by Debbie Mason
“Um, well, just, you know, my brothers and their families.” Liam stammered a little in response to Theia’s unyielding stare. Marco would have laughed if he wasn’t hoping to get lucky tonight. “Maybe a few of the cousins too. All right, I give up. Thirty. There’s thirty of us for dinner. Now, don’t shoot the messenger.” He went to the fridge. “Soph asked when the langoustines would be ready.”
Marco lifted the lid on the pot on the back burner. “Ten minutes,” he said, then opened the oven to pull out three loaves of golden-brown rustic bread.
Balancing two trays of shrimp in his hand, Liam leaned in and inhaled deeply. “He’s a keeper, Theia. If only for his skills in the kitchen. And let me tell you, the guy has mad skills.”
“Thirty people,” she grumbled as Liam headed outside.
“Look, just forget they’re here because of you and enjoy the food and the company. Later, after they all leave, you and I will take a walk on the beach, and I’ll continue to convince you that dating me is a great idea.”
“Public or private beach?”
“Very, very private.” He kissed her bare shoulder. “So private, you won’t need to go back to the manor for your swimsuit.”
An hour later, Marco thought he’d be lucky if he could drag her away. She was bonding with the women of the family. He wasn’t really surprised. He figured she’d be fine if she just relaxed. Except it might have been better if she wasn’t bonding with his cousin Ava, who was worse than his sister when it came to teasing him. At that moment, it sounded like she was regaling Theia with stories of his misspent youth.
A good time for him to take care of coffee and dessert, he thought, and got up from the picnic table. Liam, Griffin, and several of the male cousins followed him inside.
He turned and looked at them. “You can’t be serious,” he said as they basically surrounded him.
“Hey, we’re duty bound as her cousins, and as Gallaghers, to make sure your intentions are honorable,” Liam said.
“We’re dating, not getting married. Now, would you mind? I have to finish up the dessert. And if you guys harass me, you won’t be getting any.”
“What did you make?” Griffin asked.
“Lemon panna cotta with raspberry jelly and crema gelato.”
There were a couple murmurs and a shuffle of feet as a few of them moved closer to the door, but Griffin stopped the defection. “Don’t worry about it. Ava’s panna cotta and gelato are just as good as his. I’ll have her whip some up for you guys.”
“Okay. Do you seriously think that Theia needs or wants your protection? And how did I become the type of guy she needs protection from?”
Griffin glanced around the room. “Who wants to go first?”
“A lot of help you are,” Marco said to Liam. And then to the rest of them, “I haven’t been that guy for a long time.” He sighed when they all crossed their arms and stared him down. “Okay, I get it, and I’m glad you want to protect Theia. She won’t tell you this, but she didn’t have it easy after her mother died. Her aunt was good to her, but her uncle and cousins weren’t. They made her life hell.” He turned on the tap to fill the coffeepot and over the running water said, “She hasn’t come out and said it, but I think she’s been looking for a family ever since she lost her mom. Now she’s got herself one. Maybe a little bigger than she counted on, and I’m not completely sure about Daniel or her sisters, but I am sure about the rest of you. I trust you guys and your families to be there for her if she needs you, and I hope you’ll trust me to do the same.”
“I’ll be damned. Sully was right,” Griffin said, and then gave Marco’s shoulder a conciliatory pat. “Boys, I think we got it wrong. We don’t need to worry about Theia getting her heart broken. We need to worry about Marco.”
* * *
The dinner had gone better than Theia could have hoped. The Gallaghers were a wonderful, noisy, welcoming family. And the food…She practically hummed eating the last spoonful of the lemon panna cotta. It was as delicious as the man who made it. The man who wanted to date her.
He smiled from where he sat beside her. “You ready for some gelato now?”
“Are you kidding? I won’t be able to wear these jeans again if I do.”
“That would be a shame.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “But don’t forget, we have a date on the beach. You’ll easily burn off the gelato and more.”
