Ms. Bitch: Finding happiness is the best revenge.

by Tricia O'Malley

  So this is what it felt like, she realized, to be put first. She’d been so certain they couldn’t ultimately be together, that their lives were leading them toward separate paths. But, maybe, just maybe – she’d get her happy ending after all.

  “Ireland?”

  “I’m sorry, lass, I just can’t get to Colorado quickly enough from where I am,” Aiden said, his voice sounding tinny on the phone two days later. “I’m quite literally taking train, plane, and automobile out of here, and even at that it’ll be several days before I get as far as Scotland. I can see my family, and drop some things off before I come to you. But that feels too long. So maybe you’d like to meet me halfway? I thought of Ireland because I know you’re researching and writing an Irish romance novel right now. What do you say? Want to have another holiday?”

  Tess laughed, leaning back against the headboard of her bed, where her suitcases from the Bahamas still sat on the floor. In the last year, she’d traveled more than she had in her whole life. Being single, she’d had that freedom. But could she have that and Aiden, too? Live a constant adventure where they’d pick up and go when they got the whim?

  “I…I’d have to check flights and talk to my dogsitters. How soon are you thinking? I did see that Aer Lingus was having a flight sale.” Tess wondered again if she was crazy. Red cocked his head at her, and she wiggled her fingers at him so he inched his way over on his belly to lick her fingers.

  “I’d say within a few weeks? The sooner the better. I’m craving you,” Aiden’s voice had grown husky, and she ached for him to be near.

  “Oh god, Aiden. Okay, then what? Will you come back to Colorado with me?”

  “I’d like to. We’ll have to figure that out, hopefully when I have a better connection. Will you look into flights and let me know? I’ll call once I get off these outer islands and get to Europe.”

  “Sounds good, travel safe,” Tess said, biting back the words she wanted to say to him.

  “In the event of emergency, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Secure yours first, before attending to anyone else who needs you.”

  Tess tuned back into where the flight attendant went through the emergency instructions for her flight to Ireland. Wasn’t that the truth of it, though? She had to take care of herself first before she could take care of others. Realizing that she was in charge of her own happiness – hell, her own life – had been an incredible lesson to learn this past year. It had cost her some relationships, and that would always hurt, but gaining her own voice had been priceless. She wondered how many other people lived their lives just going through the motions, doing what they thought they were supposed to do, who would never get the memo that they could just make their own choices. Such a novel idea, and yet still so hard to learn.

  Aiden had learned it early on, Tess realized, and maybe that was part of his appeal. He would never silence her. Instead, he’d embrace the person she was, and let her choose her own path – hopefully, a path with them together. It was an invaluable trait in a partner, and Tess couldn’t wait to start their life together. In only six more hours…

  “You really want to come live with me in Colorado?” Tess had asked, once Aiden made it to a better phone connection.

  “Well, I only have a three-month tourist visa. We’ll have to decide what to do from there. Are you committed to living in the States?”

  “I…uh, I honestly have no idea,” Tess laughed, having never really given living outside the States much thought, let alone moving again with a new boyfriend. But…what if? The idea had taken root and it had been all she’d thought about for days. Aside from seeing Aiden again, that is.

  Of course, she didn’t sleep a wink. Tess stared at her tired and puffy eyes in the tiny mirror and weird lighting of the small airline bathroom. It was the best she could do, and she patted some concealer under her eyes before returning to her seat and buckling in for landing. A grey cloud cover greeted her, which was normal for Ireland, and she watched as the runway loomed below, the first light of the morning sun streaming across the green hills behind the airport.

  Five o’clock in the morning had been a hell of a time to land, one which Aiden had grumbled about. She’d told him to just stay at the hotel and she would come wake him up, but he’d refused. He’d flown into Ireland the night before and was meeting her at the airport.

  Time seemed to slow, as though she was trudging through molasses, as Tess impatiently collected her luggage and made it through customs. She’d waited months for this. The past three weeks had consisted of long hours of video-chatting with Aiden while he was home in Scotland, waiting for her. They talked about everything and nothing at all, and it was perfect. Now, their moment to be together had finally arrived. Nerves danced through her stomach as she approached the exit. Striding through the doors, she scanned the waiting faces until her gaze found dancing blue eyes. A smile broke across her face, and she rushed through the crowd, dragging her suitcase before she stopped, suddenly feeling shy in front of him.

