Lorelei pointed to Siobhan. “She’s right there and you’re treating her like shit when I would give anything to have one more day with my mom, just one day. If you can’t understand how lucky you are to have a mom who wants you even when you treat her like this, I feel sorry for you.”
“You don’t know what she did!” Colleen shot back.
“I don’t need to know what she did,” Lorelei countered. “You’re holding a grudge over something that happened years ago. Something that happened when she was ill. I know her now. I know she loves my brother. I’m pretty sure she loves us. I know she’s a nice woman with a big heart who really wants her daughter to be a part of her life. There’s room for you here, if you want it.”
Colleen surveyed the united front of O’Hallorans. “You’re all pathetic,” she hissed. “You think I want to be here? You’re as high as she was. Why in the hell would I want to be with a drugged-out excuse for a mother?”
“Leave her alone!” Kyle jumped to his feet, standing in front of Siobhan as if to protect her from Colleen. “You shouldn’t talk to your mom like that. She’s your mom!”
“Yeah, if you don’t want her, we’ll take her!” Finn declared, standing beside his brother. “Stop being a-a bitch!”
Siobhan wasn’t sure what actually happened next. Colleen took a step forward, one hand raised. Siobhan surged in front of the boys. Shoving ensued, then a loud crack split the air. Colleen stumbled back, her expression slack with shock as she cupped a cheek blossoming red from the impact of Siobhan’s hand.
Horror churned the acid bubbling in her stomach. “Oh, God, Colleen—”
The vulnerability vanished beneath a sneer. “You want to replace me? Fine, go ahead. It’s not like you’ve done anything for me since I was a kid. There is nothing you can do for me. I hate you!”
Colleen slammed her way out of the café, leaving Siobhan to face a shop full of shocked customers and Charlie’s family. She wanted to run after Colleen, wanted to apologize and make sure her daughter was okay, but she couldn’t leave. Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak past the pain that shackled her.
Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder. “Siobhan—”
Embarrassment flooded her, heating her skin from the neck up. No. She couldn’t face him yet, couldn’t face his family.
Instead she turned to the last few customers in the café. “I apologize for subjecting all of you to that and ruining your dining experience. Our regulars can attest to the fact that we’ve never had a floorshow like that before, and we never will again. If you’ll step to the counter, we’ll give everyone a refund or gift card that you can use on your next visit. I’m sure you’ll understand that we need to close early. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Rosie already manned the counter. So did Jas. Shoving her shame down deep, Siobhan focused on customer service, apologizing to the customers and accepting their pity and curiosity in return. Nadia and Kane arrived as the last customer left. Unfortunately, a police officer arrived with them.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Her daughter had called the police.
Charlie sat in the visitor’s area of Crimson Bay’s downtown precinct, fighting to control his rage. Siobhan had told him that things were bad with her daughter, but he’d had no idea of the depth of the dysfunction until the officer had arrived at the café and informed them that a warrant for assault had been sworn out on Siobhan.
Remembering Siobhan’s stricken expression when she’d received the news squeezed his heart in a chokehold. Her knees had buckled and he’d had to catch her before she hit the floor. When she recovered she had admitted to hitting Colleen but hadn’t offered an explanation, hadn’t attempted to defend herself. It was as if she blamed herself for her daughter’s behavior and wanted to take the punishment upon herself.
He and the others had set the officer straight on the details before Siobhan had been arrested, but Siobhan had still been requested to take a trip to the precinct. Now he sat in the visitors’ area with Nadia and her fiancé, Professor Sullivan, waiting for Siobhan to finish. It had been more than an hour and she was still giving her statement to the officer. Thank God, Nadia had had the presence of mind to call their lawyer. Siobhan needed someone to look out for her interests since she seemed incapable where her daughter was concerned.
Charlie shoved his hands through his hair, needing to do something, anything to help Siobhan. He wanted to take her pain, take her sorrow, then take her someplace where nothing and no one could hurt her again. She deserved that happiness. She deserved that peace, not a daughter who couldn’t look at her without sneering.
Nadia reached over to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be all right.”
“Is it?” he wondered. “Her daughter wanted her arrested. Her own daughter!”
“I know.” Nadia blinked rapidly, leaning back against Sullivan. “But we have a good lawyer, lots of eyewitnesses, and the closed-circuit video. She’ll be done soon.”
“Will she be okay, though? After what her own kid just did to her?”
Nadia’s eyes watered. “I hope so, but I’ve never seen Colleen do anything this bad before.”
“Why does she put up with it?” Charlie burst out, then quickly lowered his voice, remembering he sat in a police precinct. “Why hasn’t she cut her losses before now? She doesn’t deserve this kind of abuse. No one does.”
“You’re right. I’ve told her that a thousand times, but she believes she deserves it, that if she just keeps taking what they dish out, they’ll eventually forgive her.”
