Nessa leans forward again. “In case you haven’t figured it out, someone holds a grudge forever.”

  “Yep,” Caitlín ends the word on a pop.

  I make a mental note not to get on her bad side. We reach the city and make our way down unfamiliar roads. “I’ve only been to Dublin a few times in my life. It feels bigger with each visit.”

  “It’s not so bad once you learn your way around. Us girls try to get together once a week for drinks, although Lucia can’t always come. Not sure if Aidan’s mentioned her or not, but that’s my sister-in-law,” Caitlín says. “Enzo is in a lot of activities so her calendar is full some times.”

  “He’s the oldest, right? Aidan said he was around Aisling’s age.”

  “Seven going on thirty?” Caitlín jokes.

  I laugh. “Something like that.”

  “The kid’s an artistic genius. You should see some of his drawings. He has more talent in a single finger than I do in my entire body.”

  Caitlín has my attention. “Really? I’d love to see some of his work. I’m an artist and Aisling is a budding one herself.”

  “You should definitely reach out to her and introduce Enzo and your sister,” Nessa suggests. “Especially if they’re the same age. They might even be in the same class together. It might make things easier for her if she already had a friend.”

  “That’s actually a great idea. I’ll do that, thank you.”

  So far this outing is going far better than I expected. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so welcome. Maybe marrying into Aidan’s family won’t be so bad after all.

  CHAPTER 19

  Aidan

  So much for spending the rest of the day with Sorcha. I’m not sure why I’m bitching. I’m glad Caitlín and Nessa are taking her under their wing. Imogen is still balancing getting to know her new family while also being in a relationship with their rival, so we don’t see her as often as Da and Nora like. They hope the visits will grow more frequent with time. Still, I need to make it a point to introduce the two women soon.

  Sorcha’s never said it out loud, but slowly losing her friends from uni really hurt her. She’d been so isolated in Burtonport. The village was full of people over forty or under fifteen. It’ll be good for her to have new friends.

  I stride through the house in search of the kids. Aisling is in the kitchen standing on a stool next to Nora who’s showing her how to make whatever it is they’re making.

  “Hey, little nightmare. Having fun?” I come up beside her and peek over her shoulder.

  “Uh huh. Auntie Nora is showing me how to make the potatoes for shepherd’s pie.”

  I raise my eyebrow at the older woman. Auntie Nora, I mouth and she just smiles. Not mhamó yet, but it’s close. “That sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it.”

  Her gaze flits my way. “Where’s Sorcha?”

  “She went to lunch with my cousin Caitlín and my brother’s girlfriend, Nessa, but she’ll be back before you know it.” I lean against the counter a short distance away. Far enough to stay out from underfoot.

  “I wanted to show her what I was making.” Aisling pouts.

  “You’ll have plenty of time to show her another day. Do you know where your brothers are?” I try to distract her.

  She lifts a shoulder. “Outside somewhere.”

  “I’ll find them and let them know it’s almost lunch time.” I head toward the dining room and the door to the back patio.

  It’s an overcast day, but the temperature is mild. The expansive lawn that stretches out to the rolling fields is empty aside from the guest house that sits on a level area about halfway down. I walk around to the side of the manor where the hedgerow maze sits. When we were kids, my brothers, Caitlín, and I would chase each other through it. On the other side of the house, we used to set up targets while we taught her how to shoot.

  “Kellen. Carson,” I call out their names while I walk.

  Rustling sounds come from the hedgerow. I pause at the entrance and wait. Several minutes and more than one curse later, they appear. I’ll leave it up to Sorcha to give them the look for their language.

  “It’s about time for lunch,” I tell them and wave them toward the house.

  “This place is so cool,” Kellen announces.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’ll have to show you the secret passages inside the house that lead out here.” I pause. “Although, if you’re going to use them to sneak out, make sure you stay out of trouble when you do it. No leaving the property. Stay within the gated walls or it won’t be Sorcha you have to worry about.”

  Both boys swallow and nod sharply and continue walking with me.

  “Speaking of Sorcha, it’s just the three of us and Aisling for lunch.” I open the door into the dining room for them and gesture for them to proceed.

  “Why isn’t Sorcha eating with us?” Kellen asks.

  “She went out to lunch with a couple friends. They’ll be back this afternoon.”

  Kellen nods. “Oh good. She needs more friends. It can’t be all that fun for her to just hang out with us all the time, even though we know she loves us.”

  For a twelve-year-old, he has the maturity of someone much older. I nudge him with my elbow. “You’re a good kid, you know that, right? You are too, Carson. Sorcha’s lucky to have you both.”

  They flush but stand a little prouder.

  “Why don’t you have a seat in here. The food should be coming shortly.”

  While they sit next to each other at the table that’s already set, I go into the kitchen. Nora glances up. “There you are. Cian just arrived. He and your Da asked that you come to his office.”

  “Thanks. The boys are at the table. Holler at them when you need some help.” I turn and head to Da’s inner sanctum.

  I stop in the doorway. “Nora said you wanted to see me.”

  My brother’s already taken a chair. Da jerks his chin. “Close the door.”

  I do as he says and sit next to Cian. “What’s going on?”

