Walt’s face went pale, the man knew he was in a box and everyone could sense the crossroads that he was at. Walt looked around and when he realized he was being watched by about a dozen of his employees, you could tell he was about to say something awful.
“You have been nothin’ but of jealous of me son since he came to Dublin. If you want to keep yer job with this company, then it’s best that you learn your place. Finn is the foreman and what he says goes, if you don’t like it then you can find yerself a position elsewhere,” the way Walt growled at her was almost feral.
Battle lines drawn, I watched Camille walk into Walt’s personal space her face unreadable.
Cami
I know what you all are thinkin’! You’re wondering why I am standing here, letting me heartbreak when I should have known better. The fact that Walt had no care about the fact that I could have been hurt on the bloody roof and the fact that he referred to me as an employee didn’t phase me. That’s how commonplace his distancing himself from he had become.
Yet, as I stand here looking at the man who had taught me how to ride me first bike, took me to my first school day, had read me stories and had cheered when I would dance around the house like a bloody princess, I realized that was time spent with a man who no longer existed. As much as it hurt, I can no longer ignore the fact that once Walt realized he had a son of his own blood, he no longer had to settle. Like a switch he was able to turn off all love towards me and Ma.
I had truly been cast aside and replaced by a more desirable model. The man I had known as me Da since the day I was brought into this world was no more and the man in front of me was a stranger. Worse than that, it was a man I wouldn’t want to know as a friend, he was greedy, selfish, uncaring and cared little for the people who gave him his fine living. Although me heart grieved the Da I had loved, it felt good to let go of my foolish notion that if I just love the man enough for the both us, he would someday love me back.
“You do not deserve such a fine crew, they work hard, stay late and complain little,” I spoke to him in a tone I was sure he’d never heard come from me lips, disgust. I moved past him to Finn. Ahh, Finn, the swarmy bastard just stared at me his eyes wide.
“You are a stupid little man, you know nothing of buildin’ and you are a terrible leader! You don’t know the difference between a nail gun and bloody sledge hammer, you are not qualified the position your Da gives you!” There that felt pretty bleedin’ fantastic, couple that with Finn’s red face that matched his tomato hair and you have a very proud moment.
Like all of my proud moments, this was one fleetinging as well. No sooner had I spoken the words to Finn then Walt spun me around and slapped me hard across the cheek. My head whipped to the side with the sheer force of the impact and my check felt like it was on fire. Hot tears sprung to me eyes but I refused to let them fall. Not once had Walt ever struck me, now he was striking me down in front the whole crew and his demon spawn.
I was so shocked I just stood there, wide eyed, holding me burnin’ cheek. His eyes were narrowed and his smile cruel and in that moment I swear he was the devil.
A commotion to me right got my attention so I swung my gaze toward the loud voices. Three of the men were holding back a very pissed off looking, Dalton. His green eyes were blazing and his thick arms strained against the lads that were restraining him. I knew I had to get hold of the situation before Dalton got free and committed murder on me behalf.
Before I could even speak my hand flew of its own accord and cracked across Walt’s cheek. Yes, it was for certain, I was definitley going to get my own warm patch in hell now. If me mother had seen what I had just done, she would have fainted from the shame of it. There was an unspoken rule in any Irish household, you respect the older ones, always. No matter what insanity spilled from their mouths, you never, ever disrespected or harmed one. Now, I had just broken two unspoken rules but I was too angry to repent at the moment.
“Don’t you ever raise yer hand to me again old man or you will find it on the ground next to yer feet,” I seethed at Walt who stared at me in shock. Finn for his part stood there in abject horror, it wouldn’t surprise me if he pissed himself.
I was about to launch into another tirade when the sound of someone clapping got me focus. I looked and Dalton was no longer being restrained by the men. In fact, he was grinning from ear to ear and clapping so loud it echoed through the work site. Others followed his lead and seconds later the whole crew erupted in a loud round of applause. Everyone seemed proud, well except for Walt and Finn, they looked ready to commit murder… most likely mine.
