Luck: A 4Clover Romance Book One, page 11
Even in her comatose state, she mumbles out a reply. "Night, Irish."
∞∞∞
The next morning, Rosie and Lily take Cassie to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre to pick up a few bits and pieces. May God help her because if those two get loose in Penny's, they could be gone for hours. That shop is like a black hole for women; once they go in, they might never come out. She'll either love it or she will be sending SOS messages before the day is over.
Since the band has a free morning, I thought some family time would do Ella and Croí some good. It also might help me take my mind off last night's turn of events. I decide to bring Croí and Ella into the Phoenix Park. It's the biggest enclosed park in Europe and the home of Dublin Zoo.
It saddens me to think that they never did anything like this before because of their lack of money. Even more so, because I have enough to last me several lifetimes. Without sounding like a wanker, I'm also happy I get to share these memories with them. It will be one of Croí's first that I get to witness.
I find it so much easier to blend into a crowd in Ireland. If I bundle up, not many people notice who I am, unless they spot the tattoos on my hands. And even at that, not many people approach me. I get asked for the odd picture and a few autographs, but here in Dublin, I'm able to relax and take a break from the madness.
It is a crisp October day. I love days like these; when the sun is shining low in the sky, but there's still a cool bite of cold in the air; the days you’ve to wrap up in warm clothes. The air holds a freshness that reminds me I'm home, and the autumn leaves cover the ground in a ray of colours from yellow, gold, red, and greens.
Autumn is my favourite season to be here; once the rain holds off, Ireland is really a spectacularly beautiful place.
Once we get to the park, we agree to take a stroll around the forestry hand in hand before heading to the zoo. With the weather as nice as it is, it would be a shame not to. As we walk, I realize how much I want this. Ella, Croí, and me. Forever. I know it's only been a few weeks, but as soon as I know she is ready, I want to make things more permanent. Mrs. Ella Mulligan.
I open the backpack Mom packed us earlier. I pull out some carrots so Croí can feed the deer.
"Did you know? These are Santa's reindeer," I tell him. His eyes widen at the tale my mam told me when I was his age.
"Really?" he questions, his eyes darting between me and Ella for confirmation.
"Yeah, of course. Santa leaves them here to rest every year. Then once it gets nearer to Christmas, he brings them back to the North Pole to get ready for their big trip around the world," I explain.
"Wow, how cool."
Once we finish feeding them all the carrots, we head to the famous Pope's Cross. We climb up the countless steps before rolling back down the large hill behind it. Croí screams his little head off with excitement and insists we do it four more times. Finally, we head to the zoo where we spend three hours walking around looking at all the animals.
Croí is in awe of the Dinosaur exhibition. He spouts off so many facts with ease. He seems to be enjoying himself, and that's all I can ask for. After the dinosaur exhibit, we move to the African Safari, where Croí tells me that the Giraffes are his favourite.
"Dad, did you know that giraffes have seven bones in their necks? It's the same as we do, but ours are much smaller," he says, surprising me with that little fact.
"No, I didn't," I reply with a genuine smile.
"Yep. They're super tall, like a whole seventeen feet, but not like seventeen of my feet cause my feet aren't very big," he states. God, I love this kid.
We finally make it around the large zoo, stopping at the gift shop so we can buy Croí his own giraffe teddy. He is exhausted, so I lift him up onto my shoulders as we walk back to the car. The poor little fella has walked the legs off himself today.
"Are you guys hungry?" I ask Ella as we exit the park and head for the motorway.
Ella's hand covers mine on top of the gear stick, her fingers interlocking with mine. I take a quick look at her gorgeous face giving her a large smile before averting my eyes back to the road ahead.
"Yeah, I could eat."
"How does McDonald's sound?" I suggest to them both.
"Like the bestest day ever!" Croí shouts from his new booster seat in the back. Also, courtesy of Lily. I make a mental note to thank her later; the girl thought of everything.