  “Word on the street is that Ayman Naji is back in business,” my brother announces.

  “The Moroccan?”

  “One and the same. With Campbell blocking all the imports from our suppliers, Nathan says that Naji has been making deals with the Germans. He’s increasing his weapon stores and there’s talk of retaliation for our attack a few months ago,” Da adds.

  “An attack that was provoked when that piece of shite McElroy tried to kill Roarke. An action that wasn’t even sanctioned by Naji,” I argue.

  “He’s still threatening revenge since we took out so many of his men. Naji didn’t escape completely unscathed. From my understanding, he took a bullet that required more than a month of recuperation,” Cian says. “Now that he’s back to his full health, he’s ready to declare war.”

  Fuck. “I suppose Campbell is letting his shipments through.”

  Da’s fists clench on his desk. “From the sounds of it. Liam has said he has no quarrel with the Moroccans so he has no reason to deny cargo deliveries for them.”

  “That bastard. Does Campbell really think Naji isn’t going to try and use those same weapons against him if it comes down to it? He can’t be that naive?” I scoff.

  “I don’t think it’s naivety. Liam thinks he’s untouchable. He’s cocky. One of these days, his superiority complex is going to be his downfall. I have no intention of letting Imogen fall with him,” Da growls. “Eventually the Moroccans are going to want more than they have and Campbell will be the one standing in their way.”

  “What’s the plan then?” I ask. “Do we have any other way of smuggling weapons into the city?”

  Cian shakes his head. “Not Dublin. Our only option is to somehow get them into Belfast. Which isn’t so much a problem, although Nathan is running into a couple snags with finding some contacts up there. The challenge is transporting them from Belfast to here. There are too many opportunities for something to go wrong. We don’t have enough people in our pockets at the moment.”

  I run my hand down my face. “Son of a bitch. Completely disregarding the weapons shipments for the moment, what are we going to do about Naji?”

  “I’m calling a meeting with the clan leaders tomorrow,” Da says. “We’ll strategize then and see how we want to proceed. In the meantime, you boys need to keep your eyes open when you’re in town and make sure you’re armed.”

  “Always. Fuck,” I curse and move to stand up. “Caitlín and Nessa took Sorcha to the city for lunch.”

  Da lifts a hand and I settle back down. “Roarke is keeping an eye on them. They’ll be fine. He’ll call if there’s any trouble.”

  Not that I don’t trust our enforcer, but I won’t relax until Sorcha walks through the front door.

  “Speaking of…” Cian draws out. “I take it this new engagement is the ‘it’s complicated’ thing you were telling me about? And you said it didn’t involve a woman.”

  Leave it to him to bring that up. I give him the finger.

  Da clears his throat and stands. “I’ll leave you boys to your discussion. Don’t argue too long. Nora won’t appreciate having her meal grow cold.”

  He leaves his office and I punch Cian in the arm. He groans. “The fuck? That hurt.”

  “Don’t be a pussy. That’s not even near where Sheehan’s guy’s bullet hit you.”

  “You’re a dick. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were getting married,” Cian whines.

  “I hadn’t planned on getting married until that bastard Liam called my bluff.”

  “And you’ve been friends with this woman for five years and not once did she know you were a Donnelly? You ashamed of us?”

  I glare at him. “No, I’m not ashamed. Sometimes, it’s just easier if people don’t know who I am. It lets me go places that I might not otherwise be welcome.”

  “Since when has being unwelcome stopped you—any of us—from going where ever the fuck you want?” Cian gapes. “Money and power opens pretty much any door.”

  “Normally, I’d agree. But, at the time, being Sorcha’s friend was more important than being a Donnelly.”

  My brother stares at me for several seconds and then he narrows his eyes. “You’re in love with her.”

  I shake my head. “What? No I’m not. She’s my best friend. Nothing more.”

  Cian stands over me. “Go ahead and keep lying to yourself if it makes you feel better.”

  Before I can respond, he walks out of the office. I slump back in the seat. He’s wrong. I am not in love with Sorcha.

  CHAPTER 20

  Sorcha

  I can’t remember when I had such a good time. Thankfully, Caitlín has been happy to lead the conversation. She also has a way about her that makes a person feel comfortable. It’s not that I’m an introvert or shy. I just tend to let others do all the talking unless I feel like there’s something I want to to add to it or if it’s a topic I have a lot of knowledge about.

  “Are you excited or nervous about the wedding?” I ask Caitlín. “Aidan told me you were getting married in a few months in Brooklyn.”

  “Both, but I’m even more excited over the fact that my mother loves nothing more than to plan weddings. She’s organized nearly all of her childrens’. I think Nathan and Lucia’s was the only one she didn’t do everything for, and that’s only because they got married here in Dublin.” She takes the last bite of her dessert.

  I’m a bit envious and even more sad. My mother and I had been close. Same with Da. Neither one of them will be here to see me get married. Nessa lays her hand on my arm. “Hey, are you okay?”

  I nod and smile a little sadly. “Just thinking about my own parents and how they won’t be at my wedding.”

  “I’m sorry. I feel the same way about my mum not being there if Cian and I ever get married. She died when I was so young, but I still miss her,” Nessa says softly.