Heat warmed her cheeks and other parts of her body. “You shouldn’t say things like that to me when we’re surrounded by family,” she whispered back, glancing at the family members crowded around the six picnic tables.
“Babe, take a look at Liam and Griff. What do you think they just whispered in their wives’ ears?”
“That’s different. They’re married.”
“Married? Who’s getting married?” Rosa, who was sitting across from Marco, put her dessert spoon down.
“No one,” Theia and Marco practically shouted at the same time. Possibly because all night everyone had been acting as if all they had left to do was set the date.
Daniel looked over from where he sat with Tina and his brother’s family, while Penelope, Daphne, and the twins sat at another table with Jasper and Kitty. To say it was awkward was an understatement. Daniel had been avoiding Theia since the day he found out she was his daughter. Marco barely looked at or spoke to his mother. And Theia’s sisters barely spoke to her or their father.
Daniel held Theia’s gaze, angling his head at the house.
“I’ll be back in a minute. Anyone need anything?” she asked as she picked up her empty dessert dish and Marco’s.
He laughed when she received four requests for coffee and two for tea. “Looks like you’re just one of the family now, babe.”
She smiled even though the requests kept coming. But her smile faded when she entered the kitchen and Daniel said, “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing, leading on Tina’s lad that way?”
“Excuse me?” she said as she put the dishes in the sink.
“You can’t be cozying up to him like you are. You’re giving him the wrong idea. All you have to do is look at his face to know he has feelings for you.”
She might have smiled hearing him say Marco’s feelings for her were obvious, even if the idea made her heart race a little, but she didn’t appreciate his tone. “We’re dating, Daniel.” She couldn’t ever see herself calling him Dad. He’d been avoiding her just like he’d avoided Penelope and Daphne. She now had a better understanding of how they felt.
He pulled out a chair and sat down. Resting an elbow on the table, he rubbed his head. “You’re angry with me, aren’t you? I can’t say as I blame you, lass. It’s obvious I’m just one big screw-up. I broke your mother’s heart. Ruined both your lives with my idiocy. So I realize you’re not interested in taking my advice, but step back and have a think on this. How will the lad feel when you sell your shares of Greystone to me and jet off in your plane?”
“At the moment, I don’t have plans to fly off anywhere other than for the manor. I’m dating Marco, not marrying him, Daniel. As to my shares in the manor, I won’t be selling them to you or anyone else.” She was as surprised as Daniel appeared to be. But as soon as she said the words, it felt right. “And once Penelope and Daphne have gotten over their snit that you fathered another daughter, I’ll be advising them to vote to keep the manor in the family.”
“I might have expected you to turn on me, but never on Caine.”
“He knew I was your daughter, knew I was a Gallagher, and had me working against them all this time without telling me. He’s not the man I thought he was.” It still hurt to think about his betrayal. Despite everything, she missed him. He’d played such a big role in her everyday life for these past two years that she felt like she’d lost a small piece of herself. “I no longer work for Wicklow Developments.”
He nodded. “It makes sense why he’s been communicating with me about Wilson, then.”
“What about Wilson
?”
“Why do you care? You’ve turned on both me and Caine.”
“I care because if Ryan Wilson is as dangerous as you make him out to be, not only is he a threat to Daphne, Penelope, and the boys, he’s a threat to the entire Gallagher family.”
“You can set your mind to rest on that account. It was why Caine was in Ireland. He went to see Emily. Insisted she fire Wilson. Then he flew directly to Harmony Harbor to hunt down the man himself and give him his walking papers.”
“You saw Caine?”
“Aye, I did. And now it makes sense why the man looked the way he did. I thought perhaps he’d been burning the candle at both ends for far too long and it had finally caught up with him. But now it seems your betrayal is the reason. I hope you’re happy, lass. You destroyed the man.”
She placed her palms on the table and leaned in to him. “You have the nerve to lecture me on betrayal? I used to feel sorry for you, but not anymore. Stop playing the victim. Step up and be a man.”
