Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“This one time, Cormac chased this kid with a baseball bat, what was his name? Billy Ray?” Finn elbows his brother lightly. “Remember that guy?”
“He was a fucking prick.”
“Amen,” Seamus agrees.
“Billy broke my nose over some stupid kid shit,” Finn continues, swirling his glass and getting into the story. “Like I stole a Pokémon card from him or something? I can’t even remember anymore. But after I came home with a black eye and a fucked-up face, Cormac went ballistic. He was all like, nobody beats up my brothers, nobody except for fucking me. It was hysterical. He ended up chasing Billy Ray all around the block with that bat.”
“What happened? Did he catch him?” I glance at my husband to make sure he’s okay, and I’m shocked to see that he’s smiling.
“Beat the shit out of him,” Finn says proudly.
“Broke his knee, if I remember right.” Cormac sighs like it’s a happy memory. “I think he still walks with a limp.”
“Serves the fucker right!” Finn raises a glass. Seamus laughs as the men toast. Siobhan rolls her eyes and shakes her head like she’s heard these all a thousand times before.
There are other stories. Funny ones, less violent. Cormac sounds like he was an overly protective kid who was constantly getting into minor scrapes. But as we sit down to eat and the stories keep coming, it’s pretty clear that everyone in this room loves Cormac, probably even more than he realizes.
He thinks he doesn’t fit in, but it’s so obvious that he’s a deep part of all their lives. Maybe he drifted away over the years, but that happens. People come and go. Now that I’m here, I want to encourage him to be more active with his family because they seem like decent people.
Dinner is chicken and rice, and it’s absolutely perfect. The wine flows, and eventually even Declan seems to ease up a little bit. He laughs at one of my jokes, which endears him to me. When we’re done eating, the guys stick around to drink more, while Siobhan pulls me away.
“I’m so happy you came tonight,” she says softly as we sit down together in the front room. She pours two more glasses of wine. “How’s he been lately?”
“Good, at least from what I can tell.”
“No outbursts? No anger?”
That surprises me. I shake my head. “He seems pretty collected most of the time.”
“That’s good.” She looks off to the side, frowning a bit. “You know, he cares about you deeply.”
“I figured that out.”
“He’d do anything for you. I just want to make sure you and he are acclimating together. And if you’re worried about something…” She trails off.
“Can I be honest?”
“Please.”
I clear my throat. Suddenly, this couch is deeply uncomfortable, and my throat goes dry and scratchy. I don’t know why, but I want to get up and run away.
“I haven’t admitted this out loud yet,” I say slowly, forcing myself to calm down. This is a good thing. “But he and I…” I search for the right way to put it. “We’re working out.”
Her eyebrows raise. “Better than expected?”
“I’m falling for him.”
There’s a short pause. She seems surprised, but in a good way. She laughs, pours more wine, and we toast. “Lord knows he already fell for you,” she says as we drink together. But her smile slowly fades. “I just want you to be careful, okay? I’m sure his attention is intoxicating right now. Everything’s new and exciting. But your feelings might fade, or they might turn into something normal and good, except you have to understand that his… won’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’ll always be like this. That’s the thing with my son. He’s all or nothing, and with you, it’s decidedly all and more. There’s no going back from that.”
I hadn’t even thought about that. I frown over my shoulder toward where the men are sitting together and try to picture myself twenty years from now. What if my emotions really do fade? What if I drift into comfortable domesticity?
But that’s the thing with Cormac. Even if I start to drift, he’ll be there, always ready to pull me back in. That’s why falling for him is so exciting and terrifying. The depths are scary, but they’re also incredible. Much more than I’ve ever experienced before.
“I don’t want to go back,” I admit, blinking back some tears.
Siobhan smiles and comes to sit beside me. “I’m very happy to hear that. Still, be cautious with him.”
“I know you’re concerned. He’s your son and everything. But I think we have a good thing going. I think it’s something I want to pursue. Do you know what I mean?”
“Absolutely.” She hugs me tightly. “Welcome to the family.”
Chapter 33
Bianca
“When you said you had a surprise for me…” I squint out the car window as we roll down a quiet Brooklyn block. “I was expecting flowers. Maybe sex.”