This Time (The DeLuca Family Book 4)

by Amy Reece

  “Thanks.” Although they’d had a rather rough start to their relationship when Izzy had introduced him as Janey’s long-absent father months before, Seamus had since come to deeply appreciate the former Green Beret his oldest sister had married. “How’s Izzy feeling?”

  Mac grinned. “She’s doing a lot better now that the morning sickness is finally gone. She was glad to have a few hours to herself tonight.”

  “I’ll bet. Thanks for bringing Janey over.”

  “Daddy!” Janey inserted herself between the two men. “These are my new friends, Iris and Lily. Can we go swimming now?”

  “Hi, girls. It’s nice to meet you.” Mac dropped to one knee as he scooped Janey against him. “Yes, we can go swimming, Princess. Let’s go get your suit on. Lily, Iris, if you want to come with us, I’ll show you where you can leave your clothes.”

  Seamus ate another sandwich as he watched them go.

  “Oh, my boy.” His mom slipped her arms around him from behind. “I’m so sorry.”

  He turned and folded her into his embrace, gladly accepting the comfort. God, nothing was better than a hug from your mother at times like this. “Thanks, Mom.” His throat closed and he rested his head atop hers.

  She pulled back and looked into his face, one palm cupped against his cheek. “How is Nina?”

  “She’s so strong. I don’t know how she’s managing to keep it together so well.”

  “She’s a mother. We have to be strong, even when we think we can’t. But remember, son, how hard this is for her. She’s lost her twin and in the most horrible way possible. She needs you, Seamus. Be there for her. That no good son of a—” She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “Sorry. I mean that ex-husband of hers left her high and dry to deal with those little girls and all of this sorrow. It doesn’t matter how strong she is; she still needs help and support, and you’ve been placed in her life at this crucial moment. Don’t let her down.”

  Her words caused a physical pang in his stomach. “I won’t. I swear it.”

  She smiled up at him. “You’re a good man, Seamus Liam. I’m very proud of you.” She stood on tip-toe and kissed his cheek, then turned back to attend to dinner.

  Seamus stood in the middle of his mother’s kitchen, vainly attempting to pull himself together. Too many emotions! I can’t take much more! Shit! He sniffed and cleared his throat, determined to deserve the words his mother had spoken. “I’m gonna go find a swim suit. Thanks, Mom.”

  She smiled at him over her shoulder.

  The girls were splashing and laughing in the shallow end of the pool when he joined them in the backyard, and he was glad he’d brought them. They needed a break from all the gloom and sadness left in the wake of their uncle’s death. Mac stood guard at the point where the pool sloped into the deep end, his arms crossed and an amused expression on his face, the water lapping around his waist. He had multiple tattoos on his muscular chest and arms, not surprising for an ex-military guy. Seamus had several, as well, including a rather embarrassing tribal design encircling his left bicep that he’d thought was a good idea on his twenty-first birthday. Heavy drinking and walk-in tattoo parlors turned out to be a terrible combination. His brothers, of course, never missed an opportunity to razz him about it.

  He piled the towels he’d brought outside on a deck chair and headed to the diving board. He always preferred to dive into the pool, getting the initial shock over with quickly. He dove and swam underwater to the shallow end, easily locating Janey’s legs next to the twins’ dark brown ones, and grabbed her ankle. He surfaced next to them as Janey squealed.

  “Uncle Seamus! You scared me!” She splashed him in the face.

  He laughed and picked her up. “You love it. Admit it!” He held her above the water and made it clear he would drop her.

  “No!” She giggled madly as she squirmed in his arms.

  “Admit it!” He dipped her closer to the water. She was already wet, of course, but it was a game they’d played ever since she was old enough to swim. The twins watched avidly, Lily with a half-grin, and Iris with a typical frown.

  “Help me, Daddy!”

  Mac chuckled but made no move to help his daughter. “You’re on your own, Princess.”

  Janey continued laughing as Seamus dropped her, catching her just before she hit the water. Lily crept closer as they continued, but Iris remained at the far side of the shallow end by the steps. He finally let Janey slip into the water as Lily grabbed his arm.

