An O’Brien Family Christmas

by Sherryl Woods

  “It’s Laila,” Mack said.

  Matthew stilled. “What about her? She didn’t step off the curb into oncoming traffic or something, did she?” It was all too easy to do with cars whizzing past on what for them was the wrong side of the street. He’d done it himself to near-disastrous results a time or two.

  “She’s fine,” Luke said. “Alive, anyway.”

  He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “She may be packing up to go back to Chesapeake Shores,” Mack said.

  Now Matthew was glad he was sitting down. He only wished the drink he wanted was handy, but the waiter hadn’t even checked on them yet. “Home?” he repeated. “What the hell happened around here today? Why would she want to go home? Everything was fine the last time I saw her. Better than fine, in fact.”

  “Don’t freak out, now, okay?” Mack said soothingly. “It’s not as if Susie were trying to get into your business or anything.”

  His blood started to simmer. Whatever was going on, it couldn’t possibly be good if his sister was involved and Mack was trying to come up with excuses for her even before he offered an explanation.

  “One of you needs to start talking,” he said tightly. “Or I swear I will strangle both of you without a second’s hesitation.”

  “Which means you’d never get answers,” Luke pointed out, then winced at Matthew’s fierce scowl. “I’m just saying…”

  “The girls,” Mack began.

  “Susie, Connie, Jess and Laila,” Luke added, suddenly eager to fill in the blanks.

  “They went out for tea this afternoon,” Mack concluded.

  Matthew drew in a deep breath. That didn’t sound so awful, but from the expressions on his brother and brotherin-law’s faces, whatever had happened wasn’t some innocent little gabfest.

  “And?” he prodded.

  “It sort of came out that everyone was hoping you and Laila would get married in Ireland,” Luke said in a rush.

  Matthew looked from one man to the other. “How the hell does something like that sort of casually come up in the conversation?”

  Mack sighed. “I’m not real clear on the details. Susie was too upset, but I gather once it was out there, Laila freaked.”

  “Big-time,” Luke confirmed.

  “She says she’s going home,” Mack added. “Or maybe to some O’Brien-free zone.”

  Matthew was immediately on his feet, all thoughts of a drink and everything else forgotten. “Has she left the hotel?”

  “I don’t think so,” Luke said. “I’ve been hanging out in the lobby keeping an eye out for her and for you.”

  “And I stopped at the front desk,” Mack said. “She didn’t check out of the room.”

  Matthew nodded. At least there was some good news. Still, he cast a hard look at Mack. “Tell my sister I will deal with her later.”

  Mack shook his head. “No, you won’t. She’s beside herself as it is. Stress isn’t good for her.”

  Matthew thought of the cancer she’d beat only recently. He thought Susie was far tougher than Mack was giving her credit for, but he had no desire to test that belief. Nor did he especially want to physically tangle with his brother-in-law, an ex-jock who remained in excellent shape. Not that he wasn’t in good condition himself, but a brawl would only give him momentary satisfaction. It wouldn’t win Laila’s heart.

  “I’m going to Laila’s room,” he told them, shoving his packages at Luke. “Take these upstairs for me, okay?”

  “Done,” Luke said at once.

  “And I’ll hang out down here a little longer just in case Laila comes down while you’re heading up,” Mack offered.

  Matthew nodded. “Thanks.”

  Even as he crossed the lobby, he wondered what on earth he was going to say to calm Laila down. He could hardly deny that the idea of a wedding here in Ireland had crossed his mind. He’d brought the engagement ring with him. His grandmother had assured him she knew all about getting a special license. Heck, he’d even enlisted his own mother to check out a few bridal stores. The plan had definitely been in place. It was a true testament to hope over reality.

  The one thing he hadn’t counted on was someone else springing the idea on her. Laila was making strides in becoming impetuous and daring, but this was some sort of giant leap in the unpredictability department. She was still taking baby steps.

  Just as the elevator doors opened on her floor, he saw the door to her room open a crack. She poked her head out for a quick look in each direction, then sighed heavily when she spotted him.

