“That’s fucked-up thinking.”
She shrugged. “That’s women. Not all women, but some. They like to play around and cause drama.”
“Maebh isn’t that way,” I said softly, my heart feeling like it was breaking all over again. When I found out she had gone back to Ireland, my heart felt like part of it was in Texas and the other part had been catapulted to Cork.
“No, Maebh doesn’t like drama. And that little slut knew that.”
My phone beeped with a message from Amelia.
Amelia: Found Kylie. Her husband apparently left her for another woman. Karma’s a bitch, I guess. That’s why she was back in town. She still has the same cell phone number in case you are interested in reaching out.”
I stared at the message before saying, “Amelia said she found out Kylie was back in town because her husband left her.”
“Interesting.”
Lifting my head to look at my aunt, I said, “Why is that interesting?”
“Because I’m sure the girl showed up at your place with every intent on trying to seduce you. Her husband left her, she was hurting, and her best revenge would be to sleep with the guy who had once been her fuck buddy. What’s that saying? The only way to get over a man is to get under another one? You can’t have a girlfriend standing in the way with a mission like that.”
Anger pulsed through my body. In that moment, I hated Kylie. Hated that I had given her so much of me. Spent so much time with her. I wanted to forget every single moment I had ever been with her. Wanted to erase every second I’d been with any other woman.
“Well, she failed, and if she tries that shit again, I’ll make it so she won’t ever come back to Oak Springs.”
A smile moved across my aunt’s face as she lifted the water that the flight attendant had just handed to us.
“Thank you,” I said to the flight attendant.
“Sure thing. We’re about to taxi.”
When the flight attendant left, I pulled out my phone and called the woman who had possibly just ruined my entire life.
“Cord, how are you feeling?”
“I want to know one thing. When you crawled into bed with me, did you touch me in any way?”
“What?”
“Don’t play around me, Kylie. Amelia got the truth out of you about your husband. You played Maebh, now I want you to tell me the goddamn truth right now.”
She sighed. “No. I was getting dressed when I heard her come back in. I undressed and crawled into bed with you as she walked into the room. As soon as she ran out, I got dressed because I knew Marge would be back. I’m honestly surprised she didn’t run into Maebh.”
“Why, Kylie?”
The line was silent for a few minutes. “I was hurt, and I needed you. I needed to forget.”
“The fact that I had a girlfriend meant nothing to you?”
She laughed. “Right. Like that’s ever been a concern of mine.”
The plane started down the runway. “Don’t ever call me again. Don't talk to me, don’t look at me, don’t even breathe in my fucking direction. I love Maebh and will only ever love her.”
I hit End and tossed my phone on the seat next to me.
Aunt Vi lifted her bottle of water up. “To winning the love of your life back with a plan that you haven’t come up with yet!”
I lifted my water to hers. We hit the two plastic bottles together, and I flashed her a smirk. “I’m a Parker, Aunt Vi. Nothing is going to stand in my way.”
She winked and nodded her head. “There you are. For a few moments I thought the pussy fairies had swooped in and taken over my favorite nephew.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “And here I always thought Tripp was your favorite.”
Aunt Vi waved me off. “Tripp? That boy is too serious. No, my favorite as always been the rebel son. You remind me of myself, only a male version.”
“Rebel son?” I asked with a hard laugh.
With a slight lift of her shoulders, Vi gave me a knowing smile. I’d been a bit of a rebel my entire life. My father had expected me to work the ranch and when I made it known I was going to college for a business major and had plans to open up my own bar, my father had nearly flipped out. I had graduated high school early, headed to the University of Texas and worked at night and weekends bartending, saving every single dime after living expenses to build up the money to buy the run-down building on Main Street.
I wasn’t even out of college when I bought the building where Cord’s Place now resided. My parents saw my drive and were behind me a hundred percent, even fronting the down payment for the loan to remodel the bar. If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t own that bar. Hell, I was young and had built a successful business because they backed me. I was fucking lucky and I knew it. Although, my father reminded me often I never did finish my degree because I was too focused on owning a bar.
And now all of that focus was on Maebh.
“You’ll get her back, Cord. Don’t stress. Drink up that water and then lie down. Have I mentioned that you look like fucking shit? Maebh’s gonna take one look at you and run for the Irish hills.”
I shook my head and laughed. Aunt Vi never was one to beat around the bush. She motioned for me to drink the water.
Tilting the water back, I drank it. Staring out the window, I let my thoughts start gathering as I thought about how I was going to prove to Maebh that I was hers, only hers.
Little did I know that my aunt had already begun that process. Along with the help of my mother, Paxton, and Amelia.
The cool wind rushed over me face as I sat on top of the paint horse. We both stood, frozen on the high cliff that overlooked the blue ocean below, reminding me of Cord’s beautiful sapphire eyes.
The jagged rocks coming out of the water seemed to mimic how me chest felt. I was a mess of confused emotions that went up and down, like the waves as they pummeled the shoreline. Me heart felt empty, me soul destroyed, yet there was something I couldn’t put me finger on. A nagging in me chest as I stood here, my gaze trained on the beautiful water below. Something didn’t feel right. For the first time since I ran from Cord’s house, I felt it. Why had I run? Why hadn’t I marched past that bitch, and right to Cord, looked him in the eyes and demanded he tell me what he had done?
