Lee was sitting in what was referred to as “Beau’s chair.” It was the one their grandfather had always sat in, and Jack found it amusing that the Buchanan siblings tended to automatically gravitate toward it. He was sure Dottie would have had something to say about that.
“Hey,” Jack said softly as he sat in the chair next to him, still holding the cup a good distance from his body.
Lee lifted his bloodshot eyes but didn’t respond.
“Do you feel as bad as you look?” Lee flipped him off, and Jack laughed. “I guess that answers that.”
They were silent for a moment before Lee cleared his throat. “I owe you a massive apology.”
Jack waved his hand. “Trust me, I’ve been flipped off plenty of times before.”
Lee laughed, then reached a hand up to his head with a grimace. “Not for that. For how I treated you yesterday and the day before and all the days before that.”
“You had some things to work through,” Jack said. “I get it.”
“It’s no excuse. You’re just as much a victim as the rest of us.”
“Maybe so,” Jack said, choosing his words carefully. “But going to the FBI had to give you some of your power back.”
“It did.”
“How much trouble are you in?”
Lee sighed and leaned over, resting his forearms on his thighs. “I think I’m fairly safe. I didn’t know what was going on, and I gave them my full cooperation. My father and Victoria…let’s just say I think their luck has run out.”
“I heard you quit, but I guess that doesn’t mean much given your father won’t be the boss anymore. What does this mean for Buchanan Luxury?”
Lee released a bitter laugh. “After this, it no longer exists. There’s no way any of our clients would ever trust us again.”
“Well, I’m sure Addy has already told you, but I feel like I should too. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like,” Jack said. “I mean, of course you can stay. It’s your house too. I’m just saying, if you decide to hang out here while you figure things out, you’ll be welcomed.”
Lee gave him a long, hard stare. “Why are you being so nice to me after I’ve been nothing but a dick?”
“Because I respect Georgie and Addy’s opinion. If they see good in you, it must be there.” He grinned. “It’s just buried under a pile of shit.”
Lee’s laugh turned into a groan again.
“Here,” Jack said, shoving the glass toward him. “Drink this.”
He took it, making a face as he lifted it to his lips. “So you came out here to poison me?”
“It’s one of Dottie’s miracle hangover cures. It smells disgusting and tastes even worse, but you’ll be hangover-free within the hour.”
“How is that possible?”
“Didn’t you hear? She’s a witch,” Adalia said as she came out the back door. “Why didn’t you give it to him when you first came out, Jack?”
He shrugged. “I had to butter him up first.”
“Drink it,” Addy said, placing a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Trust me. I’m living proof it works.”
He gave her a dubious look, then chugged it down, looking like he was about to barf.
“When the feeling passes, come inside,” Addy said. “We’re dying to open presents after we eat.” She glanced down at Jack. “And you need to get back to Maisie. She’s about to give your food to Tyrion.”
Jack hadn’t even made a plate yet, so he knew it wasn’t true, but he appreciated Adalia coming out to check on him. He went inside and scooped food onto his plate, then poured himself a generous mimosa. Iris and Maisie had saved him a spot between them, and for a moment he just stood there, holding his plate and cup, and watched them talking and laughing, savoring the knowledge that they were both in his life. That they were friends. Then he walked over and joined them, setting his things down on the table. He planted a kiss on top of his sister’s head, then sat down and gave Maisie a quick kiss on the lips.
Adalia wolf-whistled as she stepped into the dining room, and Georgie beamed. Finn reached out for a fist bump from Maisie, and she rolled her eyes as she reciprocated. River just gave them a single nod of approval.
“All right, all right,” Maisie said. “You have five seconds to get it out of your system, and then it all stops. Forever.”
The whole table erupted in applause, Iris joining in. Maisie turned to her with a mock glare. “I expected better from you.”
“What can I say?” Iris said. “I’m a hopeless romantic.”
