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“Your father owns a distillery in Ireland?” my father asked Maebh.
She nodded. “Yes, one of the biggest ones. He doesn’t plan on staying in America full time. He loves Ireland too much.”
“And you?” Mom asked, her brows hiked up almost to the middle of her forehead.
Maebh smiled gently. “I love it here. I love Ireland, too, but here I feel close to me ma, and I’ve fallen in love.”
When she left her sentence dangling like that, the whole damn table leaned in and silently urged her to finish the sentence. Fallen in love with…
My heart was pounding as heat crept up my neck.
Who in the fuck had she fallen in love with? Jackson? The damn chef who was always hitting on her?
“You’ve fallen in love?” my mother asked, a tinge of hope in her voice.
“Oh! No, I mean, I’ve fallen in love…with Texas.”
With a disappointed, “Oh,” my mother dropped back in her chair.
“It’s beautiful in the Texas hill country, isn’t it?” Harley said.
Maebh nodded.
“Cord, you should take Maebh out on your motorcycle sometime and show her just how beautiful it is here.” My mother stated.
My eyes snapped over to my mother. “Huh?”
“Wouldn’t you love to do that, Maebh?”
“Mom,” Steed said in a soft voice like he was gently trying to remind our mother to keep her nose out of everyone’s business.
“Well, um, I’ve never been on a motorcycle before so I’m not sure I would enjoy it.”
My mother grinned an evil smile. “Cord would make sure you were safe. Wouldn’t you, sweetheart?”
Furrowing my brows, I glared at her. “What?”
“Sweet baby Jesus in heaven,” Waylynn sighed. “Mom, not now.”
“I think it would be fun. You should hurry and eat. Then take her for a ride.”
I nearly choked on my own spit as Trevor lost it laughing, and Maebh glanced down at her hands that were now in her lap.
“What?” I cried out.
Looking at me like I was ruining her grand plan, my mother shook her head. “Why do you keep saying what?”
“Why do you keep talking?” I asked as my father let out a chuckle that earned him a dirty look from my mother.
“I’m just saying, I think you and Maebh should—”
I don’t know why I did it, but I blurted out, “Harley’s pregnant!”
That’s a lie; I knew why I did it. I needed the heat off of me. It was better than shouting “Maebh’s a virgin so stop pushing me on her.” Harley and Tripp would forgive me. At least, I thought they would. Maebh would never forgive me.
“Cord!” Harley gasped as Tripp kicked me so hard I nearly screamed like a little girl.
“You asshole!” Tripp growled.
My mother looked at Harley and tears formed in her eyes. “Is this true?”
Harley looked over to Amelia and then Paxton. Fear was all over her face.
“Amelia’s book is being turned into a movie!” Harley shouted.
“Hey!” Amelia cried out as everyone gasped.
“Oh. My. Gawd! What!” My mother screamed as she jumped up. She waved her hands all about and faced Harley. “You’re pregnant?”
She smiled and nodded. “We wanted to wait a bit longer before we told anyone,” Harley said, looking my way and throwing me a death stare before focusing on my parents with a huge smile. It wasn’t long before my father and mother were hugging both Harley and Tripp and then Amelia.
The rest of the family followed, congratulating Harley and Tripp, as well as Amelia. Even Maebh congratulated them, although I got the distinct feeling she already knew about the baby and the movie deal. By the time the family was finished making the rounds, I glanced around for Maebh but she was nowhere to be found.
“Everyone, sit! I’ve got chocolate cheesecake for the birthday boy! What a beautiful day this has turned out to be!”
I was happy my mother was over the moon. I was even happier that her attention had been diverted from me and Maebh. Today had always been such a struggle for my mom. Fighting to celebrate my birthday and dealing with it being her father’s birthday, as well.
I leaned over and asked Tripp, “Did you see where Maebh went?”
He glared.
“Come on, cut me some slack. Mom was killing me! Besides, your wife threw our sister under the bus just as fast.”
The corner of Tripp’s mouth twitched. “That was sort of fun seeing you nearly choke on your own tongue. Especially the comment about you riding her. You fucking wish.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “Tripp, where’s Maebh?”
“She walked into the kitchen,” Tripp answered with a sigh.
Pushing my chair back, I tried to stand, but Mom brought out the cheesecake and started to sing happy birthday. Everyone joined in, and I felt someone’s eyes on me.
With a quick glance over my mother’s shoulder, I saw Maebh standing there, singing along, a forced smile on her face.
When my mother set the cheesecake in front of me, it had one big candle in the middle. She was never one to put the exact number of candles on your birthday cake. It was always one and she insisted you had to make a wish.
