“How are things?” Papa folded into his easy chair but didn’t sit back or lift the leg rest.
“It’s going well,” I hedged.
“I’m so glad.” Something glinted in his eyes. “When your mother mentioned that she hadn’t heard from you, I suggested she give you a call and invite you over.”
A breath caught in my throat, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Mama never said the idea for the visit was actually a summons.
My father began a strange line of questioning. He wanted to know where Liam was. I told him. Then he proceeded to ask about his habits.
“Papa, I’ve been married for less than forty-eight hours,” I laughed nervously. “We barely know one another at this point. How should I know his regular bedtime?”
I was treated to a brief scowl, but he changed just a moment later. “I think it’s time you got a phone again. You know, so that you can call your mother.”
He reached into the pocket of his chair and produced a box.
If the earlier comment left any doubt, this small action proved this whole visit was premeditated.
I went still. Very,verystill. To the untrained eye, it seemed that my father cared. That he was looking out for my wellbeing. Not in the twenty-two years of life had he ever truly felt much for us, especially me. And not after my sin turned me from a curse into the bane of his existence.
He handed me the box. “Let me know how you get on with your Irishman.”
While his lips said one thing, I tried to listen to what was hidden behind this friendly little chat. Now that I wasn’t around, Mama was his only punching bag. I hated it.
“Will do!” I gulped. “I just need to run up to my room and make sure I didn’t leave anything behind.”
Papa dismissed me with a wave of my hand and pulled the footrest on the recliner. Tablet in hand, he wouldn’t follow me. I had precious seconds to enact my plan. The whole way upstairs, I prayed no one would catch me in the theft.
Not one of my nine sisters saw me.
I shook with relief by the time I escaped outside and slid behind the wheel of the sportscar.
Chapter 18 – Gabriella
The Bay Front Park was a little over a mile away. The moment I realized that I mapped the route on my new phone, I committed it to memory and felt better about my Tuesday. It took some convincing to make the guards agree to go. I kept my spine straight and didn’t budge. My midmorning journalling time was sacred, and they caved.
I suspected Liam had something to do with it. One of them was texting furiously as I made my case, but in the end, we took off walking.
Me and seven burly Irishmen. The other eight stayed behind to guard the house. After visiting my parents, the number of guards doubled.
I tried not to read into that.
Hell, I tried to ignore the fact that I had such a large entourage. They weren’t a chatty bunch. Trying to engage them in conversation was like pushing a boulder uphill. In a thunderstorm.
“Those cookies look good,” the one with a shaved head and Celtic runes tattooed on his skull finally said.
I only rationed myself three. “They’re breakfast biscuits.”
His roving gaze flicked to the last one. “You eat cookies for breakfast?”
“It’s a lighter meal, yes,” I hedged.
“Where….” He cleared his throat. “Where do you get them?”
“When I left my parent’s house Saturday morning, the guys let me stop at the grocer.” I held it out to him. “Mulino Bianco is the brand. Homemade are better, but I didn’t have the ingredients.”
The tips of his ears went pink. “I shouldn’t.”
“You know you want to.” The loss of my breakfast made my stomach pinch, but it was fun watching such a short, vicious-looking man squirm.