“You two are perfect for each other,” Dottie said quietly. “Beau would be so happy.”
The table grew quiet, and Jack lifted his glass. Although he’d never met Beau, the man had changed his life. Without his meddling, Jack would never have met Maisie or found a place among his half-siblings. “To Beau.”
Everyone lifted their own glasses, repeating Jack’s toast with a quiet reverence. “To Beau.”
Dottie’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “I wish he could be here to see how happy you all are.”
“Not all of us,” Lee said bitterly from the kitchen doorway.
“Give it time,” Dottie said.
Disgust filled Lee’s eyes, followed by a rush of something like panic, and he raced up the stairs.
“He doesn’t mean to be rude,” Georgie said.
“Of course he doesn’t,” Dottie assured her. “Our Lee needs love and support. He needs time.”
Georgie reached over and squeezed the elderly woman’s hand. “And we’ll give him plenty of it.”
Adalia lifted her fork. “Speaking from my personal experience with Dottie’s cure and the way he ran up the stairs, his most immediate need is a bathroom.”
The other couples had all exchanged gifts at home, so Jack slid Maisie’s gift under the sofa on the sly, catching her eye as he did so. She winked and pointed toward the dining room, where he could see her purse hanging from her chair. Later, after all of the other gifts had been opened, Lee wandered off, either to his room or the bathroom, and Addy turned on the TV and found A Christmas Story mid-film. Jack whispered into Maisie’s ear, “Let’s go open our gifts to each other on the front porch.”
She grinned. “I saw your moves with the sofa. How about we meet outside with our presents?”
“Deal.”
His was easy. He was sitting on the floor next to the sofa, so he grabbed the gift and went outside, suddenly worried it wasn’t enough. He was resting his butt against the porch railing when she walked out, carrying the small, wrapped box he’d seen at her house.
“I want to open mine first,” she said, setting her gift in one of the chairs and snatching his wrapped gift from him.
“Okay…”
She didn’t waste any time before ripping off the paper. When she opened the lid, she carefully lifted out the scarf.
“It was made by impoverished women in Vietnam,” he said in a rush. “So we’re contributing to the livelihoods of women in need.” He pushed away from the railing. “But that’s not the reason I bought it,” he said in a husky tone.
“Oh?” she asked as he took the scarf from her.
He looped it behind her neck and tugged her closer with the ends until she was flush against him. He held one hand up and brushed the soft fabric against her cheek. “I was right.”
“About what?”
“It’s nearly the exact color of your eyes.”
She smiled and wrapped a hand behind his neck, pulling his face down to hers. “Your turn.” She looked nervous. “I’m worried you won’t like it.”
“I’ll love whatever you give me, simply because it’s from you.”
“You have to say that,” she said as she pushed him down into one of the chairs and grabbed the gift up from the other. She hesitated, then handed it to him. “If you don’t like it, I can get you something else.”
“Maisie, I’m going to love it.” He snagged her wrist and tugged her to him, settling her on his lap before he
tore into the paper. He was surprised when he discovered an oversized jewelry box, and the gift inside left him nearly speechless. Having worked at a bar with wealthy clientele, he knew an expensive watch when he saw it.
Now he felt like an utter asshole for getting her a scarf.
“Maisie…”
“In the interest of transparency, you need to know I didn’t buy it.”
He grinned at her. “You stole it? There’s a whole bad-girl side to you I didn’t fully know about.”
“I didn’t steal it, and can I say you got far too excited over the possibility that I did?”
He kissed her, then pulled back, grinning like a fool. Maisie did this to him, but he didn’t mind one bit.
“It was my dad’s,” she said quietly. “He would have liked you. A lot.” She swallowed. “It sat in a box for years, like everything else. But what good is it to keep things in boxes? And…it felt right for my past and my present to merge into my future.”
A lump filled Jack’s throat. He was the luckiest guy in the world.
