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“This would be the lanky Yank that’s after your heart then, Daisy?” Her dad asked, sounding amused in a surprisingly soft tone for a man so large in stature.
Although his comment had sounded light, it was in stark contrast to the suspicious gaze he gave me. Drilling eyes bored into mine before they raked me over from head to foot. I should have been unnerved, but I wasn’t because something in his stance told me he approved. I stood, breathing steady until Daisy intervened.
“Don’t be an arse, Da,” she told him, smacking him playfully on the arm.
Love shone from her father’s eyes as he flashed her a toothy grin and swept her into another hug. When he released her from his grasp, he pulled her protectively into his side. Their interaction made it clear they had a mutual love and respect for one another. My heart swelled to see it, and for the first time in a long time, I felt the loss of my father again. It had been over fifteen years since he’d passed, and I’d been so wrapped up in life, I had seldom taken the time to touch on that feeling.
“Jamie this is my Da, Dermot, and my wonderful weeM a, Roslin that my ignorant Da hasn’t gotten around to introducing to you yet.”
It was only after Daisy mentioned her mom, that I realized I’d been so focused on Dermot, that I hadn’t paid attention to anyone else. I turned and looked at three women who, on appearance, all looked like sisters.
The beauty gene was consistent among the four women and there could have been no mistaking their relation to Daisy. However, as Roslin stood beside her daughters she could easily have passed for their elder sister.
Daisy’s mother appeared even younger than their father. At five feet, her petite height, slighter build, and chic style made her look almost as breath-taking as her daughters. Without bias, Daisy, the eldest, was my favorite looking of all of them.
Before I could speak, the manager came out and ushered us into the private dining hall.
“Are those really your parents?” I whispered as we walk down the hallway, toward the room we were being taken to eat lunch.
“No Jamie, they’re actors I paid to stand in for my folks,” she teased.
“It astounds me that your parents have a twenty-five-year-old daughter,” I admitted.
“Yeah, but that’s what happens when you have sex at seventeen, marry at eighteen, and have a kid a couple of months later. At the time, Ma brought scandal into her family by being a pregnant teenager. Although everyone said they were ruining their lives and they would never last, twenty-six years later, my parents are still proving them wrong.”
I made a swift calculation. “That’s insane, your mom is only five years older than Catrina.” Once we’d entered the room, and the manager had left us to seat ourselves, I turned to face Daisy’s parents again.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. O’ Donnell,” I said, flashing my warmest, friendly smile.
“It’s been a long time coming,” her father replied sternly, taking my hand and shaking it so firmly, I made a mental note never to cross him.
“Daisy has told us so much about you,” Roslin chimed in, glaring toward Dermot for having a dig at me for not meeting them before.
“These are my sisters, Jamie.” Daisy offered, swiftly moving the introductions on, and I looked toward Poppy and Bluebell.
“Belle,” the youngest offered, reaching in and giving me a friendly welcoming hug. “Great to finally meet you. When Daisy told us about you, we thought she was winding us up.”
“Winding you up?”
“Yeah, you know… what would you say?” she thought tapping her a delicate finger against her lips. “Yanking your chain?” she suggested, wrinkling her nose like she wasn’t sure that was an equivalent phrase to use.
I chuckled. “Yep, but no she wasn’t,” I replied, smiling and holding my hands out to my sides. “I’m here and I’m delighted to be so.”
Poppy stood quietly, looking slightly out of her depth. “As she’s Belle and I’m intimately familiar with your sister, Daisy,” I said, immediately cringing for my choice of words, “you must be Poppy?”
Heat stained her cheeks and I realized that, unlike Daisy and Belle, Poppy was pretty overwhelmed by my presence and felt very shy. It took people’s reactions toward me to remind me at times who I was and what I did for a living. “Lovely to meet you, sweetheart,” I said, carrying on like I hadn’t noticed her tongue tie.
“Unc,” Ryan called out, entering the dining room and strolling toward me with his hands in his pockets. His eyes took both of Daisy’s sisters in as Nick and Catrina followed him through the door.
“Whoa,” he said in a low tone of surprise. “Ireland sure has some very pretty women.” Ryan’s eager eyes glittered with mischief as they slid from Daisy to Poppy and finally settled on Bluebell. I witnessed the impact of her on him by how slow his stride became, his body leaning toward her like he was being drawn to her against his will. His eyes were glued to her rack as though he had no will to resist her.
“Ryan, these are Daisy’s parents,” I offered in a no-nonsense tone, rescuing the situation before he said something inappropriate. “Dermot, Roslin, this is my nephew Ryan and his twin brother, Nick. And this,” I said, holding my arm out for Catrina to walk into, “is my sister, Catrina,” I offered.
“Ryan, you say?” Dermot asked, “Good Irish name, so that’s a promising start, so don’t go spoiling that by ogling my baby daughters,” he warned. Ryan chuckled nervously as I snickered.
“I’m Nick,” my other nephew offered, extending his hand, he appeared on his best behavior. He shook Dermot’s hand firmly, maintaining confident eye contact like I had taught him to do. Daisy’s father looked impressed with Nick’s polite and friendly introduction, but I knew Nick better than most and I already knew he was saving Poppy until last. The fact he hadn’t glanced in her direction at all told me everything I’d needed to know. He was hot for her. Fuck.
Chapter 9
