Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 107074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
I shrugged. “Look for an examination room, I heard the nurse say she was takin’ Dominic there for stitches then bringin’ Bee to one after her X-ray. I have a feelin’ your brother will make sure he is in the same room as me sister.”
“She’s becoming a weakness of his and they aren’t even a couple.”
“Yet.” I said. “Not a couple yet.”
“We’ll see,” Ryder mused as we peeked into each examination room we passed.
When we came to the end of the corner I peeked in the final room and froze when I saw that both Dominic and Bronagh were in a room like I thought they would be, but I wasn’t expecting to find them both kissing. Really kissing. I grabbed hold of Ryder’s arm when I gently shut the door and pulled him back down the corridor with me.
“You’re pinching my arm, you know?”
“They were in that room together!” I said, and let go of his arm. “Kissin’!”
“Dominic and Bronagh?” Ryder asked, surprised.
“No, Adam and Eve,” I said, sarcastically. “Yes, Dominic and Bronagh! Who bloody else?”
Ryder eyed me. “Are you sure it was my brother and your sister?”
“Yeah,” I quipped. “I’m a million percent sure.”
“And they were kissing? On the lips?”
“What part of that aren’t you gettin’?” I questioned as we turned and walked back out to the reception area of the A&E department that was Garda free. “Dominic and Bronagh, your brother and my sister, were in a full on lip lock. His hands were on her arse, too!”
Ryder grinned. “Well done, little brother. He finally climbed over the defensive wall your sister had built up.”
I slapped his arm. “Be serious! How are we goin’ to deal with the pair of them being in a relationship? They’ve already caused nothin’ but problems and they weren’t a couple then!”
Ryder lost his grin, and invaded my personal space.
“Listen to me clearly, you said that we weren’t going to get involved in their relationship unless we had no other choice. So unless one of them in about to kill the other, we’re Switzerland, okay?”
“But—”
“No buts,” Ryder cut me off. “Dominic and Bronagh’s bullshit is their own, we don’t need to make it ours. Okay?”
I sighed and nodded. “Okay.”
“I know it will be tough for you because you’re involved in every aspect of Bronagh’s life, but this will be good for you. She’ll enter this relationship and learn how things are just like everyone else, and you can be a proud mama bear watching her grow.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll eat your brother alive if he hurts her in any way.”
“And I’ll be the one to pin Dominic down while you beat on him, deal?”
I laughed. “Deal, honey.”
Ryder smiled and leaned his head down and brushed his lips against mine. We pulled apart when a throat cleared. I blinked when the male Garda who questioned me stood next to the female Garda who I knew questioned Dominic and my sister.
“Hello.” I said, curtly.
Both Gardai nodded in response.
“You were right,” the male Garda said to Ryder. “Your brother won’t be pressin’ charges.” His eyes switched to me then and he said, “I’m lettin’ you off with a warnin’ Ms. Murphy. If anythin’ like this happens again, you will be booked and an investigation will ensue, am I clear?”
“Crystal, sir,” I replied.
The man nodded and so did his partner.
“Have a good evenin’,” the female Garda said, and while she looked pissed, she sounded sincere.
When Ryder and myself were free from questioning and the Gardai left the hospital, I sat down in the waiting area that was directly in front of the double doors that led back to the treatment area. We waited for Dominic and Bronagh there and when the doors opened, and the pair of them walked out into the reception area I relaxed because they both looked okay as could be considering the circumstances.
“Why’re they looking at one another like that?” Ryder murmured to me.
“I reckon Dominic wants to be open about them, but Bee is reluctant and wants to keep it under wraps until she is okay with us knowin’. You see the way she is tryin’ to keep ‘er distance from ‘im and not make it obvious?”
“You got all that from how they are looking at each other?” Ryder questioned.
I glanced at him. “You didn’t get that from how they’re lookin’ at each other?”
He rubbed his temples. “This is a woman thing.”
“A woman thing?”
“Yeah,” Ryder said. “You all have a sixth sense about shit like this so I’m just rolling with it.”
I snorted. “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”
When my sister’s eyes landed on us, I jumped to my feet and rushed over to her. Her hand had a bandage on it, and the sight of it made me feel ill.
“Is it broken?” I asked, worried to hear her reply.
“No, just sprained it. I’ve to rest it for a couple of weeks. If the muscles don’t strengthen in two weeks, then I’ve to come back but until then, I’m grand,” Bronagh explained.
Ryder looked at Dominic after she spoke, shook his head at his bare chest and then focused on the cut above his eye. “How many stitches?” he asked.
“Eight,” Dominic replied and cut his eyes to me.
I held up my hands. “I’m not apologisin’ to you; me sister was hurt because of you tonight in more ways than one!”
Bronagh’s cheeks flushed. “Branna, it’s over and done with so just forget it.”
My earlier conversation with Ryder repeated in my head, and I decided to start letting Bronagh make her own decisions in life by keeping my mouth shut—for once.
“Come on,” I said. “I’m bringin’ you home in my car. Ryder is goin’ with Dominic in theirs.”
I saw Dominic’s hand to go to Bronagh’s back, and I knew he wanted to bring her home instead, and Bronagh noticed it too. “Talk to you tomorrow, okay?” she murmured to him.
He wasn’t happy about it, but he nodded and let her go without a fight—for once. He walked her to our car and I hung back for a few moments to let them say goodnight, and sneak a kiss if they wanted to. I leaned into Ryder when he blocked my view of the new couple by standing in front of me.