To Blake, With Love

by KT Webb

  Molly is picking me up to head to the Dairy for my meeting. My stomach is in knots. I wish Gannon were here too. Not that he would be able to fix anything, but I feel better when he’s around. I don’t know what time he’ll be back from Dublin, but every fiber of my being wishes I could have gone too. Oh well, next time.

  “Come on, slowpoke!” Molly yells as she pulls up outside my cottage.

  I can’t help but grin at her lively manner. She’s much bolder than I could dream of being. It’s funny because I never bought the idea of soulmates until I met her. Molly has quickly become my dearest friend. Other than Maeve, I’ve never felt as close to anyone as I do to Molly.

  “Why the long face?” She glances at me as I buckle my seat belt.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind. I have something for you to read, but we should wait until after you drive me to see your dad. I don’t know that I’ll trust your focus if I let you read it first.”

  “Well, that sounds ominous,” Molly replies, pulling onto the road. “If you won’t let me read it now, at least tell me about Gannon. What did I interrupt last night?”

  “Nothing. I was just giving Gannon a hug,” I do my best to sound non-committal.

  “Oh, yeah, sure. If Gannon looked at me the way he looks at you, I’d do a lot more than give him a hug, but whatever.”

  I laugh at her tone of voice. I’ve noticed Gannon looking at me like I’m the best course of a meal, hell I look at him that way too! After I hugged him, there was magnetic energy between us, like we were inexplicably drawn to one another. Thank God she hasn’t seen the way I look at him!

  “How does Gannon look at me?”

  Molly rolls her eyes, “Oh puh-lease. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen him undressing you with his eyes literally every time you’re in the room together.”

  It’s pretty clear what Gannon and I both want. The trouble is, we’ve both been hurt before, so we need to take it slow. So, while I would love to excitedly tell my cousin about my boyfriend, we just aren’t ready to label the feelings between us.

  “I guess I’ll have to pay closer attention to how he looks at me,” I say with a shrug.

  “And I suppose we’re not even going to talk about how you look at him?” Molly teases.

  “Nope. Definitely not.”

  “Denial, table for one!” Molly giggles.

  “Hey, I’m not in denial. I’m just not focused on a relationship at this point. The last thing I need to do is start a fling with a guy who probably gets plenty of ass from drunk sluts at the pub.”

  Molly’s eyes nearly pop out of her head, “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Gannon hasn’t shown any interest in anyone since Madigan left. There’s no way he’s been sleeping around.”

  “Hmm,” I have to file that away for future use because we’ve pulled into the parking lot at the dairy.

  “We’ll continue this conversation later. You’ve got to get in there and ‘wow’ them.”

  I smile at her, trying my best not to look like I’m about to shit my pants. Okay, this is it. If I can build a working relationship with Cade Molloy, I can get all the pieces of the puzzle in place. As I get out of her car, I lean in and hand her the letter from Old Roald.

  “Read that while I’m gone. Don’t do anything to it, I need it so I can show it to Baldwin.”

  When I make it to the building, I’m pretty sure I can hear Molly yelling from her car. Old Roald has no idea what he’s getting himself into. I might be the new girl, but I’m a genuine person, and I surround myself with honest people. The friends I’ve made in Kinnitty will not appreciate his tactics in the least. The only problem is, now I’ll have to tell her, Gannon, Roald, and Baldwin about the first letter. I probably shouldn’t have burned it. Oh well.

  The young woman at the front desk greets me and inquires about my reason for visiting. I can’t help but feel a little silly when I tell her I’m Blake Molloy, here to see Cade Molloy. The poor girl nearly falls out of her chair as she leaps up to shake my hand and welcome me to the Molloy Dairy. Before I can reassure her that she doesn’t have to be so nervous around me, Cade himself strolls into the lobby.

  “You must be Blake,” he offers me his hand, but quickly switches to the other as though he remembers my healing hand.

  “I am, I’m assuming you’re Cade.”

  “Yes, I’m sure Molly told you all about me. Don’t believe everything my daughter has to tell you, she tends to exaggerate the details,” he winks at me.

  “Well, now I’m a little worried. She told me you’re a wonderful person and nothing like Old Roald,” I just said that last part out loud, didn’t I? Well, shit.

  Cade doesn’t do a very well at containing his laughter, “Old Roald? I have to say I’m surprised no one else has come up with that nickname. It might end up sticking.”

  Once he’s managed to get himself under control, Cade leads me back to the offices that are occupied by men and women who are clearly speaking with customers about their products. It’s good to know the staff takes their jobs seriously. That makes everything I want to do that much easier.

  “Take a seat, Blake,” he gestures to the leather chairs and couch on one end of his office.