  “Hi,” Aiden said, smiling down at her.

  “Hi,” Tess said, beaming. There were a million things she wanted to say, but she felt incredibly awkward with all the people milling around them. Leaning up, she wrapped her arms around him, sinking into the sweetest of kisses, loving the feel of him in her arms once more.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here,” Aiden said, grabbing her luggage and hurrying her toward the door. Now that they were with each other again, they wasted no time in getting to the one place they wanted to be – alone together.

  Once at the hotel, Aiden all but pushed her up the stairs. Tess found herself giggling, she was so delighted to be here with him. Opening the door, he swept her inside, and Tess stopped, gasping.

  He’d covered the room in rose petals, and there were flameless candles lit all over the room, champagne chilling in a bucket, and a wrapped present on the table. Leading her over to the bed, Aiden sat her down and took her hands in his.

  “Tess… I wanted to wait to say this in person, because it matters more this way.” His hands warm on hers, her body tingled at his nearness. “I love you, Tess. I love you so much and I want a life with you – wherever that may be. Being without you was awful. I’m sorry that I left you, I’m sorry that I didn’t know what I really wanted. But it’s you, Tess. I’m so lucky to have met you. I’ve waited my whole life for you.”

  Tess closed her eyes for a moment, letting warmth flood through her at his words, and paused for a moment to check in with her gut – something she’d promised herself she would always do moving forward. Opening her eyes, she smiled at Aiden.

  “I love you, too, Aiden. You are lucky to have me, and I’ll be sure to remind you of that every day.”

  Epilogue

  “Grab the cooler, will you?” Tess called over her shoulder as she followed Red and Ringo down to the beach, still pinching herself that they were here.

  After Ireland, Aiden had joined her back in Colorado where they’d had a serious talk about what they wanted out of life. The biggest issue had been that Colorado was landlocked, and they both craved being near the ocean. After weeks of discussion, they’d finally decided to move out of the United States to tiny Flamingo Island, renowned worldwide for its diving – and most importantly, they’d been able to get the dogs there safely.

  Vicki no longer took her calls, but Tess emailed her a long letter, explaining her decision and inviting her to call or visit whenever she wanted. She’d yet to hear back from her. It didn’t stop her from thinking about Vicki daily, and hoping some day they’d resolve their issues. It stung, as she suspected it would for a long time, but maybe they were better off without each other. Tess’s life might seem impulsive or reckless to those watching from the outside, but she knew she needed to follow her own happiness. Ultimately, Tess’s career was thriving, her dogs were healthy, and she was deeply in love with someone who treated her the way she had finally realized she’d deserved. Moving to a tropical paradise was just
icing on the cake.

  Settling into their new routine and figuring out life on a new island, Tess still found herself in awe of the direction her life had taken. She remembered thinking about how people could actually live this life – back when she’d visited Aiden in Cozumel – and now here she was doing the same. It was exciting and challenging all in the same breath. A new country to explore, a different language to learn, and new customs to take part in. Together, they were tackling the challenges of building a new life and a new relationship together. As the ocean waves crashed nearby, Tess marveled at the perfect place she’d landed. Well, commanded from the universe, if Elizabeth had a say in it.

  “Beer?”

  Aiden handed Tess an icy beer, and she watched as he whistled to the dogs, bringing out a ball to toss for a delighted Ringo.

  Aiden had been everything she’d wanted in a man, and when Elizabeth had pulled up the list she’d forced Tess to make a year ago – sitting in front of Aiden’s dive shop – she’d been shocked to realize that Elizabeth had been right all along. Ask for what you want, Tess thought, as her phone rang in her pocket.

  “Hey, Daniel!” Tess said, smiling as Ringo raced after the ball that bounced wildly across the sand.

  “What are you doing right now? It’s pouring rain here and supposed to freeze overnight. Don’t even tell me, I bet you’re at the beach.”

  “Um, well, if you don’t want me to tell you…” Tess laughed.

  “You are one lucky bitch.”

  It wasn’t luck that had delivered her to this point, but Tess’s own hard-won choices. Still, she smiled.

  “That’s Ms. Bitch to you.”

