Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
The entire table stopped. The laughter ceased as they all stared at us. Instinctively, I moved closer to Ronan, who drew me to his side.
“Hey,” he muttered. “I, ah—” He cleared his throat. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Well, well.” Aiden smiled. “Isn’t this a nice surprise.”
Ronan led me closer, introducing every person to me. Maddox called me the “beautiful treat girl.” Bentley shocked me by winking and asking if I had brought any of my amazing cakes with me.
I shook my head. “Sorry, it was sort of a spontaneous visit.”
Sandy stood with a smile. “The best kind. I’ll get a couple more coffee cups.”
Aiden stood and shook my hand. His grip was gentle, his smile kind. “Hello, Beth. We’ve heard a lot about you.” He laid a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “This is Cami, Ronan’s mom.”
She stood, elegant and lovely. Her eyes were the same verdant color as Ronan’s. He had her smile. I swallowed my nerves and extended my hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Callaghan, it’s lovely to meet you.”
His mom laughed, waved away my hand, and embraced me. She smelled of jasmine—light, floral, and exotic. She hugged me hard, squeezing my shoulders, then stood back. “Welcome, Beth. And it’s Cami and Aiden. We don’t stand on formality here.”
Aiden grinned and moved closer. “If my wife gets a hug, so do I.” Before I could move, I was swept into a bear hug. He lifted me off my feet, laughing. “She’s a little thing, Ronan! I could carry her in my pocket like I used to with Emmy!”
Everyone laughed, and Ronan grabbed his dad’s arm. “Put her down, Dad. She isn’t a new plaything.”
“For you, anyway,” Maddox quipped.
I blushed as everyone laughed again.
Sandy set down some cups. “Behave, all of you. She’ll never come back.”
I sat next to Ronan, grateful when he slipped his hand over mine.
“It’s fine,” I assured them. “I can take it.”
“That’s what she said,” muttered Aiden, chuckling despite Cami elbowing him in the ribs and Bentley rolling his eyes.
“What? I couldn’t let that one slip.”
“Too good to pass on,” I agreed.
Aiden grinned. “I like her, Ronan. Let’s keep her around.”
Ronan met my gaze, the heat in his stare making me blush.
“I intend to.”
* * *
If it was possible to fall in love that fast, I was in love with Ronan’s family. They were down-to-earth and funny. It was easy to see the connection between the three older men. Despite the teasing and the jabs, there was an underlying affection and respect. Sandy and Jordan were the matriarch and patriarch of them all. A while later, Liam joined us, and soon, Ronan’s sister, Ava, showed up, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail, demanding coffee and yelling at her dad for eating all the lemon Danishes. Gracie and Jaxson arrived with their daughter Kylie, and the place buzzed. Soon after, I was introduced to Addi and Brayden, and my head swam trying to remember names and relationships.
Cami leaned over, patting my hand. “You’ll figure it all out,” she assured me. “There’s more to come, but you’ll get it. You just need a little more time.”
“Oh, ah…” I trailed off, unsure how to respond.
She smiled. “You’ll have lots of time, sweetheart. I see how my son looks at you. I’ve never seen him look at a woman that way.”
I bit my lip, holding back wanting to ask her how he had looked at Loni. She must have read my mind because she shook her head and met my eyes.
“Never.”
I felt a small glow of satisfaction in that fact. She smiled back at me and leaned closer. “Thank you for giving him another chance. He’s worth it. I promise you.”
I looked at him across the table from me, holding Kylie in his embrace, listening to Gracie. He glanced my way, smiling and lifting one eyebrow in a silent question.
“You okay?”
I nodded reassuringly, and he returned his attention to Gracie, stroking along Kylie’s forehead in gentle passes. My heart beat faster watching him with her, and in that moment, I saw a future I’d never expected to see.
Ronan, children—and happiness.
As I returned my attention to his mom, I had a feeling she was right.
He was going to be worth it.
* * *
Aiden sat beside me, moving his chair back so he could face me fully. “Ronan told me about your little brother. Evan, right?”
“Yes.”
“He said there’d been an accident. Can I ask you about it?”
I took in a deep breath and told him about the incident. The man who fell asleep at the wheel and plowed into a group of people waiting on the corner to cross the road. The horrendous impact the vehicle had on the crowd.
“My parents were killed, and Evan was severely injured.”
He was quiet for a moment, resting his large hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”