  “My turn, Seamus! Please?”

  He grinned and scooped the little girl up above his head as she giggled and squirmed.

  Janey swam over to Iris and tugged on her hand to pull her over to where the rest of them were. “Come play, Iris!”

  Seamus watched out of the corner of his eye as his niece coaxed the reticent girl to participate in the game the rest of the group was playing. Iris might be quiet and reserved, but she was no match for Janey’s infectious sense of fun. He lowered Lily into the water and engaged them all in a water war, making sure to involve Mac as his ally. By the time Big Tony came out to tell them dinner was in fifteen minutes, the girls were exhausted. Mac helped him wrap them in beach towels before sending them in to change back to their clothes.

  Moira had prepared Chicken Marsala, one of his all-time favorites, and both the twins seemed to enjoy it as well, although Lily ate only a small bit of her chicken and Iris pushed all her mushrooms to the side of her plate. His mother asked the girls about school and what they liked to do in their free time while Big Tony watched, inserting frequent questions of his own. The girls were well-mannered, and Seamus thought Nina would be pleased by their behavior. Moira served sorbet and fresh fruit for dessert, then Janey led the girls to the family room to watch a movie while the adults cleared the table and enjoyed a cup of coffee and some adult conversation.

  “Has Nina decided when the funeral will be held?” Big Tony asked.

  Seamus sipped his coffee and shook his head. “They haven’t released the body yet.” Body. He hated thinking about his best friend as nothing more than a body. The delicious dinner his mother had prepared churned in his stomach. “Everything’s on hold until that happens.”

  “When will her parents be getting back?” Moira reached to cover his hand with hers as she asked.

  “They should be here day after tomorrow at the latest. This has been too hard on Nina with the rest of her family scattered all over the place.”

  “I’m glad she has you to help out. It was a good idea to bring the girls over here for some fun. It can’t be good for them to be around all that sadness,” Big Tony said, echoing his wife’s earlier comments.

  Seamus turned his hand over and squeezed his mother’s gently. “That’s what I thought. And I’m more than happy to help out, but I have to go back to work tomorrow and will be unavailable to her for the next twenty-four hours.”

  “Well, I’ll give her a call and see if I can do anything.” Moira stood and fetched the coffee pot to refill the mugs in front of each of them. “What does Sloane think about all this?”

  He grimaced as he reached for the small pitcher of cream. “I have no idea. She’s out of town for a while. We’re…taking a bit of a break from each other.”

  “Oh? I hope everything’s all right.”

  Seamus rolled his eyes as he stirred his coffee. He knew his mom and sisters didn’t care for his girlfriend; they were all terrible at faking any sort of liking for Sloane. It was none of their business, however, and he didn’t appreciate their nosiness. “Everything’s fine. We’re both just super busy right now. Her career is really taking off.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful, of course, dear,” Moira said with a sniff, clearly annoyed she wouldn’t be hearing any juicy details.

  Across the table, Mac tried unsuccessfully to smother a chuckle. Seamus shot him a dirty look. “Careful, Mac. I’m pretty sure I could talk Izzy into hosting a slumber party at your house soon.”

  His brother-in-
law snorted, clearly amused rather than threatened. “Sounds like fun. I’m game if Izzy agrees.”

  ***

  Nina

  The sesame chicken had congealed in an unappetizing glob on her plate. She’d managed to eat nearly half, but the smell of the leftovers caused her stomach to roil. She stood to clear the dishes, noting that Nick had also only eaten half of his beef broccoli. Kira had done nothing more than pick at her fried rice, and Nina decided to pack it in a plastic container for her to take home. She scraped the rest of the cold food into the trash can, then stacked the plates in the dishwasher. She filled the kettle, deciding tea would settle her stomach better than another glass of wine. She braced her arms on the counter and took a deep breath while she waited for the water to heat. God, what I wouldn’t give for a few hours by myself. That was a luxury she couldn’t afford right now, however. She had to be present for the rest of the family, including her twin’s fiancée, but she was physically and emotionally drained. I wish I could just be quiet and alone for a little while. Seamus could be there, though. He’s such a restful person. She wrenched her thoughts away from her selfish wishes and watched her brother and Kira across the kitchen counter as they sat in the family room. One of the main reasons she’d chosen this house over the more luxurious ones David had favored was the open floor plan with the kitchen melding into the family room. She didn’t want to miss out on what the girls were doing when she was busy in the kitchen.

