“What was that for?” He smiled at her. His green eyes darted toward her, then back to the road.
“Because I’m happy I married you.”
“I’m happy I married you too,” Liam said as he carefully switched lanes and then continued, “I know you miss them, Rachel. I am so glad they came up for the wedding.”
“I do miss them. It’s great we got to spend the time we did.” She placed her hand on his thigh. “But we’re married now, and we need to enjoy it before these babies are born.”
“Oh, trust me, I intend to.” He shot her one of his famous sexy grins, the same one that got her there in the first place. The same one that would keep her next to him forever.
***
Patrick
It was Monday, again. He had slept terribly the night before, his coffee had not quite worked its magic yet, and the boys were fussing about their oatmeal; they had wanted waffles instead. It was going to be that kind of day, he could just tell.
It had all started yesterday. He’d woken up moody and irritable the morning following Liam’s wedding; hell, he had been fairly miserable at that too. But he was pretty sure he knew why he had slept so awful again last night—Amber. Leave it to his mother and sister, who were again meddling in his life. They had invited her over, of course without telling Patrick. He knew it wasn’t Amber’s fault; she even told him that she’d tried calling to warn him. He did appreciate that, but unfortunately he hadn’t checked his phone. The dinner itself was only partially uncomfortable and actually went better than he expected after being blindsided by Amber’s arrival. She did her best to keep her distance from him; she understood his concerns and tried hard to not give the impression that they had anything romantic going on. During dinner, when the time had come to sit down and eat, Amber made small talk with everyone and really seemed to get on well with his mother. That scared him.
Patrick was headed to work, his brain still groggy as he pulled into the driveway of the shop. God, he needed more coffee. It was pointless to drink the stuff; he needed to have it intravenously, then he might actually get the much-needed caffeine buzz. He parked his SUV and walked up to the building. He could already feel the sun’s heat bouncing off the metal. Today was going to be a hot one.
“Good morning, Patrick,” Maggie called out to him the moment he stepped inside.
He nodded and hoped he could quietly retreat to his office, but he knew that she was going to hound him about Amber. Now it was just a waiting game. Maggie didn’t approach Patrick about running into them at the grocery store; she didn’t say anything after Amber left dinner last night. The whole thing made him uneasy. What was she waiting for?
“Hey, Patrick,” Daniel said as he rounded the corner.
“Morning,” Patrick muttered.
“Oh boy, someone’s in a foul mood. What’s going on?” Daniel asked as he leaned against the counter. Maggie left her desk and went to the counter.
Patrick swallowed. They were like raptors, working as a team to strike at him. “Nothing’s wrong,” he lied.
Maggie’s lips curled into a smirk. “Well, I think we have a lot to discuss.”
“Not now, Maggie.” Patrick raised his hand up, hoping to stop her.
She placed her hands on her hip and cocked her head to the side. “Really? Then when?”
“Never,” he answered.
She huffed, her growing pregnant belly moved as the air escaped her. “Patrick, what’s going on? I mean, you lie to me the other night about watching the boys, I run into you at the store with her. Are you guys dating, how long?”
Daniel looked confused. “Lied? You saw them at the store together?”
Maggie turned to Daniel. “Yes, I ran into Patrick with Amber the other night. He’d said he was going to play poker with you guys. Apparently not.”
“What?” Daniel looked at Patrick.
“Oh, get over it. You guys lie about stuff all the time. I just didn’t want to have to explain myself,” Patrick stated, his annoyance growing by the moment. He still hadn’t had enough coffee to deal with this confrontation.
“I just don’t get why you feel the need to keep things from us. I would have gladly watched the boys knowing that you were going to be on a date or whatever. I just don’t see the sense in lying about it.” Maggie directed her fiery glare at him.
“Because you guys get into my business, you hound me with endless questions, and honestly, I don’t even know if I want to date Amber, or anyone for that matter. I just wish you guys would leave me alone.”
