IRISH (The Trident Series Book 4)

by Jaime Lewis

  “And what exactly would that be? Because from what I can see, she is one happy little girl who loves you both dearly.”

  “We are looking at what options may be right for her.”

  Irish crossed his arms. “Explain, because I’m not following.”

  She took a deep breath. “Well, Pastor Nichols, who lives just down the road, offered to have Sienna come and live with him and his family. He and his wife Jillian have a couple of kids, one around Sienna’s age.”

  Irish sat there, staring at his parents. Were they out of their minds? Sure, he understood about them getting up there in age, and he could see how it could be challenging to entertain a five-year-old, soon be six in a month and a half, but how could they even think of placing her with another family. Her biological mother and father had already abandoned her.

  Before he could think of other possible options, his mouth started moving before his brain processed the words. “Absolutely not!”

  Irish winced when he realized he had shouted at his mom. Her eyes widened, and she looked taken back by his reaction. “Honey, I know this is hard to hear, but your father and I believe this is best for her. We would be just down the road and can see her whenever we want, or she wants.”

  He shook his head. “No. Look, I understand that it’s difficult for you guys, but if she is going to live anywhere else besides here, she’s coming to live with me.”

  His mom’s mouth gaped open at that surprise comment. Hell, he surprised himself. “What? How in the world can you take care of a five-year-old girl with the job you have? Think about it, honey. You’re gone all the time. Who would watch her?”

  That was the least of his worries. He knew his team, plus Alex, Tenley, and Autumn would help when needed. Damn, if he was going to let another family raise Sienna. She was a Daniels and dammit, she was going to be raised in a Daniels home.

  “It’s final, Mom. There is no reason even to discuss it anymore. Sienna’s not going to live with anyone other than her family. I’ll make it work. Some of the guys have families; when I’m gone, she can stay with them. We have a great support system in place. Our tight-knit community takes care of their own.”

  “Irish, she’s a handful. This is a huge responsibility. Plus, financially, having a child is an enormous undertaking.”

  “Money isn’t an issue. I don’t spend a lot. I’ve got plenty saved.”

  “What about the house you just bought? Weren’t you fixing it up? Is it livable?”

  “It just needs some cosmetic stuff done to it. It will be perfect for Sienna and I.”

  His mom got up and walked around the table, bent down, and hugged him. She had tears in her eyes, and Irish knew this was a hard decision for her to make. Sienna was the world to his mom and dad. They have been with her since the moment she came into this world.

  “You are a good boy, Ky. I love you so much.”

  He squeezed her back. “Love you too, Mom.”

  After his mom left the kitchen, it was just Irish and his dad. His dad looked tired, but Irish could tell something else was on his mind. And he had a feeling it had to do with the farm.

  Irish went to the refrigerator and got a bottle of water for himself and his dad. “Are you and mom really thinking about selling the farm?”

  His dad took a deep breath. “As much as your mother doesn’t want to, I don’t think we have a choice, son. I can’t keep up with the work around here. It’s getting to be a lot with all of the land.”

  Irish understood where his dad was coming from. His parents had about fifteen acres of land, and they probably only used about two acres of it. It was a shame. His parents always said they would grow old here together on the farm. He tapped his fingers on the solid oak table as he thought through some scenarios, then an idea hit him.

  “What if you sold off some of the land? Say in two or even three-acre parcels. I noticed on the drive here that more and more new homes were being built on smaller lots. Why not keep the two acres you and mom use for the house and barn, and sell the remaining acres? That way, you guys can stay here where you want to be. Can you handle maintaining the two acres?”

  When his dad’s eyes lit up, he knew he had hit the jackpot.

  His dad slapped his hand down against the table and smiled. “Damn, son. That is a hell of an idea. Jerome Miller, just down the road, did that a few months ago. Damn, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.”

  They spoke for a couple of more minutes. His dad told him that tomorrow morning he would reach out to the realtor that Jerome used. His dad also asked if he was sure about his decision to take Sienna back to Virginia Beach with him. He assured his dad that everything would work out, and his decision was final.

