To Blake, With Love

by KT Webb

  “How are things going, dear?” Mum is an expert.

  Blake looks at me like she thinks I’m the one who’s supposed to answer. I offer her a slight shake of my head and an encouraging nod to let her know it’s her turn to be grilled by my mum.

  “Me? Oh, things are going okay. I got the brace off, Molly’s tires got slashed, I’m thinking about boarding up the windows at the cottage. The trip to Belfast was fun and all, but now it’s back to reality.”

  Blake’s avoidance skills are up to par. I can’t help but grin when my mother purses her lips in response to the utterly unrelated information she received. Aoife has met her match. She’s going to have to be more direct if she wants Blake to tell her anything about the estate.

  “So, you’re saying we should start planning that Galway trip, huh?” I offer Blake a wink.

  “Can’t wait,” she responds with a knowing glance at my mum.

  Aoife sighs, “You’re going to make me come right out and ask, aren’t you?”

  Both Blake and I burst into a fit of childish giggles at how quickly my mother cracks under pressure. Now she understands that we both knew exactly what she was asking. Thankfully, my mom has always been good-natured and knows how to enjoy the little things in life.

  “Okay, fine. How did your meeting go with the solicitors?”

  “It went really well, actually. I expressed my interest in keeping things as they are, provided there aren’t any issues that need to be addressed. The dairy farm is running smoothly, and I plan to ask Cade Molloy to keep on overseeing operations. The B&B needs a little TLC, so we’re going to look into allocating funds for updates and maintenance,” Blake seems to have a much better handle on the estate after speaking with the Baldwin’s.

  “Oh, excellent! Are you open to any suggestions for some of the improvements that could be made to the B&B?” Aoife has been waiting for this moment for years. Her ability to offer insight into the inner workings of her B&B has been a little overlooked with Brion Molloy in a different country.

  “Absolutely, Aoife. I’d like to have a meeting with you, Cade, and Patrick Baldwin to discuss our budget and options we have available to us,” Blake pauses to place her hand on my mothers. “I want you to know that I have every intention of keeping you on as long as you want to work for the B&B.”

  That’s what my mom needed to hear. Despite my constant reassurances, she’s been in a tizzy thinking she would be replaced or removed. Before beginning her employment with the Molloy Bed & Breakfast, my mother had been a homemaker. It was the death of my father that forced her to seek employment outside the home. Aoife didn’t know Brion Molloy well at all, she was only sixteen when he left Ireland. She began her job with the B&B as the cook, then graciously accepted the promotion to caretaker when her boss retired. That was a little over twenty-one years ago, only two years after she took the job as the cook.

  The year my father died, mom was thirty-three, and I was almost seven. Now, mom is fifty-six years old and intends to keep working until her health demands otherwise. I can only imagine how it feels to dedicate twenty-three years of your life to a career, then wonder if you’ll get to keep it. Change is scary for anyone, I think it gets more terrifying the older we are.

  “And what have you been getting yourself into this week, Gannon?”

  Oh great, I love it when the attention turns back to me. She knows perfectly well that I’ve been spending a lot of time with Blake. Every moment she isn’t occupied with business or getting into trouble with Molly, I do my best to steal time with her. I haven’t told anyone else how much my feelings for her have grown. I’m in denial about it myself. I thought I wouldn’t go down that path again. But this time everything feels different.

  I didn’t think I could find happiness again, I need to wrestle down the demons I have warring inside me. Blake deserves a man who’s sure about her, and I want her to be sure about me. We have only scratched the surface of where this may go, and I’m sure not ready to lay it all on the table. I have no idea how to convey that information to my mother without sounding completely besotted with Blake Molloy.

  “Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Just working the pub and brewing beer. Although, now I’ve got a trip to plan,” I grin at Blake over my glass of water.

  “Mmhmm. So, what do you have planned for next weekend?” Mom asks Blake.

  “I’m not really sure. I thought about checking out some of the places here in County Offaly. Do you have any suggestions?”

  “Clonmacnoise,” I offer without hesitation. “I’ll take you.”

  It’s impossible to miss the cheeky smile that creeps across my mother’s face. She’s sneaky, that one. I’ll have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t meddle. The last thing Blake and I need is to have someone butting in when things are going well. I don’t want her to feel any pressure. Blake has way too many other things to deal with right now.

  “What’s Clon-mac-noise?” Blake asked, saying it slowly to get the pronunciation right.

  “One the most beautiful historically relevant places you’ll visit in County Offaly,” I reply with complete confidence.

  “Sold!” Blake taps the table like an auctioneer.

  When dinner ends, we bid my mom farewell and begin the walk back to Blake’s cottage. I know she doesn’t need me to walk her home, but I always do. The temperature is starting to drop with the sun. Blake shivers a little, though she tries to hide it. Without hesitation, I take off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders.

  “Thanks,” her teeth chatter.

  “Where’s your coat?”