“You’re going to tell them, aren’t you? That’s how you’ll get back at me.”
“No. I don’t break my promises, Daniel. Even if you asked when I was at my most vulnerable, still reeling from the news that my best friend—a man who was more my family than you will ever be—betrayed me. What I will do is everything in my power to stop you, Caine, and Emily from getting what you want.”
He stared at her. “I’m as good as dead, then.”
“Give back the treasure that rightfully belongs to the Greek government—and don’t think I don’t know that you still have it. It’s just too hot to sell, and you’re biding your time.”
“How am I supposed to get my equipment back from the dig if I do that? I don’t have the money the farmer’s asking for. Caine barely gives me enough to live on. How am I supposed to pay off my creditors and pay for Clio’s education?”
“Come clean with your family and ask them to cosign a loan. Declare bankruptcy and start fresh. Just do something, Daniel. Find a job that doesn’t cause you to lie, cheat, and steal.”
“You don’t like me very much, do you? I canna say I blame you.” He rubbed the table with his thumb. “I’m not much of a father. Certainly not the kind little girls dream of.”
She thought maybe she owed her uncle a thank-you. He’d cured her of these kinds of dreams a long time ago. “Should I play ‘Cry Me a River’ in C or D?”
He snorted a laugh. “You’re your granny Colleen all over again, you know.” He pushed to his feet. “I’ll think on what you said, but for now I’ll see if I can repair what’s left of my relationship with my other two daughters. I talked to Penelope’s husband. He’s agreed to visit this coming weekend. Do you think you could see yourself clear to flying him here? Maybe I could go along with you. Me and Tina.”
“Text me his contact information, and I’ll see when I can fit him in.” She moved to the coffee urn.
“I’m sorry I’m not the father you were hoping for, Theia,” he said quietly, heading for the back door.
Chapter Nineteen
Leave that,” Marco said, taking the tray from Theia. He set it on the picnic table and then took her by the hand. “Let’s go for that walk now.”
Obviously, from the covert glances being sent their way, everyone had a fairly good idea her father-daughter chat with Daniel hadn’t gone well. Worse, as Marco had proved, she’d been the one who gave it away.
She’d tried so hard not to pick apart the conversation with Daniel in her head. She’d focused on preparing the tea and coffee to shut off her thoughts. But her subconscious wouldn’t be distracted. It had been busy looking for an indication that beneath Daniel’s concern for himself, there’d been a little for her. Maybe even a clue that he could learn to love her.
She was honestly surprised that his obvious lack of fatherly feelings bothered her. She didn’t expect to care. She certainly didn’t have father-daughter feelings for him. But maybe because it felt like another rejection in a long line of them, Daniel’s managed to sneak past her defenses, and she didn’t get up her I-don’t-give-a-crap mask in time.
It was embarrassing to know the Gallaghers and the DiRossis could tell she’d been hurt. And if she needed further evidence that they did, all she had to do was glance at Marco. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze just before he scowled at Daniel. It wouldn’t do much good since her father appeared to find his cup of coffee fascinating. But Marco’s mother had caught the angry look her son had sent her boyfriend and lowered her eyes. No doubt she’d pass along to Daniel that he was in Marco’s bad books.
Theia doubted he’d care, but he might be concerned that his other daughters were clearly unhappy with him. It wasn’t as if Daphne and Penelope had laid out the welcome-to-the-family mat for her, but it looked like they intended to have words with Daniel on her behalf. Except Kitty didn’t appear to be onboard with their plan and motioned for them to sit down. Theia understood her reluctance to have her granddaughters cause a scene. Daniel was her son after all, and she barely knew Theia.
But she couldn’t help smiling when Jasper shook off Kitty’s restraining hand and got up from the picnic table. He walked over to put the squeeze on Daniel. Literally. Theia knew this because Daniel made a face and his shoulder sloped under the weight of Jasper’s hand. Clearly under duress, Daniel got up from the table. Noting the direction Marco was leading Theia, Jasper gestured for Daniel to follow him to the other side of the house.