“You hate it,” she said, horror filling her eyes as she misinterpreted his silence. “I didn’t buy it, so I know that makes me cheap, but I—”
Jack kissed her hard. “Maisie. This is the best gift I’ve ever received. Thank you.”
“Are you positive?” she asked, looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself. “I really can get you something else.”
“Don’t you dare,” he said, removing the watch from the box. He slipped it onto his wrist and fastened the clasp. He tried to slide it up and down his wrist, but it barely moved. “It fits perfectly.”
“It’s like you were meant to have it.”
He stared into her worried eyes. “I know it’s hard for you to let go of the past, but you don’t have to let go of everything, and I’ll be there to help you. At your pace. There’s no rush.”
“Thank you, but I finally feel ready. I want to focus on the present…and on starting my future with you.”
He smiled at her. “I already have plans for our future, starting tonight. Dirty plans.”
She grinned back. “I should hope so.”
The front door opened and Iris’s face appeared. “The neighbors are texting River, telling him there’s an indecent couple on Beau’s front porch.”
Maisie laughed.
“If they think we’ve been indecent, then let’s give them something to talk about.” He shot his sister a look. “Go inside, Iris.”
She squealed, then slammed the door.
“Should I be concerned that your sister is excited we’re about to do something indecent?”
“Probably, but it’s too late to change her now. Just be thankful for her blessing.” Then he kissed her with a hunger he’d suppressed for the last hour. She met his passion with her own, until they were both breathless.
“Do you think that was indecent enough?” Maisie asked playfully.
“I don’t know, but I fully intend to keep on working on it.”
Epilogue
“Oh my God, I forgot to ask. Does Molly like pizza?” Iris asked anxiously. She’d started reading Molly’s column, and much to Maisie’s amusement, she now acted like Molly was a celebrity.
“Iris,” she said as she slung an arm around her shoulders. “If my sister didn’t like pizza, I would disown her myself.”
“She means it too,” said Jack, touching her hip. They stood like that for a moment, the three of them linked together next to the dining room table, the dogs at their feet, sniffing hopefully at the scent of fresh pizza in the air, and Maisie felt a swell of emotion. Her house was becoming a home again. And now her sisters were coming to visit, finally, to spend New Year’s with them. Although Maisie would have preferred to see her nephew too, Mary had decided—after a long bout of hemming and hawing—to come alone.
All these months without a visit, and apparently all Maisie had needed to do was find a boyfriend…a real boyfriend, as Mary referred to him…to convince them to come. Of course, she suspected Molly also intended to needle them all for details of the epic Christmas Eve engagement party that had ended up getting Prescott Buchanan and Vic-tor-ia arrested…along with half a dozen other employees from Buchanan Luxury. Although Prescott and Victoria had both been granted bail, the evidence that had been collected against them, thanks to Lee, was fairly damning.
Didn’t matter why they were here. If she was permissive of pandering and the occasional white lie to secure a dog’s adoption to a good home, she was even more so of her sisters’ behavior.
A knock landed on the door—the pattern one she and Molly had perfected in childhood and taught to River—and Iris flinched as if she expected Taylor Swift might walk through the door.
The dogs dashed toward the door, Chaco still wearing the jingle bell collar Dottie had gotten her for Christmas, much to Jack’s annoyance. He’d told Maisie they should “lose” it on a walk, but she’d insisted they wait for at least a full week to ensure believability.
“Go,” Jack urged her, smiling and giving her a little push toward the door. “You’ve been waiting all day.”
She had. She would have gone to the airport to pick them up if Mary hadn’t insisted on renting a car. Inside, Maisie was dancing in place like Ein, but rather than dash for the door, she tugged Jack with her and snagged a wide-eyed Iris too, bringing them both with her. Because they’d spent a lifetime being left out of things, and she never, ever wanted them to feel that way with her. Because they couldn’t meet her mother and father, but Mary had their mother’s practical outlook, bluntness, and complete inability to read sarcasm, and Molly had their father’s slightly wild streak, and they all had the O’Shea laugh.