  “It should be spring by now, shouldn’t it? I guess I’m just stubborn!”

  I can’t help but laugh at her sassy response. Blake is the kind of girl who doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do. It’s probably her best defense against Roald Molloy I. The part she didn’t share with my mother was that she’d learned from her cousins that Roald was trying to rally the older generation behind him so they could run her out of Ireland. He doesn’t think she belongs here, and he’s desperate to prove it. I’m worried about the lengths he may go to in order to get rid of her.

  After the conversation in my pub, Patrick Baldwin, or just Baldwin as Blake has taken to calling him, told us he’s working on something with Dr. Roald to get the elder Roald to leave her alone. They really don’t think he has as much clout with his remaining siblings and their children as he thinks he does. Not to mention that Blake has already won over the daughter of the man who runs her newly inherited business. Molly and Blake have been inseparable, other than when Blake spends time with me. It makes me happy that she’s found a friend other than me if she has options and keeps choosing to spend time with me anyway, I consider that a win.

  “What are you up to tomorrow?” Blake asks as she loops her arm through mine.

  Even through the barrier of clothes, her touch does things to me. I’ve been extra careful to avoid physical contact for that very reason. I seem to have the same effect on her that she has on me, so I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. I know that both of us realize we need to take the time to get to know each other if this relationship is going to go anywhere.

  “I need to take a day trip into Dublin, actually. I’ve got to meet with some suppliers and pick up a few things.”

  I would love some company, but I don’t want to push my luck. If it’s her idea, then I won’t feel like a dirty bastard trying to get her alone. Who am I kidding? I’m definitely a dirty bastard, and I would give anything to get some time alone with her. Preferably without clothes. I clear my throat and try to remove the tantalizing images that have come into my head. Women are hard to figure out. I don’t know if she wants me to make a move or if it’s too fast. Just the mention of Dublin has me thinking back to the last time we were together in that city. Her kiss was so hungry and passionate. Sometimes I wonder if I should have taken the plunge then and done all the things to her I’ve imagined every day since then.

 
“Would you mind if I came along? I need to do a little shopping,” she realizes I hadn’t planned for this to be a leisurely trip and starts to backpedal, “You don’t have to shop with me, of course. I just need a few more things to fill out my wardrobe.”

  “If you’re not careful, you won’t have enough room in your luggage to take all your stuff back with you!”

  I hope to sound casual. I know our date went well, but I’m terrified she’s going to slip through my fingers. I’m an idiot. It seems as though she likes it here and wants to stick around, especially with the plans she’s making for the dairy and B&B. But I know nothing is set in stone. Her residency here isn’t permanent, and I’ve not asked her if she’s planning to apply for citizenship or if she is still seeing her time here as an extended vacation. Blake is young, if she wanted to travel the world with the money she’ll make from the estate her grandfather left her, she could.

  We’re walking up the drive to her cottage when she sighs profoundly and drops her arm from mine. Shite. What did I do now? I said something stupid. As I start replaying everything I was saying and some of what I was thinking, I begin to wonder if I let some of my internal dialogue reach the outside world.

  “Gannon, what would you say if I didn’t want to leave?”

  I swear my heart is beating a million times per minute. This is what I wanted her to say. She doesn’t want to leave. I turn to face her and offer an encouraging smile.

  “I’d like to say I’d question your sanity, but I think I’d just be really, really ecstatic.”

  Blake lunges into my arms and gives me a tight hug. “I was worried you would think it was stupid. I haven’t been here long, but the idea of leaving tears me to pieces.”

  Our arms are still wrapped firmly around one another as the carefree moment is charged with sexual tension. God, it feels so good to have her body pressed against mine. I let my hands slowly drop to her waist as she leans back from our hug, keeping her arms wrapped around my neck. The fire in her eyes must be reflecting the desire in mine because I can recognize the spark of attraction I’m barely keeping at bay.

  “I’d better head home,” I tell her, leaning away.

  I think I see something like disappointment cross over her face. She thinks I don’t want to spend more time with her, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The time we’ve spent together has been incredible. I’d love to be with her longer tonight, but I have to get up early in the morning, and I know if I go inside, I won’t leave.

  “Did you want to go to Dublin with me tomorrow? I plan to hit the road pretty early,” I warn.

  Blake perks up at this, “Yeah, I’d love to.”

  “You’d love to what?” A feminine voice asks suggestively somewhere behind us.

  I turn to see Molly heading up the sloping driveway. She’s a good kid, and I’ve never had any issues with her, but right now she’s interrupting my time with Blake. It’s more than a little annoying.

  “Gannon is going to Dublin tomorrow, and I asked to tag along. I’ve got some shopping to do,” Blake says as she walks up to embrace her cousin.

  “Oh, that sounds fun! Do you have room for one more?”

  Molly is up to something, I can tell. Before I can answer, she laughs out loud. “You should see your face. No, actually, I was coming to tell you that my dad wants to meet with you,” she shrugs apologetically, “Tomorrow.”

