Shamrocks and Secrets

by Cayce Poponea

  I could feel my dad dialing his phone. I chose to close my eyes and not think about what had happened.

  "She's safe."

  Silence.

  "She said you didn't hit her and that's the only reason I'm calling you. Leave her alone tonight, all right?"

  And with that, he ended the call.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The sun was shining as I made my way to work. It was just too bad my mood was so cloudy. I didn’t sleep very well last night. My dad never said a word after he got off the phone with Patrick.

  It was just what I needed, no one hounding me for what had happened, it wasn’t anyone’s business but mine. I wondered again if I had been right in the beginning, Patrick needed someone to turn a blind eye, I wasn’t that girl. I would never be that girl.

  Charlotte was waiting for me when I got into the office, a large cup of coffee in her hand.

  “I would ask how your night went, but by the look on your face and the enormous bouquet of flowers on your desk, I would say someone screwed up.”

  I took the cup from her hand, rounded my desk and placed the mug down. Grabbing the vase with both hands, I walked out of the office door and to the entry door. I placed the flowers on the sidewalk and then went back into my office.

  Charlotte said nothing as I sat in my chair and drank my coffee quietly.

  It was nearly eleven when Nora walked into my office.

  “If you have come here to defend him you can turn right back around.”

  Nora stood in the doorway blinking and looking confused. Suddenly the look on her face changed and she reached into her purse, retrieved her phone, and made a call.

  “Care to explain why my Christi is ready to strangle you with her bare hands?”

  I watched as Nora listened for a few seconds and rolled her eyes.

  “Patrick really, this is 2014 not 1954. She has no idea of the types of women that have been warming your bed.”

  Nora crossed the room and took a seat in the chairs that faced me.

  “All I know is you need to fix this and need I remind you that dime store flowers won't even begin to do the job, this is Christi not one of your bobble headed women. Get it together Patrick Shane Malloy, before it’s too late.”

  She was again silent as I suspected she was listening to Patrick’s side of the story.

  “Well, I’m glad she refused them, I would have hurled them at your head!”

  Nora looked directly into my eyes as she spoke.

  “I won’t tell you if the necklace is still on her neck or not, figure out how to fix it.”

  She didn’t wait for his response, as she ended the call and then turned to Charlotte.

  “Charlotte, I am going to be borrowing Christi for a few days.”

  I looked at Nora in shock. What was she thinking, I had her daughter’s bridal shower coming up.

  “Of course, Nora, but we do have Paige’s shower approaching.”

  Nora turned her attention back to me.

  “All you need is a phone and a computer, you can work on that from anywhere, am I correct.”

  “Y-yes?”

  “Good, then it’s settled.”

  Nora reached into her purse and dug out a scarf and a large pair of sunglasses, handing them to me.

  “You will need these, Lass.”

  Two hours later, we pulled off the highway onto a road that was highlighted with a pristine white fence, covered on each side by wild flowers and well manicured bushes. At the end of the long winding dirt road emerged a tall white house. It looked to be an old farm house. To the side, was even a big red barn and behind the house was a very large body of water. Nora was good at getting away from Patrick’s men; the car that was parked outside my building never moved as we passed, I am certain they thought it was someone else.

  “This house has been in my family’s possession for a long time now.” Nora answered my unspoken question.

  “Patrick won’t think about this place since he hasn’t been here since he was a boy. He will call me and try to see where you are, but he needs to see what it would be like if you were gone.”

  I exited the car and took a deep breath. The air was so clean here and you could hear nothing except the wind in the trees.

  I got to work in one of the rooms down stairs, Nora was right all I needed was the internet and a phone. I made great progress without having ten different interruptions. That night, Nora returned with Allyson and Paige. They brought several movies and more food than ten people could consume. We sat around the television laughing and telling old, stupid boyfriend stories.

  The next day I woke up more rested than I had in a very long time. Allyson left early so that she could get back to Ryan, but Paige decided to hang around and relax.

  “Christi, I don’t want to know what Patrick did. Knowing him, it was probably insensitive and just plain boarish, but deep down he really cares about you.” Paige said as she played with the throw pillow that rested on her lap.

  “How do you do it, Paige?”

  “Do what, Christi, forgive him?”

  “No, not Patrick, Caleb. How did you fall in love with a man that had been chosen for you?”

  Paige smiled and had this soft glow about her after I said his name. There was no mistaking it, they were very much in love.

  “The first time I met Caleb, we had traveled to Mississippi and my Ma said I didn’t have to like him if I didn’t want to.”

  “So you knew of the arranged marriage?”

  “I know it sounds so medieval, and I suppose that if you didn’t grow up knowing that’s how things were, it would bother you. Honestly, it was kind of exciting for me. I knew that when I met Caleb and if we clicked, then we could bypass all of the ‘what if’ and just discuss our future together.”

  The smile on her face never wavered as she continued to tell me her story.

  “So, clearly you both ‘clicked’.” I chuckled as I air quoted.

  “Oh, you have no idea the ways we clicked that trip.”