  Kira flipped her long blonde hair away from her face and reached to pour herself another glass of wine, something Nina doubted the wisdom of, given Kira was drinking on a nearly empty stomach. Nina couldn’t remember if it was her third or fourth, and would make sure she got home safely, even if she had to call her an Uber. Kira was beautiful in a high maintenance sort of way, always perfectly made up and well-dressed, something Nina never seemed able to get a handle on. She watched as Kira reached to softly pat Nick’s arm and Nina regretted her mean-spirited, jealous thought. The woman had made Neal happy for the past two years and was clearly mourning his death. The fact that Nina had never cared much for her, had thought her brother could do better, was exceptionally inappropriate at the moment and Nina was ashamed of herself. She left the kettle to heat and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

  “Kira, why don’t you stay here tonight?” Nina handed her the water, knowing she’d have a raging headache the next day if she didn’t hydrate. “You too, Nick. I’ve got plenty of room.”

  Nick stood and stretched. “I know, but you’ve got your hands full with the girls. You don’t need to be fussing over house guests.”

  “I’m fine,” Kira said as she fumbled with the lid to her water bottle.

  Nick met Nina’s eyes and winked. “I’ll run her home on my way to Mom and Dad’s.” Seamus had taken him to pick up a car from their house on the way back from the airport. “We can get your car tomorrow, Kira. Come on.” He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. “Let’s get you home. I’ll bet you didn’t get any sleep last night.”

  Seamus and the girls came in as Kira and Nick gathered their belongings. He immediately volunteered to drive Kira home, but Nick waved his offer away as the girls objected.

  “I got it, Seamus. Thanks.”

  “We want you to stay until we go to bed. Please, Seamus?” Lily begged.

  “Please, Seamus?” Iris echoed her sister softly.

  Nina, noting his exhausted face, hushed the girls and told them to go get in the shower.

  “I’ll stay. Maybe I can read you a story before bedtime, okay?”

  “We can read a story to you!” Lily called as she and Iris retreated to the bathroom.

  Nina shook her head as she told him to relax on the sofa. “You want a beer while they get ready for bed?”

  “Nah. I’ll take some water, though.” He reached past her to the refrigerator, clearly ignoring her suggestion to take it easy. “I don’t need you to wait on me, Nina.”

  “Fine.” She waved her hand and returned to wiping her counters down. “I can see you’re in a stubborn mood.”

  Kira stumbled back into the family room at that moment, followed closely by Nick. “I almost forgot! Here, Nina.” She fished in her oversized bag and pulled out a slim silver laptop. “This is Neal’s computer. I know he’d want you to have it since you were his silent partner.”

  “Oh.” Nina dried her hands and crossed the room to take it from her. “Um, sure.”

  “He told me you’d know the password.”

  What? I have no idea what his password is. “When did he say that?”

  Kira rubbed her temple and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a few days ago.”

  “You can figure it out later,” Nick said as he took Kira’s arm. “We’re all too exhausted right now to make much sense of anything.”

  Kira nodded tiredly and allowed herself to be led from the house.

  Nina stared at the computer, wondering what Neal had been thinking.

  “What’s up with that?” Seamus gestured with his water bottle.

  “I don’t know.”

  “What did she mean by ‘silent partner’?”

  She set the laptop on her desk in the corner of the room, not ready to deal with any of her brother’s possessions yet. “I loaned him some money a few years ago when he was starting the company with Gordy. I never thought of myself as any sort of partner, though.”

  “How much did you give him?”

  She named an amount, which made Seamus whistle. She was saved from further comment, however, by the return of the girls, hair wet and pajamas on.

