by Anna Castor
“Ro still claims that Fi and him were on a break while he was with that girl.”
Caitlin bristled at Declan’s lame excuse for his brother’s behavior.
“He’s nothing but a liar. Ronan Mills only cares about himself. You on the other hand… You’re all about caring for others and doing what’s right. I know that somewhere in the back of your twisted mind, you thought you were doing Bree a favor by turning her down. But if you’d reach deep down into your soul, you’ll know that you’ve made a mistake.”
He wanted to steer away from all talk about Ronan and Fianna and asked what he’d wanted to know from the moment Cait said Bree would go out on a date.
“Is she really into this guy?” It would hurt like hell to see Bree finally move on.
“She’s going out with him tonight, Dec. If I were you, I’d—”
“I love Bree, Cait. I’m not messing things up for her and—”
Caitlin held up a hand and shook her head. “And because of your love for Bree, you need to step in, Dec. You don’t seem to realize the importance of this date. This Craig-person is the first guy she’s going out with since college.”
Caitlin leaned forward and emphasized the word ‘college’. Damn, that was a long time. He always tried to avoid talks about going out on dates. In hindsight, he must have known Bree didn’t like seeing him with other women.
And he knew where he stood in thinking of Bree with some other guy. He hated the idea, but luckily the situation never came up in the past few years. Now he realized it was because Bree didn’t want to go out with someone else. She’d only wanted Declan.
“I hate to say it, but I think there’s a possibility she really likes the guy.”
Not what he wanted to hear right now.
“Then it’s good for her to go out on this date. She needs to move on.” He wasn’t sure if he was persuading Cait or himself.
Cait threw a half eaten onion ring through the cabin and it smacked him on the side of his forehead.
“What the fuck?!”
Declan grabbed a napkin from his lap and wiped himself clean. If she’d done something this childish to his twin, Ro would have released a food fight on her arse.
Declan narrowed his eyes and in one swift move, disabled her from her ammo as he snatched the takeout bag from her lap. “Give me that. Damn woman, what are ye doin’, throwin’ food at me?”
“I needed to get your full attention and I’ve been trying to get through to your thick skull for quite some time now. And nothing has worked so far!” Caitlin threw her arms in the air, making her long brown ponytail swish over her shoulder.
“I’ve tried to avoid bringing up my sister to make you miss her more. I’ve tried talking you into following your heart. I’ve tried the silent treatment whenever you went on a stupid date because of Ro.”
Caitlin’s bottom lip trembled as she was so pissed at him she was about to cry. Cait only ever cried if she were pissed off. He furrowed his brows and leaned in to place his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged his hand off and jutted her chin at him.
“Enough is enough. Wake the fuck up, Dec. My sister is going on a date with a guy who could mean the world to her. He could be the guy she would binge watch those stupid shows with. Not you. He could be the guy she’d call for help. Not you.
“Craig is going out with her tonight and will show Bree exactly what she’s been missing all these years. He’s after her heart. The guy is serious and is in it for the long haul. He could end up as her man. Not you.”
His chest tightened, and he couldn’t get enough oxygen suddenly. Declan sat upright, clenching and unclenching his fists while concentrating on his breathing. He closed his eyes for a second. Cait’s hand on his shoulder made him look up.
“You wouldn’t have this reaction if you weren’t in love with my sister, Dec. Why are you fighting this? Please… I don’t get it.” Caitlin’s voice was small as she pleaded with him.
“I promised her… I promised Mom, when she—” His voice broke and he tapped a fist to his chest while he cleared his throat.
“You know I was six when she died.” Cait nodded but didn’t respond. He hated to talk about his past, but because Cait grew up next doors to him, he didn’t have to tell her about what happened after his mom died of breast cancer.
Cait knew all about his father ghosting on his five sons for sometimes weeks at a time. Cait’s family had moved in next doors when Declan’s mother had been gone for almost two years.
Caitlin had her own shit show for parents checking out on their kids. She knew exactly how he felt. It made it somewhat easier for him to talk.
“It was on my mom’s deathbed when she took my face between her cold hands and said that I would make the world a better place. She loved how I never put my own needs before others.
“After my mom died, I did everything I could think of to make my mom proud of me. I kept Ro from fighting as much as I could. And I helped Brennan out around the house since he was the oldest in charge.”
He glanced at the windshield in front of him and took a deep breath.
“Bree was the reason I smiled for the first time in two years after my mom died.” He shook his head and the corner of his mouth lifted.
“She tried to race me with that purple bike of hers. All along the way back to my house, she was boasting on how she’d kicked my Irish butt. Even though I let her win.”
Cait snorted. “Of course.”
He stabbed a tear from the corner of his eye and chuckled when he looked over at Cait, who also dabbed her eye with a napkin.
“Who would have thought the little Squirt from next doors would bring me back to the land of the living? I needed her, Cait. And you and I both know Bree needed me just as much. We were not just two kids sitting out a storm together. Bree is a part of me.
“I tried so hard to fight any feelings I had, and for so long. I just couldn’t risk having that part of my chest ripped out.”
