She frowned at him. “When did you start worrying about my parents’ feelings?”
“I’m not,” he said. “It’s yours I care about. And, no matter how you deny it, I know you’ll not be happy until this whole mess has been resolved, and you’re all at least on speaking terms again.”
“Isn’t it enough that you and I are speaking again?” she asked wistfully, knowing he was right about the need to mend fences with her family. She just wasn’t ready yet to take the steps necessary to do it.
Matthew chuckled and pulled her closer. “Indeed, things seem to be working out very well for me recently. Maybe that’s why I want to see the whole world happy and on an even keel again. I’ve even become a big booster of Gram and Dillon and, though I think it’s likely he’s lost his mind, I could summon up some enthusiasm for Luke and the insufferable Moira, as well.”
“Now, that one’s a stretch even for me,” Laila said with a laugh. “Serves him right, though, to be falling for an impossible woman. She’s just what he deserves. Where is Luke, by the way? Why didn’t he ride back with us?”
“He claimed he wanted to give us some privacy,” Matthew said. “And that he wanted to help with the cleanup at the house.”
Laila stared at him, openmouthed with shock. “Now you’re just making up stories. Luke is washing dishes and throwing out the trash?”
“Last time I saw him, he was,” Matthew confirmed. “With Moira grumbling at him the whole time about how badly he was doing it.” He grinned. “She did seem to have a bit of a twinkle in her eyes when she said it, though. Perhaps there’s hope after all that she’ll turn out to be a lovely woman.”
“Hopes and dreams are beautiful things,” Laila agreed, then grinned. “Then there’s pure fantasy.”
“Well, I’m just happy that Luke’s fantasy kept him at Dillon’s, so you and I can be alone.”
Laila regarded him with amusement. “Have I reduced you to being content with a few stolen moments of privacy in a taxi?”
“I was thinking more of the time we could spend together at the hotel without my brother waiting up to offer his thoughts on my comings and goings.”
“Luke’s been keeping track of you?”
“He has,” Matthew confirmed. “It amuses him that you’ve sent me back to my lonely bed every night since we arrived.”
“We agreed,” she reminded him.
“Is this one of those promises that people regret the minute they’re uttered?” he inquired, his expression hopeful. “It certainly is for me.” He studied her. “How about you? Any second thoughts?”
“A ton of them,” she confessed.
His expression brightened. “Well, then…”
“Don’t be getting any ideas, Matthew O’Brien. You were right to suggest this time-out from sex. It’s been a revelation.”
“In what way?”
“We haven’t been bored to tears.”
He smiled. “Were you thinking we would be?”
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure.” She gave him a pleased look. “You actually went shopping with me and hardly grumbled about it. I never expected that.”
“Well, don’t be thinking that it’s likely to happen on a regular basis,” he said with an exaggerated shudder. “Women shop. Men buy. It’s a whole different experience.”
“In what way?”
“It takes a lot less time.”
She nodded. She could see his point. Truthfully, she could buy all of her Christmas gifts in one whirlwind expedition most of the time. There’d been something about shopping here, though, that was different. She’d wanted each gift to be memorable and meaningful, and there’d been so much to choose from. And she’d had to select one thing for herself, a lasting reminder of the trip. In the end she’d chosen a pair of Waterford crystal champagne flutes, hoping they’d someday find a purpose at anniversary celebrations. She’d smiled even as she’d signed the outrageously high credit card slip.
“Well, you get points for tolerating it, anyway,” she told him. “And for being so supportive of Nell and Dillon. I think for the longest time I insisted on thinking of you as this shallow playboy.”
At his hurt expression, she touched his cheek. “Sorry, but I did. Thinking of you any other way would have been too terrifying. I’d have had to consider the possibility that I could fall in love with you.”
His eyes brightened. “Is that so? And now?”
She hesitated, reluctant to say the words aloud even now. Still, he deserved to hear them. “And now, I have,” she said quietly.
“Have what?” he prodded, a twinkle in his eyes.
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
She drew in a deep breath, met his gaze, then said, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
At her words, Matthew let out a whoop of undisguised joy that had the taxi driver hitting the brakes and turning around.
“Sorry,” Matthew said. “She just admitted she loved me.”
The man gave him a smile, then once again eased forward in the traffic.
“I heard,” he told them, glancing briefly into the rearview mirror. “One of the best parts of this job is hearing such a thing from time to time.”
He made the tricky turn around the corner and pulled to a stop. “Now here you are at your hotel. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Happy Christmas to you, too.”
“And to you,” Laila said, exiting the cab and walking swiftly into the hotel lobby.
Matthew caught up with her in front of the elevators. “You in a hurry?”
“No, but I thought maybe you would be.” She held his gaze and asked solemnly, “Do you want to come to my room with me?”
He gave her a long, lingering look. “You have no idea how badly I want exactly that,” he said with undisguised emotion.
She frowned at what he didn’t say. “But it’s not going to happen, is it?”
“Not tonight,” he said with regret.
“Because?”