  “We brought some for you to choose, Seamus. Here.” Iris dumped a stack of picture books on his lap and plopped onto the sofa next to him. Lily hopped up on his other side and snuggled close.

  Nina watched, amused, as Seamus settled on a book called Dragons Love Tacos, and the girls took turns reading. Iris was a better reader, but Lily was more animated. Seamus was patient, helping them sound out the difficult words and laughing at the antics of the dragons who loved salsa but breathed fire when they ate it. She knew the girls were hungry for a father-figure since David was rarely around to give them any substantive attention, but worried they were growing fond of Seamus too quickly. She had no expectation of him staying once the funeral was over and didn’t want them disappointed yet again.

  “Do you like tacos, Seamus?” Lily turned the page as she asked.

  “Of course, but I’m not a big fan of fish tacos.”

  “Eww, gross! We hate fish! I like chicken tacos.” Iris looked up at Seamus. It was so typical for the girls to speak collectively as “we” then turn around and use “I” in the next sentence. As a twin herself, Nina knew it was sometimes difficult to differentiate, and thought it must be even tougher for identical twins. “I don’t like salsa, though. Do you?”

  “I love salsa! The hotter, the better.”

  “I like salsa,” Lily added. “I’m not afraid of spicy stuff! Pick another book!”

  “Lily,” Nina warned.

  “Sorry, Momma.” Lily bit her lip. “Please,” she added belatedly.

  Seamus met Nina’s eyes and winked. “If it’s okay with your mom. How about this one? It’s Janey’s favorite.”

  “Momma, can we go to Janey’s house? Please?” Iris asked. “She’s really nice and she has a kitten.”

  “Well,” Nina hedged, “we’ll see. I’ll have to check with her mom. It’s almost bed time, so read that book to Seamus and then go brush your teeth.”

  “Okay, Momma,” they said in unison.

  Nina packed the girl’s lunches as she listened to them read another story to Seamus. He must have been beyond exhausted and wanted nothing more than to return to his apartment, but he exhibited endless patience as they plodded through the story. I could get used to this. She shook her head at the thought. God, how desperate am I? Pathetic! Snap out of it!

  “Can Seamus tuck us in?” Iris asked.

  “I’m sure he nee
ds to go home, sweetheart.” She slid the last sandwich into a plastic baggy and set it atop the container of baby carrots in Lily’s Moana lunchbox. “I’ll tuck you both in.”

  Seamus stood and stretched. “I don’t mind, Nina. I’m happy to tuck them in. Come on, girls. Who wants a piggyback ride?”

  “I do! I do!” Lily clambered onto the arm of the sofa—Nina had lost count of the number of times she’d reprimanded her for it—and leapt on Seamus’s back.

  “Oof!” But he laughed as he said it and scooped a giggling Iris into his arms. “All right. Your mom said you need to brush your teeth, so let’s get that done first.”

  Nina smiled at their retreating figures and turned to stack the lunch boxes in the refrigerator. The kettle was still hot and she figured Seamus might appreciate some herbal tea to wind down after this hideous day. She found a tray and used her good mugs rather than the mismatched thrift store mugs she’d never gotten rid of and used every day. She added a small plate of cookies, knowing she was fussing—foolish girl—but was unable to stop herself.

  “They fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows.” He chuckled as he resumed his seat on the sofa.

  “Swimming always wears them out. Here.” She set the tray on the coffee table and sat next to him. “I thought tea would be nice. Unless you’d prefer a glass of wine or something?”

  “Tea is fine.” He accepted the mug and sipped. “You have amazing kids, Nina.”

  She handed him the plate of cookies. “Thanks. I agree, of course.” She sipped her own tea for a long moment. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all your help tonight, Seamus.”

  “I’m happy to help. How did the talk with Nick and Kira go?”

  She shrugged. “Okay. Kira said Neal started taking the meds for depression two months ago. She said he was ashamed of it. How could I not have known my own brother was depressed? We’re twins, for God’s sake!” The tears started again, and she tried to blink them away. I’m sick of crying! She wasn’t sure she totally believed Kira, but hesitated to mention her suspicions to Seamus.