Trouble Walks In, page 20
Then why did he have an ache in his chest that wouldn’t quit?
“Hey, man.” Gavin’s voice pulled him from his private pity party. “What’s going on? Are you sulking because Mom won’t let Bowser in the main house?”
“I’m allergic to dogs,” his mother piped up from the other side of the big family room. “All that hair.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” Ronan waved his chopsticks at her. “He’s fine out at the cottage.”
“She’s not allergic,” Gavin whispered. “When is she gonna admit that she just doesn’t want dog hair on her furniture?”
“It’s not a big deal.” Ronan went back into the kitchen and tossed the chopsticks and empty container in the garbage. “Maddy and I will head back out there after Mom does the Christmas pajama thing.”
“Okay,” Gavin leaned back against the granite counter and eyed Ronan warily. “Then why are you moping?”
“I’m not moping,” Ronan insisted.
“Yes, you are.”
“Forget it, okay?”
He snagged a beer from the fridge and popped it open before taking a long sip. Gavin kept staring at him, which was starting to piss Ronan off.
“Didn’t Maddy stay with you out at the cottage last night?”
“Yeah.” Ronan grabbed the green ceramic cookie jar and pulled out two cookies, handing one to Gavin.
“What?” His brother took a bite and smirked. “Did you sleep on the sofa or something?”
“No. I didn’t sleep on the sofa.” Ronan’s tone was mocking but he couldn’t hide his frustration. “Just forget it, man. It’s embarrassing.”
“What? Did you forget how to do it?”
“Gavin!”
“Come on, man.” Gavin crossed to his brother and elbowed him, urging him on. “Obviously, you and Maddy have taken it to the next level, so—”
“I told her I’m in love with her,” Ronan blurted out.
“Whoa.” Gavin’s playful expression settled into one of understanding. “That’s big. Especially for you. What did she say?”
“Nothing.” Ronan let out a sharp laugh but kept his voice down and checked the door to reassure himself that they were still alone. “In fact, she told me to stop talking. Can you believe it? I finally fall in love and have the balls to say it out loud and—”
Gavin tried to conceal his amusement but failed miserably. His shoulders shook with the laughter he was trying to keep in. He held up two hands to apologize, but Ronan punched him in the arm anyway.
“Nice. Real sensitive, Gav.”
“I’m sorry,” Gavin said in a loud whisper. He backed up and glanced toward the still-empty doorway. “It’s just…well… You do see the irony in all of this, don’t you?”
“Yes, and it sucks.”
“Give her some time, Ronan. Think about it for a minute. You waited about thirty years to say those words, right? To take the big, bad leap into love.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Ronan.” Gavin let out a sigh and gave his brother a look that bordered on pity. “Maddy already made that leap once. She took it with Rick, and in the end…she lost him. Can you blame her if she’s a little wary to take a chance again? And with a cop?”
“Oh man, some cop I am.” Ronan leaned back against the refrigerator and let out a curt laugh. He tipped his beer to Gavin. “Does it get any easier? This love stuff? Because, so far, I suck at it.”
“Some days yes, some days no.” Gavin slapped Ronan on the shoulder, then dragged his arm around Ronan’s neck and pulled him into a solid hug. “Keep doin’ what you’re doin’ and love her,” he said quietly. “It’ll all work out.”
“Are you gonna kiss me now?” Ronan teased, breaking the unusually emotional moment between the two men. “Because your breath stinks.”
Gavin shoved him away with a curse and a smile.
“What are you two saps doing in here?” Tristan strode into the kitchen. He gave his brothers a look of disbelief before shaking his head solemnly. “Another one bites the dust, eh, Ronan?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“You mean, you and Maddy? You chased her like a puppy dog all through high school; looks like your perseverance has finally paid off.” Tristan jutted a thumb over his shoulder as he pushed past his brothers and pulled a beer from the fridge. “Never mind the sparks between you two at the rehearsal and the wedding, and it’s no secret she stayed out at the cottage with you last night. I’m betting you weren’t playing checkers.”
“No.” Ronan smirked. “No board games.”
“That’s a bold move to go messing around with a woman who basically just got widowed.”
“I’m not messing around with her,” Ronan said, feeling defensive.
“Oh no?” Tristan’s eyebrows lifted. “Then what are you doing?”
Silence hung between the three brothers, and Ronan didn’t miss the knowing look the other two men exchanged.
“Taking the leap,” Ronan finally said.
“Yeah?” Tristan snorted with derision. “Better you than me. Don’t get me wrong. She’s a fine woman. Hell, both Jordan and Maddy are. They’re beautiful, sexy, and smart—”
“And taken,” Ronan added.
Tristan’s reputation with women was no less colorful than Ronan’s had been. Maybe more so.
“I got it.” Tristan rolled his eyes. “What I don’t get is the idea of settling down with one person forever. Mom and Dad are the exception to the rule, but most married guys I know are miserable. Monogamy is an outdated concept. So is love. At least that kind of love.”
“You live in LA,” Gavin scoffed. “What do you expect? Most of the people out there are only faithful in their own zip codes. You’ll see. One day some woman will knock you right onto your cocky ass and make you question all that crap you tell yourself. I just hope I get to see it.”
