Hugh could no longer hear Tina through the roaring in his ears. Did she mean Rowan Byrne?HisRowan? What was going on here? Before he could start demanding answers, his mother walked in. Looked at the table of dresses, then Hugh, and finally Tina, who was still, presumably, waxing on about how good Rowan looked in the dresses she’d picked.
“Mom,” Hugh growled. “Why is Tina picking clothes out for Rowan?” He didn’t bother to ascertain if it wastheRowan. Bits and pieces of conversations from the past few weeks started clicking into place.
When Raven reminded River that they needed to hurry if they weren’t going to miss Row’s call. The wide-eyed guilt after she realized Hugh had heard. River asking Raven if Rowan had sent any pictures of the boutique she was working on. As if the girls didn’t all visit each other’s design sites. And the most damning…his mother’shouseguestthat she’d successfully evaded giving him the name of.
Recovering her poise, Mom asked Tina if she would mind bringing her and Hugh sandwiches and salads for lunch after she finished her errands. “I believe Rowan’s sundress alterations are complete. Would you mind swinging in and grabbing that from Maisy?”
“No problem.” Tina’s smile was more of a grimace, clearly picking up on the tension between mother and son.
Once Tina finished zipping the garment bags and left, his mom placed her hand on one hip and turned to Hugh. “You,” she pointed at her son, “would do well to not take that tone with me, young man.”
What kind of fresh hell had Hugh managed to step in? First, the call with his boys, then finding out the woman he’d been running away from was already here and ending with pissing his mother off. Diana Gaines walking in and telling Hugh he was being dramatic would honestly be the cherry on top.
“I’m sorry for the...tone,” Hugh gritted out.
His mother stared at him for a solid minute, probably trying to gauge whether he was sincere before saying, “Fine." Her sniff at the end indicated she wasn’tfineyet.
“Is Rowan staying here? Is she the houseguest you mentioned?”
“Yes, and yes.”
My God, was he going to need to ask a hundred and fifty questions to find out a drop of the story? “How long has she been here?”
“Umm, almost five weeks, I think.”
Hugh exploded. “Five weeks? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Control yourself, Hugh. For crying out loud, Son. How did you not know she wasn’t in Dublin all these weeks?”
Her lifted eyebrow sent a flush of embarrassment across his cheekbones. “I never asked…that is, I thought she was—” Hugh cut himself off, but his mother finished the thought for him.
“You thought she was avoiding you. Yes, I’m aware.”
Aware? Of fucking what, he wanted to shout. Hugh crossed his arms over his chest and only stared at his mother, waiting for her to explain. She crossed her own arms over her chest and stared back. Unblinking.
Sighing in defeat, he asked, “What are you aware of?” He regretted the question before it even left his mouth. Sweat started to prickle along his skin. He despised being embarrassed.
“I’m aware that Rowan was in love with you for months, and you wanted nothing to do with her. She chose to remove herself from the equation to…How did she put it?” Mom paused, tapping her lips in thought. “Stop humiliating herself. I believe that’s how she worded it.”
Shewasin love. Past tense. Hugh’s knees buckled. He barely got his ass in a dining room chair. Rowan never humiliated herself. Ever. She was brilliant and brave in every aspect of her life.
His mom had moved to his side, patting his shoulder, and making tsking noises. Not even Mom’s sympathy could fix how bad he’d screwed up—and not just between him and Rowan, but her sisters and his own sons. He’d been making everyone’s life difficult for months.
Hugh looked up to find his mom dabbing her eyes. “Don’t berate me for sniffling. You know I’ve never been able to stand seeing you or Bran or Pat upset. I don’t care how old any of you boys get,” she said quietly. She took a few deep breaths and blotted her eyes once more.
“Sorry for upsetting you, Mom.” Hugh leaned his head against the back of his chair, studying the chandelier hanging above the table. His mom had bought the ugly thing when he was in high school and had hung it in every home since.
Hugh had been shocked when his parents had fought over it. His dad thought it was a ridiculous expense and gaudy to boot. He told her to“Take the damn thing back!”Hugh remembered his mom looked stricken by her husband’s anger. She hadn’t said a word, just started wrapping up the light so she could place it back into its box.
A single tear had run down her face before she could wipe it away. When dad saw the tear, he swayed, like her pain was a physical blow to him. He moved the light gently from his wife’s hands and set it aside.“Forgive me, Tilly. I had a stressful meeting today, and I took it out on you.”He hugged her tightly and asked her again to forgive him. That he loved the light and would hang it himself.
Dad did hang it…eventually. He and Hugh spent a considerable amount of time repairing a hole in the ceiling that Dad accidentally punched through, but true to his word, he hung it and Mom had been thrilled. Dad never complained once. He may have cursed under his breath, but he didn’t do it where Mom could hear. His father had been the best example of honor and love. Dad had honored his wife.
Hugh exhaled, picking his head up. He hadn’t honored Rowan. He should have honored her whether they were in a romantic relationship or not. His father would be disappointed in his behavior, and that crushed Hugh.
Meeting his mother’s gaze, Hugh pointed up to the light, “I can’t believe you lugged that old chandelier here. I never noticed before now, and I should have it’s so godawful. I was just recalling how you and Dad had a disagreement about it and the disaster he made hanging it himself.”
“Stubborn man and all on account of the ugliest chandelier in existence,” she laughed at his look of surprise. “What? I realized when I got it home that I’d made a mistake, but then your dad got sideways, which made me dig in my heels. I wouldhave returned it and gladly, but he had hurt my feelings, and he admitted it.
