Jess and Connie both looked taken aback.
“Florida? Why would he be in Florida?” Jess asked.
“Your father’s assigned him to a new community development project down there,” Laila said. “You didn’t know?”
“Dad hasn’t said a word,” Jess said.
“And Thomas is the last to get filled in on family gossip,” Connie added. She studied Laila worriedly. “How do you feel about this? When did you find out?”
“Just today,” Laila told them. “And I’m not sure how I feel. Maybe it’s for the best. We certainly won’t be doing anything rash, will we? Having some space probably makes sense.”
“But you hate it,” Jess concluded. “You don’t want space. Why don’t you tell Matthew that?”
“How can I? This is an incredible opportunity.”
“It is,” Connie agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you have to like it. At least let him know you’ll be miserable without him.”
“Maybe I won’t be,” Laila suggested hopefully.
“In what universe?” Jess scoffed. “You’ve been miserable when he’s only been blocks away. I say it’s time to stop hesitating and grab what you want. Why are you even in separate rooms on this trip? It’s not as if anyone would be shocked or appalled if you shared a room.”
“Nell might be,” Laila said.
Jess laughed. “Are you kidding? I think she’d be so relieved to have the two of you finally showing some sense, she’d do a little dance outside your door.”
Laila frowned. “She’s a little more old-fashioned than that, I’m sure.”
“Well, she might bring a priest and a special marriage license along with her,” Jess conceded. “But that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, either.”
Laila held up her hands. “Hold on! It is way too soon to be talking about marriage. Just a few days ago I wasn’t sure we should even be dating.”
“Well, I’m not sure about that, either,” Jess retorted. “I think you should just go for it and stop analyzing everything to death. You know you’re perfect together.”
“We’re perfect together in bed,” Laila corrected. “The rest hasn’t been tested all that thoroughly.”
“Unless you’re talking pharmaceuticals and maybe airplanes, testing might be overrated,” Connie suggested. “I’m with Jess. Go for it.”
“You two are just blinded by your rose-colored glasses,” Laila said. “I’m trying to take a mature, clear-eyed view of things.”
“Boring!” Jess declared.
If she’d accused Laila of anything else, it might not have had an effect, but these days Laila was very sensitive to any suggestion that she was boring.
“I’ll give it some thought,” she told them as she scooped an extra helping of Devon cream onto her scone. She’d discovered it was almost as satisfying as rocky road ice cream.
“Overthinking, testing, it’s all part of the same cycle of deliberation,” Connie noted. “I’m with Jess. Sometimes you just have to go for broke. Follow your bliss, isn’t that what they say?” She grinned. “And being with Matthew is pretty blissful, isn’t that right?”
Laila ignored the deliberate taunt. “Could I point out that neither of you exactly rushed headlong into a relationship, much less marriage?” she said testily.
Jess grinned. “And look at all the time we wasted. You should learn from our mistakes and jump straight into marriage. Do not second-guess yourself, Laila.”
Sadly, Laila realized she was far more tempted by the idea than any sane woman ought to be. And for the past hour, she’d only been drinking strong black tea, so she couldn’t even blame overindulgence in Guinness for making her a little crazy.
Matthew nearly lost it when he spotted Laila in the hotel bar with Sean, Liam and Gram. The men were clearly making a fuss over both women, charming them with who knew what kind of smooth talk. He saw red just thinking about it.
He crossed the lobby in long strides, walked into the bar and managed to make room for himself on a sofa between Sean and Laila, who regarded him with unmistakable amusement. For that matter, Gram seemed to be highly entertained by the obviousness of his behavior, as well.
“So, are these long-lost relations of ours?” he asked, his skepticism plain.
“It could be that we have a distant uncle in common,” Gram said. “I never knew all of your grandfather’s relatives, so the O’Briens are a bit of a mystery to me. Liam has promised to bring their family Bible by tomorrow, so we can look through it together.”
“Isn’t that great?” Laila said.
“Yeah, great,” Matthew said without enthusiasm. “Gram, don’t you want to rest before dinner?”
“I had a nap earlier,” she said. “And Mick’s promised an early night. We’re just going up the street for a bite to eat, which I’ve translated to mean that once again I’m not to invite Dillon O’Malley to join us.” She rolled her eyes. “As if I’d pay a bit of attention to Mick if I wanted Dillon there.”
“How is Mr. O’Malley?” Laila asked in a teasing tone.
“Every bit as charming as I remembered,” Nell said, a flush on her cheeks.
“Then why don’t you include him tonight, if you want to? I’ve heard there’s dancing on the agenda,” Laila said.
Nell shook her head. “I believe only you young people are going out for music and dancing after dinner. I need my rest tonight. Dillon and I are taking the train to Howth tomorrow, so I can walk by the sea. I have many fond memories of that little town.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” Laila said, her expression wistful.
“Then you must come along,” Gram said at once. “Matthew, what about you?”
He wasn’t about to miss a chance to spend the day with Laila, especially a day that didn’t include distant possible relatives. “Sure, I’ll come.”
“It’ll be cold by the water,” Liam warned. “Be sure you dress warmly.”
