids to bed.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah, we’re good.” Fitz waved as Ten, Cope, and Jace left the room.
“Is he okay?” Fitz asked, a few seconds after everyone left the kitchen.
“So far as I know. When we were at the pirate museum, Everly had a vision of Sam Bellamy at the wheel of the Whydah. I was with her when it happened and I didn’t tell him. I think it freaked him out, not just the vision, but the fact Everly didn’t say a word either.”
“Any idea why?” Fitz asked.
Ronan shook his head. “I know she doesn’t want to alarm Ten, but she’s never been in danger in her visions.”
“Maybe she’s waiting to see what happens next?” Fitz suggested.
“What do you mean?”
“If she knows there’s more coming, like a second installment of this vision, she might keep it to herself until she knows what the vision is leading her toward. No sense in getting anyone upset or running the vacation off the rails until she absolutely has to.”
Ronan thought about what Fitz had said. Everly was the most empathetic and thoughtful person he’d ever known in his life.
It would make sense she didn’t want to interrupt anyone’s good time.
Not to mention the fact that Fitz said he wanted to have an un-haunted vacation.
“What you’re saying makes a lot of sense.
I don’t know as much about her gifts as Ten does, but the vision could have come from the objects in the museum.
Maybe she picked up their auras, so to speak.
The other option is that Sam Bellamy is trying to communicate with her.
” Ronan paused, not wanting to take his theory to the next step.
“Why? Why would a three-hundred year old pirate ghost want to speak with my eight-year-old daughter?”
“That’s obvious,” Fitz said. “Love.”
“Love?” Ronan barked back. “Why the hell would-” He stopped, suddenly understanding what Fitz was driving toward. “Bellamy’s lost love. The girl. What’s her name?”
“Maria Hallett,” Fitz said with a grin. “Bellamy went to sea to make his fortune so he could get her father’s approval for their marriage. He died on his way back to her.”
“Bellamy wants to be reunited with his lost love,” Ronan said. It sounded so simple. “Do you really think Bellamy’s spirit has been hanging around waiting to reunite with Maria since 1717?”
“I would if I were Bellamy and Jace was Marry Hallett. Wouldn’t you wait for Ten?”
Ronan nodded. He absolutely would wait for Tennyson. He’d wait for his husband until the universe ended if he had to.
“I’ve heard Cope and Ten say that spirits know when people can see or understand them. Maybe Bellamy’s been waiting for someone with Everly’s skill to reunite him with Maria.”
“It makes sense. What can I do to help?” Ronan asked.
“I hate to say this, but all we can do is wait for Bellamy to reach out and show Everly the next installment of his vision.” Fitzgibbon shrugged. He patted Ronan on the back and headed into the living room.
Ronan hated feeling helpless in any situation, but none more so than when Everly was involved. His daughter hadn’t seemed anxious or scared. Hell, she cared more about cute whales than a centuries old pirate ghost needing her help.
Everly might be footloose and fancy free, but until Bellamy made another appearance, Ronan would be on guard, keeping his daughter safe. Well, as safe as one could be when the danger was invisible.