  “You wouldn’t be trying to sneak off, would you?” he inquired lightly, walking right past her into her room and closing the door behind him. He eyed the suitcases by the door. “I guess that answers my question.”

  “Coming to Ireland was a mistake,” she said.

  “Have you been having a bad time?”

  “Of course not, but—”

  “Are you mad at me again?”

  She hesitated over that one.

  He smiled. “Let me rephrase. Are you furious with me for something I’ve actually done?”

  She peered at him doubtfully. “You’re making some kind of distinction there. Explain what you’re getting at.”

  “I’ve made a few mistakes with you since we met. I’m sure you could probably list them all. But most of those happened before this trip, and I was under the impression we came here with a clean slate. Clear enough so far?”

  She nodded, though she didn’t look especially happy about it.

  He nodded as well. “So, have I done something specific since we arrived that upset you? If so, I’d like to set it right.”

  “You’ve been planning our wedding behind my back,” she accused in a huff. “Who does that? Aside from an O’Brien, I mean. No one else on earth would have that kind of audacity.”

  “I haven’t exactly planned our wedding,” he replied. “Haven’t even proposed, as a matter of fact.”

  “No, you haven’t, which is precisely my point. People do not go around planning weddings for people who aren’t even engaged. It’s ridiculous.”

  “A few people in the family might have gotten a little ahead of themselves,” he admitted. “They love you. They like me enough to want me to be happy. They got carried away. It’s hardly a crime. It’s not as if they could make either of us do anything we haven’t agreed to, now, could they?”

  She sat down on the edge of the bed, a scowl firmly in place. “I just don’t like it, that’s all.”

  “Understandable. Hearing about it must have been a shock.”

  “It was infuriating, if you must know.”

  “I can imagine.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Are you trying to placate me?”

  “Pretty much. I’d hate to have you let some offhand comment from my sister ruin the rest of this trip for you.”

  “How’d you find out about this anyway? Did Susie confess?”

  “Actually Mack and Luke found out. They’ve been staking out the lobby waiting for me to get back and hoping to keep you from leaving before we talked.”

  “Ah, the infamous Brotherhood of the O’Briens.” It didn’t sound complimentary the way she said it.

  Still, Matthew laughed. “We do stick together. It can be a good thing, Laila.”

  “It can also be annoying and intimidating. I felt as if I were just minutes from being stuffed into some lacy white dress and marched down the aisle.”

  He gave her a thorough once-over that brought color to her cheeks. “Nah, you’re not the lacy type. I see you in white satin, something all sleek and sensuous.”

  She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut and stared at him. “You’ve been thinking about how I’ll look on our wedding day?”

  “Of course I have. It’s quite a vision.” He held her gaze. “You’re beautiful. You take my breath away under normal conditions. In a wedding gown, there’s a good chance you could stop my heart.”

  She blinked, then sig
hed. “You have to stop saying things like that, Matthew. I can’t think straight when you do.”

  “Thinking straight can be highly overrated,” he said.

  “Not about this,” she retorted firmly. “Marriage is serious. It’s forever. People need to think it through. If more people did, there would be fewer divorces. Ask Connor.”

  “Connor’s currently on the happily-married bandwagon,” Matthew reminded her. “His particular brand of cynicism is a thing of the past. Want me to call him so he can give you a testimonial?”

  She frowned. “You’re not taking me seriously.”

  “Actually I am. Believe me, I get why this whole business upset you. You like feeling in control. It’s who you are. And you may enjoy the occasional wild and reckless ride we’re on, but you’re not quite ready to trust the woman you are with me.”

  She seemed surprised by his assessment. “Something like that.”

  “It’s okay. I promised you no pressure on this trip.”

  “Having people think we might end the trip with a wedding ceremony is a lot of pressure.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Then you’ll tell them to back off, to rein in all the craziness?”

  “I’ll tell them,” he promised.