“I thought we were going for a walk,” Theia said as Marco let go of her hand to hold open the screen door.
“We are, but I need to grab a couple of things before we go,” he said as he closed the door behind them.
It sounded like he’d had a change of heart about their night on the beach if he was planning to grab a pair of swimming trunks. Even if she’d been a little embarrassed when he’d given her a hint as to what was on the agenda for later that night, she’d very much been onboard with his plans.
He glanced at her as he walked to the fridge and then backtracked. “You okay?”
She sighed and leaned in to him. “I feel like you’ve been asking me that since the day I landed in Harmony Harbor.”
“At least today it’s not because of something I’ve done.” He winced and wrapped his arms around her. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.” Then he brushed his lips across the top of her head. She tipped her head back, expecting more. Instead, he released her and walked to the fridge. “I’ve got just the thing to make you feel better.”
“I thought that’s what I was going to get, but you walked away.” Even if that’s exactly what she’d been thinking, she was surprised she’d said the words out loud.
He laughed as he took a bucket out of the freezer. “Patience, cara. I’m saving the best for later.” He winked over his shoulder. “Me, in case you’re wondering. But my crema gelato comes a close second.”
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on some frozen milk and sugar. I’ve never had an ice cream cone come close to giving me an orgasm.”
Just as she was about to do a face-plant into the palm of her hand, he turned to look at her, a slow smile curving his lips. “Theia Lawson, I really, really like you.”
His smile and his words filled the tiny hole Daniel had made in her heart. Marco was the one good thing that had happened to her since coming to Harmony Harbor. “I’m glad you do. Because I really, really like you too, Marco DiRossi.”
She didn’t just like him. She’d fallen in love with him. She poked and prodded beneath the warm fuzzy feelings filling her from head to toe, looking for signs of panic and fear just beneath the happy glow. They weren’t there. She smiled, feeling free from her past for the first time in years.
For better or worse, she’d found her father. And while it didn’t completely assuage her guilt, she’d been able to make Holden’s dream for his son come true. Lastly, but even more important when it came to having a relationship with Marco, she’d cut ties with Wicklow Developments.
She pushed away thoughts of Caine. He no longer had a place in her life. His betrayal colored all her good memories. She couldn’t think about him without wanting to break something or cry for a week. And right now, she’d rather forget about everything other than her night with Marco.
He handed her a waffle cone with two scoops of straw-colored ice cream. “Don’t eat it yet,” he said when she dipped her head to do just that. “Humor me. I’ve been waiting to watch you eat an ice cream cone since the art festival.”
“Why? So you can correct my technique?”
“You didn’t look like you had much of a technique, babe, but it didn’t matter.”
She knew it; he was going to ruin her first taste of his gelato for her. So when he turned to scoop more from the container, she licked the cone.
“Watching you—” he continued.
She cut him off with an orgasmic moan, smiling when he turned around. She gave the cone another long lick, closing her eyes as she released a moan to outdo the last. She’d barely gotten her eyes open when he was on her. Taking her face between his hands, he kissed her. Kissed, tasted, licked, and devoured.
Her knees went weak, and the moan that escaped from her this time was far from fake. She felt his kiss all the way to her toes and back to her heart, and she was just about to cry uncle, or whatever he wanted her to cry, and ask him to take her right there on his sister’s kitchen floor. She was so far gone that the idea didn’t give her pause; neither did the stars exploding behind her eyelids. It was the creak of someone opening the back door.
“My apologies for the intrusion. I wanted to check that you were all right, Theia,” Jasper said. “But I see that Marco has the matter well in hand.”
She glanced at Marco, who wouldn’t meet her eyes, and unlike her, it wasn’t from embarrassment that Jasper had caught them kissing. He looked like he found it all highly amusing. But he lost his amused expression when nearly every Gallagher and DiRossi stopped in the kitchen to check on her over the next forty-five minutes. Everyone but her father and sisters.