“Because the next time we sleep together, Laila, I intend it to be our wedding night.”
She heard the words as if they’d been spoken in a foreign tongue. The heartfelt tone registered, but not the meaning.
“Wedding night?” she echoed, her heart hammering.
He nodded. “That’s the deal.”
“You said earlier that you regretted our deal. I’ve agreed with you, invited you to my room, and you’re turning me down?”
“I am,” he said solemnly.
“Is this some kind of weird extortion?” she asked. “If I ever want sex with you again, I have to marry you?”
He laughed. “Something like that, though there’s no proposal currently on the table.”
She frowned at him. “You’re not still thinking you’ll convince me to marry you before we leave Ireland, are you?”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” he said. “The anticipation will make the next few days that much more interesting, won’t it?”
“I take back everything I said earlier about you being the kind of mature man I could envision falling in love with,” she groused.
“Too late. And you didn’t say you could envision a time when you might fall in love with me. You said you’re already in love with me. I have the taxi driver as a witness.”
“Did you get his name?” she taunted.
He laughed. “No, but I guarantee you I could find him again. Uncle Mick probably has that investigator of his on speed dial by now.”
Not for the first time, Laila wondered if she could possibly be in her right mind to be in love with an O’Brien. And, despite her attempt to deny it, she was in love with him. The only thing still in doubt was what she—and he—intended to do about it.
Matthew decided it was best to let Laila stew for a while over the conversation they’d had the night before. His declaration about waiting for a wedding night to sleep with her again had clearly rattled her. He liked seeing that quick rise of colo
r in her cheeks and the vulnerability in her eyes. As strong as she was, he liked having the power to shake her up. She needed that from him, needed the unpredictability and passion and caring that underscored their relationship.
He was leaving the hotel to go for a walk and work off some restless energy when Trace appeared with a scowl on his face.
“My sister looks a little ragged and upset this morning,” he noted. “She didn’t look that way when we left Dillon’s last night. Are you to blame?”
“More than likely,” Matthew said readily, then chuckled. “Before you slug me, you might want to know it’s because the subject of weddings came up.”
Trace stared hard at him. “You proposed?”
“Not yet,” he admitted. “That’s on tonight’s agenda, after church.” He held his future brother-in-law’s gaze. “Unless you object.”
“Seriously?” Trace said, looking thoroughly taken aback, as if he’d never expected such a thought to cross Matthew’s mind. “You really want Laila to marry you?”
“I have for a long time. I think she’s finally warming to the idea.”
“And yet today she looks completely out of sorts because the subject came up in some general sort of way?” Trace said. “I have to admit I’m confused.”
“You had to be there, and some of the conversation isn’t meant for your ears. It falls into the too-much-information category.”
“Since I’m the one who’s here, I suppose that leaves me to ask the kind of questions my father would ask,” Trace said.
Matthew gave him a rueful look. “Really? Couldn’t we just skip those?”
Trace shrugged, apparently easily swayed from that unwanted duty. “I suppose the only thing that matters is whether Laila thinks you can make her happy.”
Matthew gave him a solemn look. “And I can swear to you that I will do everything in my power to see that she is. I can provide for her. We’ll have a home on the bay next door to Susie and Mack. It’ll be designed and built exactly the way Laila wants it done. We’ll fill it with kids.”
Again, Trace looked stunned. “You’ve actually talked about having children?”
“Thanks to the big announcement that you and Abby haven’t yet shared with the others, we have. I realized that morning at breakfast just how badly I want the whole family thing, and I want it with your sister. She’s finally on the same page.”
Trace looked doubtful. “You sure about that? There’s still the situation with our father. I think that needs to be resolved, or she’ll never be truly happy.”
“I agree,” Matthew said. “Which is why, if she agrees to marry me when I ask her tonight, I intend to do everything in my power to get them over here for the wedding.” He gave Trace a sly look. “You could help with that.”
Trace looked as if his head were reeling. “You want to get married here? In Ireland? And you want to do it before we go home?”
Matthew nodded. “I do.”
Trace shook his head. “I definitely didn’t see that coming.”
“I don’t know why,” Matthew told him. “Half the family’s been scheming for a while now. Gram’s been the leader of the pack. I think she already has the special license locked in the safe in her room and a priest on standby. She probably started making calls to put things in motion before we ever left Chesapeake Shores. Once Gram senses there’s romance in the air, there’s nothing she won’t do to see that it leads down the aisle.”
“And Laila knows about this?”
Matthew nodded. “She had a bit of a meltdown when she first found out, but I think she’s coming around now. The only thing she doesn’t know for sure is when I intend to make it official with a ring. That has her a little on edge.”
“Thus the harried state I caught her in,” Trace deduced.
“Exactly.”
“Laila’s never been much for surprises,” Trace warned him. “Mom tried to throw her a surprise birthday party once, but Laila found out about it. She was so embarrassed, she took off and no one could find her.”
“She’s not going to run away from this,” Matthew said with confidence. He frowned. “At least I don’t think she will. And lately she’s started to enjoy being unpredictable and a little reckless.”