Ella's hand squeezes mine a little tighter. "Thanks, so much for today, Cian. It really means a lot; we had a great time."
I lift her hand to my lips, placing a small kiss on her knuckles. "You don't have to thank me, El. We're family. Today with you and Croí was one of the best days of my life. I'm so sorry I missed out on the early days with you both. I have a lot of catching up to do. I promised you I'd show you the world someday. This is just the beginning."
A huge smile lights up her face. Beautiful. Mine.
"I love you, Ella." The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. This was not how I planned on telling her, but it's out there now. She leans across the centre console, kissing my cheek.
"That's good, Irish. Because I love you too," she says, sitting back into her seat with a smile that could light up the world adoring her face.
Maybe Croí was on to something. I think this is the bestest day ever.
Chapter Twenty-One
Black Magic by Little Mix
Ella
I am so in love with Ireland. I don't think I ever want to leave. It's so different from L.A., more relaxed, peaceful even. Cian's family welcomed us with open arms and for the first time — since I lost Nana — I finally feel like I've found somewhere I belong. Somewhere that feels like home.
Cian's house is a beautiful five-bedroom stone bungalow, set in the breath-taking countryside of County Dublin. The house itself has a warm, homey feel, including a large country-style kitchen complete with a range cooker and stove. The backyard is what dreams are made of — the picture of something you would find in a landscape magazine.
Cian keeps it beautifully maintained with an abundance of flowers and shrubs. The two acres of perfectly manicured grass is a rich shade of green, and the large trees that surround the property line give him the privacy he needs.
There is also a built-in BBQ area complete with its own bar and fire pit for the cooler Irish evenings. I could easily see myself living here. If I'm being honest, Cian might have to forcefully remove me. It's like heaven on earth.
I find it extremely hard to believe it's located only twenty minutes from Dublin City Centre. There is nothing but green fields surrounding his property giving you the sense of rural Ireland, but you're still close enough to the buzz of city life. The best of both worlds.
I still haven't talked to Cian about what we plan on doing after Rosie's Wedding. It's getting closer, and we haven't once discussed what we will do when it's time for me to go back to L.A.
I know without any doubt if Cian were to ask me to stay here, I would. There is nothing for me back home aside from Nana's house. Maybe we could keep it for when we travel to the States for Cian's band business. I've even contemplated convincing Cassie to stay here too. She's a photographer, so she can work from anywhere. She's family and I don't know how I'd feel about being in a different continent over 5,000 miles away from her.
Cassie decided to do a tour of Dublin city today. She is meeting up with a friend she knows from high school who moved here a few years back. Hopefully, she'll fall in love with this little island and never want to leave.
Cian is tied up with 4Clover business today, and Maggie, Cian's Mom, has offered to take Croí to the National Aquatic Centre for some granny/grandson bonding. She loves that little boy just as much as he loves her. Watching them interact pulls at my heartstrings. Nana and I were so close when she was alive; it's nice to see Croí build the same bond with Cian's mother.
Rosie called earlier, inviting me to spend the day with her and her best friend, Lily. I spent a few hours chatting with them the night we arrived. She should be here any minute to pick me up. I haven't had many girlfriends over the years. I was focused on surviving and providing for Croí. I didn't have time to make friends or socialize. The ladies remind me so much of myself and Cassie, so I'm looking forward to getting to know them. From what I gather, it was Rosie's fiancé's bachelor party in L.A. where Cian found me again. I have met all the 4Clover boys since then, but I've still to meet Sean.
In all my twenty-seven years, I've never met a bride-to-be who is as relaxed as Rosie. She avoids any mention of her big day. You would think she would be more excited by the fact she's getting married. She barely uttered a word — not even the small details like flowers or colour scheme. She is so laid back about the whole thing; it makes me wonder if it's really what she wants.
