“I am,” Jo said, handing Daniel back to his mom. “Dad has some project he wants James and me to work on together. Jane quit her marketing job and started her own small company. This will be the first time James and I will be working with his wife on a project. I’m looking forward to the fireworks. You know how dramatic my brother can be,” she laughed and rolled her eyes.
Jo and her brother James loved and fought each other with equal enthusiasm. Rowan gave Jo a swift hug, not wanting toget emotional before they went their separate ways, but also not wanting to let her off the hook. Jo had been a next-level dodger during Rowan’s ordeal, managing to change the subject with ninja skills when MacGregor’s name was mentioned.
“Your time of subterfuge, Josephine O’Connor, ends sooner rather than later. I don’t care what “special” job your father has in store for you. You’ll tell me what in the hell is going on, or my sisters and I will make a trip to Scotland and find out for ourselves. The choice is yours. I’m giving you three weeks to spill your guts. I won’t play nice or fair after that.” Rowan looked deep into her friend’s eyes. “Your final warning.”
Jo blew out a frustrated breath at being cornered. Yeah, Rowan could understand the pain...hello...Raven and River.
“Fine. I love you.”
“Three weeks or sooner,” Rowan reiterated. Jo huffed in exasperation but hugged her again before giving everyone in the room a wave goodbye and walking out to catch her Uber to the airport.
That only left Ms. Katy Blake—Mrs. Katy Stanton if Will could win her back—the woman who was handcuffed in a basement beside her for days.
Rowan kissed Katy on the cheek and hugged her tight. William was hovering close by, his eyes never leaving his ex-wife. She whispered in Katy’s ear, “Looks like WS might not be as big of a DB as we believed.”
Katy pulled back, her eyes bright with laughter and grinning. “Perhaps,” she admitted mischievously.
They took one another’s hands, holding them between their bodies. “So, one more day here for you?” Katy’s legs had swollen more than Rowan’s, causing her to have more uncomfortable scabbing.
“Yes. We’ll fly to Houston tomorrow morning. The kids and Owen are leaving this morning. Samantha misses her daddy.”
Matilda and Diana had flown home yesterday afternoon. Both women planned on traveling to Dublin for the birth of River and Patrick’s baby in October and staying through Thanksgiving.
“I imagine her daddy misses her more.”
“Definitely. Grandma misses her, too,” she added, speaking of herself.
“You’re still coming to Dublin for Thanksgiving?” Rowan asked.
“I wouldn’t miss it. Everyone is excited. The kids and I can’t wait to see the new O’Faolain distillery. Bran and Patrick showed us all sorts of pictures and plans. I imagine in the three months until Thanksgiving, there will be a bunch of changes.” She hugged her one more time. “You better get going, Row. Call me. Anytime,” she added.
“Same goes for you. We’ll all expect updates,” she teased, raising her eyebrows several times.
Hugh was still avoiding her as the family left the facility.
So now, here they were, loaded in SUVs. No hug. No kiss. Only his trademark scowl to send her on her way. Yes, they were going to the same place, but...well, damn it, she wanted to be chatting with her man about what they would be doing once they were home like her sisters and their husbands were.
Perhaps she was being too sensitive. Just because Hugh was demonstrative when they were alone didn’t mean he would be the same in public, except in this case, the public was her sisters and his sons.
Why are you avoiding me?
Rowan was forced to text Hugh since he wasn’t currently in the same vehicle with her. She was in the SUV packed with her family on the way to the airport.Hewas in another smaller SUV with everyone’s luggage.
Bobby, the O’Faolain pilot, was waiting for them. They were flying to Dublin today after spending two days at the rehabilitation facility. She’d been given the option of returning to Tulsa, but really, other than a wish to visit Hugh’s Muskogee property, returning to Oklahoma held little appeal.
She’d spoken to Angela, who’d left several lovely messages throughout her ordeal after Jeffreys brought her phone to the hospital. She’d gotten emotional reading the heartfelt messages from her boutique client. She’d responded that she was doing very well but needed some time with all of her family in Dublin. Angela was completely understanding and promised to send her updates. She even remembered to send ‘after’ pictures of the shop so River could put the makeover on their website.
She felt good. Not a hundred percent, but close. She and Hugh had made quite a dent in his condom stash and still managed to talk for hours. They spoke about the new distillery. He couldn’t wait for her to see the place. Raven and River had sent her some of the initial design concepts. She couldn’t wait to start on that project.
They spoke about her painting. He thought she should pursue it as a career. She didn’t. Her favorite color was pale yellow. He knew that. His favorite color was black. She knew that. They told each other about bucket list vacations. Traveling Norway was the united winner.
They spoke of children. She wantedone. He was…vague.
He was attentive and loving at night. He was aloof and distant during the day. She barely saw him between the hours of seven in the morning to eight or nine in the evening. He never left the facility, he just wasn’t…there. He would stand across the room from her, have conversations with his family, her sisters, or William and Owen Stanton. He would stand like a brooding fallen angel for hours, never coming close enough to touch.
Rowan had tried to tell herself all day yesterday that he was giving her time with her sisters, Jo, Katy, and Matilda—that it wasn’t personal…that there was nothing to be concerned about. After all, he came to her room the minute it was time for bed, spending the night giving her multiple orgasms and whispering promises of love.
A week and a half ago, he’d told her that he wanted them to live together. He hadn’t mentioned it since. She told herself that he assumed it was a given and wasn’t bringing it up again because the conversation would be redundant. But now…the distance he was putting between them—suspect.
