Ugh.
This shit was complicated.
The phone buzzed again, and my heart leaped to my throat when I recognized the name.
Mam nodded down at it. “You'd better get that.”
My stomach dropped, and I admitted, “I don’t want to.”
“What did I say to you, Aislynn? O’Shea’s face things head-on.”
I sighed, and with a tremor in my fingers, I slowly clicked the answer button and raised the phone to my ear. “Hey,” I said quietly. “I just watched the video.”
If it wasn’t for his deep huff of frustrated breath, I would’ve thought he’d hung up on me. Eventually, he spoke. “You’re fuckin’ trouble,Dubheasa. You know that, right?”
I got up from my seat, smiling reassuringly at Mam as I headed out the back door into the garden. “Well, if we’re on the subject of trouble, honey. You’re not exactly an easy ride yourself.”
He chuckled quietly and then muttered, “One of these days you won’t be able to run. What ya gonna do then?”
I let out a quiet snort. “It’s not that I run. I just need time to think things through and regroup.”
He was silent for a few seconds, then he rumbled, “Wanted my boys to meet you.”
My heart fluttered because I’d been waiting for him to suggest it, but until then, he hadn’t said a word. Still, maybe it was a blessing in disguise. “Maybe now’s not the right time, Aiden. Especially after last night.”
“No shit,” he agreed.
My heart clenched at how readily he agreed, but I glossed over it, instead asking, “How was their flight?”
“They had a blast. Thug was with ’em so they probably ate and drank everythin’ bad for them. Knowin’ that fucker, he probably offered them a beer and a Marlboro Light.”
I laughed softly. “Mam loaded her gun. She was gonna shoot you in the ass if you turned up.”
“Jesus Christ,” he rumbled.
“It’s okay. She likes you again now. She watched the video with me.”
The line fell silent briefly, and then he murmured, “Nothin’ happened with that bitch.”
My throat heated. “I know, but I’m still hurt you went off with her because it felt like you initially wanted something to happen. Why else would you go?”
“I get that, Ash, but you’ve gotta remember, you ain’t my ol’ lady yet. We’re still gettin’ to know each other. If I didn’t have my boys, I would’ve said to hell with it and wifed you up in Vegas the first night we met, but I gotta be sure for them.”
My voice rose an octave. “You being with other women is a hard no for me.”
“Now’s not the time to hash this shit out. We’ll talk after the boys go home.” His tone had an air of finality to it, and I knew I’d get nowhere. He was so stubborn.
“When will we talk about it?” I asked. “I’m leaving for Denver tomorrow morning. It’s my last week at the firm, and I’ve still got some hours to complete. I’ve had a lot of time off lately, which they were okay with because it’s taken longer than expected for Richard to complete his handover, but I need to get this done now so I can move on.”
“Right,” he acquiesced. “I’ll do my best to get down for a couple of days next week, but I’m snowed under. We’re way behind with the tattoo shop’s construction, which is a pain in my ass ’cause the artist’s due to show Monday. The deliveries for the parts shop are startin’ to come in next week too.”
His voice sounded detached, like he had so much going on that his thoughts were full of it. “Are you okay?” I asked.
He let out a deep sigh. “Yeah,” he said after a pause. “Just tired. The boys wanna go to see the petroglyphs, then I’ll take ’em to the diner. They had an early start this mornin’ so hopefully they’ll pass out soon after, and I can catch some Zs.”
“Isn’t it a little cold for the petroglyphs?” I asked.
“They’re teenage boys. With all that crazy testosterone, they could sleep outside in their jockey shorts tonight and not even shiver.”