“Siobhan told me the story. Yes, it was horrible, and yes, Colleen had a right to be hurt. Still holding on to that level of anger now, after all these years?” Charlie shook his head. “I don’t think Siobhan’s daughter plans to forgive her anytime soon. Colleen’s attitude is just too over the top for an incident that happened years ago.”
“I agree. I’ve wondered about that too. Colleen has been mad for years and seems to get angrier every time I see her.”
“Do you think someone like Siobhan’s ex poisoned their relationship on purpose?” A few “well-meaning” relatives had tried the same thing on Lorelei and his brothers, trying to convince them that he wanted to give them up. What he’d thought was grief had been their fear that he didn’t want them. It had taken a showdown with his extended family and months with his siblings to mend that emotional trauma.
Charlie clenched his hands on his knees. He’d had friends become collateral damage in nasty divorces. If Colleen’s father had tainted her relationship with Siobhan, Siobhan didn’t stand a chance at mending things with her daughter. Maybe it was time to find out where her ex-husband lived and pay him a visit.
“I don’t think it’s Mike,” Nadia said as if reading his intent. “He’s remarried and his wife is expecting their second child. Maybe Colleen’s feeling like she’s getting pushed out because of that.”
“At the café she mentioned she was living with her grandparents.”
Nadia’s lips flattened. Sullivan ran a hand down her back and she relaxed again. “Siobhan’s parents. Talk about pieces of work.”
Charlie’s gut churned. “She told me they were strict and that her father basically disowned her after she got pregnant.”
Nadia nodded. “I’ve only seen them once, when Siobhan and I drove down to Colleen’s graduation back in May. If it’s possible to dislike someone on sight, that’s how I felt about her parents. I didn’t care about how they treated me but they treated her like less than shit, like she wasn’t related to them at all. Like it bothered them that she breathed the same air. To hell with all of them.”
“Nadia.” The professor wrapped an arm about her shoulders.
“I mean it. Siobhan’s a good person. She’s like a sister to me and I want her to be happy. She doesn’t deserve to be treated the way they treat her!”
“No she doesn’t,” Professor Sullivan agreed. “We’ll convince her of that.”
Nadia reached over to squeeze his hand again. “Please don’t give up on Siobhan. I know this seems bad and like it’s too much to deal with, but she needs you and your family to balance out the crap she gets from her own.”
“I’m not giving up on her,” Charlie swore. “I told her that she’s worth it, and I meant that. My brothers and sister love her as much as I do. As far as I’m concerned, we’re her family.”
He shot to his feet as soon as he spotted Siobhan, dimly aware of Nadia and her fiancé doing the same. Siobhan looked . . . devastated and diminished, as if every bit of vitality had been sucked from her bones. When her gaze tangled with his, she stumbled to a stop. He moved toward her, stopping only when she gave a single sharp shake of her head.
A uniformed officer said something to her and her lawyer before walking off. As Charlie watched, Siobhan gathered herself, straightening her shoulders and schooling her features into a pale semblance of serenity. The lawyer said something to her, nodded their way, then walked off, leaving her alone.
Nadia rushed forward but Siobhan held up her hand. “Can we please get out of here? I need some air.”
Charlie looked to Nadia, who shrugged helplessly. Charlie wanted to give Siobhan space if she needed it, but only so much. He wasn’t going to let her shut him out and suffer the pain alone. Maybe it was time to show her what family—especially chosen family—really meant.
He snagged her hand as they made their way out of the precinct to visitor parking. Alarm shot through him as he felt the iciness of her fingers. He hauled her into his arms. She initially stiffened, then collapsed against him, minute tremors shaking her frame. “I’m here, sweetness, I’m here.”
“You shouldn’t be,” she whispered as she clung to his shoulders. “But I’m so glad you are.”
“Like I could be anywhere else.” He held her tight, hoping that if he could give her some of his warmth, some of his strength, he could chase some of the desolation from her eyes.
“Are you okay, Sugar?” Nadia asked when they parted, wrapping Siobhan into another hug. “What did they say?”
Siobhan stiffened again, as if donning emotional armor. “They’re going to keep the investigation open.”
“Why?” Nadia demanded, her voice high with indignation. “Everything they needed to see was on the tape we gave them.”
“I know.” Siobhan shuddered, and Charlie pulled her close again, the need to protect her almost primal. “Based on their questions, Colleen must have unloaded all of my dirty laundry and made a bunch of accusations. She also said that I was harassing her and had placed her under emotional duress and that’s what led to our altercation. They said it’s going to take some time for them to sort through everything before they prepare the report for the district attorney’s office.”
“The district attorney? For what?” Nadia shook with outrage. “They can’t seriously be thinking of charging you?”
“Sam asked the same thing.” Siobhan leaned against Charlie. “He reminded them that I’m a business owner with a spotless record in Crimson Bay. They reminded him that I’ve been in drug rehab twice, then began to question me about any stress I’ve been under, any financial problems or disagreements with you, Nadia. At that point Sam decided it was time to end the interview.”
Charlie’s anger surged. “Son of a bitch.”
