Ronan (The Casella Cousins Book 6)

by Kathryn Shay

  “So, did we.” Gideon and Anabelle had finally arrived.

  Carina, Cassie and Cory said hi, then headed out to the dock.

  “Carina, watch Cass,” Anabelle called out.

  “I will, but she can swim.”

  “You’re late, Gid,” Seth teased. But he was thrilled to see his brother so happy and…content.

  “My fault.” Anabelle rolled her eyes. She pointed to her sandals and stuck out her hands. The hot pink polish matched her suit, which peeked out from her long top. “Carina talked me into going for a pedicure and manicure this morning. The guys at work will razz the hell out of me.”

  “Speaking for your oldest…” Seth looked after the girl. “She looks happy.”

  Gideon glanced at Anabelle. “Yeah, she spends a lot of time with this one.”

  Anabelle leaned into him. “I love it. I’m going to miss her when she goes to Yale in the fall.”

  In a surprise move, Carina had decided to major in drama. Her grades were stellar and she had excellent recommendations, including one from the well-known Ronan Casella.

  “Gid, how’s the teaching going?” Finn asked.

  “Fantastic. The word got out about the Task Force Training I’ve set up and I’ve been asked to speak at several different police departments.”

  “Wow!”

  Livie stirred.

  “I’ll take her.” Paul scooped up his daughter from Millie and Julianne retrieved Ford. “Let’s head down to the water.”

  “Us too.” Finn pulled up Millie after he stood and kissed her briefly on the lips.

  As a group, they walked out on the dock where Alessia and Derek sat on one side, their feet in the water. Rafe, Kate and Tomaso were in the lake, playing with little Mellie. “Hey guys.” Finn ruffled Alessia’s hair. “How’s my favorite cousin?”

  Alessia grinned. They’d made a vow last year to become closer, and they’d both worked at spending time together. “Your favorite cousin is fine.”

  Rafe called out, “Favorite cousin? You gotta be kidding me.”

  “You out of school yet?” Finn asked, dropping down next to her, while Millie waded into the lake.

  Alessia taught at the same school where the twins, Tomaso and Cassie attended. She was delighted she’d achieved her goal of becoming a teacher—and getting her hunk of a husband in the process.

  “Yeah. Though I love it, I’m glad for some time off.”

  “What about you, Derek?” Finn asked.

  Derek looked at the woman he’d once believed he’d never have. “I’m taking a month’s vacation from my teaching. We’re going to enjoy time with our kids and maybe get away alone for a long weekend.”

  It thrilled Alessia every time Derek referred to her boys as his. And they acted as such. They’d gone fishing, to ballgames, and Derek even volunteered to coach the twins’ softball team in the summer league. Alessia still thought about Billy and was careful to keep his memory alive for the boys, but Derek had alleviated the pain that had always gone with thoughts of him.

  From the upper-most deck, Ronan looked out over his cousins down below. So much had happened to him in a year. The house behind him had changed his life for a second time, but its foul memories had been swept away by the baby and Eliza, and of course, the relationships with his family.

  She came out of the house and cuddled into him. He kissed her hair, which smelled like lilacs. “Is Gale finally asleep?”

  “No, Taylor’s playing with him inside on the floor.” She grinned. “He’s not going to miss a thing, I guess.”

  Their three-month-old had come into the world after a two-hour labor for Eliza. She and Ronan had given themselves a leave of absence from the plays to care for him. And Taylor had returned home from Butler for summer vacation to help.

  My Sweet Caroline had been a resounding success, and they were planning another play in Hidden Cove for this fall.

  Caroline had also spurred Carina’s choice of a major, Maryann and Mike, the leads, becoming a couple, and best of all, a changed Sabrina. Her parents had followed through on counseling and she hadn’t gone to dance with The Ballet of New York last summer. After months of counseling, she followed her plans to attend college in the NYU dance program. She spent time with Eliza and they’d gotten close. Sabrina also fawned over their child.

  Ronan himself was deliriously happy. He and Eliza divided their time between Hidden Cove and New York—she taught yoga in both places—and they occupied the apartment he’d inherited from his father. The place had gone full circle from Hayley and Finn, then Finn alone, now to him. He and Eliza were enjoying the city from the residence he’d also once hated. Ronan figured that alone showed how much he’d changed.

  He did see Bridget occasionally, they were cordial and mostly friendly, and that was enough for him.

  Taylor came through the door and over to them with Gale. She handed the boy to Ronan, said, “Go somewhere with him. My mother and I want to sit in the sun for a while.”

  Sometimes, he thought he had a boss in the house.

  The two women dropped down on the chaises and began to slather themselves with sunscreen. Ronan took Gale down the steps to stand on the ground below the deck. He angled his body so they both could see the lake. “We’re going to be fine, son, I promise. I named you Gale because in Gaelic, it means happy and joyful. That’ll be you, and me too, now.” He snorted. “Several months ago, your mama said my chakras were out of sync, but they’re right now.” He kissed the soft skin of his child’s bald head. And tears clouded his eyes.

