by Casey Morgan
“Oh, he’s nothing,” assured Donovan. “And he’s used to big elves riding him. You should try riding one of the younger ones. When they gallop, it’s like riding a rocket ship sometimes.”
“Do you guys ride much?” she asked.
“To be honest, the only time we do it is when we’re showing a beautiful woman the farm,” said Donovan charmingly.
That shitty brother of mine.
He stole my line. I had used that line countless times on women I brought here.
I guessed I deserved that, though, and at least my brother had learned something over the years.
But what could I say?
He learned from the very best.
Chapter 11
Mila
Riding on a horse was fun, but a little scary. Just the power of the animal, even one as gentle as Pogo, you had to respect.
I wouldn’t mind learning to ride and doing it more often. Even my little ride was pretty exhilarating.
Or perhaps it was just being around all three elves all day. It felt amazing to know they all were paying attention to me and wanted all my attention in return.
After I was done riding Pogo, the boys took me on a tour of their factory. It was the first Odell’s brewer and bottler built on their land.
“Most of the product is made and bottled in Cork now,” explained Killian. “But we still keep this factory going for our own supply and that of the locals. We put a little mark on the label to let people know it’s the local stuff.”
“Here’s the apple mash,” said Donovan, tapping on an enormous aluminum cask.
He went over to a spigot, put a cup underneath it and took out a sample. He poured some in his mouth, swirled it around and then spit it in a bucket. Guess I must’ve made a face, because he looked like I caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Oh, sorry,” he said. “Force of habit. As a brewmaster, I sometimes have to taste stuff all day. Ye just get used to spitting it out. Would you like to try some?”
“Is it hard cider yet?” I asked.
“Nah, just the regular stuff,” he assured. “And it’s good and fresh. Not quite ready yet, but good.”
He poured me a cup and I tasted it. It was sweet. He was right – it wasn’t quite cider yet. It was sort of halfway between cider and apple juice, but it was good.
“Nice part about the local stuff is we don’t have to obey all the rules the distributors put on us,” explained Donovan. “There are less preservatives and whatnot in the local batches. It tastes better. Our fans will drive several miles just to drink an authentic Odell’s.”
“That’s a catchy name,” said Aiden. “And it would go good on a bottle.”
“Authentic Odell’s,” repeated Killian. “That has branding written all over it. Do a mock up, won’t ya, Aiden? I’d like to run that by a few folks.”
“Sure,” Aiden said, nodding and grinning.
“Do you see what I’m dealin’ with?” complained Donovan. “The moment I get even the slightest hint of an idea, this lot is exploiting my hard labor.”
“Hard labor?” I asked, skeptically.
“Ya know. Hard brain labor,” he insisted. “Where do ye think ideas come from lass? Fairies and leprechauns? Sure, but also elves.”
“I think you should just be happy your amazing brain makes you a ton of money,” I said. “Hate to be so practical and all, but really…”
“Ah,” dismissed Donovan. “No one understands the brain of an artist and I assure you, that’s what I am. My canvas is your taste buds. Taste a little of this.”
Donovan had a much smaller cask of something and poured a bit in a cup. I tasted it and it tasted like apple beer.
“Is this apple beer?” I asked.
“Aye, what do ye think?” he asked.
“It’s very interesting,” I said.
It was interesting. Beer had so many flavors, but usually I wasn’t much of a fan. But Donovan’s apple beer – that was different. It was almost a unique drink unto itself – not even like normal beer at all.
“You don’t like it,” said Donovan, disappointed.
“No, Donovan, seriously, it’s incredible,” I said. “I’m not a beer person, but I would drink this. It’s not even really beer to me. I mean, it is, but it isn’t. It’s so unique.”
“I’ve got some apple brandy I’ve been experimenting with, but I promised I wouldn’t give you alcohol,” he said nobly.
“What do you call this?” I laughed.
“Beer doesn’t count,” he dismissed. “Now how about that brandy?”
“One tiny, tiny sip,” I said.
He went over to another cask. This one was made of wood.
“When am I going to get a sip?” kidded Aiden.
“Oh, aye,” added Killian. “You’re giving away the product and we don’t even get any.”
“Help yourselves,” said Donovan. “I’m not your bloody servant. Here, lass.”
He passed me the glass and then I took a sip of the apple brandy. First there was the rush. It was like heat ran down my throat and all through my body.
The taste was like air, mixed with apples and whiskey. It caught me completely off guard, but I swallowed and then coughed a bit.
“Whoa,” I said. “Wow.”
“Too much? What do you think? Honestly,” he asked.
“Honestly, I don’t drink much whiskey, but if I did then I’d drink that,” I said. “Seriously, if I lived here, I’d probably start drinking that. I really would.”
“Well, it’s a shame you’re not stayin’ around then,” said Donovan. “Are you so anxious to leave us, then?”
“No, no,” I said. “It’s just that – well, the McDonnells don’t want anything to do with me, so… I’m not sure what to do. Guess I’m just on vacation with you guys. Which is fun, by the way. Even though it was not at all the purpose of the trip or what I was expecting, of course. This has all been great though. Really.”