Caitlin nodded. “Thank you, Dec, for sharing this with me. For the first time in months, I finally see where you’re coming from. But can’t you see, Dec? Your mom would have loved Bree for you. And she’s probably up there somewhere,” Cait waved her hand above her head, “and getting really annoyed with you depriving yourself from the love of your life.”
A smile ghosted around his lips at the thought.
“You can’t always play things safe, Dec. You might think you’re doing Bree a favor by holding on to the past. But you’re not only hurting yourself here. She’s hurting too. You’re no longer best friends. Things have already changed. For the first time in your life, you need to go after what you want.”
“It’s nice here, isn’t it?” Craig asked as he placed his bulky arm around Bree’s shoulders. He smelled like citrus. It could go either way with citrus. It could remind you of fresh, homemade lemonade… or in Craig’s case, air freshener.
Bree deftly took a step aside to walk over to the first hole.
“The goal is to get the ball through this Moulin-rouge looking windmill, via that border, and into the hole,” Craig said.
“Hmm-mmm.”
It wasn’t exactly rocket science. But she held her tongue. If she were here with Dec, they would pick a dare for the loser right now. They would rib each other and she would try to get on Dec’s nerves, just to make him lose concentration.
But since she was here on a date with Craig, she placed her golf ball on the tee and gave her swing a little more grit than necessary. The golf ball flew over the windmill and came at a complete standstill right next to the hole.
“Wow! And you’d said you’ve never been here before.”
“I haven’t.” Bree smiled as she walked over to her ball. She gave it a little nudge and filled the hole.
“Is there anything you can’t do?” Craig grinned as he shook his head. He placed his golf ball on the tee and made a big show out of taking an aim. After swinging back and forth with his putter, he finally made contact, and th
e ball flew against one of the windmill blades.
“Ah, that’s unfortunate,” he said, sucking air between his teeth.
“Yes, very unfortunate.” Bree rolled her eyes. What was she even doing here tonight?
He’d told her he wanted to do ‘fun stuff’ together. And just go from there.
No pressure.
Going to the miniature golf course wasn’t exactly ‘fun stuff’ in Bree’s book, but it beat sitting home alone, thinking about Declan.
“Shall we make this game a little more interesting, Bree?”
She perked up at his words. Maybe she’d been too harsh on Craig. Perhaps he was her kind of guy after all. Craig was gorgeous, with his blond locks of hair and blue eyes. He was bulky, but not so much it bothered her. The sweet aura surrounding him was the first thing that drew her to him.
Because the one thing she searched for in a guy was trust. She wanted to know she could rely on her partner above anything. She trusted Declan with her life, but no longer with her heart. She really wanted to make it work with Craig.
But their kiss in her classroom had been… meh. Maybe during this date there would be more sexual tension between them?
She placed her hand on his muscular, tanned underarm and leaned in.
“What do you have in mind?”
“The winner gets to pick the restaurant,” Craig said.
Bree let out a deep breath and said, “Ookay…”
“What? Did you have something else in mind?” he asked with worry in his voice.
“No, no. It’s fine.”
She walked over to the second course and stood in front of a giant wooden shoe. “What’s up with these props?”
“It’s owned by an old Dutch couple. Don’t you think it’s kind of sweet?”
“Hmm.” Bree started her backswing but held back the last minute because she didn’t want to hit Craig as he came to stand close to her. Her putter kissed the golf ball for a second.
“First stroke!” Craig said.
“Excuse me?”
“Your putter contacted the ball.”
“That was an accident! I backed out of hitting it because I didn’t want to knock your head from your torso!”
“It still counts as the first stroke. You began your backswing and in the regulations it says,” he put his next two words into quotation marks with his fingers, “‘The Players’, are ready the moment you begin your backswing. If the putter contacts the ball from that point, the stroke counts.”
Bree shook her head. “You’re kidding.”
“No, Bree. According to the World Mini-golf Sport Federation—”
“You know what? I’m done.” Bree stomped through the golf course with Craig hot on her four-inch heels.
“Bree, you can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am, buddy. I’m done.”
He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. He smiled down at her since he had a lot of inches on her, even with her in heels.
“Are you usually this fierce?”
She looked from his full lips to his smiling eyes. “Whatever. Craig, I don’t think—”
He leaned in and kissed her mid-sentence. His lips coaxed her to open up for him, and when she did, he turned his head and their teeth clanked together.
“Oomph,” she said.
Craig cleared his throat and said, “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too.”
He leaned in for a second round. But all she could think of was how she would see him at school on Monday. And how she would have to act normal.
They went from a kiss without a spark in the classroom, to a kiss that sparked because their teeth ground against each other. She giggled against his mouth.
“What is it?” Craig said.
“I’m sorry, Craig. It’s not you, it’s me.”
“Well, that’s not very original of you, Bree.” Craig said with a wry smile.
“I’m sorry.”
“You keep saying that.” He chuckled.
She smiled and took a step back.
“Yeah, I know. Don’t mean to.”
“Is it that guy you were talking about earlier?”
“Hey, are you two done here?” A teenage boy said as he walked up to them next to the tee.