  “Oh, my God Paige, you so did not.”

  “Yes, we did. He was my first and I never wanted to leave.”

  I laughed as I recalled my first.

  “From the first moment I laid eyes on him, I knew this was right, that we were perfect in every way. Much like you and my brother are perfect for each other.”

  “I wish I had your confidence, I’m just not so certain.”

  Paige scooted closer to me and took my hand in hers.

  “Christi, Patrick is human and he is a man, so you have to take that into consideration. He is going to do really stupid things because of that.”

  I rolled my eyes at her.

  “But you also have to remember that he is willing to do anything that you ask of him.”

  “No, that’s not true, Paige. If it was I wouldn’t be here, I would be beside him, having round three or four. He acted as if I was asking him to cut off his dick or something.”

  I got up from the couch and made my way to the large window that overlooked the lake.

  “I feel as if I am only a number to him, a proverbial notch on his belt.”

  As the word left my lips, a lone tear traveled down my cheek. What he had done hurt, and it hurt badly.

  “But he said he loved you, doesn’t that count for something?”

  I hung my head at the memory of Patrick shouting those three words at me as I shut the door. The cold glass felt good on my forehead as more tears began to fall.

  “He said it in hopes of stopping me from leaving.”

  “Christi...”

  “He said it in hopes I would be like one of his blonde bobble heads, that don’t question anything.” My voice reflecting my agitation.

  “Christi, I have to stop you right there. First Patrick doesn’t even like blondes.”

  “Really, because with the exception of the first time I laid eyes on him, he’s always had a blonde crawling all over him.” My words more clipped than they should have been
.

  “But was he touching them?”

  Her words hit me like a baseball bat. I thought back to the parking lot, the first blonde I saw him with, had he touched her? No, no he hadn’t. Then with Harley, she was again the one touching him.

  “I can tell the answer by the look on your face.”

  Neither one of us said a word as I let it all sink in. I watched as the leaves in the trees moved with the wind. How the light danced off the peaks of the water. A squirrel sprinted across the lawn, stopping only to shove what I assume to be a fallen nut into his engorged cheeks. Oh to have the simple life of a squirrel.

  “I know my brother, Christi. He has never said those words to any female that wasn’t related to him. He wouldn’t do that to you for anything less than to tell you his true feelings.”

  After a few hours of sitting on the deck and drinking coffee, I got dressed and went for a walk around the lake.

  It was close to sunset when I finally came back around to the house. I wasn’t ready to go inside, thought, so I walked down the wooden dock and sat down at the end. I leaned over and watched the tiny fish swim around under my feet.

  I felt the vibration of the dock move and I knew who it was without looking. I glanced up to watch the sun riding along the horizon. The fading light reflecting in the water.

  “Christi?” his voice was barely above a whisper.

  “You don’t have to turn around or say anything, but can you just listen to what I have to say?”

  I didn’t turn around or even acknowledge his request.

  “You’re right, about so many things.”

  I could tell by his tone that he was having a inner battle with himself.

  “I am so sorry. I...you...”

  I continued to let him have his time to get his thoughts together.

  “I disrespected you in the worst way. You have every right to know every detail about my life.”

  I could feel him getting closer, I felt the dock bounce as he sat down behind me.

  “If I could take it all back, I would. I would do as you asked me and not have questioned you. I would take everything back, well, except for telling you that I love you.”

  I could feel the tears begin to form, causing my vision to blur.

  “Granted, I have terrible timing, but it is true nonetheless.”

  A tear ran down both cheeks, I let them.

  “I got tested. I had my doctor run every test he could think of and rush the results. I have them here, if you want to see them—I am clean.”

  I looked down as his left hand that was wrapped securely around white rolled paper, appeared in from of me.

  “Thank you for that. For getting tested, I mean.”

  “You shouldn’t have had to ask me, I should have known better and been more prepared.”

  I watched as the fading light danced across his face. Sitting here at the end of the dock wasn’t a powerful man, or a man to be feared, this was my Patrick. A man who clearly would do anything for me.

  “You are the most important thing in my life and I will fight till my death for you.”

  His words were barely above a whisper, and yet I heard them loud and clear.

  I watched as Patrick eyes left my face and traveled to my neck where his shamrock rested. I felt his warm fingers running between the metal and my skin.

  “I prayed that you would still be wearing this when I saw you.”

  His eyes then met mine again.

  “Do you understand why I was upset?”

  He nodded his head and began to play with my bracelet.

  “I felt like I was just another number, like I didn’t matter as long as you got off.”

  His hand left my wrist and then traveled to my face, where he brushed the back of his knuckles across the apple of my cheek.

  “You’ve never been a number to me, Christi, I will prove that to you, I swear.”

  I was done being angry with him, it was time to move forward. I leaned forward and slowly closed my eyes, Patrick quickly followed as our lips met. This kiss was sweet and tender and exactly suited for this moment.

  “For the record, I love you, too.” I looked into his eyes, truly meaning the words I spoke.