“I’ll second that.” Ronan raised his beer.
“Ain’t nobody gonna live that long,” Tristan muttered. “But, hey, I’m happy for you guys. All I’m saying is that it’s not for me.”
Ronan nodded his agreement. Until recently he’d felt exactly the same way—but Maddy had changed everything. He couldn’t imagine being with or wanting anyone other than her, and the thought of Maddy with another man? Hell, no! That sparked a dark surge of jealousy and tripped a deep primal instinct to protect what was his.
Jealousy? That was also a first. The whole “love” thing was definitely going to take some getting used to.
“Boys!” Their mother poked her head in the kitchen and smiled broadly. “We’re going to give out the Christmas Eve presents now. I hope the little ones like the jammies I bought them.”
His mother might enjoy Christmas more than anyone else on the planet.
“Be right there, Mom.” Gavin grinned and shook his head. “Do you think she’ll buy us Christmas pajamas for the rest of our lives?”
“Yup.” Tristan arched one eyebrow and pointed at Ronan. “I can’t wait to see Maddy’s face when you open yours.”
“Oh man,” Ronan groaned. “I just hope they aren’t matching sets.”
When he came through the door, he was greeted by Maddy’s smiling face, and any tension in his chest immediately eased away. She had a pair of red satin pajamas draped over her arm and stood by the fireplace, admiring the felt stocking with her name written in silver glitter along the top.
“I see you found your stocking,” he said, then dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “You like it?”
“Of course.” Her blue eyes glistened in the firelight, and she folded her arms over her breasts. “It was so thoughtful of your mom to include me like this.”
“Well, once she heard you might be staying for Christmas, and with the girls here… Mom didn’t want to risk blowing the whole Santa thing,” he whispered. He moved in next to her and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. “If you didn’t have a stocking, where would Santa put your goodies? Gracie and Lily are sharp as tacks. They would’ve spotted it immediately if Santa didn’t fill a stocking for you. So she made this one for you. Mom is crafty, on every level.”
“True,” Maddy said with a giggle. “And she got me these Christmas pajamas.”
“I got you those. I picked them up in town the other day, just in case you decided to stay.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “You really are full of surprises, McGuire.”
“Ronan!” His mother hurried over with a small package and handed it to him. “This one is for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” He looked at the gift warily and prayed that it didn’t contain pajamas fit for a five-year-old. “Keepin’ the tradition alive.”
“That’s what women do, dear.” She patted his cheek before turning to Maddy. “Now, Maddy, I know yours isn’t a knitted stocking like the others, but—”
“It’s beautiful,” Maddy exclaimed. She grabbed his mom’s hand and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home like this.”
“Are you kidding?” Carolyn waved her off, but Ronan saw a hint of pride there. “That’s what family is for, my dear. Now I have to hand out the rest, but this is the only present we do on Christmas Eve. All other presents come tomorrow with Santa!”
The girls squealed at the mention of the fat man’s name, and Carolyn went right over to encourage the madness.
“She’s amazing,” Maddy murmured. She ran her finger over the stocking with the Christmas tree design and Ronan’s name stitched on top. “Carolyn knitted all of these?”
“She did.” He kissed the top of Maddy’s head. “And she’s been knitting her butt off since Jordan and Gavin got engaged to get four more done. Gracie, Lily, Jordan, and Claire all have Carolyn McGuire homemade stockings this year.”
“I haven’t had a Christmas stocking in years,” Maddy murmured. She held Ronan’s hand against her belly, and he noted the delicious way her body sank against his chest. “My mom had my old one in storage, but it got misplaced sometime between after she died and when we cleaned out the house. I never got a new one. Rick and I…”
Her body tensed, and she stopped talking.
“It’s okay,” Ronan whispered into her ear. “Tell me. He was part of your life for almost a decade. Go on.”
“It’s like I told you before. We didn’t really have traditions like that. We didn’t even get a tree. I’d make the pie but—” She spun in his arms, a look of panic stamped on her face. “The pie! Oh my God. I told your mother I’d make a pie for Christmas dinner tomorrow, but with the storm and the wedding, I forgot all about going to the grocery store. I am so embarrassed!”
A smile cracked his face. When she saw it, her expression shifted from total panic to mildly annoyed in a split second.
“Why does this amuse you?” She poked him in the belly, but he grabbed her wrists to stop her. “It’s not funny, McGuire. After everything your mother has done, the least I can do is—”
“I have all of the ingredients in the cottage,” he said calmly. “It’s taken care of.”
“What? How could you…?”
“You told me at Thanksgiving that your mom used that Better Homes and Garden Cook Book, the one with the picnic-table cover, right?”
“Uh…yes,” Maddy said slowly. Her body relaxed, and he tangled his fingers in hers. “I did but…”
“My mom has the same one.” He shrugged easily. “I took a gamble that I’d manage to talk you into staying for Christmas, and I wanted you to be able to make your pie.”
“Are you serious?” Her voice was quiet, laced with a hint of awe. He liked that. “You really did that?”