∞∞∞
We are sitting in Rosie and Lily's gorgeous living room, everything is beautiful, so detailed and meticulously decorated. The room's painted a soft grey, giving it a modern feel. Rosie is an interior designer; she’s accentuated the white sofa with cushions and chunky blankets in blush pinks and teal blues, giving just the right contrast between male and female. The centre of the floor is covered with the softest, teal-coloured rug I've ever touched. It reminds me of that scene in Get Him to the Greek. Stroke the furry wall.
The coffee table is made of mirrored glass, making the overhead chandelier shine a kaleidoscope of colours along the walls. I make a mental note to warn Croí about touching it when he comes here to visit. His sticky hands would crucify that poor table. The place is to die for, and I need to suppress the urge to pull out my phone and snap a few pictures for my Pinterest board titled: Living the dream.
Lily is seated on the leather cuddle chair, while Rosie and I are on either side of the matching three-seater. We get cozy, just chatting and getting to know one another a bit better over some wine and snacks. The best kind of girls' night.
Rosie is Cian's sister and he's mentioned once or twice that Lily is like a sister to him too, so I want to make a good impression. We're all the same age, which is a plus. After having too many drinks, Rosie asks me all about how Cian and I met the first time. I give them both a detailed description of that Valentine's night at Jars Bar.
They both oh and awe over the story of how we bumped into each other, literally.
"Who knew Cian could be romantic?" Lily says, her eyes wide with shock.
Rosie's next declaration doesn't really shock me. It just confirms what I have already observed about her older brother.
"Cian has always been a bit intense. He leads with his heart and then his head follows. So, if he says he loves you, you can be sure it's wholly and completely. He doesn't do things in half measures; he never did." She tucks her legs beneath her and turns to face me.
"Even when we were kids, he was always the protective one. He was always doing everything he could for the ones he loves. He is extremely driven and passionate; that's why he's become so successful.
He is fuelled by love; his love for music, for the band, for his family, and now his love for you and little Croí. Don't let his intensity scare you. I know my brother like the back of my hand; he will dive into your relationship headfirst.
He has always known exactly what he wants from life and nothing can deter him from achieving it." She gazes at me. Her eyes are filled with the unspoken question. Do you love my brother? Thankfully, Lily interrupts before I can answer.
"I agree, I've known Cian for most of my life and he will do everything and anything for the ones closest to him. It's just who he is," Lily says, reaching for the bottle of wine sitting on the glass coffee table.
I know exactly where they're coming from. Cian can be very intense, but when it comes to our relationship, I am just as invested as he is.
All the qualities that should scare me away only make me love him more.
Cian and I decided that we are in this together, as a family, a team.
So, I give them a reassuring smile and try to change the subject to take the focus off me.
"So how did you and Sean get together?" I question Rosie, genuinely curious about their relationship. They don't even live together.
Rosie lifts her glass of West Coast Cooler to her lips taking a big gulp before replying, "We met in primary school; that's the equivalent to your elementary school. We never really talked much until our late teens.
We started casually dating at about twenty, nothing serious."
She pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing, "We were on and off more times than my Mam's kettle. Then at about twenty-two, we got a bit more serious." She picks at her pristine nail polish.
She doesn't portray a woman in love — a woman in distress, more like. "He was in College obtaining his Business Masters in Dublin Business School, and I was at the National College of Art and Design getting my degree in Interior Design. We would go out on a few dinner dates and attend business functions together at our parents' request.
Sean's dad is the owner of Morgan & Sons Entertainment Law Firm, which, of course, pleased my dad to no end. Good for business, he would say," Rosie mocks. "So anyway, fast forward a few years and some fairly standard sex later, and here we are." She lifts the glass again, this time, draining it to the last drop.
"Jesus, my love garden is mourning for you. That story was about as depressing as a Lana Del Ray album," Lily fake cries into her throw cushion. "Don't get me wrong, I love me some Lana, especially when I need a good cry, but the girl could depress a motivational speaker," she announces, holding her chest to add to her dramatics.
Okay, so Lily has a point; that wasn't the great love story I was expecting to hear, and if it was me, I would be running the other way. I wonder why she's marrying someone that she clearly doesn't love.