  I opt for the couch that looks like it’s probably been sitting there since the 1960s. Cade slides the chair close enough that we can have a conversation comfortably without feeling cramped for space. One glance at his desk tells me the kind of person he is; he enjoys his work and has enough respect for me that he didn’t insist I take the seat that put the desk between us. Good. That means he is giving me a chance to show that we can be on a level playing ground. Or, at the very least, he doesn’t want me to feel like he’s trying to assert authority over me.

  “Molly hasn’t told me much about your plans for the Dairy or the B&B. I do get the impression from her that you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, though. I want to hear what you’re thinking. Do you intend to sell it?”

  He’s very forward, I like that. “First of all, I want to assure you that I do not intend to make any unnecessary changes to the way things are run here. I feel confident that my grandfather made the right decision in putting the people in positions he did.”

  Cade is respectfully quiet as I continue, “I’ve met with Patrick Baldwin, he’s given me some solid advice about how to proceed, and I agree with his assessment. If you are willing to stay in your current position and have no issues with your current staff, I see no reason to make any changes. I do, however, intend to allocate funds for improvements and updates that may be needed.”

  He blinks at me for a few moments, “You know, I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. I’m on board with whatever you need from me. I am satisfied with my staff, but we have a laundry list of updates we would like to see happen.”

  As our conversation continues, I feel more and more confident in Cade’s ability to lead the company. He has fantastic suggestions and practically hails me as a genius when I suggest we start making flavored coffee creamers as part of our export plan. When that subject comes to an end, Cade gestures toward my hand and asks for my account of events.

  “Listen, I know Roald is set in his ways, but I firmly believe he needs to be put in his place. I respect that he has a lot of hurts built up over the years, and I wish there was something I could do to heal that,” I tell him what transpired at the cottage that first day in Kinnitty.

  “I wonder if my da knows about this. My da is Curren Molloy, one of the younger brothers. He’s distanced himself from a lot of the drama surrounding Brion leaving. He was just a kid when your grandparents emigrated. Most of the family has come to see it for what it was, an opportunity for them to build their own life.”

  “I’m so relieved to hear you say that, because I’m going to need all the help I can get when shit hits the fan,” I take a deep breath and tell him about the threatening letters I’ve received.

  “It would serve him right to have charges pressed. You have every reason to do
it, why don’t you want to?” Cade seems genuinely shocked.

  I shrug, “Because my grandfather wanted me to fix what he felt responsible for breaking. I don’t think that would help anyone heal from past hurts. I just want him to see how wrong his actions are.”

  Cade doesn’t say anything for some time. I know he’s probably trying to decide if my choice is honorable or stupid. I’ve argued with myself over that exact same issue on more than one occasion. The problem is, Old Roald is set in his ways and is unlikely to change, but men like him only have power as long as they have people who are willing to follow their lead. If his family speaks up against him, he’ll lose the control he has been able to use to intimidate everyone for years.

  “I think this is a good idea, it shows a level of maturity that I don’t think Roald himself possesses. Let me know if I can help in any way,” Cade says when he finally reaches his own conclusions about my choice.

  “Thank you, Cade. Please meet with your employees and make a list of the things you think we need to replace, improve, or update. If you can get an estimate to Baldwin, he will get it to me when we meet next.”

  Cade accompanies me to the front door. Molly is already waiting outside, sitting on a bench with the pages I gave her clenched in her hands. Uh-oh, it’s one thing for me to tell Cade about what the letter said, but entirely different for him to read it himself.

  Molly jumps to her feet, “Dad, we’ve got to do something about this arsehole. He’s threatening her life. Like it’s not bad enough, he hit her with that ridiculous cane, now he’s basically telling her he can make her disappear, and no one would know where to find her.”

  I can practically see the steam rolling out of her ears. Molly isn’t trying to be funny; in fact, she’s royally pissed. I can only hope she didn’t call Gannon right away. I asked her not to, but friends sometimes decide to ask for forgiveness later. Molly thrusts the letter into Cade’s hands, tapping her foot while he reads. His already fair complexion pales the further he gets into the message. When he’s done, his eyes slide from the paper to me.

  “You really glossed over the details, lass.”

  I shrug, “I know. I didn’t want anyone to worry. Roald may like to think he knows me from a conversation or two with my immediate family, but he has no idea who he’s dealing with. I can hold my own.”

  Cade shakes his head, “No, Blake. This is not a time for you to ‘hold your own’. You need to report this. Roald may not be physically capable of killing you and dumping the body somewhere, but you can bet your arse he knows people who are.”

  “Blake, you’re part of this family. Regardless of the history between your branch of the family tree and the others, you do not deserve to be treated this way. We put family first,” Molly insisted.

  I heave a deep sigh. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. If I take the threat seriously, I can’t help but feel like I’m expecting others to take care of my problems. If I push the threats aside, I run the risk of being caught unaware by God knows who. I need to think about what I want to do. Now more than ever, I wish Grandpa was here to offer some of his sage advice.

  My trips to Dublin are usually quick and concise. I don’t have any reason to stick around, especially when I make the journey alone. I try not to think about how much I wish Blake had been able to join me, but I know what she had to do was more important than anything I’ve got going on today.