“You ungrateful wagon!” Walt yelled. I was actually kind of impressed, being that calling a woman a wagon was the equivent of the C-word in America and I don’t mean cookie.
“Fired, the lot of you! All fired! How about clapping for that bit of news!” Walt yelled looking at the men. The shouts and clapping stopped and wide-eyed looks of uncertainty crossed their faces.
Well, I wasn’t having it, these men had stood up for and had cheered me on against Walt. There was no way I was going to let them be fired because of me.
I grabbed Walt’s skinny arm and made me eyes wide and pleading, “Walt, you can’t do that these men need these wages, please what can I do? I’ll do anything?”
That got Walt’s attention. He smiled at me like he had just won the lottery. Wait, don’t give up on me yet, I know you’re wonderin’ why I went from fightin’ to beggin’ but just have a little faith will ya!
“Fine, you want to be savin’ their jobs, then you will get on your hands and knees and beg Finn! Beg him to hire the lads back and make it good and I’ll consider being generous,” Walt practically sneered the words to me as the men erupted in protest. Dalton was oddly silent. I managed a glance in his direction and I found his green eyes staring intently at me. I turned back to Walt, but not before I swear I caught the beginnings of a smile on Dalton’s handsome face.
I looked at Finn who was leering at me. I knew what I had to do. After al,l Walt McDougall had taught me to be polite, do my duty, not to challege the injustices thrust upon me but to accept them with grace and dignity. Yeah! You thinking what I’m thinking? I say fuck that too!
Just as I moved to drop to my knees I instead stepped into Finn and grabbed his limp cock, dug me nails in deep and twisted just a little. He squeled like a pig as I turned my head toward Walt. Walt took an angry step toward me but a slight twist to Finn’s nuts made him freeze.
“If you're thinkin’ for one minute that I won’t twist these, pathetic excuse for balls, right off your lad, then you don’t know me at all, Walt,” I warned as Finn began to sweat and shake slightly.
“You think to get the men their jobs back like this?” Walt bellowed like he still had the upper hand in the situation.
I smiled then, a smile with no warmth, no kindness and no mercy. “Actually this is just for my own sense of poetic justice. To answer your question, yes, you will be hiring the men back, you will be honoring the wager your demon seed struck with me and you will be making Daniel the foreman of this crew because that is what is right!”
“You're mad,” he answered in his typical boring tone.
“No, I’m not, I’m deadly serious,” I spat then turning to Finn who was a very pretty shade of maroon I said, “You take me seriously don’t you Finn?” I laughed as Finn nodded his head up and down.
“You dare threaten my son in the hopes of gaining favor with me to hire back the crew?” came his shocked voice, I could tell he couldn’t see my angle on the whole situation.
“Actually, putting gobshite’s balls in a vise was just a bonus,” I gave Finn a vicious squeeze and then shoved him away from me. He stumbled back several steps before bending at the waist trying to catch his breath.
“The real threat is that if you don’t hire the men back, pay them what Finn wagered and replace Finn with Daniel, I will blow your business and your life apart, Walt,” I told him as I stepped closer, “an
d you know I have all the information to do it,” I finished, daring him to challenge me. Walt’s eyes grew wide, and I knew in that moment, he knew exactly what I was talking about. Still, I knew he wouldn’t go down without a fight so I rolled back my shoulders and glared at him.
Walt ignored the whimperings of Finn and thrust his bony finger in me face, “You wouldn’t dare,” he said in all his melodramatic bluster.
It was time to let Walt know just how much I dared, “Wouldn’t dare to do what Walt? Wouldn’t dare to tell everyone how you really get your permits through, or how you got commissioned to build the new police headquarters because you bribed the head of the department,” seeing him pale I continued, “or what about the clients who pay for top quality nails and drywall and you get the very cheapest from China? How many new walls have we built with that drywall from China that has such high lead concentrations that they outlawed it in America?” I knew I could stop, what I had said alone was enough to bury him but I just couldn’t keep me mouth shut.