  He just didn’t expect it to do any good, because the one thing other than stubbornness that was in the O’Brien genes was meddling. He was surrounded by a bunch of die-hard romantics. Today that had proved to be a serious disadvantage. By the end of the trip…well, he was still counting on it working out in his favor.

  The one thing he understood about Laila that she didn’t yet understand about herself was that she wanted desperately to have exactly that kind of unpredictable, heart-stopping romance in her life. And her best chance for it was most definitely with him.

  8

  Mick put on a tie, then yanked it off. “Why am I getting dressed up as if this is some special occasion?” he asked Megan irritably. “What is Ma up to, anyway, insisting that everyone be there tonight?”

  Megan gave him a soothing look. “You know perfectly well why she wants us all to be together tonight. She’s bringing a date.”

  Mick saw red at the reminder. As if his mother had any business dating at her age. And, of all people, some man she hadn’t seen in sixty years or more, if the story was to be believed that she’d left him behind to marry Mick’s father. What was she thinking? It was only going to end badly.

  “If she thinks I’m going to show up and give them my blessing, then she really has lost her mind,” he growled.

  Megan crossed the room and stood directly in front of him, hands on hips. Despite the difference in their sizes, she was capable of being intimidating when she wanted to be.

  “You will be on your very best behavior tonight, Mick O’Brien. I mean it. You will not embarrass Nell.”

  “I won’t have to. She’s embarrassing herself.”

  Megan’s eyes flashed. “Nonsense! And if you can’t change your attitude, then perhaps you ought to stay right here and sulk like the petulant two-year-old who seems to have taken over your body.”

  Stunned by the accusation, Mick stared at her. “Petulant two-year-old?” he echoed.

  “No better than your namesake, though even little Mick is getting past the tantrum stage.”

  He sat down on the edge of the bed, considering her words, then sighed. “You’re right, as usual,” he conceded. “I’m just worried about her, Meggie. It’s not like Ma to act all fluttery around some man none of us even know. She’s not some young girl.”

  Megan chuckled. “No, she certainly isn’t. She’s a grown woman who knows her own mind. She raised three amazing sons, then served as a surrogate mother to our children after I’d left. No one could do that without being sensible and wise.” She met his gaze. “Agreed?”

  He wrestled with his conscience, then nodded. “Agreed.”

  “And it’s not as if this man is someone she met just a few days ago. I gather she was once quite serious about him.”

  “Years ago,” Mick reminded her. “They were little more than teenagers then. Who knows the kind of man he’s become?”

  “Which is precisely why you and the others will use this evening to get to know him. Your opinions and advice will mean a lot more to Nell if they’re coming from someone who’s actually knowledgeable when it comes to Dillon O’Malley, and not leaping to conclusions based on fear.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Fear? When have I ever been afraid of anything?”

  “Only once before that I’ve ever seen, when Nell had pneumonia years ago and we all thought we might lose her. You have that same terrified look about you now. Don’t you know that she’ll continue to be a part of our lives no matter what happens with Dillon O’Malley?” She regarded him pointedly. “At least she will if you don’t force her to choose.”

  He pulled his wife onto his lap. “How’d you get to be so smart?” he asked, his tension easing as he held her.

  She grinned. “I’ve always been smart. You just pay a little more attention to me now.”

  “Could be,” he agreed. “I won’t make the mistake of ignoring you again.” He ran his fingers through the short cap of frosted curls that made her look like a girl. “You ground me, Meggie. I hope you know how much I love you, have always loved you.”

  Her hand rested against his cheek, her touch gentle. “I never questioned your feelings, Mick. Not once. It was only your priorities that tore us apart for a while.”

  “But we’re good now?”

  “Better than good,” she said with a smile, then tweaked his nose. “Unless you do something to make me change my mind tonight.”

  He laughed and set her on her feet. “Best behavior, I promise.” No matter what it cost him.