  After his dad went to bed, he sat alone in the kitchen. Now that he had taken care of his parents’ problems, he needed to take care of his own, starting with a little firecracker named Sienna. He figured he’d start with his commander. After all, he went through something similar when Alex was younger. He would indeed have some words of wisdom for him.

  Irish got up from the table and turned the light off and went up to his room. He was tired and ready for a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, he would start making plans—plans that will forever change his life. He laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Holy shit…. what have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter Six

  “Uncle Ky! Stop! Put me down,” Sienna yelled, giggling as Irish held her upside down by her ankles. He laughed along with her.

  “Are you going to put your stinky little feet in my face again?”

  “Noooo! I promise Uncle Ky.” Gently, he lowered her to the floor, then started tickling her. Her laughter reverberated through the room.

  “What on God’s earth is going on in here?” His mom asked, entering the living room with a huge smile on her face.

  Irish looked up and smiled. His mom was a beautiful woman. She had the same blonde hair and blue eyes that he had. But beyond looks, she had a heart of gold and would do anything in her power to help someone out—even a perfect stranger.

  “I’m just trying to get my point across here to my lovely niece that she needs to keep her stinky feet out of my face.” He tickled her again, and she started giggling again, which made his mom start laughing. He missed this type of family time. Just hanging around his parents’ house and laughing. It made up for all the shitty places and shitty situations he had been in while deployed. He just wished he had more times like this.

  He looked around the room at all the family pictures. There were pictures of him in his Navy uniform, including a picture on the day he graduated and earned his Trident pin. There were some of Sienna’s pre-school photos and even pictures of when Irish and Maggie were kids.

  Seeing the photos of his sister made him think of the past. Maggie’s trouble started about seven years ago when she started hanging around with the wrong crowd and eventually ended up in bed with a drug dealer. A year and a half later, she was pregnant. Her boyfriend didn’t want to raise a kid, and apparently neither did Maggie. Thankfully, she carried the baby full-term. Not even an hour after Maggie had given birth to Sienna, she signed all her parental rights away to their mom and dad, making Sienna their responsibility. The next day, Maggie was discharged from the hospital and disappeared.

  Irish’s parents treated Sienna as if she were their child. The same rules applied to her as they did when he and Maggie were children. Well, maybe Sienna got away with a few more things as she was also their granddaughter, and you know how grandparents give in a little to their grandkids—especially one as sweet as Sienna. But Irish knew better than to let her use that cuteness of hers to an advantage.

  His mom told him and Sienna that lunch would be ready in about twenty minutes. They both needed to get cleaned up. They had been helping his dad move and load yard debris into the back of the truck.

  After a quick shower, Irish was walking down the hallway when he passed Sienna’s room and saw her standing in front of
her closet. She’d already changed into clean clothes. He still hadn’t said anything to her about moving with him, but he knew his mom talked with her this morning. He thought maybe now would be a good time for him to speak with her.

  He rapped his knuckles on her door. “Hey, peanut, can I come in for a minute?”

  She turned and smiled while walking over to her bed. She sat on the edge. This was going to be a considerable change for both of them. He hadn’t a clue how to raise a child, let alone a girl. Luckily for him, though, he had a team of people waiting back home to help guide him, starting with his commander. He had called Derek last night after lying in bed and unable to sleep. Derek went through a similar situation years ago when Alex’s dad was killed in action, leaving her behind when she was six years old and had no other family to care for her. Between Derek and his other teammates at the time, they all stepped up and took Alex under their wing. The stories he’d heard from those days kind of had him scared and nervous about raising a little girl. But he would never turn his back on his family.

  He approached the bed and took a seat next to her. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. He swallowed a laugh. With her dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and facial features, such as the shape of her narrow eyes and her bright smile, she could pass as his kid, hands down.

  He picked her up and placed her on his lap sideways so she could see him. She put her hands in her lap and stared up at him with that adorable face of hers.

  “I know grandma explained a little to you about you coming back home with me.”