Daniel rubbed his jaw; his skin was turning an off shade of red, silent anger clearly burning within him. Maggie swung her head back and laughed. “Are you seriously going to act like this? Amber seems really nice. I’m not sure what she wants with a guy like you, always moping around,” she mocked him, making an exaggerated sad and pouty face.
“Real mature, Maggie.” Patrick was beyond agitated now. He moved to go to his office. Daniel blocked his way.
“I think it’s ridiculous, Patrick. Here you finally meet someone who’s beautiful and sweet, and you act like you don’t care if you even date her. How unfair is that to her? Now Mom invited her to the house, you introduce her son to us guys, and what, now you want nothing to do with her, because we might have a couple questions for you? That’s just stupid, Patrick.”
“Oh, you think so, do you?” Patrick squared his shoulders and planted his feet firmly on the polished concrete floor.
Daniel shook his head. “You got a lot of nerve, Patrick. We have been nothing but loving to you and supportive when Beth died. We gave you your space. We tried to walk on eggshells for years. Well, I’m fed up. This needs to stop. You can’t treat us like this. It’s not right after everything we have done for you.” Daniel was seething.
Patrick knew his brother had a point, but he was not interested in hashing this out right now.
“Daniel, I get where you are coming from, but you haven’t been in my shoes,” Patrick tried to explain.
Daniel rolled his eyes. “That’s right, none of us know. We’ll never know how hard Patrick has it.” He swung his arms out wildly, his eyes burning with anger. “Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get on with your life, man. It’s been four years. It’s time to move forward.”
Patrick felt the frustration well up inside him. Daniel didn’t understand the half of it. He hadn’t even been in a serious relationship, let alone been married. How could he get them to understand? Not a single one of them had been where he had. “I’m not getting into this with you, Daniel. We’re done talking about this.” He shoved past his brother and stomped toward his office. Daniel trailed him, acting so unlike himself. Maggie stood there with her mouth open, completely shocked.
“So you think just because you say you don’t want to talk about it, that’s how it’s going to be?” Daniel was in the door frame, his voice raised and his temper flaring.
Patrick stood there, staring at Daniel, who was growing more pissed off by the second. “Daniel, once you actually have been in a relationship, then you can talk to me about this. Until then, you can’t possibly understand and really need to back off.”
Daniel smacked the inside of the doorway, rattling the wall, causing a picture to drop to the floor. He gave Patrick a hard glare that spoke volumes. Patrick had crossed the line. Daniel turned around and stormed out of the shop.
“Dammit, Patrick,” Maggie said as she came from behind the counter. “Honestly, why? Daniel has always defended you. He didn’t deserve that.”
“Maggie, you started it, again. This is why I don’t need you or anyone else in my business.” Patrick sat down in his chair. The day was turning out to be fan-friggin-tastic.
***
Amber
The dinner rush was finally over. Amber couldn’t be happier as she looked outside through the large front windows of the diner as the last customer pulled away. She had sent her mother home a little while ago, and Dylan was in the back helping with t
he dishes. It had been just a terribly long day, and she was more than ready to go home.
“Mom, what else do you need me to do?” She turned and saw Dylan stand behind the counter, wearing an apron that was too large for him, his cheeks red and his hair wet with sweat. He had been helping them out the last couple of days. It was fun working with him and reminded Amber of the times she spent with her dad at the diner.
“You did all those dishes?”
“Yep, I even mopped the back and everything,” Dylan added proudly.
Amber smiled. “That’s great, then let’s get ready to head home.”
They did a couple more tasks before they pulled their bikes through the door and mounted them. The cool evening breeze felt amazing after sweating all day. The sky had traces of orange, red, and pink as the sun started to set behind the mountains. Amber relished the quiet sound of the bicycle tires spinning against the asphalt. She looked over at Dylan, who looked relieved to be out of the diner.
“You did great today, Dylan. I’m really proud of you.”