Nell laughed. “Oh, I’m not so old that I’ve forgotten how chilly it can get. I imagine we’ll find a lovely place to stop for lunch, as well. Dillon seems to know exactly the sort of cozy, inviting places I like.”
The two young men stood. “Well, we’ll leave you to your evening, then,” Sean said. “It’s been a joy to meet you. I surely hope we do find some family connection.” He winked at Laila. “Though I can’t help thinking it’s a blessing you’re not an O’Brien. You’re fair game for a bit of flirting.”
Matthew seethed, especially when Laila didn’t say a word to discourage them. Instead, she actually walked with them as they left the hotel.
After they’d gone, his grandmother regarded him with a tolerant expression. “Your green is showing,” she chided. “And I’m not referring to your Irish heritage. Don’t you know that those two young men mean no harm? And since you’ve no claim on Laila, she’s done nothing wrong, either.”
He sighed. “I know that.”
“Let me ask you something. Do you want that young woman in your life permanently?”
Matthew started to utter the knee-jerk denial that he might have a few months ago, but he realized it was no longer true. It might never have been true, in fact. He’d been certain about what he wanted from Laila practically from the beginning of their relationship. She was the one filled with doubts. From time to time, her certainty had spilled over to shake his resolve.
“Yes,” he admitted candidly.
“Then tell her that,” Gram advised. “Better yet, show her.”
“How?”
She smiled at him. “That engagement ring you bought isn’t doing a bit of good burning a hole in your pocket. Put it where it belongs.”
He shook his head. “She’s not ready.”
“She’s not, or you’re not?”
“I just told you that I want to marry her. Why else would I have bought the ring?”
“Hesitation never wins a man what he wants,” she advised. “You, my handsome grandson, are smart as a whip about many things. You may even have a
n insightful moment or two.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“Oh, that was fair praise,” she said. “What you’re not is a mind reader, not even when it’s the woman you love. Don’t make decisions based on what you think Laila wants or what you think she might be ready for. Act on your own desires and let her decide for herself. She could surprise you.”
She glanced beyond him and smiled. “Here she comes now. I’ll leave you two on your own. Don’t waste another opportunity.”
He stood when she did, then hugged her. “Thanks for the talk and the advice, Gram.”
“Anytime. That’s what I’m around for, to try to steer you young people in the direction you want to go. Sometimes it’s clear you’re not listening to your hearts the way you should be.”
On her way past Laila, she murmured something Matthew couldn’t hear, then went on toward the elevators. Laila’s gaze followed her before she turned back to Matthew.
“What were you two discussing?” she asked.
“This and that,” he told her. “What did she tell you?”
“That I’d never go wrong listening to my heart.”
Matthew smiled. “She said pretty much the same thing to me, though you got the condensed version.”
Laila smiled. “I love your grandmother.”
“So do I. Now, do you really want to spend this evening with the entire family or should we sneak off and do something on our own?”
“Such as?”
“We could have dinner in your room,” he suggested.
She laughed. “And we both know where that would lead. I thought you’d made a vow to keep your hands to yourself on this trip.”
“Temptation keeps getting in my way,” he retorted. “But if that’s out of the question, let’s go dancing.”
“Isn’t that what everyone else plans to do later?”
“Ah, but they’re going someplace traditionally Irish where the dancing will be energetic. I’ve something a bit more romantic in mind.”
She studied him a moment. “You’re in an odd mood tonight.”
“You can thank my grandmother for that. She’s been putting ideas in my head.”
“Romantic ideas?” she asked, looking startled.
He nodded. “Does that scare you?”
She held his gaze, her cheeks tinted pink with a surprising blush. “Not half as much as it should.”
“Then we have a date?”
“We have a date,” she said solemnly.
“I’ll let the family know,” he said. “Grab your coat and meet me back here in ten minutes.”
She started toward the elevators, then turned back. “Matthew?”
“Yes?”
“We’ve never had a real date before.”
“Of course we have,” he said, then paused and thought about it. “We really haven’t, have we?”
What they’d had were occasional drinks that had led to bed, a quick meal that had led to bed, a heated glance across a room that had led to bed. They had spent an awful lot of time with their clothes off and practically none out in public being a couple, discussing each other’s hopes and dreams.
He smiled at her. “We’re way overdue, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. It’s recently been suggested to me that dating is highly overrated.”
“Who on earth said that?”
“Jess and Connie.”
He laughed. “Well, just look who you were talking to. Those two did everything humanly possible to drag out the entire dating process because they were terrified of making a commitment. Now that they have, they have the enthusiasm of the recently converted. I think we owe it to ourselves to give dating a chance.”
Laila nodded, then gave him a heated look that just about melted his resolve.
“As long as it doesn’t take too long,” she said, her gaze pointed. “I’ve been thinking that maybe I’d like to be a convert, too.”
For the first time in weeks, maybe months, Matthew’s heart soared. Maybe Gram was right and he’d been misreading all the signals. Maybe what he wanted was right in front of him, if only he’d reach for it.
5
Nell thought she detected a flare of disappointment in Dillon’s eyes when she arrived at the train station with Matthew and Laila in tow.