“Sure, buddy,” Craig said.
The teenager scoffed and said, “Thanks, buddy.”
Bree took Craig by the arm and led them to the terrace in the center of the golf course.
“You know I’ll still wait for you, Bree.”
She halted mid-step and shook her head. She pulled her arm from his. “No, please don’t wait on me. I know my head is not here tonight. But even without him in the back of my mind, I think we’re better of as friends.”
“But—”
She pressed her lips against his.
“See?” she whispered. “Nothing… It’s like kissing a dead fish.”
He jerked from her and she laughed at his surprised expression.
“Come on, you feel it too. I mean, you don’t feel it too,” Bree chuckled.
“Damn, but I want to feel it,” he said. He took her in his arms for a warm hug.
“Me too.” She meant it. She wanted to feel the spark with Craig. She wanted to be happy with this handsome man. This reliable man who can cook like a chef. A Kindergarten teacher, good with little children.
This guy would treat her like nobody ever treated a Ryan girl before. He would worship the ground she walked on. Okay, not exactly, but still…
But she had to spoil it by thinking about Declan. Her former best friend who didn’t give a fuck. Who’d rejected her. Made her feel small for saying she’d loved him.
After reassuring him that her sister Gwenn would pick her up, he’d left her at the terrace of the miniature golf park. Sitting in between families and couples in love, she grabbed her phone and went through her texts.
KATE: How’s it going? Did you make a par or something like that?
She smiled. Kate had moved from Jersey last June and worked with Bree and Craig at St. Helena’s Kindergarten. They had instantly clicked, although Kate had been skittish at first.
But it didn’t take Bree long to break the ice between them. And because Kate was lusting over Declan’s brother Donovan, they were both stuck in the same boat.
BREE: Nevermind par. I almost nailed him in the head.
KATE: Haha, oh no! What did he do?
BREE: I was out with his alter ego tonight.
KATE: Clumsy Craig was on a roll, eh?
Bree smiled at Craig’s nickname they’d given him. He truly was a sweetheart, looking out for his colleagues and helping wherever he could. But the man often dropped things on his toes and bumped his head against whatever surface was near him. He’d even tripped Kate once accidently in the schoolyard.
BREE: Yep. I almost hit him with my putter… we clanked our teeth, kissing…
KATE: You KISSED him? AGAIN?
Bree sighed as she typed.
BREE: It’s never going to happen. Ever again. E.V.E.R.R.R.R.R.
KATE: Haha. Okay. Stop shouting in your text ;)
BREE: You started it, remember?
KATE: Do you need me to pick you up?
BREE: No, Gwenn will be here in a few minutes. Thanks! Talk later?
KATE: Yes. And I’ll see you Monday. Your turn to drive.
Bree smiled as her fingers worked the screen:
BREE: Okay!
“Hey, Hotness. Want me to cool you down?” Gwenn said in a low voice, pretending to be a dude. Gwenn sat down on one of the three vacated white plastic chairs on the terrace. She handed Bree a cone with two scoops of chocolate ice cream and one scoop of strawberry. Gwenn licked along her wrist to clean the trail of chocolate.
“Thanks, sis.” Bree said. “Hmm.” Her younger sister always knew how to fix her mood.
“I got you,” Gwenn said with her mouth full of bright yellow ice cream.
“What flavor’s that?”
“Lemon
custard.”
“Yuck.”
“Pffft. Don’t knock it till you tried it.”
“Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem, sis. You let me stay at your place and let me use your car. It’s the least I can do. So, where’s Mr. Perfect?” Gwenn said as she took another bite out of her neon colored ice cream. Her straight, long brown hair spilled into her cone, making her swear out loud.
Bree chuckled. “He’s too sweet. Too… well, you know…”
“I get it. He’s not Dec. That’s wrong with the poor guy. If we could give him some of that Mills Irish fire, he’d be perfect, right?” Gwenn smiled.
“I guess,” Bree said before taking the last bite out of her cone.
“Didn’t you have dinner tonight? You’re gobbling like it’s the first thing you’ve eaten all day.”
“It almost is. I called it quits before dinner.”
“Haha, it must have been real bad tonight,” Gwenn said with a twinkle in her azure eyes.
“Not that bad…” Now she felt bad for Craig. She didn’t need to be bitchy about him.
“Bad enough to miss out on dinner. And I know how you can eat.”
Bree shoved her sister playfully, making her miss her ice cream cone as she leaned in for another bite. “Hey!”
As Bree laughed out loud, her sister gave her a playful shove of her own. “Come, let’s get a move on. Kera is coming over tonight.”
“I thought she was spending a few nights at Caitlin’s?”
“No, she called and said Fi was driving her crazy already,” Gwenn said as they walked over to Bree’s purple sedan. Gwenn and Kera have both returned home from their deployment in the military yesterday. Gwenn completed one tour in Afghanistan, and their sister Kera had been a field medic for several years now.
“Fi is on a roll, eh?” Bree said after clicking her seat belt in place.
“Yep. Don’t know how Cait can stand living with her. She’s our sister but—”