She released Jack and Iris to open the door, and Molly flew into her arms in a tackle hug that almost sent them both flying to the floor. Both of them burst out laughing, and Mary gave them a long-suffering smile. “You shouldn’t encourage her.”
Then Molly pulled her into the hug too, and Mary hugged them back in a way that said her bluster was just that. Ein and Chaco pawed at them as if they wished to be let in on the fun, and Molly squealed and picked up Chaco. “Finally, we meet in person!”
Which reminded Maisie.
She pulled away and reached for Jack and Iris, who stood to one side of the door, looking a little shell-shocked. Understandable. The O’Shea girls could be like a tornado when they were all together. She and Molly were the only ones who could pull Mary out of her ordered universe.
“Molly and Mary, meet Jack and his sister Iris.” She could see them taking her sisters in, Molly with her long, wavy strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes, Mary with her short brown hair, which only showed hints of red in the sun.
“The famous Iris!” Molly cried, pulling her into a hug while Mary greeted Jack in a more sedate manner. Iris looked a bit startled but very pleased.
“Did you miss the New Year’s Eve Countdown to be here?” she asked. From what Maisie had gathered, the gist of it was that Molly was supposed to go on several blind dates on New Year’s Eve, with men chosen by her fellow blogger. Her goal was to guess which of them had been selected to be her date at midnight. Apparently they’d intended to vlog it.
Molly waved it off. “Yeah, but I get to meet you and your hunky brother instead.” She winked at Jack. “I call it even.”
“Shameless,” Maisie said, giving her a little shove. She shut the door and turned to face them, her heart full.
“Maisie, the house…” Mary said, her head swiveling around to take in the living room.
“I told you I’d made a few changes,” she said. “It’s a work in progress.”
She felt a prickle of defensiveness—did Mary disapprove?—but then she saw the tears in her sister’s eyes.
Molly grinned at her. “This has to be a record. It only took you two minutes to make Mary cry.”
That earned her a swat from their big sister.
“It’s just…I’m so proud of you,” Mary said.
“I’m proud of me too,” she said.
Jack put an arm around her, and she leaned into him, suddenly feeling all of the emotions of having everyone here on the last day of the year, of feeling the new year unfurl before them. Of sensing possibilities rather than fearing the changes the future might bring.
Molly clapped. “I smell pizza, but before we eat or even bring in our bags, I think it’s time for us to show Iris our surprise.”
“What?” Iris said, flinching. She’d been leaning against the banister, and she almost fell. Flushing a little, she stood up straighter. “Why would you do something nice for me? You don’t even know me.”
Molly raised her hands up, palms out. “You underestimate how much our sister tells us. Plus, I only helped in an advisory capacity.”
Iris swiveled to look at Maisie, who couldn’t hold back a grin. She glanced up at Jack, and he gave her a little squeeze with one of those famous arms of his. “What’d you do now, Red?”
She could almost feel Molly and Mary exchanging a look. They’d never heard anyone but their dad call her that. Yeah, they knew she had it bad.
“Guess you’ll all have to come upstairs and see.”
She led the way, Jack behind her—she suspected he’d followed her so he could stare at her butt the whole way up—and then Iris and Molly and Mary. Chaco and Ein, who refused to be left out of the fun, came next.
When she reached the doorway of the spare bedroom, she felt a little prickle of nerves. What if Jack and Iris took her gesture the wrong way? Molly had egged her on, of course, but Mary had suggested it would be wise to consult Jack before moving forward. But there’d been too few good surprises in Maisie’s life, and she’d wanted to pull one off for Iris.
Jack shot her a questioning look, and she moved closer to him, wanting to feel him at her side.
“Go on in, Iris.”
“Why do I feel like I’m being set up?” Iris asked with no small amount of suspicion, glancing from face to face.
Getting Lucky Page 34