I knew why I had run. The sight of Kylie, the girl who Cord had been fuck buddies with, had shaken me core. It had brought out a fear I had buried deep inside yet pretended didn’t exist. Thinking back on it now, it didn’t make any sense. Cord had sounded so sick when I talked to him. Melanie and Amelia said he had been so weak he couldn’t even go to the doctor. How in the world could he have had the energy or desire to have sex? I’d let her nasty words fill me head and stir up that doubt. It was her crawling into his bed that had thrown me for a loop.
I’d felt this way since I woke up from a dream. Cord was begging me to listen to him, let him explain and I wouldn’t. I kept running and he kept following me. Everywhere I went, he would show up. The look of sheer panic in his eyes when I would say we were over was what woke me up, gasping for breath.
Deep down I knew I had been insecure about me relationship with Cord. He was handsome, built like a god, charming, and had a history of being a ladies’ man. Women hit on him every night at the bar and for years he had acted on those advances. Was I really that naïve to think he could stop and be committed to one woman?
I closed me eyes and thought about the last time we were together. I knew with every ounce of me being Cord loved me. The way he looked at me when he made love to me was etched into me memory. More tears fell as I realized Cord would never hurt me. He had told me he loved me. He had chosen me to be with. He had been in me bed nearly every night pulling me body next to his. No other woman but me.
I had read into things and that was what Kylie was hoping for. But why had he not called? Paxton had said Cord was still sick when she called yesterday. It was then I started to doubt what had really happened. I had told her everything a
nd assumed she would have confronted Cord by now. If Paxton could call me, Cord could, as well. Unless something had happened to him. My mind was now a mixture of even more emotions. What if things turned for the worse and Cord had gotten sicker? Surely Melanie or one of the girls would have called me. Wouldn’t they? Maybe they were upset that I’d run without giving Cord a chance to tell his side of things.
Shite. Why had I acted like such a foolish child?
Gasping at the thought that something bad might have happened, I turned the horse around and gave him a swift kick in the side. We were soon racing toward the stables.
The need to get back to America and to Cord was overwhelming. I had run away like a scared little girl and that wasn’t who I was. I’d find out the truth for meself and if Cord had cheated, I’d kick his ass. If he hadn’t, I’d beg for him to forgive me for not trusting him and giving him a chance to explain.
By the time I got back to the stables, I was sweating. It was cold out, but me adrenaline was off the charts and just squeezing me legs on Forest, my father’s prized paint horse, had worked up a sweat. Rushing back toward the house, I heard me da’s voice calling out for me.
“Maebh! Maebh! Where’s the fire?”
Sliding to a halt, I rushed over. “I have to go back to him.”
His eyes widened in surprise while he stood before me. He was dressed in work boots, jeans, and a T-shirt that read Sona, the company he had worked so hard at building and making into one of the best whiskeys in Ireland and the world.
“What are you talking about?” he finally asked.
“I have to go back to America. I need to know for sure if what I saw really was what I thought it was.”
A slow curve lifted his lips and relief washed over his face. Like I was finally getting something he had gotten long before.
“What?” I asked, my brows furrowed as his slow grin grew to a wide smile.
“I think you’d be making a mistake to go to America, lass.”
“Why?” I asked. Wasn’t it my father who had been telling me to call Cord the last few days? To get his side of the story? Now he was telling me not to go.
“Before you go throwing punches at me, let’s get inside for some tea.”
“Da, I really need—”
He held up his hand to stop me from talking. “Give me ten minutes, Maebh O’Sullivan, before you go tearing out of here and firing up the plane again. Cool that temper and relax the desire to solve the problem this instant. Ten minutes, that’s all I want.”
A few minutes later I was following my da into the house, I smiled at George as he reached for me hand while I walked up the stairs of Castle Finghin, our family home. He was the butler and one of the three full-time employee’s me father kept at all times.
Me heart was pounding as I followed me da through the door.
“Ten minutes, Da. That’s all I’m giving you.”
He chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at me. “That’s all I need.”
We walked through the foyer and into me father’s office. He poured us each a glass of whiskey and motioned for me to sit down.
“I don’t want to sit.”
He lifted a brow, “Maebh O’Sullivan, sit your arse down in that chair. Trust me, for what I’m about to say you’ll want to be sitting down.”
Aedin, Maebh’s father, had arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport. When a Bentley Mulsanne showed up, Aunt Vi and I looked at each other in shock.
Sliding into the car, she said, “How rich is this bastard?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m not sure. I know they come from money, but that’s all. I’ve never asked Maebh, and she’s never mentioned it.”
“I know those Irish folk like their drinking, but damn, the whiskey business must be good here,” she mused.
“Mr. Parker, Mr. O’Sullivan has asked that we make a stop to speak with him before going to CastleFinghin.”
“Castle…Finghin?” I asked. I didn’t pronounce it the way the driver did so I wasn’t surprised when he chuckled lightly.
“Yes, the home of Mr. O’Sullivan.”