  He waited, knowing by the way she scrunched up her nose she was thinking. He smiled when she shook her head, yes.

  “Uncle Ky? Will grandma and grandpa visit us? Will they still love me?”

  “Of course, sweetie. Just because you’re coming to live with me doesn’t mean they won’t visit or stop loving you. You are their world. Grandma and Grandpa are just at an age where they can’t keep up with a little pipsqueak like you all the time.” He lightly pinched her nose, making her giggle. He loved her laugh. When he would be out on a mission and needed a pick me up, he thought about her and her cute little giggle. It was addicting.

  Her eyes got huge like she had an epiphany. “Oh! I get it. Grandma and Grandpa want to do old people things.” Irish threw his head back, and outright laughed. He hugged her, squeezing her tight. Her little arms wrapped around his neck, and he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled. She was such a lovable kid, and he knew she would fit in with the others in no time.

  She unwound her arms from his neck and looked at him. “Are there other kids where you live? Grandma said I was going to start going to big kids school this year. Will I still get to do that? Will I make friends?”

  He smiled; with her outgoing personality, she wouldn’t have any issue making friends. “There are lots of kids where I live, plus some of the guys I work with have kids. You will get to meet them once we get there and get settled. And to answer your question about school, yes, you’ll start kindergarten this year. And I’m quite sure you’ll make new friends there.”

  She gave him another hug. “I love you, Uncle Ky.”

  He felt his eyes tear up. She held a big piece of his heart. “I love you too, peanut.”

  She slid off his lap, walked back over to her closet and started pulling all sorts of stuff out of it, including a large rolling suitcase, and started packing some of her clothes. Well, that went better than he thought it would. Until about ten minutes later over lunch when both Sienna and his mom dropped a bombshell, informing him that he’d also be bringing a cat back with them as well. Mr. Whiskers was an overweight, orange tabby cat who did nothing but sleep, eat and lick his balls. At least that was all Irish seen him do. He didn’t have anything against cats. He liked all animals, but this cat didn’t like most people, including him. He swore that cat rolled his eyes and growled every time he walked by. Hopefully, Mr. Whiskers adjusted his attitude toward humans soon because damn if he would let a cat rule his house. That shit wasn’t happening.

  ◆◆◆

  The next day, Irish was taking a break from packing. Sienna had a lot of shit. She probably had enough clothes and toys to fill a small moving truck. Letting her help with the packing seemed to help with the transition. The problem was she had to explain each item to him before she would put it in the box. It was a prolonged process.

  Now he found himself sitting on the back porch in one of the rocking chairs, staring out at the woods that surrounded his childhood home. He remembered playing in those woods with his sister and all their friends. Those were the good memories he had of Maggie. He was always asking himself if she would’ve led a straight and narrow life if he would’ve stayed here at home instead of enlisting in the Navy. But then he would think of Sienna. If Maggie hadn’t gotten involved with that guy, there wouldn’t be a Sienna. He was thankful that he and his parents got to experience the joy of that little girl. She was the ray of sunshine they all needed with the dark clouds Maggie brought to them. It was a shame that Maggie chose the life she did because Irish knew she would’ve made a great mom. But greed and drugs could rule a person’s life and make decisions for them. He was just thankful Maggie and her boyfriend gave up their rights to Sienna without a fight. His mom had told him that just recently, Sienna had started asking about her mom and dad. His mom said that Sienna was struggling and thinking that she had done something wrong to make her mom and dad not want her. Shit like that pissed him off and made him want to hunt Maggie down and knock some sense into her. That woman didn’t know what she was missing by making the decision she had. But what’s done is done. All that mattered now was caring for and loving Sienna to the fullest.

  He heard the creak of the screened door and knew it was his mom. He knew the sound of her footsteps and heard her walking toward the door. He turned toward the door and smiled. “Hey, Mom. You want to come and sit with me?” He asked, patting the empty rocking chair next to him.

