Chapter 15
Rhett
Other than the guys on the circuit, Jenkins, and April, I’ve never opened up about Dawson. I couldn’t. For months I couldn’t shake off the nightmares of that fatal day. It’s still troubling reliving the whole thing and telling Carina about it, but at the same time it’s cathartic.
I can’t bring Dawson back.
I can only honor his memory.
I veer the conversation away from me. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”
“I do. I come from a big family.”
“Three? Four siblings?”
“More like seven older brothers.”
“Sev—seven?”
Jesus. That’s a lot of men to impress.
Whoa.
Why does that thought even pop into my head?
“I’m part Irish American and part Italian. I’m Catholic on both sides. We’re talking about God-loving people who believe in big families, and rowdy Sunday dinners where people eat, drink, and argue a whole lot.” She laughs.
“Wow. Eight kids?”
She nods.
“How was it being the baby?”
“By the time I arrived, my parents had seen it all and there was no shortage of muscle to beat up a guy who’d done me wrong. At the same time, it was stifling.”
“How so?”
“It’s impossible for me to outshine my older brothers and since my parents had seen it all, a lot of my accomplishments were received with nothing more than a‘Good for you, honey’.On top of that, my brothers knew exactly where they would land in life at an early age.”
“The restaurants?”
“You’ve been paying attention, Mr. Sullivan.”
“Everything about you fascinates me, Miss Callahan.”
I love how playful she is.
“You’re right. We have four restaurants and from the day they were born, my brothers knew they’d take over. We’re getting ready to open a fifth one and even with the addition, there’s still no room for me.”
“Is that why you moved to the west coast?”
“I wanted to make my mark,” she says. “LA was to get away from my family’s meddling ways. I needed a little breathing room… but there’s more…”
“I’m listening.”
“I needed to get out of New York after cancelling my wedding at the altar?—”
My head whips towards her. “An asshole did you wrong?”