  After I’ve picked up the various items I need from my suppliers, I decide I’d like to grab some lunch before I head back home. I don’t typically travel the more tourist dense places, I prefer to get in, get out, and get on with business. So, today I choose a quaint little café on the outskirts of the city. Parking in Dublin is terrible. I have to walk a couple blocks from my truck to get to the restaurant. My walk is only interrupted by the tiny drops of rain beginning to fall on another gloomy day in Ireland.

  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that rounding a corner would bring everything crashing down on me. I’d recognize her anywhere, even after all these years. Standing on the side of the road, hailing a cab, is none other than Madigan Adams. She’s back. Every single heartbreaking moment rushes back to me in a matter of seconds. I don’t want to see her; I don’t want her to see me! The sudden realization that she may be heading back to Kinnitty makes me lose my appetite altogether. I turn on my heel and sprint back to my truck.

  Grabbing my cell phone from my jacket pocket, I press the button that connects me to Pat. It only rings once before he answers.

  “Did yeh get yourself arrested?”

  I’m not in the right frame of mind to appreciate his jokes, “No, listen, have you heard anything lately that you think I’d like to hear too?”

  “What are you on about?” Patrick sounds thoroughly confused.

  “Do you know anything about Madigan being back in Ireland?” I demand a bit more forcefully than is necessary.

  Pat isn’t the enemy here. I have to remind myself that he was hurt when she left too. I’m already on the highway heading for Kinnitty.

  “No, what’s happened, Gan?”

  “I saw her, Pat. She’s in Dublin,” I barely breathe the words out.

  His answering silence tells me everything I need to know. She didn’t give anyone a heads up about a visit. Maybe she won’t even go to Kinnitty. Perhaps she had something to take care of in Dublin. Right now, all I can think about is getting back to Kinnitty, and warning Blake that my ex-everything may be returning. Will this ruin what I have going with Blake? Does my worrying about it mean I’m not over Madigan?

  “Gannon, I’m not sure what to tell you. Maybe it wasn’t really her? No one in my family has heard from her since she left.”

  “No, I’m telling you, Pat, it was her. I’m on my way home. Can you give me a call if you see her? Try to keep this between you and me for now.”

  “Yeah, sure, Gan, no problem.”

  It’s as though seeing a ghost from my past rattles me enough to bring things into focus. I’m done kidding myself. I saw it in Blake’s eyes last night. She wants me as badly as I want her. Before anything can happen, before Madigan shows her face in Kinnitty again, before anyone has a chance to ruin my chances at something real with Blake, I’m going to tell her. I’m going to tell her I want her in every possible way. In the short amount of time we’ve known one another, I’ve come to realize that waiting is just delaying the inevitable. If Blake is staying in Ireland, I want her to stay with me. Nothing is guaranteed in life, and if I keep waiting for the right moment, I’ll lose every chance I have of being with someone as amazing as Blake.

  I don’t know if anyone has told Blake about what happened with Madigan. Even if they did, no one knows the whole story. Our last few months together weren’t easy. Her departure was far from expected, but I felt a storm brewing after a secret we shared became irrelevant to her. We were fresh out of college, and she revealed that she was expecting our child. I was on cloud nine. Plans to marry her and start our own family swirled around in my head. But not everything turns out the way you hope.

  She was only a few months along when we returned to Kinnitty. Madigan went to an appointment and came back to tell me the baby wasn’t a factor in our decision anymore. The truth of what she’d done nearly killed me. She wasn’t upset, she wasn’t crying, she wasn’t heartbroken the way I was. At first, I tried to be understanding; maybe Madigan was in shock. But she never broke down. She just moved on. It caused a lot of tension between us and ultimately led to the conversation we had in the pub the day she left.

  When we sat down to hash things out, I never thought it would lead to the end of our relationship. I never thought she would rip my heart out and stomp on it. Maybe she thought I would follow her to London or beg her to stay. Instead, I plunged into a deep depression that only ended with the help of Pat and Errol. But I never told anyone about the baby.

  Seeing her again today definitely had an impact on me, but not in the way I thought it would. The idea of f
acing her again has crossed my mind repeatedly over the past eight years, but I thought it would never happen. She hasn’t even kept in contact with her family, why would she ever feel the need to get in touch with me again?

  The hour-long drive passes before I know it. As soon as I put the truck in park, I hop out and head to Blake’s cottage. I’m disappointed to discover she isn’t there. The pub is closed on Mondays, so I was hoping to make her dinner. Dejected, I turn to walk back to my own cottage only to see her walking up the drive.

  “Gannon!” Blake calls with a wave.

  “Hey, I just got back from Dublin and wanted to know if you’d like to join me for dinner tonight. I’d like to cook for you.”

  Blake’s smile is wide and genuine, “I’d love that! How was Dublin?”