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Fianna gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes at Ryan.
“Nuh-uh. I saw that little corner of your lip lift just now. No need denying it.”
“Whatever…” Fianna stood and picked up her plate. She grabbed the rest of the plates on her way to the sink.
Teagan walked into the kitchen and went straight for the containers in the fridge. “Ah, where’s the chicken?”
“If you snooze you lose,” Shauni said while putting her work boots on at the door.
“I’ll see you girls later, “Roger said before he followed his wife out to the wraparound porch. When their children had been younger, they used to sit at the dinner table all together to enjoy their meals, but after the meal, Shauni and Roger always sat on the porch together for a bit.
Fianna once overheard them talking about their day and how they had laughed about all the naughty things their daughter Tara had done. It still was a foreign concept for Fianna to see a father and a husband this involved with his family.
She pictured her and Ronan sitting side by side on the porch. She had to admit that they made a beautiful couple.
After wishing everyone at the farm a good night, she got in her car and drove home. She entered her apartment, the silence immediately thickening her throat. She washed the day away in the shower before she dressed for bed. No use in staying up and mulling over all the reasons she still held herself back from Ronan.
10
Ronan
Ronan strolled into his brother Donovan’s office for the weekly Friday morning meeting. He joined his co-worker Jacob on the leather couch with a direct view of the floor to ceiling window. Jacob was in the middle of a story about some technical stuff and cracked codes when Ronan arrived.
The technical talk was beyond him, so he turned his attention to downtown Austin outside Donovan’s office window. His brother had done all right for himself. He made money like the rich and famous in the world, but he never showed it off. Donovan stayed in this corner office on the top floor while he could easily buy the entire building.
If Ronan were in charge, he’d at least expand the office so that his employees didn’t have to sit so cramped on the damned couch.
“Good of you to show up… finally,” Donovan said to Ronan when Jacob had finished his report. It was every meeting the same song and dance, only a different week.
“For your information, Ro… Mike and Calum are out on that bodyguard assignment.”
Kayla’s oldest brother Calum had joined Mills Security last year and teamed up with Mike on the other PI team. Ronan was actually kind of jealous that he didn’t get to go out and play today. He hated being stuck hearing about the financial rapports from Jordan, or the technical rapports from Jacob on some high-tech security system.
Gwenn flew a paper plane at Ronan’s head, and Donovan shot out of his designer chair. “Okay, everybody out except for Gwenn and Ro.”
Kayla stood from her chair with the minutes of the meeting in hand. As his personal assistant, she knew how to handle Donovan’s moods.
“Oh-oh. Now you two have done it. Did you see that vein throbbing?” She pointed her ballpoint pen at Donovan’s temple. “It’s about to pop.”
“Kayla… you’re testing my last nerve. I’m calling Dunc so he can take your annoying ass home.”
Ronan shared a special bond with Kayla ever since she’d saved his life from her stalker that attacked them in the elevator of her apartment building.
Kayla laughed at something Gwenn said and shot her a wink on her way out. When the door clicked shut, Ronan looked over at his brother sitting down behind his desk.
“I know you two are more the hands-on type of people, and that these meetings bore you...”
“Yep,” Gwenn said and winked.
“We’re a team here at Mills Security. Of course, you don’t have to know every little detail of each other’s work. But respect goes a long way. And without the other guys or even Kayla—who likes to get on my nerves every ten seconds, we wouldn’t have been so successful.”
Ronan nodded. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll be on time from now on.”
“Where were you, anyway?” Gwenn asked him while folding another paper airplane from one of Donovan’s papers.
“Do you mind?” Donovan said before he ripped the paper out of her hands. Gwenn lifted both hands in the air before she settled back in her seat.
“I was training with Dunc at the dojo. I need to get back in shape,” Ronan said.