“I did.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “So whaddya say we head back to the cottage and start cooking? It’s about time for me to let Bowser out again anyway.”
As he and Maddy said good night to the others, Ronan knew without a shadow of a doubt that everything would be okay. Gavin was right—all he had to do was give Maddy time. Hell, it had taken him thirty years to say it. If he had to wait that long to hear it from her too, then he damn well would.
* * *
The kitchen in the cozy little cottage was small and outdated, and it didn’t have state-of-the-art appliances like her place in the city. But as Maddy peeled the apples and cut them into slices, she noted what the cottage did have that her penthouse didn’t.
There was heart here, and soul, and an unwavering sense of home.
A jazz version of O Christmas Tree played in the background, and Ronan sat on the island counter behind her tossing treats to Bowser. She’d originally wanted to listen to the news, but Ronan talked her out of it. Just as well, she thought. There was rarely anything good to report, even at the holidays. She had emailed Sharon earlier in the week to check on the party RSVPs and actual business updates, but she hadn’t even looked yet for the response. The office was closed now for the holidays anyway. Work could wait. Maddy shook her head, sprinkling sugar and cinnamon over the bowl of apple slices, along with some lemon juice.
Had she ever gone three or four days without checking on work?
The answer was a resounding no.
The best part, or maybe the worst, was that she didn’t even care. In fact, she’d barely given work or the city or the recent ugliness there any thought at all. Sharon would have texted or called if there had been an emergency, but nothing had come in. And Maddy realized that she didn’t miss it. Not the city, or the apartment showings, or the running around after her persnickety clients—and definitely not her cavernous, sterile apartment.
A pang of sadness fired through her at the notion of returning to all that. Maddy rolled her shoulder and stuck her hands in the bowl of apple slices. As she tossed the slippery mixture with her bare hands, she glanced over her shoulder. Ronan was using different signals to get Bowser to sit and lie down, and her heart melted at the sight.
Could the guy be any sweeter? No.
Ronan McGuire might have been one of the best-kept secrets in Old Brookfield. Who would have thought that a man like this lurked behind the cocky, self-assured hound dog? Certainly not her. Given his family and his career, she’d known he was a good man—all of the McGuires were kind, decent people. But she never would have pegged him as such a softie. His thoughtfulness rendered her practically speechless, to the point that she wasn’t sure what to do with it.
So why was she holding back? She knew in her heart of hearts that she loved him. Somehow saying it out loud was more than she was ready for. If she wasn’t sure of that last night, she certainly was after today. She had always known that the McGuire family life was idyllic, but she hadn’t experienced the full force of it until today.
It was overwhelming and wonderful.
Except now Maddy wasn’t only worried about hurting Ronan—she had his family’s feelings to contend with too. They’d brought her into their home and treated her as though she had always been a part of it. After seeing Carolyn and Charles together, so loving and attentive with each other and their sons, it was easy to see why Ronan was such a good man.
He caught her staring at him and smirked.
“What are you lookin’ at?”
“Nothing,” she said innocently, turning back to her task.
“I smell a fib.” Ronan tossed Bowser a treat and pointed toward the doorway that led to the hall and bedroom. “Go to bed, man.”
The dog whined and sat down when Maddy looked back at him. He gave her a mournful gaze, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“She’s not gonna help you.” Ronan went to the sink and washed his hands. “Quit your whining.”
“Sorry, buddy.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “But I’ll sneak you some pie later.”
“Bed.” Ronan snapped his fingers after drying them with a dish towel. “Beat it.”
“Good boy,” Maddy whispered.
Bowser barked and trotted happily out of the kitchen.
“That smells good.” Ronan sidled in behind her and settled a hand on the counter on either side of her, caging her in. “I don’t know if I can wait until it’s baked.”
“You know,” Maddy said with a sigh, “you could help me.”
“I can be a taste tester.”
He kissed her ear and pressed himself against her backside.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, McGuire,” she murmured. “You of all people should know that taking it slowly makes the end result all that much sweeter.”
She grabbed both of his hands and covered them with hers before diving back into the gritty, sugary apples. They massaged the slices, her fingers sliding over and tangling with his. Ronan made a groan of approval and nudged up against her, the quickly growing evidence of his arousal poking against her lower back.
Maddy let out a contented sigh as Ronan’s strong hands tangled with hers to work the apples over and over. She laid her head back against his chest and closed her eyes, reveling in the mix of sensations, the combination of his hard body against hers, and the gentle strength of his hands linked with hers.
Ronan nuzzled her hair off her neck and trailed butterfly kisses along the sensitive skin there. Maddy moaned softly and allowed her body to sag against him. She fleetingly recalled those trust exercises from a college drama class, the ones where she had to close her eyes and fall backward, believing the others would catch her.
She’d never been able to do that.
Until now.
What was it that Jordan had said? He’ll catch you.
With that thought swirling through her mind and the searing heat of his body pressed against hers, Maddy was eager for more. She was ready to take the leap because this man, the one with the talented lips and devilishly gifted hands, was blessed with an exquisitely loving heart.
“I think the pie can wait,” Maddy murmured.