“Not that I’m objecting, because I think it’s exactly what she needs,” Trace said. “But you do know those traits are precisely why my father objects so vehemently to you being in her life, right?”
“Do you think that will keep him from coming to the wedding?” Matthew asked.
Trace hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision. “Make your plans with my sister and leave the rest to me. I’ll get my parents over here,” he said with determination. “I learned manipulation from a couple of masters—my father and Mick.”
“Gram’s no slouch either,” Matthew reminded him. “She’ll be your backup if you need it. I imagine she could be persuaded to give a blistering lecture that even Lawrence Riley couldn’t ignore.”
“I’d actually love to hear that, but I doubt I’ll need her,” Trace said, then grinned conspiratorially. “I have the grandchild my parents have been longing for on the way. If they ever hope to see that baby, they’ll be here and there will be smiles on their faces.”
Matthew regarded Trace with new respect. “The O’Briens are definitely rubbing off on you,” he said approvingly.
Trace nodded. “It’d be impossible for you not to. I’m married to the best one of the whole lot of you.”
Matthew chuckled. “Does Abby understand what a hold she has on you?”
Trace gave him a resigned look. “She’s known that since we were kids. It’s a curse.”
“Seems more like a blessing to me.”
“There are days I see it that way, too.” Trace gave him a knowing look. “Word of advice from someone who’s been married a few years now?”
“Sure.”
“Marriage is a tricky business, Matthew. Not every day will be perfect or what you expect, but on balance, being with the woman you love makes everything else worthwhile.”
Matthew was counting on exactly that.
12
Laila had been out of sorts all day. Here it was, Christmas Eve. She was in Ireland. The man she loved was here, as well. She was surrounded by people she adored. And she had this mountain of packages that needed to be wrapped before morning. Usually it was a task she enjoyed.
And yet her mood was dark. She couldn’t be sure if it was because Matthew had again refused to sleep with her the night before or if, as he suspected, she was miserable over the situation with her parents. She feared the latter was a bigger part of it than she cared to acknowledge.
She thought she’d successfully buried her hurt and disillusionment. How could she be missing two people who’d made it plain just how unimportant she was, or at least how little respect they had for her professional skills?
In her mind the two things were inseparable. She was, in many ways, her work. It shouldn’t be that way, but there it was. She’d been willing to pour her heart and soul into that community bank, just as her father had done. To have that kind of family loyalty and commitment rejected had wounded her deeply.
Why should she be the one to reach out to make amends? she wondered irritably while fighting with a piece of tape that had stuck to the wrapping paper in the wrong place. She ripped it loose and tossed the whole mess onto the floor, which was already littered with scraps of colorful paper she’d managed to ruin.
At this rate not one package would be ready for the celebration Mick had arranged for them in a private dining room first thing in the morning. She was sure he had his well-paid hotel elves hard at work in there already, putting up a tree and creating an atmosphere for the kids, who were expecting Santa to find them even across the ocean from Chesapeake Shores.
She had to admit she was looking forward to the chaos herself, and to seeing the expressions of delight on Carrie and Caitlyn’s faces, as well as those of Davy, Henry and little Mick. Bree
and Jake’s baby and Kevin and Shanna’s newborn were still too young to fully appreciate Mick’s effort.
And she couldn’t help wondering, with a flutter of anticipation in her stomach, if that would be the moment Matthew would choose for his proposal. Surely he wouldn’t do it in front of the entire family and risk the embarrassment of a rejection.
Not that there was much risk. He’d made certain of that, reeling her in with the cleverness of a fisherman who knew just how much line to let out before setting the hook solidly.
“Oh, drat,” she muttered as more tape twisted around and stuck to her and itself, rather than the package. “I should have bought gift bags and stuffed everything in those.”
A knock on her door had her jumping up gratefully. Any interruption was welcome at this point. She found Jess and Connie on her doorstep.
“Why are you shut away in your room?” Jess demanded, brushing past her, then glancing at the mess. “Ah-ha. Why didn’t you buy gift bags?”
“I was just wondering the same thing,” Laila admitted, then glanced at Connie. “You look a little green. Are you okay?”
Connie nodded, then swallowed hard and darted past her to the bathroom.
“We think it’s morning sickness,” Jess confided. “She’s been like this for the past couple of hours.”
Laila grinned as understanding dawned. “She’s pregnant? Already? Good grief, didn’t she just decide a couple of days ago that she might want to be?”
“We don’t know for sure, but apparently fate had already made its decision,” Jess responded. “I keep trying to convince her to go for a home test, but I think she’s in a state of shock.”
“Thomas is going to be over the moon,” Laila said. “Can you imagine his expression on Christmas morning if she tells him then? She couldn’t give him a better gift.”
“It’ll be a lot better than the antiquarian book on the Chesapeake she lugged along to give him,” Jess agreed. “Could you keep her occupied while I run out and pick up the test? If I hand it to her, she won’t be able to resist taking it.”
An O’Brien Family Christmas Page 15