  She walked over and squeezed his shoulder. “That’s sweet of you to ask, honey. I miss the days we used to sit out here and just stare at the world around us. She looked out toward the land and woods. “I can sit out here all day,” she turned back toward him, “but that’s not why I’m here. You have company here to see you.” He squinted his eyes at her, wondering what she was up to. Nobody knew he was in town except for his parents, and he hadn’t gone anywhere since he arrived. He noticed a slight twinkle in his mom’s eyes and saw her lips twitch up almost to a smile but not quite. He could only imagine who in the hell she had invited over. He just wanted to spend the next couple of days getting Sienna’s stuff packed up. Even though he had plenty of leave, that didn’t mean that the shit wouldn’t hit the fan somewhere, and he and the team would be called in, so he wanted to get everything handled quickly and get back to Virginia Beach as soon as possible.

  “Who is it?” He asked, dropping his feet from the railing and standing.

  She smiled and opened the door. “Well, why don’t you just walk your rear-end in the house and see for yourself.”

  He let out a sigh and followed his mom into the house. From the kitchen, he heard his dad talking to someone in the living room. Then he heard Sienna talking about her Barbie doll collection.

  As he made his way into the living room, he was stopped in his tracks when he saw the two individuals sitting on the couch, making small talk with his dad and Sienna.

  “What are you guys doing here?” He asked, shocked and surprised to see Ace and Alex.

  Alex was the first to approach him and gave him a big hug, and he needed that. “When my dad called Ace and explained everything that was going on with Sienna, Ace and I decided to come up here and help you with the move. I thought that Sienna might feel a little more comfortable if she met a few faces she’d be regularly seeing before she got to town. Plus, I was kind of in her place when I was a kid. Maybe I can help with the transition some.”

  “What about the Foundation and Clinic? It’s cru
nch time; you only have a little over a month from your opening.”

  She smiled that gorgeous smile she had, and her green eyes lit up and twinkled. “Family is more important, Irish. I have confidence in the people I hired to keep things running until I get back. Right now, our focus is on Sienna and getting her adapted to the area and military life.”

  Irish felt his throat tighten from the lump that had formed. He was blown away at the sincerity and generosity that Ace and Alex have shown. He was going to need a lot of help. He hugged her again. “I don’t know what to say, except thanks.”

  Ace slapped him on the back. “That’s what friends are for, buddy. We’re there for each other no matter what shit life brings us.”

  Sienna covered her mouth with her hand and giggle. She looked up at Irish. “He said the “s” word. That’s a quarter.” She got up and walked over to a can that looked like a coffee can that was painted all different colors. She walked back over and stood in front of Ace. “This is a bad word can. You said the “s” word, so you have to put a quarter in the can. Grandma said money from the can will go to my college fund.”

  Irish snorted a laugh as Ace asked Alex for a quarter and then put it into the can. Ace looked at Irish. “You do know that just from the guys on the team, she’ll have college paid for with that damn can.”

  “You said another bad word. That’s another quarter,” Sienna stated as she giggled, and all Irish could do was laugh at Ace as he rolled his eyes and asked Alex for another quarter. This was going to be interesting. The first thing Irish was going to do when they got home was buy a bigger can because the can she had now would be filled in a week.

  ◆◆◆

  Alex had proven to be a lifesaver over the next two days as she handled organizing all of Sienna’s belongings and getting everything packed up. She had the patience of a saint, especially when Sienna wanted to help. She also arranged the moving truck to transport Sienna’s things back to Virginia Beach. Autumn, Frost’s wife, was gathering all the information he needed to enroll Sienna in school, which starts next Monday. Tenley, Potter’s wife, handled getting Sienna set-up with the pediatrician that her daughter, Alejandra, went to. Alex had also called her dad, and he was taking care of all the repairs that needed to be done at the house before they arrived. Irish was still a little skeptical about how they were going to have everything done by the time they arrived in two days. He needed hardwood floors installed, all of the rooms had to be painted, the kitchen was missing half of the cabinets, but Alex assured him it would be accomplished by the time he walked through the door and for him not to sweat over it.