Wow, I had hit some kind of nerve with the boys. It was as if they suddenly realized that I might be leaving.
Wasn’t that always in the cards, though?
I mean, I had a return ticket I’d booked. Not to mention, I had a life back in America.
Of course, it wasn’t much of a life now. My parents were both gone, and I didn’t have any other relatives except the ones who were here – and awful, apparently.
Did these three elves all want to date me so badly that they’d want me to move here?
I hadn’t really thought about it until now.
It kind of gave me a big head, thinking about it. But I knew I had to remain practical, not to mention humble.
“You guys,” I said. “I mean, you’ve been great. And I really admire the way you have this tie to your ancestral land and everything. There’s such history here and you’re a part of it, with your beer business.”
“Well, technically, I’m not,” said Aiden.
“What are you talking about, lad?” said Donovan putting an arm around him. “You designed the hell out of that label.”
“He’s right, Aiden,” said Killian. “You’re part of the history now, just like Mila is saying. Anyone who has participated can be part of this history.”
Killian said this last bit while looking at me. I didn’t know what to say. He kind of took me off guard.
I think they were serious. These three elves, who I barely knew, they were simultaneously wooing me. I mean, I had guys go after me before, but not like this.
Was this just standard practice in Ireland? Plus, there was that electricity. That moment when I first touched them – it was real.
Donovan continued the tour. There was a warehouse full of casks. They were aging Odell’s products.
There was also what they called the “harvest room”, where they processed the apples from the orchard.
Then there was a garage where they kept the pickers, and a tree nursery where they were growing replacement trees.
Killian a
lso had his own office area, where he could conduct business and hold meetings.
It was a nice tour of a great place. I tried to tell myself to calm down and not get ahead of myself.
They weren’t asking me to marry them, even though they did kind of seem to be asking me to stay in Ireland and date them. Wouldn’t that imply a long term kind of thing?
Stop dreaming and stay focused on reality and on this tour, I told myself.
But I had to admit, it was hard.
Ireland seemed to be filled with a lot more magic than I was used to back home.
Love was in the air.
Or, I thought, as I caught a glimpse of Killian’s tight butt, Donovan’s wide shoulders and Aiden’s broad chest, all at the same time, at least lust was in the air.
Chapter 12
Mila
Finally, the elves showed me the house where they grew up. It was a classic farmhouse, but it had been expanded several times over several generations.
There was even a set of walls still left standing from the old, old, old farmhouse. That one was so old, they didn’t even know how old it was. The Odells could go back centuries.
While I was in the house, I noticed a picture of Donovan with a woman.
“Who’s this?” I asked.
“Oh, that’s mi ex-wife Sian,” said Donovan. “We were young and she — well, she didn’t much care for life in these parts. Wanted to see the world, so I cut her loose. It was for the best. We really didn’t get along after a while.”
“Jeez, she left this,” I said. “What is she? Nuts? This place is great.”
“I’m glad you think so,” said Donovan.
“I kind of wish I could stay,” I said.
“Why don’t ye?” he asked. “I certainly wouldn’t mind it.”
“Yeah,” added Killian. “You already know three fine lads. Well, one fine lad, his brother and his friend.”
“Oh, right,” I said, trying to laugh it off. “I stay here and date you three. Just so I can get some free Odell’s.”
“Hey, who said it would be free?” joked Donovan. “Although I might have some ideas about how you could repay me for a case.”
“Oh, stop, Donovan. Seriously, Mila. We could get you a job and everything,” said Killian. “I mean, assuming you pass the interview process. Which involves going to dinner with me.”
“That’s sexual harassment,” joked Aiden. “And obviously, since you can’t date either one of the brothers since they’d be your bosses, you and I would be free to date. So you’d already have a boyfriend.”
“In that case, she’s fired already,” said Killian. “That way, she’s free to date me.”
“And me,” added Donovan. “I’m the handsome one.”
“Why don’t I just date all three of you?” I half-joked. “We practically had a date today.”
Even though I was half joking, suddenly, I became really sad thinking of the McDonnells. My real kin wanting nothing to do with me – They had all this history and what did I have? Mila Jackon, just another McDonnell relative with no future, I guess.
But what if I did stay? Who could I choose out of these three?
There was Aiden, who was so sweet and quiet. He’d be devoted to me for sure.
There was Killian, the smooth talker. He would make me swoon.
And then there was Donovan, and it was always a party with him. He’d be fun to go out with.
Each one had his strong points. And all of them were so handsome.
They clearly all three wanted to be with me, which was exciting, but also scary.
How could I break the hearts of the other two?
Oh, God.
Is this how Shanna felt when she met Brody and Ryan?
“Why so sad, lass?” asked Donovan. “You drifted away again.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m still pretty jet lagged. I’m still on American time and plus that drink – I should probably go back to Hennessey House and grab a nap. Would you mind taking me back now?”