He smiled, and she saw his cheeks grow pink from blushing. “Thanks, Mom. You were right, you know?”
“Oh really, about what?” They coasted on a slight down grade and let the natural force of momentum carry them.
“About working at the diner. I can see now how you did enjoy it as a teenager. It’s not so bad, I guess.”
“Well, I love you being there.” Amber pedaled as the approached a slight incline, and they rounded the corner to their street.
“Hey, Mom, when do you think we will get to go over to the O’Brien house again?” Dylan asked as they stored their bikes in the garage.
“I’m not sure, sweetie.” Amber wasn’t quite sure how to answer her son. Things were a little strained between Patrick and her. He wasn’t acting himself when she was over at his family’s house, though she did appreciate his kindness to Dylan. Amber enjoyed visiting; she was quite fond of Mary and found they both shared a passion for baking and cooking. Amber spent the evening getting to know Maggie, Rachel, and her family, and really found herself liking the O’Brien family. What Amber couldn’t understand was why Patrick didn’t want her around them; they were great.
“I hope we can see Patrick and his brothers again. They’re pretty cool.”
Amber hoped so too, but after last night she went home with a lot of uncertainty.
***
“Oh good, you two are back. Your father was starting to worry,” Lynn said as Amber and Dylan walked through the door.
“Sorry, we enjoyed a little bit of a longer ride home.”
“Don’t listen to your mother. I know my girl can handle herself, plus she had that guy with her.” Her father was sitting on his recliner, the news blaring from the small TV in the living room. Dylan went up and gave his grandfather a hug. “How’s things at the diner, Amber? You burn it down yet?” he teased as Amber plopped down on the couch next to her mother.
“Well, if you’d hurry up and get better, you wouldn’t have to worry. But as of today, no structure fires,” Amber joked back. Lately her father had seemed better. He was eating again and had more energy; even the color was returning to his face. They had met with the oncology doctor a week ago and would be doing further scans to see if the chemo was working.
“I know you got everything under control there, hon. I appreciate more than you’ll ever know.”
“Dad, I know. It’s funny because just today Dylan mentioned he actually liked helping out,” Amber added proudly. Dylan, who was seated next to her, rolled his eyes and groaned.
“The boy should be out fishing and riding his bike with his friends.”
“Oh, but he’s been a great help,” her mother countered. “We’ve needed a strong guy around the place to fill in while you were away. He’s just keeping your post warm for you, dear.”
Amber felt her body grow restless in the noisy living room. Her parents loved watching TV, they had their favorite shows, some of which Amber couldn’t get into, but she tried when they would beg her to watch with them.
“Hey, I’m going to shower and then I have some blog stuff I need to work on,” Amber explained as she headed toward her room. Dylan got up and grabbed his laptop, setting it up on the dining room table. Amber considered joining him but thought better of it. She would need to be able to concentrate on her blog, to give it some undivided attention that it had been lacking. Then she planned to journal; she needed to try and work through some of the conflicting feelings she was having, all of which were about Patrick.
***
Amber was pouring a cup of coffee for a customer when she saw Maggie come into the diner. Their eyes connected, Maggie giving her a broad smile as she weaved her way to the counter.
“Hey, Amber,” Maggie greeted her and tried to take a seat at the counter. Amber was surprised at how much more Maggie’s belly was protruding and saw what a difficult time she was having trying to get on the stool. “I think I’ll take a table instead. This darn belly is starting to cause some issues. If I have to push my seat back in my car any further, I won’t be able to reach the pedals.” They both laughed, because it was the awful truth.
“Well, you look great. You're honestly glowing.”
“Aww, thanks, I really appreciate that. Because I’m starting to get to the point where I can’t see my feet anymore.”
“Been there. So what can I get for you and the baby?” Amber asked sweetly. She really liked Maggie and hoped they could become closer, not even for the sake of Patrick, but because Amber craved some female interaction.