  Once the sun had finally sat, Patrick took my hand and led me back to the house where he built a fire and began to tell me his sordid sexual past.

  “When I was almost eighteen, my uncle told me he wanted to give me an early birthday gift.”

  “Wait, blood uncle or well-uncle?”

  When I was growing up, I knew we had two types of family, blood family and well-family. Well-family, were people we had known so long that most likely, our great-grandparents bathed in the same well as their great grandparents. We still considered them family.

  “A well-uncle, anyway, he took me to this bar and proceeded to give me my choice of women that he had hidden in the back. I didn’t really want any of them because they looked haggard and torn. They smiled and giggled, each trying hard to get my attention. However, I wasn't impressed with any of them. Lucky for me, a fight broke out and my uncle ran out the back with me. He said in the car that he would make it up to me, but he was killed before he could make good on that promise.”

  Patrick had a piece of my hair wrapped around his fingers as he continued to tell his story. I’m not certain who got more out of it, him or me.

  “So, I saw this beautiful girl one day. I wanted to go over to her and ask her out, but before I could get to her, she was talking and laughing with this other guy. I saw her a few more times and each time I thought about going over to her, I changed my mind and turned the other way. I was at this party right before I went away to college and I had just seen this girl with another guy and I was pissed. So, I found another girl who was the exact opposite and took her upstairs. I never knew the poor girls name and I left as soon as I finished. I went away to Yale and I tried to get that girl out of my head. I had a few girls in college but I made it known that I didn’t want a relationship.”

  I got up from the couch and got a new bottle of wine, I poured us both a glass as Patrick continued.

  “When I came home and took over the business, I was so focused on proving myself that I took little time for women. That’s not to say that I didn’t have a hand job or two. But for a long while, I didn’t bed any woman. I know my family has very high expectations of me and I will do everything in my power to make sure I keep the family proud.”

  He turned his entire body to face mine, as he took both my hands in his.

  “Christi, when I marry you—and I don’t mean if—I want to have nothing between us. I want to have this little glimmer of hope that each time I make love to my beautiful wife, that we may have just created a little Irish miracle.”

  I had to smile at him. I had never seen him quite so handsome.

  “Family is everything to me. That’s why I have been so hard on Douce since I found out about Giggles. I believe that if you are man enough to have sex with a woman, then you are man enough to carry the responsibilities of anything that comes from it.”

  I couldn’t help myself as I ran my index finger along his chiseled chin.

  “Christi, I’m sorry I disrespected you. I’ve just gotten so used to having what I want when, I want that I forget you are my equal and have a huge say in what I do. Thank you for being so wonderful and giving me another chance, even though I don’t deserve it or you.”

  I smiled as I responded, “Oh, Mr. Malloy, I have no doubt you will make this up to me.”

  “Oh, you have no idea all the ways I plan to do just that.”

  I kissed his lips softly as I whispered, “I love you”

  ”I love you, so much, my Christi.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Nora and I had been trying to tie up all the loose ends for Paige’s bridal shower. With this being thrown by the groom’s family, Nora had been trying to stay out of the planning. However, when it was suggested that a Low Country Boil be done, Nora put her foot down a
nd after a number of heated phone calls, a ladies tea was finally scheduled.

  Paige was so excited at the thought of an English tea party, that she begged Caleb to fly in a specialist on the subject. Patrick called me and asked me to have a talk with her. I contacted Allyson, who as we all knew had no issue with telling you it how it was, she gave me advice on how to handle Paige.

  I found a local hotel that actually served afternoon tea and hired the lady that hosted it to come and show us what to do.

  “All right, Christi, are you ready for this?” Charlotte questioned as I was finishing adjusting the place settings.

  “That’s a good question, it makes me a little nervous to think that this is just a bridal shower and there are so many people coming.”

  This would be the first bridal shower where the guest list was over two hundred. It was also the first one where men would be in the next room in case something happened.

  I had been thinking about that quite a bit lately. Patrick never went anywhere without his bodyguards, and now I had men that followed me everywhere I went as well. If I were to marry Patrick and have children with him, would those children become targets? Would they have men that followed them everywhere they went? I couldn’t imagine trying to attend a soccer game with two or three bodyguards hovering around. I didn’t get a second longer to think about it since Caleb’s family had arrived.

  Mrs. Montgomery was everything Nora had said she was and then some. I politely introduced myself to her as the party coordinator. She eyed me up and down condescendingly before turning her nose up as if I was beneath her.

  Nora noticed this and came over to greet me. “Eileen, how nice to see you again, I see you’ve met our Christi.”

  “Oh, yes, Nora. Good to see you as well. Yes, she told me who she was, it’s the least she could do after what this is costing me.”

  Excuse me, bitch? You insisted on throwing this thing!

  “Yes, well, Eileen, if the money is an issue, I’m certain Christi could just ask Patrick for his checkbook.”

  I turned to Nora with a raised eyebrow. What the hell was she talking about?

  “Patrick? What would this glorified waitress know of Patrick?”