"Why marry him then?" Shit! There goes that filter again. "I'm sorry, I'm being intrusive. Don't answer that," I blurt. Damn me and my big mouth.
Lily tries to hide behind one of the million throw cushions, but it does nothing to hide her muffled laughter.
Rosie throws her own cushion at Lily, hitting her in the boob. Rosie turns back to face me. "It's okay, you're only voicing what you think, and if being friends with No Filter over there," she points at Lily, "has taught me anything, it's that honesty is the foundation of the best friendships."
"Hear hear," Lily shouts raising her wine bottle before taking a swig. Yes, I said bottle, not glass.
"Enough about me and my soon-to-be husband's microscopic dick.
What you should be asking is why Miss Anti-Commitment over there is still single.
That's a story we are all dying to hear." Rosie laughs, turning my focus to Lily. She shoots Rosie a dagger stare, and I know it's a story I want to hear.
"I am not anti-commitment, more anti-manwhores," Lily protests.
Rosie raises her perfectly arched brows at her friend, daring her to continue.
Lily holds her hands out in surrender. "Okay, maybe I am a little, but that's only because men are all assholes. Let me put it like this: Men are like a pair of tights, they either run, cling too much, or don't fit right in the crotch.
No, thank you. I need a man to be like my coffee. Strong, hot, and keeping me up all night. Unlike some people I know," she points at Rosie with her wine bottle, "I will not settle for less. My Notorious V.A.G. deserves the best!"
"Notorious V.A.G.," I squeal with a laugh. Rosie is doubled over, her giggles making her Rosé squirt out her nose.
"Where do you even pull these names from? First, it was 'Banana Basket', then 'The Cock Sock'. Oh, and let's not forget... The Death of Adam," Rosie coughs out, gasping for breath.
"Oh, I completely forgot about The Death of Adam. That one was classic," Lily states with a proud grin.
I raise my brow, staring at them in confusion. I don't really get that one.
"Care to explain?" I say.
"You know because of Adam and Eve. You and I both know, it was HER forbidden fruit that killed that poor bastard, not an apple. Therefore," she motions to her lady bits, "The Death of Adam," Lily states, shrugging her shoulders.
"Who's Adam?" a masculine voice booms from the hallway. Ciaran's head pops into view through the glass double doors. I haven't spoken to him much over the last few days, but I remember him as the guy in the Guns 'N' Roses T-shirt all those years ago.
He waltzes into the sitting room like he owns the place and plops himself down in the vacant ottoman.
"What are you lovely ladies talking about?" he asks. He kicks off his shoes and lifts his feet to rest on Lily's lap.
I swear I hear Lily growl at him underneath her breath. Interesting, I wonder if this is who made her swear off the D?
"What are you doing here? This is a lady only zone, and I'm pretty sure that means no dicks allowed. The last time I checked you were the biggest dick of them all," Lily sasses at Ciaran. With a flick of her hand, she pushes his feet off her lap down to the floor.
"Last time I checked, you didn't seem to mind my big dick, Lilyanna," he throws back. His eyes are like laser beams, fixated on her. The tension between them can cut glass.
Lily matches his glare with one of her own, and her lips curl into a pouty smile. "Yeah well, in the words of Ariana Grande...Thank U, Next!" She waves him off like a bad smell.
"Aw, Lilybug, why do you have to go and hurt his feelings? Everyone knows My Big Friendly Giant, is the most sought-after piece of equipment on the market."
Ciaran cups his penis like she hurt its — or as Ciaran said his — feelings. Why do men always refer to their appendages in the third person?
"Well, you know what they say, Ciaran: low market prices attract the most customers."
I look at Rosie to gauge her reaction on the pair, but she just mouths, "You'll get used to it." I make a mental note to ask Cian about their story later.
"So, Ciaran," Rosie interrupts "If you're here, does that mean my brother is at home?"
"Yeah, I dropped him off on the way here," he answers.