  “I know I’m not a replacement for anyone’s mum,” Caitlín adds gently. “But I’m happy to help with any wedding planning you want me to help with. Either of you. I don’t mind. I’m just letting my own mother do it, because I know how much she loves it.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it. Aidan and I haven’t even set a date yet. Or even started talking about it.” We only just decided it’s even real.

  “If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that men aren’t going to make a point to sit down and think about things like that unless you make them. It’s not necessarily that they don’t care,” Caitlín pauses. “No, wait, never mind, they don’t.”

  I’m taking a drink and nearly spew it everywhere. Instead I cough and grab my napkin. Nessa laughs and pats my back.

  “I’ve learned to be cautious about when I drink when she’s talking for this very reason,” she says.

  Unapologetic, Caitlín shrugs. “Even I don’t know what’s going to come out of my mouth half the time.”

  I manage to get my coughing under control. “I guess I’ll have to be the one to bring it up.”

  Aidan’s cousin chuckles. “Don’t make it sound so terrible. Communication is important. How else are you going to know what the other is thinking or feeling if you don’t talk about it? It’s all part of being in a relationship.”

  Nessa stares at her like she doesn’t recognize her. Caitlín chuckles. “What? I manage to give out decent advice every once in a while.”

  My gaze bounces between them and Nessa turns to me. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but…what she said. Talk to Aidan. You two have been friends for this long, it’s not as though you don’t know how.”

  I sigh. “You’re right. Everything feels different now, but we’re still both the same people. Talking is something we’ve never had trouble doing. We’ll figure out this new relationship between us eventually.”

  We finish our dessert and drinks and the server brings the bill. I get out my pocketbook, but Caitlín waves me off. “It’s on me.”

  “Thank you.”

  Once she’s paid and we leave the table, a tall, scarred man with silver-flecked hair rises from another table and falls in line behind us. I glance over my shoulder at the distance between him and us and lean close to Nessa. Before I can say anything, Caitlín pivots so she’s walking backward and blows a kiss at the man. “Thanks for lunch, babe.”

  She swivels forward and the man shakes his head, but there’s a grin on his face. Ohhh. That must be her fiancé. My curiosity is raised. Does he always linger nearby when she goes out or is there another reason he’s sticking close?

  “Who’s up for some shopping?” Caitlín asks.

  “I should probably get back to the house.” The guilt returns about leaving the kids, even though it shouldn’t.

  “Maybe next time, then.”

  We reach the vehicle and then we’re back on the road.

  “Thank you again for inviting me to lunch. I had a really nice time.” It’s been great getting to know Aidan’s family.

  “Of course.” Nessa glances at me in the backseat. “I, for one, know how intimidating it can be as a newcomer. I’ve only been around a couple months myself so I know how nice it is to be welcomed. It’s great to have friends. Especially ones who understand what it’s like being attached to a Donnelly.”

  “Excuse me,” Caitlín gasps. “I’m a Donnelly.”

  “Exactly my point.”

  The two of them bicker good-naturedly while I sit back and enjoy the scenery. It’s been a pleasant afternoon. Finally, we drive through the gate guarding the entrance to the estate and down the lane to stop in front of the manor. Nessa lets me out and I wave over my shoulder with a goodbye before entering the house. I head straight for Aidan’s wing. He’s sitting in one of the chairs with a glass in his hand. He glances up at my arrival.

  “You’re back. Did you have a nice lunch?” he asks.

  I set my purse on a table and sit on the couch closest to him, curling my legs beneath me. “I did. I really liked the both of them.”

  “Good. I’m glad.”

  “Were the kids okay?”

  “Of course. Aisling helped Nora make lunch and the boys traipsed around outside. They’re back out there, although they said they’d be back soon, and Aisling is in the dining room drawing you a picture of her day for when you get home.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.” I smile. “What are you doing in here all alone, anyway? I figured you’d have some work to do.”

  “Just sitting and thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “Things.” Aidan takes a sip from his glass.

  I study him closer. There’s a distance in his eyes. Something…off. “That sounds ominous.” I try to joke.

  Finally one side of his mouth curls up displaying the dimple that hides in the auburn scruff covering the lower half of his face. “It’s not, I promise.”

  “You know whatever it is, you can talk to me. We’re still friends, remember.” I reach across the short distance separating us and lay my hand on his. Aidan flips it over and threads his fingers through mine.

  “It’s just family business stuff that will work itself out eventually.”

  I’ve always loved the casual way he touches me. Except after the kiss this morning, I’m far more aware of the texture of his skin than ever before. The way the callouses slightly abrade my flesh. The heat that builds where we’re connected and how it travels up my arm. I’m much more aware of the attraction that’s been present from the moment we met, but that I’ve kept tempered for five years because I didn’t want to ruin what we had.

  Except, after all this time, we have more. Or could. A certain boldness comes over me. I release his hand, unfurl my legs, and stand up. When I settle back down, it’s across Aidan’s lap. His eyes widen. I try not to blush, but from the heat radiating off my upper chest and cheeks, I’m pretty sure I haven’t succeeded.