  But Gale batted his face and Ronan grabbed his chubby little hand, kissed it, and laughed.

  Yep, fate had given Ronan that happily-ever-after he never believed he’d have and he’d be damned if he didn’t enjoy it fully.

  * * * * *

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  Author’s Note

  * * *

  I heard from many of you that you were waiting anxiously for Ronan’s story. I hope the actual book satisfied your curiosity, but in a unique way. As for background, I knew from when I first started writing the series what caused Ronan to abandon his family. I just didn’t know anything about the current plot. Suddenly, as I started the book, Eliza Ellingham appeared, and the first notion of “a play within a play” was born. I did not know Ronan would direct again in Hidden Cove and how that unfolded. So, much of the book just came to me as I wrote.

  First some background about me. I was involved in play production for years at the high school where I taught—codirector, props, running lines or auditions. My now-proofreader was the wonderful and talented director. My son acted all of his four years; the most memorable are a drama about a dysfunctional family and the musical Brigadoon. I still get teary when I picture my boy singing and dancing to Almost Like Being in Love. So, my heart was in My Sweet Caroline.

  I tried not to overwrite these scenes, though. I tried not to have too many characters for the reader to keep straight. And I tried to weave in the rest of the plot while revealing the mystery.

  Did you love Ronan? How can anyone ever get over what his parents did? I guess my answer is therapy, and the love of a good partner. Still it took him a long time to get there, and I got frustrated with him, as you might have. But he’s so human, so decent and so generous that I admired him very much. His scenes with his siblings were particularly meaningful to me.

  In some way, Eliza stole the show for me. She was certainly no doormat! But she loved Ronan. And her ability to overcome the damage her ex-husband did to her (didn’t you want to slap him?) was truly wonderful. I really liked where she set up the rules about having their child.

  And what about that ending of the story? How cool it was that Ronan’s realization of what he wants came in the midst of the play.

  As for epilogues, they’re always hard
to write. Many things need to be tied up without bombarding the reader with backstory. I hope I accomplished that.

  So, goodbye to the Casella Cousins for me. I feel bad they won’t be in my life anymore. But new ideas will come along and soon, I’ll be involved with other characters I will also fall in love with. I hope you do, too.

  Kathy

  Visit or contact Kathryn at www.kathrynshay.com

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  Don’t Miss All of The Casella Cousins

  * * *

  Six cousins, separated as children, reunite as adults and become intricately involved in each other’s lives.

  Hayley Casella loves her job as an Assistant District Attorney—everything but facing Paul Covington, her nemesis, in court. She’s fought with him in trials for a year. What will they do when attraction sparks between them one moonlit night?

  Find HAYLEY on Amazon

  Legal Aid lawyer Seth Casella is a truly good guy. Or so everybody thinks. But he has a darker side, that came out with his old girlfriend, Julianne Ford, which splits them apart permanently. Or maybe not!

  Find SETH on Amazon

  Finn Casella, a mild-mannered guy, owns a bookstore in New York. He’s content with a quiet life and casual dating. Until he begins to see his young, sometimes infuriating assistant in a new light.

  Find FINN on Amazon

  Alessia Casella Benatti married the love of her life at eighteen. And he died young. After several years, she goes back to finish college. She meets dashing Dylan Davidson, a fellow student, and begins to see love in her future again--though something isn’t quite right about him.

  Find ALESSIA on Amazon

  Gideon Casella is a top cop in the Hidden Cove Police Department and in line for a promotion. It comes as a shock when the brass gives the position to Anabelle Sanders, a tough-as-nails female detective—and then assigns him to work for her.

  Find GIDEON on Amazon

  Excerpt

  * * *

  The Casella Cousins, Book 1

  HALEY

  He was slick, all right. Hayley Casella watched her nemesis walk across the over-sized courtroom with a confident stride. He turned a big, smarmy smile on the female witness. Well, not smarmy exactly. Secure. Scintillating. Maybe sexy. If she didn’t despise him so much, she might…

  Best not to think about that.

  “Mrs. Thomas, you comfortable? Need anything?” He was delaying the point, which he always did to build up tension. After arguing several cases with him, she knew his tactics.

  The elderly woman put her hand on her heart. “Why, I don’t think so, Mr. Covington.”

  “Good, good.” Covington pivoted slightly and glanced at Hayley, his expression one of amusement. He didn’t take her seriously, which maddened her. Her brother Finn said he was psyching her out, which was worse. Every time she argued with him, she vowed not to fall into that trap.

  “Now, for the day in question, June 12th, did you see the fight in the cafeteria?”

  “I was supervising the second lunch period. There’s a group of boys who act up.”

  “Act up how?”

  “They make rude noises. They say things to girls. They try to leave early. I alerted the principals to this, but nothing was done.”

  “What did these boys do on June 12th?”

  “They picked on a younger student. They always do. His name is Bobby Hanson, right there in the audience.”

  “How do they pick on him?”

  “They topple his tray. Once they tripped him.”