Siobhan flinched. When she spoke, her tone was brittle. “They’re probably going to interview you all again and bring up my drug use. I’m sorry for that.”
“Don’t be,” Professor Sullivan told her. “It’s not the first time any of us have talked to the police.”
“You don’t need the publicity.” She looked up at Charlie. “None of you do.”
“We’ll handle it,” Nadia assured her. “You know we’ve got your back.”
“I know. Sam says they’re just digging because they can, and he’ll do what he can to put a stop to it. I’m just . . . I’m sorry for what I’m putting you guys through.”
“Don’t you dare apologize!” Nadia seethed. “None of this is your fault. This is all on Colleen!”
“Nadia.” Both Charlie and the professor spoke simultaneously, but only Charlie’s tone held a warning. Yes, they all knew that Colleen was the instigator, but Siobhan didn’t need to have that point dumped on her on top of everything else she’d endured over the past few hours, even if it was her best friend doing the dumping.
“I’m exhausted,” Siobhan said with a soul-deep sigh. “I want to go home.”
“Of course,” Nadia said, giving her a quick hug. “Get some rest, sweetie. I’ll see you tomorrow for our regular planning meeting. We can discuss what to do then.”
Siobhan nodded, but Charlie felt her sag. She must have been running on fumes. “Let’s get you home, sweetness.”
He guided her toward the convertible and into the passenger seat, more than ready to take her away. By the time he slid into the driver’s side, she was slumped down in her seat, head tilted back, her sunglasses firmly on her face. The message was clear: she was done talking. He let her have the silence, the need to get her home more important than the need to talk.
The silence deepened as he drove, worried, and planned. He was relieved he’d sent the kids home immediately after Colleen had left, relieved they’d missed the arrival of police. He’d called Lorelei and told her they were at the police station for routine stuff, but he had no idea how he was going to explain the ongoing investigation and follow-up interviews. He certainly wasn’t going to let the police talk to his siblings if he could help it.
What the hell had Colleen told the police? He couldn’t believe they would bring up Siobhan’s past drug use, treat her like she’d done something wrong when he knew the tape clearly showed that Colleen had shoved her mother first. He wanted to make sure that Colleen could never get close to Siobhan again, but he knew that wasn’t his right, nor was it Nadia’s right. Siobhan would have to come to the realization on her own that her blood family was toxic. All he could do was make sure he stood beside her through it all.
Siobhan finally stirred, sitting up as she pushed her sunglasses to her forehead. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you home.”
She looked out the window. “This isn’t the way to my house.”
“I know. I’m taking you to our house.”
“What? No.” Her hand clutched the door handle as if she wanted to jump out. “No, Charlie. I can’t go to your house. I can’t be with the kids.”
Ice slid down his neck. Surely she only meant at that moment and not forever. “Of course you can,” he said, keeping his tone light with effort. “The kids will want to make sure you’re all right. Besides, I don’t want to leave you alone right now.”
“Why? You think I’m going to break out my secret stash of drugs?”
He bit back the instant retort that would have escalated the fight she clearly wanted to instigate. “Sweetness, I’m having a hard time here. You’re hurting, and that’s making me want to smash things. Since I can’t do that, I have to get you someplace I know you’ll feel safe and happy. The kids will want to make sure you’re safe and happy. That’s why I was taking you home.”
“I’m not ready to face them and try to explain this,” she told him, her voice warbling. “Not now.”
“Okay, we’ll head to your place.” Not wanting to upset her, he changed direction, pointing the convertible toward her neighborhood. The rest of
the drive passed in silence steeped in misery. He fought to swallow down his anger. His woman was hurting, dammit, and he wanted to go break down doors and burn bridges to make it better. Instead he could feel the wall going up between them brick by brick.
She remained silent until they made it into the house. “I’m sorry, Charlie,” she told him, her voice hollow. “Sorry for everything.”
He closed and locked the front door with precise movements. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“Yes, I do.” She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, her fingers trembling. “I promised you that I wouldn’t expose the boys to my issues. Now we’ve got to explain things to them we never intended to explain.”
“I’ll talk to them,” he told her, not wanting to subject her to reliving her altercation with her daughter. “We can talk to them together. It’ll be like the birds-and-bees talk.”
She shook her head. “Everything about me went into the police report, Charlie. Everything. The altercation is sure to make the local news. In a small college town like this, if nothing else newsworthy happens quickly, they’re going to run with it until they beat it into the ground. Nadia will get pulled in because she used to be on TV, then Kane will get pulled in because of who he is and what he does. I can’t let them pull you in too. I can’t. It could hurt you, hurt the kids, and I promised you that I wouldn’t do that.”
He remembered her promise, he just didn’t want to face it. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying . . .” She took a deep breath. “I’m saying that we should spend some time apart, a couple of weeks maybe, until this blows over.”
“No.”
“I told you.” Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “I told you that if my past became an issue, I would walk away.”
“Hell no.”
“Charlie, please. If you think about it, you’ll see that I’m right. We have to think of the kids. You have to protect your family.”
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