  Author's Note

  This was a tricky book for me to write, as I imagine it would be for many of my readers to read. Going through a divorce is traumatic. Losing family members is traumatic. Starting over when you feel like your ship is rudderless is disconcerting and deeply uncomfortable. I just want to thank you all for coming on this journey with me, and I hope that this book ultimately proved to be uplifting. For me, it was cathartic to write my way through many of the emotions that come from difficult life experiences such as Tess went through. While this isn’t completely autobiographical, I can say this novel is inspired by my true story. I was always told that it’s important to “write what you know.” And, well, I know a lot about the pain of not feeling good enough, the sting of starting over, and the fear of taking risks. One thing I have learned, as Mae says in this novel, is to not let fear stop me from living my life on my terms.

  So, to that, my friends, I say: “It’s okay to be afraid, but go after it anyway.”

  A special thanks to Alan, for believing so wholeheartedly in me from the beginning. You’ve been my champion, my rock, and my partner through this rocky road of self-discovery and new beginnings. I can’t wait for the best new beginning of all – becoming your wife!

  To my friends: Jessica, Alissa, Carrie, Marla, Meghan, Kristine, DeWaal, Tim, and Michelle – thank you, thank you, thank you! You are my chosen family, my best friends, and have held me up when I didn’t always think I could keep moving forward. I love you all!

  To my author friends who have listened and helped me through this process – Thank you! Libbie, Regina, Jayne, Lila, Annabel, Alison, Melanie, Cynthia, Barbra, Deanna, Mindy, Liz, Renee, and anyone else I’ve missed – you are the best colleagues a girl could ask for.

  To my family: You are missed. I’ve left a light on for you.

  And last, but certainly not least, thanks to Briggs & Blue – the cutest and bestest dogs to ever dog. They have been the best snuggle buddies a girl could ask for.

  To my beta-readers, thank you for your never-ending support, your attention-to-detail, and your amazing feedback. I appreciate you joining me on this crazy ride.

  A note on shark-diving and respecting marine life – I am a huge advocate for shark protection as well as the overall protection of our oceans. Sharks have gotten an unnecessary bad reputation. Without sharks, we wouldn’t have healthy and thriving oceans. It is an honor every time I am gifted with the chance to be around such magnificent creatures. Additionally, there are many ways to help our oceans thrive. As a certified coral restoration diver, I actively help to grow new coral for the reefs. You can donate to organizations that support the safety of our oceans. Without them, we won’t have a healthy planet earth. No blue = no green.

  https://www.coralrestoration.org/

  https://oceanconservancy.org/

  https://seashepherd.org/

  Please consider leaving a review online. It means a lot to me and helps other readers to take a chance on my books.

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  www.triciaomalley.com

  The Mystic Cove Series

  Also by Tricia O’Malley

  Wild Irish Roots (Novella, Prequel)

  Wild Irish Heart

  Wild Irish Eyes

  Wild Irish Soul

  Wild Irish Rebel

  Wild Irish Roots: Margaret & Sean

  Wild Irish Witch

  Wild Irish Grace

  Wild Irish Dreamer

  “I have read thousands of books and a fair percentage have been romances. Until I read Wild Irish Heart, I never had a book actually make me believe in love.”- Amazon Review

  Available as an e-book, paperback or audiobook!

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  The Isle of Destiny Series

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  Spear Song

  Sphere Song

  “Love this series. I will read this multiple times. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has action, excitement and romance all in one series.”- Amazon Review

  Available as an e-book, paperback or audiobook!

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  The Siren Island Series

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  A Good Chance

  Good Moon Rising

  “Love her books and was excited for a totally new and different one! Once again, she did NOT disappoint! Magical in multiple ways and on multiple levels. Her writing style, while similar to that of Nora Roberts, kicks it up a notch!! I want to visit that island, stay in the B&B and meet the gals who run it! The characters are THAT real!!!” - Amazon Review

  Available as an e-book, paperback or audiobook!

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  The Althea Rose Series

  Also by Tricia O’Malley

  One Tequila

  Tequila for Two

  Tequila Will Kill Ya (Novella)

  Three Tequilas

  Tequila Shots & Valentine Knots (Novella)

  Tequila Four

  A Fifth of Tequila

  A Sixer of Tequila

  “Not my usual genre but couldn't resist the Florida Keys setting. I was hooked from the first page. A fun read with just the right amount of crazy! Will definitely follow this series.”- Amazon Review

  Available as an e-book, paperback or audiobook!

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  Contact Details

  As always, you can reach me at

  info@triciaomalley.com

  or feel free to visit my website at www.triciaomalley.com