“No, not at all,” said Donovan. “But you’re all right, aren’t ye?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I assured him. “I just – I just need to rest and get my head together.”
The air had definitely deflated out of the fun balloon at that moment. I blamed myself, but what choice did I have?
I was buzzed and riding a high from all this attention. I needed to think this through.
What was I really doing here now? My mother had wanted me to connect with my roots, not tease three guys.
Was I teasing them?
Was I serious?
I didn’t even know.
The idea of being in a relationship with all three of them was tempting, but the reality – if it was even something they would go for – seemed difficult to see happening.
I had to clear my head and think about things.
Donovan, Killian and Aiden escorted me back to Hennessey House. I was tempted to kiss them all, but instead I went for the awkward hug.
I really did have a great day with them and I wanted them to know that. But I wasn’t sure how to express myself with all three of them.
“Guys,” I said. “I just want you all to know that I had a really, really, really good time with you today. I’m sorry to cut things short, but I know we’ll be speaking again, okay? So don’t feel bad. I just – I just have to think a bit, ya know?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” agreed Donovan.
“Of course,” said Killian.
“No problem,” said Aiden. “I have to get back to work anyways.”
“I’ll see you all again,” I assured them. “Promise.”
I rushed inside before I said or did anything too stupid. Fortunately, no one was at the front desk. I really didn’t want to make small talk; I just needed to go back to my room.
Once I got to my room, I went inside and locked the door. My head was spinning a little bit from the whiskey, so I decided to take a nap. Maybe I was a little jet lagged because I instantly fell asleep.
I had this strange dream. In the dream, I was offered three different meals at a restaurant and the waiter brought them all.
He said I could have a bite of all of them – and I figured, why not? The restaurant didn’t mind serving me the meals, so I shouldn’t mind eating them.
I said that I would feel like a pig, but he assured me I wasn’t. So, I had a bite of each of the meals and they were delicious.
Then I was on a battlefield and a commander turned to me and told me to fire. I looked down at my gun and it had three barrels on it.
I lifted it up, aimed and fired. Three enemy soldiers went right down. It seemed weird that I would hit them so accurately with a bizarre weapon, but there you go.
Then I was at the door to the McDonnell house again. Only this time, I was there with them, living there. I had never left and was raised by them.
I was wearing a trashy t-shirt and cut off shorts, both of which did not fit me well. I had a sloppy muffin top and back make-up and hair. I had just cast some bad spells on some good people, which made me feel proud of myself, because it was how I was raised to use my powers.
I was screaming at the other McDonnells, demanding money and a ride. Then I found myself standing out of that image, trapped in the house, trying to get out.
The other version of me walked over and whispered in my ear.
“This is who you are,” she laughed.
I woke up from the nightmare, parched. I got myself a water from the bathroom and checked myself in the mirror.
That wasn’t me – thank the Goddess. The part of the dream where I’d felt proud for casting spells that hurt innocent people had been the worst part of all.
The McDonnells were not who I really was.
Maybe Mom just didn’t understand that none of my ancestry really mattered. I mean, sure, it mattered for some pragmatic reasons. Your genetics, your ethnic background, your culture to some degree, but, it didn’t make you who you were.
/> I was my mother’s daughter. I was like her, not the McDonnells. And she was nothing like them.
So, what were the McDonnells to me? Just some biological relatives with a whole host of problems. But still, I was obviously curious about who they were, or why would I dream about them?
Maybe I could go back and just try and explain, I thought. Maybe there was a perfectly logical reason why they acted the way they did. And if not, then at least I’d know for sure never to try to return again.
As for the elves, I wasn’t sure. My dreams meant I was seriously considering having all of them at once. But could I date all three of them?
It seemed weird and awkward. Sure, they enjoyed competing for my attention, but men were like that. They liked beating each other over things. They would probably want me to choose.
And then I was back to thinking, how could I bear to break two of their hearts? Especially poor, sensitive Aiden. He was so sweet.
Donovan, I supposed, could take the news. He was tough and rugged. Still, I thought that deep down he was a softie. Plus, he had had his heart broken by his wife, so rejecting him now might seem like a one-two punch that could send him spiraling down into an awful place.
Killian was a little harder to read. I mean, sure, he had a lot of other options – that much was clear. You would think he would be the easiest to let down, because he’d just quickly move onto his next conquest.
But if he was such a ladies’ man as his reputation would suggest, he probably would’ve already gotten bored of chasing me. If he had so many other women, he could just go after them. He must be sticking it out for me.
Such a tough choice.
How do I choose?
But what if I didn’t choose?
Maybe I could date them all and it would become clear who was the right one. Maybe two of them would back away and let the other one come forward.
But what if they didn’t? What if they both kept competing and competing?
That could end badly, right? I mean, when guys fight over a girl, it can get ugly. I wouldn’t want that.
I don’t know if I could handle a four-way relationship, though. The boys seemed to get along with me there, but could that work for a date? Like, a real date where we’d hold hands or kiss?