  After the day she’d had, Laila wasn’t especially eager to spend the evening in a roomful of O’Briens, but her curiosity about how the family would react to Nell and Dillon’s romance won out. If nothing else, she could provide the couple with some backup if the environment was hostile. She probably had a clearer view of what it was like to be caught in the family headlights than anyone else, especially after today’s revelations.

  Reluctantly, she agreed to walk to the pub with Matthew.

  “Just so you understand that no one is to get the impression that we’re reconciled or that the plan is moving forward,” she warned.

  “Message received,” he said, though there seemed to be a twinkle in his eye when he said it.

  The light drizzle that had made the day damp and dreary had ended earlier, so the walk was pleasant. Inside the pub, there was a decided atmosphere of merriment. A fire was blazing in the hearth, and a band was already warming up with a promised repertoire of Irish tunes.

  Mick had booked a private room that still allowed access to the pub’s main room. It, too, had a fire going, but in there the atmosphere was decidedly strained. Laila glanced around. There was no sign yet of Nell and her date.

  “Where’s your grandmother?” she asked Matthew after surveying the roomful of O’Briens and their spouses and children.

  “Probably waiting to make a grand entrance,” he said. “Or perhaps she came to her senses and decided to have dinner with Dillon somewhere else.”

  “Nell’s no coward,” Laila chided.

  “No, she’s not,” he agreed, then nodded toward the doorway. “There’s the happy couple now.”

  Laila deliberately caught Nell’s eye and gave her an encouraging smile, then winked at Dillon. Both of them seemed to relax.

  “Going over to the enemy?” Matthew whispered in her ear.

  “I like Dillon,” she replied. “I thought you did, too.”

  “I do. I’m just not sure how wise it is to make that clear with this crowd. I sense some hostility.”

  Laila gave him a disgusted look and crossed the room. “Why don’t I take your coats?” she said cheerfully, since no one else had stepped forward.

  Nell gave her a grateful smile. �
��Thank you, Laila.”

  Susie rushed over to join them. “Hi, Gram. Mr. O’Malley.”

  “It’s Dillon, please,” he said, giving her a warm smile.

  “Let me take you over and introduce you to my parents,” Susie said. “Gram, maybe Laila can get you something to drink.”

  “Of course,” Laila said at once. “What would you like?”

  Nell’s gaze followed Susie and Dillon. “Perhaps I should go with him. I know the family’s divide-and-conquer tactics all too well.”

  Laila smiled. “Dillon will win them over. I’ve no doubt of that. And Jeff and Jo aren’t the problem. Susie will see that they’re on his side, so there will be plenty of backup before Mick has his say.”

  Nell nodded. “I suppose you’re right,” she said, though there was still a note of concern in her voice. “I’ll just keep a close eye on things. In the meantime, I believe I’d like a Bulmers cider if they have it. I have a feeling anything more alcoholic than that would be unwise tonight.”

  “I’m on it,” Laila said, relieved to see that Megan was heading Nell’s way with a reassuring look on her face.

  “And so it begins,” Matthew intoned, joining her at the bar. “Maybe there won’t be bloodshed after all. Mick may be scowling, but he doesn’t look as if he has any murderous intent.”

  Laila rolled her eyes at his feeble attempt at a joke, then handed him the Bulmers. “Take this to your grandmother. Show her your support. I’m going over to Dillon just in case things get tense between him and Mick.”

  “Jeff, Jo and Thomas are there now,” Matthew said. “They’ll keep Mick in check.”

  “All the same, I’ll feel better if I’m nearby to help Dillon make a quick getaway.”

  Matthew frowned. “Is this the way it’s to be tonight, with you darting off on various missions that will keep us apart?”

  “Entirely likely,” she told him unrepentantly, then followed suit by walking away.

  She told herself it was better to keep a safe distance between them. Despite her knee-jerk response to the whole impromptu wedding notion, she was entirely too susceptible to Matthew lately. Far from Chesapeake Shores, her father and the bank that was such a bone of contention between them, it had become increasingly difficult to recall why being with Matthew was such a terrible idea. His family at least clearly embraced the idea of a union between them.