* * *
We’re all seated around a huge glass table outside. Rowan and Clara have cooked, and it’s amazing. Rowan grilled steaks and chicken while Clara made sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and homemade rolls. The kids have their chicken nuggets and mac and cheese and happily chat away with each other. They’re really sweet and seem to get along well. That’s where the great part of this evening ends.
Declan and Jakob are glaring across the table at each other. Annie is looking like she’d rather run naked through the yard than sit across from Mac’s younger brothers and their friends. Dieter and Kieran look like they can’t tell if they’re allowed to be cool or not.
The man and woman I didn’t know turned out to be Davis and his wife, Danielle. They sit near us. Davis politely answers questions that I ask him about his sobriety journey. I’ve learned he’s quite open about it and doesn’t mind answering questions. There’s more to Davis and his wife than his sobriety, though, so we quickly move on to other subjects. His wife is very sweet, and we even exchange numbers to get together when the boys are out together.
However, my eyes can’t venture too far from my parents. They’re sitting on the opposite end of the table from Mac and I near Rowan and Clara. My dad looks aggravated, and Rowan’s expression mimics his.
Mac leans over to me and whispers, “After dinner I’ll take you to see your birthday gift.”
I look at him in confusion, “Take me? What’s that mean?”
“It’s not here. We’ll go later and see it.” His mischievous smile makes me want to press him more. Before I can, my Papa pushes up from the chair in anger, causing both of my brothers to jump up from their seats. Jakob grabs Annie and pulls her behind his back while Dieter grabs Hannah, then me and does the same. Rowan calmly holds his hands up to his brothers and stands. Mac’s practically nose to nose with Dieter in the next second.
“Clara, bring Rhett and Hannah inside, please.” Clara glares at her husband and gives him a look of disbelief. He lets out an exaggerated sigh, “Rhett Brady, please go show Hannahyour play set.”
“Yes, sir.” He answers his Da then turns to Hannah. “Want to go play? They’re going to talk about boring stuff we don’t care about.” Kieran smothers his laugh with a cough, and Hannah looks to her Papa for an answer.
“I say let’s go and you book it over here, got it?”
“Yes, Papa.” Hannah smiles, then runs off with Rhett to the other side of the backyard.
After the kids are out of earshot, Mac starts in on Dieter before anyone else can speak.
“You’re standing in the way of my girl and I, Dieter. That’s an extremely dangerous place to be.” He growls out.
I can see Dieter’s back muscles tighten, but it’s Declan that speaks next, “Dude, I’d seriously move. He’s a Byrne man in love, and I learned pretty quickly not to stand between a man and his girl. Heed my warning, because he will start swinging.”
Stepping around Dieter, who is fuming, I pat his chest, “It’s okay.” His hands flex to stop him from grabbing me and pulling me back, but I think everyone here knows how detrimental that would be. Stepping into Mac’s arms, I bury my face in his chest. “Cut it out, Quill.”
His arms wrap around me and I feel his body subtly relax. He’s looking at my brother, though, “Don’t get between us unless she asks you to. I get it, really I do, but that’s my future wife, and I’ll be damned if someone stands between us.” Davis grabs Mac’s shoulder gently and whispers something to him that I can’t hear. Mac nods and moves back with me still in his arms. Turning in his arms so my back is to his chest, I watch my Papa and Rowan, who have quietly watched the scene unfold in front of them.
“So, do you want to change your tune about your last comment?” Rowan pointedly asks him.
“You don’t understand Byrne, and I don’t expect you to either. Your son is in kindergarten. You don’t understand what it’s like to trust him with someone else yet. Plus, she’s sick. I pray to God you never know what this feels like. How taxing and stressful this is.”
“I don’t understand?” Rowan roars so loud Rhett’s head whips over to us, “Never forget myyoungestson is six, but my oldest is twenty-seven. Until you’ve spent five minutes with my life, you have no idea what I can and can’t relate to. Never forget I sat in the ICU waiting room last year and had to come to terms with the very real possibility that the baby brother I helped and finished raising may never wake up. You don’t know shit about what I can and can’t relate to, Fischer.” He spits our last name out like it’s the filthiest word he’s ever used.
My heart breaks for Rowan. He really is, for all intents and purposes, the father of their family. At the same time, my temper flares while registering what my Papa said about me. I hate when they talk about me like I’m not here. “I’msosorry that you having a sick kid is so stressful for you and the rest of our family, Papa.”
“No, Kostbarkeit. It’s not that—”
I don’t listen to the rest of what he says, though. Tears burn the back of my eyes, and I refuse to cry in front of thirty something people. Pulling out of Mac’s arms, I swiftly make my way inside. I don’t know where Mac’s bedroom is, but I do know where the bathroom is, and I need to lock myself inside it.
26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mac
Davis grabs my shoulder and spins me around as Lee shuts the bathroom door. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Opening them, I stare into Davis’ blue ones. “Give her five minutes before you rush in and save the day.”
“I’ve got to get her out of here. They’re going to rush in here any minute and try to sweep her away.”
“We’re going to take a minute and calm down. After you’ve both had a minute, we’ll get you guys out of here and to her surprise. From the looks of it, your brothers aren’t letting anyone in here anyways.” He nods to the big glass door where my little brothers and their friends stand shoulder to shoulder so no one can get in. I can’t see anything besides their backs and the kids playing in the far background.
“Okay.” I resign.