  “Did he get hurt with their mischief?”

  “I object.”

  Amy Branson, the judge, was a fair, respected woman in her fifties. She was also tough on decorum. “What’s your objection, ADA Casella?”

  “Mischief is not what we’re prosecuting in this courtroom. Mr. Covington’s use of the term is not only erroneous, but insensitive.” She extended her arm with a flourish. “As you can see in the third row, Jamie Callahan assaulted Bobby Hanson.”

  Callahan was rich kid who’d gotten into Grayson Academy only because his parents donated money. Bobby, on the other hand, had won a scholarship to go there. His mother said she thought he’d be safe from the public-school bullying. Little did she know the likes of Jamie Callahan populated the school.

  Since Bobby was sitting where she pointed, the jury would witness the casts on both his arms.

  “You have not proved the assault was perpetrated by my client!”

  “Hmm, I wonder why.” She turned back to the judge and smiled sweetly. “We located several eyewitnesses to the incident, that for some unknown reason are getting picked off, one by one.”

  “Now, I object.” Whirling around, Paul Covington’s face flushed. Angular, rough-hewn features, eyes as blue as the Caribbean Sea, and full lips were all accented by his anger. “The implication of Ms. Casella’s histrionics is that perhaps my client had something to do with witnesses recanting.”

  “I retract the question.” Under her breath she said, “Histrionics, my ass.”

  “Your honor, could you please muzzle her asides?”

  She pivoted quickly. “Muzzle? How dare you refer to women with animal imagery?”

  A hard gavel silenced them. It echoed in the large room, wood-paneled, with a row of windows and sky-high ceilings. “I declare a fifteen-minute recess. Counselors, in my chambers.” Judge Branson glared at them. “Now.”

  They followed her into her large office, with wood paneling interrupted by shelves filled with books, a television, several framed awards and degrees. Leather couches and a chair faced wide windows. A bathroom completed the suite. She removed her robe, hung it up on a hanger and sat behind her desk. Like school children, Hayley and Paul stood before her.

  “I have had it with you two. Every time you show up in my courtroom, I cringe knowing what’s coming. And I’m not the only judge in the circuit who dreads dealing with you.”

  “I—”

  “We—”

  “Do not speak. This is a warning. One more clash like what I just endured and I’ll put both of you in jail for contempt. Do you two even understand the concept?”

  They both nodded.

  “Then tell me. You begin, ADA.”

  “Contempt is being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers.”

  “Mr. Covington, what behavior happens in contempt?”

  “Behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice and dignity of the court.”

  “Now that we’ve established the definition, I hope you can see that name calling and asides are disrespectful and disruptive. If this happens again, you will be hauled away and jailed.”

  Contempt charges issued to lawyers rarely, if ever, happened. Hayley couldn’t think of any lawyer being accused of it.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Now leave me alone for five minutes to recover from you.”

  They turned and walked out the door. Hell, all Paul Covington did was get her in trouble.

  * * *

  They both marched into the corridor. “You’re the only one I get in trouble with,” he called out to the woman ahead of him, after he let the door to the judge’s chambers shut softly. He hated when he behaved this way.

  Stopping, Casella turned. “Are you talking to me?”

  “Of course I am.” He asked, “When are you going to learn to behave?”

  She shook her head, dislodging a few tendrils from the knot at her neck. She always scraped it back like some elderly matron and the style was unattractive. For as prim as she looked, she was hell on wheels.

  But now, those usually snapping green eyes clouded. “You sound like my father.”

  “Who didn’t do a very good job raising you.”

  That took the starch out of her. Her already light complexion paled making freckles stand out. Finally
, she said, “Since he died when I was nine, and I missed so much time with him, that’s a shitty thing to say, even for you.”

  Some starch left him, too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He’d lost his father, too, but in a different way.

  “I don’t want your condolences.”

  “What do you want from me, Casella?”

  “Your behavior in court is atrocious. I’d like you to show some manners.”

  “The pot’s calling the kettle black there, don’t you think?”

  “I comport myself well.”

  “Not according to Judge Branson.” He frowned. “Could she have really meant she’d throw us in jail?” He winked at her to piss her off. “I have a hot date tonight.”

  “Give the woman my condolences.” She walked away. He watched her hips sway in the dark green suit she wore with a sage blouse. Then he cursed himself for noticing.

  About the Author

  * * *

  A NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kathryn Shay has been a lifelong writer and teacher. She has written dozens of self-published original romance titles, print books with the Berkley Publishing Group and Harlequin Enterprises and mainstream women’s fiction with Bold Strokes Books. She has won many awards for her work: five RT Book Reviews awards, the Bookseller’s Best Award, Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year and several “Starred Reviews.” One of her firefighter books hit #20 on the NEW YORK TIMES list. Her novels have been serialized in COSMOPOLITAN magazine and featured in USA TODAY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and PEOPLE magazine. There are over ten million copies of her books in print and downloaded online. Reviewers have called her work “emotional and heart-wrenching.”