“Or there is always the little bird you visit up on Temple Bar, you know the one, bonde hair, blue eyes, and huge…”
“Stop!” Walt shouted interuppting me as he took several steps back.
I took two steps that placed me in front of him, threw my arms around him in a fierce hug and whispered in his ear, “You will keep the lads, and give Daniel the Foreman position, and pay the wages that I won for them fair and square or I will take you down faster than a whore that drops to her knees for a 100 bloody euros!” I pulled back from him and smiled. The surrounding lads looked at each other not sure what had just transpired.
“You’re more like a McDougall than I realized, you really are your father’s daughter! I’m almost proud of ya Camille,” Walt told me, pride dripping from his voice like poison.
Proud! Years of trying to please the bastard and this made him proud? This primal, ruthlessness that I called upon to save the lads from financial ruin made the man bloody proud?
I stepped back a few steps and looked from Finn to Walt, I was sure the disgust showed on me face, “Don’t waste yer fatherly pride on me Walt,” I told him as I turned to grab me jacket from the steps of the trailer office, “But yer right about one thing, I am me father’s daughter and his name is Jack Patrick. I’m not a McDougall Walt, I’m a Patrick and just like me cousin Synclair I fight for what I believe it and I fight to win, only me real Da and Synclair taught me to always fight with me mind first because intelligence wins over fists, any day of the week!”
I left him standing there as I walked toward me car. I was opening the door when I heard him say, “the wager stands, Daniel you’re the new Foreman starting tomorrow morning.”
“What? That’s bullshite, that’s my job Da, mine,” Finn whined as he trailed him to Walt’s black sedan.
“Shut up boy, just shut the hell up, you could learn a thing or two from the girl, she bested us both just now you bloody eejit!”
Smiling I called over to the lads who were all standing there looking as if they were unsure of what happened next.
“Come on lads, there’s a cold pint waiting for us at Lark’s pub, let’s get on it then!” I shouted as I unlocked me door and slid behind the wheel.
I was about to start the engine when the passenger door opened and Dalton sat down in the passenger seat grinning like a loon. I found his smile contaigous and couldn’t help but smile back.
“Just what are you about Mr. Hudson?” I teased as he fought with the seatbelt. I was going to let him know it always gets stuck but he got it on the fifth try. He took a deep breath and turned his green-eyed gaze to me. It was hard to focus on his eyes when mine kept going to those full lips and that light brown, yet, auburnish hair that was plastered to his head from the rain.
“I do believe I earned a beer, Ms. Patrick. Seeing as I did assist in getting the men their wages,” he answered with a smile that made me want to lock my knees together. Dear lord the man was sex on a stick which was weird because I have always cringed at the idea of sex, but with Dalton the act seemed far less daunting.
He must have seen me staring at his lips because he leaned closer and I was sure he was about to kiss me.
“Camille,” came his husky whisper. Panicked I pulled back and started the car. I ignored his chuckle as I backed out of the lot and headed for pub.
Dalton
I know she wanted me to kiss her, you can call me egotistical all you want but I know Camille was imagining me kissing her. I nearly did until I remember she owed me a kiss and not that kiss up on the roof either. The deal was I got to kiss her, so I am going to make the most out of my timing and it’s not going to be in her tiny clown car when we’re both soaking wet. Nope, it’s I’m going to kiss her when I get maximum value for the liplock and a not a second before! Sending off a quick text to Jack, I settled back in the small seat.
By the time the heater in her torture mobile kicked in we were already pulling into a lot on a dark street. The building was amazing, it had to be built somewhere in the fourteenth century and the masonry work on it was worn but still strong. I had been so busy staring at the old brickwork that I didn’t even notice she had parked and was trying to get my attention.
“You coming Dalton or are ya going to stare at the wall all night?” she asked laughing, I found I liked her laugh and I wanted to hear more of it.
“After you m’lady,” I told her gesturing for her to walk ahead of me. my gallant gesture was greeted with a role of her eyes and a smirk.
