“I’m never going to be able to call you that,” she said to me.
“I know. And it’s fine. I called to tell you that I have some news.”
“Are you coming back home to New York City?” she asked, and I knew I was about to dash all the hopefulness I heard in her voice.
“Not anytime soon, I don’t think,” I answered.
“Did the vein in Cillian’s forehead finally burst?”
I busted out laughing at that, especially as I had told her that one day it very well might if he continued to stare at me with such hate all of the time. “No, but my news does involve Cillian.”
“Damn, girl. I wish I had time to hear it. Can I give you a call back in a little while? We can talk for hours then.”
“That’s fine. I need to go get dressed anyway,” I said to her.
“I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”
“Okay, bye.” I disconnected the call, then smiled brightly.
I had literally not felt this joyous since the day I knew Cillian was coming back to school. The last day I had with my mother and sister...So much had happened between then and now. My life had turned to one of struggle, especially once I’d had Ciara. I would never regret a moment of that strife though because she had been worth every long night spent worrying about how to pay rent and put food on the table. I would also not give up a single night spent crying over those very things, either.
Motherhood had made me grow up quickly, and it had been just what I had needed at the time. It also now gave me a different perspective, so even if things didn’t work out with Cillian, I had every confidence that my daughter and I would be alright.
Damn, we’ve not even been back together twelve hours, and I’m already picturing myself alone again.
It was crazy, but weary thoughts like those were hard to turn off. I hadn’t been able to just enjoy and live for the moment, ever, except for the time I’d spent with Cillian. When with him, I hadn’t had to worry about helping my mother with school stuff, my own failing grades, or even my twin’s deteriorating health. I didn’t have to eat and drink certain things while avoiding everything else, never knowing when I would need to be a donor for Rowan. I didn’t have to worry about staying as close to my mother as possible so I could do whatever deed she needed done. As stressful as it had been being a single mother with a newborn, even some of those times seemed easier than being a daughter and sister.
Monica would call me soon, and I knew once she did that we would talk for hours. Wanting to get a few things done, I went ahead and returned to my bedroom where I ripped off the sheets and blanket, then brought them to the laundry room, and made up the bed with fresh linens as those began to wash.
I also cleaned up the bathroom, including my palm prints on the glass. When doing so, I had become aroused once more. Cillian mentioned lunch, but I was more in the mood for dessert now. Unfortunately, it would also be a few hours before that could be done, too.
I busied myself for the next half hour by cleaning the kitchen. I knew he had a housekeeper who came in and did this sort of thing, but I had to make myself useful doing something, or else I would go out of my mind with boredom. I had no sooner cleared away all remnants of breakfast and was starting to wipe the counter when I heard the doorbell.
No one ever visited us here, and Cillian would have his keys unless...As I remembered the last thing we had been talking about before he left, I grinned. He might have been a taddistracted. Sure that he must have just forgotten something, I strode to the door.
“What did you forget?” I asked the moment I flung it open.
“You’re alive in the flesh, so do you really need an answer?”
I looked at the old man standing in front of me. Despite his salt and pepper hair and sunken jaw and cheekbones, he was still physically imposing. He was also very dangerous, and remembering that, my hackles immediately went up. I looked over his shoulder, hoping to see one of Cillian’s men, but I saw no one, which made me nervous.
“W-what do you want?”
Ronan Brannington regarded me with a look of disinterest before he pushed past me as if he owned the place. Alarm bells went off inside my head, and as he stormed into the living room, I stayed right there by the door. I’d heard so much about him, but I had never met the man before. After learning what I had about him last night, never would’ve been too soon as far as I was concerned.
“You flaunt around here like you’re the little woman of the house. It pisses me off.” I almost asked him what he planned to do about it, but knowing this wasn’t the man to smart off to, I wisely remained silent. “You’ve never been good enough for my grandson, and you certainly are still not.”
This time, I did speak as I pushed away from the door. “Cillian loves me.”
The look he flashed in my direction likely made many men throughout Ireland cower, but not me. I wouldn’t. Inside, I was a bundle of nerves, but no one would ever know by my outward appearance. Standing straight, I squared my shoulders and stared ahead at the bastard responsible for all of the pain in my life. And not just mine, but Cillian’s as well.
“My grandson is a damn fool,” he finally said.
I shrugged in disinterest before clearing my throat. “And he is also not here, so unless there’s something you need from me, I suggest that you leave and come back another time when Cillian is actually here.”
I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough for my liking. I had turned and as I reached for the doorknob, he called me by name. “Reagan Coughlin, or I suppose, I should say Rowan Lynch now.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding as I spun around. “What do you want?”