“I actually came in to see you. Do you have a couple minutes to sit and chat?” Maggie looked up at her hopefully.
The breakfast rush was dying off, and Lynn was in the back prepping food with Dylan for the next wave of customers. “Sure, I got a little time. You want some tea or anything to eat?” Amber offered as she fluttered toward the counter near the coffee station. She needed caffeine; coffee sounded great right now.
“Tea would be wonderful,” Maggie answered politely.
“You take any sugar, cream, or honey?” Amber called out. She quickly poured hot water into one of the standard, boring, beige mugs that they’d always had. Her parents never thought to order anything different, she had suggested in the past, and their response had been simple, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” They did have a valid point there.
“Just sugar, please.”
Amber carried their drinks and all their fixings, along with two scones on a tray.
“That looks good.” Maggie eyed the homemade huckleberry scone. Huckleberries only came in around a certain season, and you had to know where to find them. Pickers kept their locations secret, and the precious, sweet, little, red-looking berries were worth their weight in gold.
Amber sat down, enjoying the feeling of actually sitting and resting. When she was working she found herself in constant motion. There was never a dull moment or time to get bored, especially with her father being ill; her mother and she were carrying the weight of the diner.
“So what’s up?” Amber asked, adding some creamer and sugar in her coffee. She watched the brown turn milky and appealing, and she could hardly wait to start sipping. She grabbed hold of the warm mug and inhaled its rich aroma. Yes, she loved coffee, especially that first cup of the morning, but now, this was her third, but who was counting?
Maggie took a small bite of the scone, closed her eyes, and moaned in delight. “This is delicious. Dare I say that it’s better than my mom’s?”
“I won’t tell her.” Amber giggled at the compliment. Mary O’Brien was well known in the community for being a fabulous cook and baker. Amber had enjoyed her cooking on Sunday, though it was a simple BBQ, mainly because she had so many guests, but from what Amber tasted, it was all fantastic.
“Did you make these?” Maggie held up the scone before she sunk her mouth on it.
Amber nodded and felt herself blush. “Yeah.”
“
No wonder my mom likes you. You guys are like two culinary peas in a pod.” They both laughed and then sipped on their drinks.
Maggie released a content sigh. “So I might as well just come out with it. What’s going on with you and Patrick?”
Amber took her time responding, as things were complicated. She hadn’t spoken to Patrick since Sunday, granted it was only mid-week, but they had been chatting every day before that. So she knew all was not well.
Cautiously, she answered as honestly as possible, “You know, I’m not too sure. I sort of thought that maybe there was something, but right now he just seems like he might need a little room.”
Maggie rolled her eyes and gave her a lopsided grin. “Well, he’s been needing space for over four years. Probably longer, even.” Maggie took another sip of her tea and continued. “He really loved Beth, and he’s been through hell and back trying to cope. But he just shuts us all out.”
Amber nodded again. “I see that.” Without selling Patrick out, she kept her responses vague.
“So you can probably imagine my surprise, when I see you two at the grocery store together. Now, Amber, please don’t think I mean this in a bad way. I don’t. In fact, I’d be thrilled if he was dating you. I just don’t like him lying about it or feeling like he needs to hide things.”
“I completely agree with you.” Amber scanned the room in case she was needed, but luckily today was proving to be a slow one. “I think Patrick’s a good guy, he’s sweet, and even my son adores him. Actually, Dylan is like, over the moon with all your brothers. He just thinks they are the coolest group of guys. But I just don’t know what Patrick and I are doing.”
“They thought the world of Dylan. It was all they talked about after you guys left. As for Patrick, well, be patient with him, if you can. He’s getting better, believe it or not, well, until recently. I think the wedding brought back a lot of feelings, and then with me and Rachel both having babies. It’s a lot to take in. There hasn’t been any births since the twins, and well, you know that whole story.”
Patrick's Promise (Cloverleaf #3) Page 18