I followed her around to the front of the building and was about to reach in front of her to open the door when she stopped so fast I ran right into her. She turned and I caught her before we both slammed into the building. Looking down, she looked as surprised to be in my arms, as I was to have her there. I tried to ignore the fact that she fit perfectly within my embrace as I gently forced my arms from around her.
“Sorry… I just wanted to give you some tips before we go in,” she told me.
“Camille, I been in a bar before, I’ve had beers in Germany and in Iraq,” I told her smiling, I didn’t get the big deal.
She shook her head, her damp locks that had begun to dry in curls around her face shook with it, “First do not call it a beer, it’s called a pint and don’t ask about lepracauns or pots of gold either. Also it’s customary for someone to buy you a drink, but just know if they buy a round and include you, they will expect the same. Since you’re American they’ll probably let you slide. Drinkin’ in Ireland is not the same as drinkin’ in the states Dalton and don’t try to keep up with the lads,” she warned as she reached for the door.
I grabbed the handle before she did and nodded as she walked past me, again with the eye rolling. I was a guy, I had been in the Navy, I wasn’t about to get my ass kicked by some Irish construction workers. Seriously, call it ale, call it a pint, cerveza or whatever, it’s all just beer, right?
Wrong, so wrong, so very, very wrong! Sometime later I found myself listening to yet another Irish toast, this time by Daniel. It appears the Irish take their drinking very seriously and this was about the fifth toast I’d heard tonight.
“May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven
half an hour before the devil knows you're dead,” Daniel practically sang as everyone raised their mugs and downed more Guinness.
Oh yes, I did say Guinness. Apparently, the Irish take their Guinness seriously too. It is poured at a 45-degree angle and then you don’t touch it. Yep, I’m serious, Micheal from the crew actually slapped my hand when I reached for the mug when the first round arrived at the table. I was going to slam his head on the table top when he explained that I was required to wait at least 120 seconds before I could drink it to make sure the head formed properly. After the first two rounds, I took Camille’s advice and handed the barmaid my card and bought a round for the group, this was probably my mistake. By Irish custom now ev
eryone I had purchased a pint for was now socially obligated to buy me one.
I’m not sure how many pints I consumed as I listened to the men explain how Guinness was better in Dublin because this is where it was brewed, to how Camille was amazing at saving their jobs tonight and giving the shaft to Finn. After my first two mugs I lost track of Camille, at one point she was behind the bar helping to pour drinks and laughing with a busty, red head who kept glancing at me and smiling.
Normally, I would have been up at the bar, charming that red head out of her very tight jeans but for some reason the only person that captivated me was a feisty brunette.
Later, I couldn’t tell you when, I was coming out of the bathroom when I stumbled into the woman that I couldn’t get out of my head. I held onto her shoulders and smiled as she gave me a concerned look.
“Dalton are ya okay?” she asked, her face all scrunched up with adorable worry.
“Course, I just had to take a piss,” then I bent down to her ear, “did you know they call the bathroom, ‘jacks’ or just, ‘toilet?’… seriously.” I told her not sharing the fact that I had been asking where the bathroom was for the past half hour and the asshats had laughed saying they had no idea what I was talking about. It had been Michael, I guess he had been designated my Irish spiritual guide, who explained that they call it, ‘toilet’ or ‘jacks’. Flipping off the table of laughing men, I had stumbled to the toilet and relieved myself, that was when I realized I may have had more alcohol than I had previously thought.
“Dalton, yer plastered, you’re going to be wreaked tomorrow,” she scolded as she glared at the men. My new friends ditched me and burst out laughing as I tried to remain upright.
“I am not think… as you drunk… I am, Camille,” I slurred and watched her face go from concern to eye rolling. Seriously, we were going to have to have a conversation about that damn eye rolling crap because right now I was kind of hoping they’d get stuck like that. The visual image of that made me burst out laughing and I stumbled forward again and Camille put her arms around my waist to hold me up.
Lucky Charms: A Hudson Family Series- Book 3- Dalton and Cami Page 12