“Dillon, this is my grandson, Matthew O’Brien, and his friend, Laila Riley. Her brother, Trace, is married to my granddaughter Abby.”
Whatever his disappointment, Dillon was too much the gentleman to make the young people feel uncomfortable. He gave them a beaming smile and took their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet more of Nell’s family, though I admit I’ve been wondering why I’ve yet to see the first sign of her sons.”
“Mick and Jeff have been busy, and Thomas, in fact, has just arrived,” Nell was quick to say.
“As if that has anything to do with it,” Matthew teased. “Believe it or not, my grandmother is afraid my uncle Mick might forbid her to see you. He seems to have a real aversion to the idea of her dating.”
Dillon chuckled until he looked into Nell’s eyes. Then he reacted with dismay. “Can this be true? Your son disapproves of your dating, even though you’ve been a widow for some time now?”
“He’s simply having a little difficulty getting used to the idea,” Nell said, scowling at Matthew for making such a revelation. “For now I’m trying to be considerate of his feelings. You’ll all meet when the time is right.”
“Which, if Gram has her way, will be on the day we leave for home,” Matthew countered, a twinkle in his eyes. “I think she enjoys sneaking around and making my uncle a little crazy.”
Nell scowled at him. “Young man, you are not too old for me to send you back to the hotel to your room.”
Matthew laughed. “Will you send Laila with me?”
“She’s done nothing wrong,” Nell pointed out. “And that would turn a punishment into a reward, now, wouldn’t it?”
“To say nothing of the fact that I intend to see Howth today,” Laila added. “Matthew, behave yourself. Stop teasing your grandmother.”
Matthew sighed dramatically. “Now you’ve taken all the fun out of the day.”
Dillon looped an arm around his shoulders. “Buck up, Matthew. You’ve a beautiful woman by your side and we’re going to a picturesque seaside town. If you can’t enjoy yourself under those circumstances, then you’re not any relation of Nell’s. She’s a woman who’s always been able to find joy in any moment.”
Nell regarded Dillon with surprise. Was that how he remembered her? All she recalled were the tears she’d shed when she’d finally made her choice to leave Ireland and return to Maryland and the life her parents had wanted for her with Charles O’Brien. Duty had trumped what she’d felt at the time, convincing her it couldn’t possibly be anything more than infatuation. She’d left so much misery in her wake. All she remembered of that time was the heavy burden of her guilt. Time, apparently, had washed away whatever bitterness Dillon must have felt back then.
She saw the sign on the platform flash, indicating that their train was arriving. Her heart skipped a beat at the prospect of a day’s adventure down memory lane. This time, she assured herself, they would be happy memories. She’d make sure of that. How could they be otherwise when she was surrounded by people she loved?
“This hands-off business is good for us, don’t you agree?” Laila asked as she and Matthew followed the winding stone walkway that led along the edge of the sea at Howth. It curved around to create a charming marina that reminded her of Harbor Lights back home.
They’d left Nell and Dillon in a cozy café sipping tea and eating scones. When Laila and Matthew had gone off on their own to explore, Nell had been complaining that the scones weren’t nearly as good as her own.
Now, with the sea splashing against the rocks and a brisk wind blowing, Laila was chilled through, but she’d never been happier. The sun was playing tag with heavy, dark clouds and mostly winning, at least for the moment.
“You look half-frozen,” Matthew noted. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back and have a cup of tea?”
“Soon,” she said. “Right now I just want to absorb the fact that I’m here in this lovely place.”
“With me?” he asked quietly.
She turned to face him. “With you,” she agreed solemnly. “That’s what I meant before. I think we’re seeing each other differently, now that ripping each other’s clothes off isn’t an option.”
He smiled at that. “Is that so? How do you see me now?”
“As a wonderfully mature, complicated man who adores his grandmother,” she said, then tilted her head thoughtfully. “And maybe adores me.”
Heat flashed in his eyes. “I do adore you.” His expression turned serious. “I love you, Laila. For months now, I’ve made no secret of that.”
The words settled into a secret room in her heart and warmed her, but still she said, “I’m not sure I’m ready to believe that yet.”
He looked puzzled. “What do you mean? You think I’m lying?”
“Of course not,” she said at once. “But if I believe you, if I accept that your feelings really do run that deep, then there will be decisions to be made, won’t there? I’m not ready to face those decisions. Just being with you has cost me a lot. I have to deal with that, Matthew. Otherwise, I’ll wind up resenting you, which wouldn’t be fair at all. That’s why I called things off before.”
“Do you really not know your own heart?” he asked. “Or is it that you don’t trust mine?”
“A little of both,” she admitted candidly, hating the hurt she saw in his eyes. “But that’s why this time is so precious, Matthew. We’ve taken the pressure off. There’s nothing that has to be decided today or tomorrow or even the next day. We’re just here together.” She regarded him hopefully. “Can’t that be enough for you for now?”
“For now,” he conceded eventually, then added earnestly, “But I want more, Laila. I want it all—the house, the family, the future. I won’t settle for less, and I won’t wait forever.”
An O’Brien Family Christmas Page 6