Aunt Vi and I looked at each other again. “The private plane is beginning to make more sense,” I whispered while she lifted her brows in amusement.
“You might want to look into Ireland for your next business venture, Cord.”
I laughed and looked out the window, taking in the beautiful city. As we’d flown into Cork I’d seen all the water Maebh had mentioned. It was stunning. The farther we got out of town, the more breathtaking it was.
“Why would anyone want to leave this place for Oak Springs, Texas?” Aunt Vi scoffed. “I may never go back.”
My chest tightened. It was some of the most beautiful land I’d ever seen. Maybe Maebh was missing Ireland. I knew she loved the restaurant, but I also knew Eric was capable of running it. Judging by the car we were in, I was going to safely say Maebh and her father weren’t hurting for money. I’d never even bothered to ask her if they had any other businesses. When Aedin flew to Paris a month ago for business, I had assumed it had to do with Sona, his distillery. His whiskey was some of the best fucking whiskey I’d ever tasted, and I now kept it stocked at Cord’s Place.
“We’re approaching the front gate of the O’Sullivan family seat.”
Aunt Vi hit me on the leg and leaned over. “Christ Almighty, is this family nobility, Cord?”
I shrugged. “Fuck if I know! I’m learning this all at the same time as you, Aunt Vi!”
She placed the back of her hand on my forehead. “No fever. How do you feel?”
“How in the hell do you go from nobility to checking me for a fever?”
With a grin, she winked. “Women can multitask, my dear.”
I rolled my eyes.
When we stopped at a large gate, Vi and I leaned down and looked up at it. Tall bushes lined both sides of the large stone arches. Between those were two large gates with a symbol on them. Glancing to my left, a stone sign read in large, bold letters:
C A S T L E F I N G H I N
“Are we being punked?” Aunt Vi asked me.
My head shook slowly as I whispered, “I’m not sure.”
“I thought you said we weren’t going to Castle Finghin,” I asked.
“Not to the house right away, sir. You’re meeting Mr. O’Sullivan at his private office on the grounds.”
“Did he happen to mention why?” I asked.
“No, sir.”
I sighed. “I told Paxton to ask Aedin not to tell Maebh I was coming. Do you think he isn’t happy about me being here?”
Waving her hand to brush away my comment, Aunt Vi said, “Nonsense. I’m sure he respects the fact that you’ve traveled all this way to see his daughter. Hopefully Paxton told him it was all a misunderstanding.”
I rubbed my hands over my thighs. “Let’s hope she did. Otherwise, the Irish mafia could be waiting to beat the living shit out of me.”
The driver chuckled, which caused Vi and me to snap our heads and look at him.
“Oh, hell,” I mumbled. “I’m going to die. Be sure to let Tripp know not to give Trevor control of my place and that there really is no such thing as free beer.”
Aunt Vi laughed harder like I’d just said the funniest thing she’d ever heard. I knew what that was. Nervous laughter. Distract the poor bastard so he doesn’t think about the pain and possible death fixin’ to happen.
“Sir, I can put your mind to rest. The Irish mafia is not here to…well…beat the living shite out of you.”
I let out the breath I didn’t even know I had been holding.
“Thank fuck for that.”
Vi slapped me on the leg. “See, you were all worried. He’s probably just going to threaten you that if you ever hurt his daughter again he’ll have his ‘friends’ take you out slowly…and piece by piece.”
“Not making me feel any better, Aunt Vi.”
The driveway was long and when I looked ahead, I saw a larg
e, three-story house with what looked like two wings coming out on both sides of the white stone house. Or castle. Or whatever the hell they called it over here. It was fucking huge and made my folks’ place look small. The driver turned to the right instead of taking the bridge that lead straight to the house and drove for a bit along the water.
“That’s beautiful. What river is that?” Aunt Vi asked.
“That’s the Blackwater River, ma’am. The salmon are amazing and fun to catch.”
That caught my attention. Maebh grew up on a river, yet had never been fishing?
We pulled up to a stone two-story building and the car came to a stop.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Cord?” my aunt asked.
“I don’t feel a hundred percent, but I’m better.” It wasn’t a lie. I did feel better, but I was tired as hell, even though I had slept on the plane in the private bedroom. I was glad Aunt Vi kept the flight attendant at bay after she had come in once and asked if I needed anything. I got the distinct feeling she’d meant something sexual.
We stepped out of the car, and I walked around to stand next to Aunt Vi.
“I believe he only wants to see you, sir.”
Swallowing hard, I looked at my aunt and said, “If I don’t make it out alive, tell Maebh I love her very much.”
With a roll of her eyes, Aunt Vi pushed me toward the building. “For Christ’s sake, boy, get your ass in there so you can get this over with and finally see Maebh.”
I took in a deep breath and blew it out as I walked up the large stone steps. This was his private office. Shit, Maebh had certainly kept a lot about her life in Ireland from me. I didn’t care; none of it mattered, but I sure as shit wasn’t expecting this.
I glanced over my shoulder at my aunt for moral support and all I got was her waving me on. I caught her looking to her right, and she let a huge smile play across her face. I wanted to step back and see who she was smiling at. Was it Maebh?
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