  Damnit. Well, it’s probably for the best anyway. I don’t know that I can be trusted with Blake in Dublin again. I’m not daft enough to think it was Dublin that left me so intoxicated that I almost lost control with her. I know it’s because of her, my attraction to her is out of this world. Blake glances at me as though she’s being forced to pick between two equally appealing puppies. I’d better intervene, so she knows I won’t hold it against her if she decides to take the meeting. It will only help her in the long run.

  “Blake, you’ve got to take that meeting. I know you’re hoping to build a good working relationship with Cade. My trip won’t be that exciting anyway.”

  She nods, “Okay, but can I get a rain check on going with you to Dublin again sometime?”

  “Absolutely,” I wave at both girls as I turn and head for my own cottage.

  I’m beyond nervous about meeting with Cade Molloy. Molly assured me repeatedly last night that he’s nothing like Old Roald. Of course, I believe her because I’m pretty sure I have never encountered anyone who’s anything like that grumpy old codger. In the short amount of time I’ve been here, he’s left me no less than two threatening messages. I came home after meeting with Baldwin to discover a handwritten letter addressed to “That American Bitch”. I burned it in the fireplace after reading the ridiculously insulting garbage he’d scrawled across the pages. I didn’t tell anyone about the letter, not even Gannon. If I’d told him, it only would have made him angry, especially in light of the tire-slashing the other night. I don’t need Gannon thinking he needs to fight my battles for me. The next letter was sitting on my kitchen table last night. I found it after Molly and Gannon left. That one I kept. I don’t know how he got into the cottage; all I know is he’s gotten bolder.

  I’ve had enough of his assholery. I’m not going to put up with it anymore. All I have to do is get enough people to see that I’m not a threat, then I can show Old Roald for who he is once and for all. I just need a little help from Molly and Baldwin. The letter last night crossed a line for me. It made me believe he’d been in contact with my family in the United States. Everything he said was hurtful and untrue. It seemed like he was trying to appeal to me from a different angle, but he had no idea how this particular method would affect me.

  Blake,

  You came here to right the wrongs done by your grandfather, but you have your own mistakes that you’ve ignored. Your family has been missing you since you walked away from them. They are hurt by your greediness too. Your grandfather left everything to you because he knew you were just like him. Your grandmother has nothing because of you.

  Brion was a terrible brother from the very beginning, and I’m glad he’s dead. You have no idea the kind of person he was. He was a selfish bastard. Brion took everything I ever wanted, even when it was already mine. My brother didn’t care about us, all he cared about was getting his hands on the money our parents had. As soon as they were dead, he had everything he wanted. Sure, he made sure the rest of us were taken care of financially and always offered employment to family, but he wasn’t here. He had no idea how to be a business owner, he just sat around and collected checks off the backs of his family. We weren’t good enough for him, and you’re not good enough for us.

  I know that you think you were wronged by the things your sister did, but she was only showing you your true nature. Her actions only proved that you are cut from the same cloth as my worthless brother. You couldn’t handle it, so you left without a second thought for the people you were leaving behind.

  I’m offering you the opportunity to walk away again. This time, you can walk away with a small fortune. The catch is you must never look back. You will sign the Molloy estate over to me, and I will cut you a check to get you back to the states and start a new life.

  I hope this is your final warning. This isn’t going to get any easier for you. I know more people and places here than you can imagine. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the reports made to the Garda have gone uninvestigated. They don’t care what I do, they never have. It wouldn’t take much for you to have an accident and never be seen or heard from again. You can trust that a broken hand will be the least of your problems if you don’t accept this offer.

  With my utmost disregard

  I have it in writing that he not only broke my hand but is also threatening to kill me. Granted, he didn’t sign the letter, but I know it’s from Old Roald. I have no intention of pressing charges against him, but I do want to make sure we can shut him up. Out of everything he said, he was right about one thing, I am cut from the same cloth as my grandfather.
The man I grew up knowing was kind, generous, and fiercely loyal to the people he loved. I am not going to pretend I didn’t walk away from my family. I left and only occasionally feel a twinge of guilt regarding that decision.

  I may never really know the reasons my grandparents moved to America, but I have a feeling there’s more to the story than Old Roald is telling me. My grandfather left his family, that’s true. But he was honorable enough to continue to care for them from a distance. As a result of his actions, the Dairy Farm and B&B were thriving businesses. He put the right people in charge and gave them free reign over the day to day decisions that needed to be made in order to keep everything running smoothly. My plans are the same, the only exception is I’m going to do it all from Ireland.

  Baldwin is going to be instrumental in getting everything in place. His legal specialty may be estates, but he and his father have already agreed to draw up the documents to rattle a few cages. If Old Roald thinks there will be charges brought against him, he may back off and give me some space. I’m just hoping the whole thing doesn’t implode around me before I have a chance to prove myself.