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“Glad to hear it because I’ve never seen her so happy,” Roslin replied. “You suit one another. I’m worried about where this is going though. She’s a special girl that one, ambitions and was meant for great things,” she added, glancing toward her husband who nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, I knew all that the moment I met her. She’s so driven, quick witted and…” I sighed because I couldn’t say bossy and hot, so I just smiled and shrugged. “She’s everything.”
“We all love her,” Catrina weighed in, supporting me again, and I could have kissed her for her loyalty toward me.
“That we do,” I mumbled again, without hesitation.
From that point on, the conversation turned to more general things, like Dermot’s farm, Roslin’s small pottery and their other daughters’ dreams for their futures. The conversations were free flowing and not in the least bit stilted for an initial meeting with a girl’s parents.
By the end of the day, Dermot and Roslin had felt more like friends than people I’d expected to have been grilled by, given my history and reputation formulated by the worldwide press.
Around 6:00 p.m. Dermot and Roslin, excused themselves to visit Roslin’s younger sister, Rachel, her husband and their family. Both Poppy and Belle had to be dragged away groaning as they looked every bit as taken with the twins as Daisy had looked with me.
Unfortunately, family duty won out and Daisy looked relieved when Dermot reminded them that Rachel’s kids, the girls’ cousins, had been expecting them.
I noted Belle and Ryan swap numbers as Dermot helped Roslin on with her coat, but I knew Daisy hadn’t seen this as she had been deep in conversation with Poppy at the time.
“Right, we’re off, thanks so much for the amazing Christmas lunch,” Dermot said, giving me another firm handshake when the manager told him their driver had arrived. “I guess we’ll see you again later this week for the ceilidh on New Year’s Eve at the pub.”
After they’d gone, the mood in the room calmed down and we sat talking with Catrinaand the boys for another hour before Daisy checked out her wristwatch and sighed.
“All right, I need to be getting back. I don’t know what kind of mess I’ll be walking back into after today and we open at eleven tomorrow. I’ll need to bottle up before then.”
“Bottle up?” Catrina asked, looking confused.
“Restock the bar,” Daisy explained.
“Sorry Daisy, we’re booked in here tonight, but I promise I’ll have you home by 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning,” I said, putting my foot down.
“No, I’d need to be ready to start for 8:00,” she insisted.
“9:30 a.m,” I insisted.
“9:00 at the latest,” she argued.
“Done. I was going to say that in the first place. but I figured I would have ended up agreeing to 8:30 a.m. Besides, you’re forgetting you have Barney to help, he’s an extra pair of hands,” I said, holding mine out and placing one on her thigh.
I felt the suspender belt burning into my palm underneath the clingy dress material, and it took all I had in me not to take my finger and trace it up to the top of her thigh.
“We’re in the Tower Suite, baby. Wait until you see it,” I whispered, coaxing the last piece of resistance from her mind.
“Lead the way,” she mumbled, glancing over at Catrina, who smiled warmly like she was glad to see her brother so happy.
“Right, we’re off,” I said, standing and nodding toward Ryan through the doorway. He stood, arms crossed like the alpha male hunting his lay for the night, chatting up a young reception girl.
“You’ll be okay?” Daisy asked, looking out for Catrina.
“Mom will be fine. I’ll make sure everyone thinks I’m her new toy boy,” Nick joked. “Nothing more attractive than a great looking Cougar, right mom?” he asked.
Catrina swiped at his arm and chuckled. “We’re fine, go and enjoy yourselves,” she said, ignoring her son before blushing and shaking her head like she’d realized what we were likely going to do. “I mean, get some rest. You must be tired,” Cat tried again, and I laughed.
“Cat, we have just over a week. I’m not going to waste it by sleeping,” I warned both her and Daisy. My girl groaned, clearly embarrassed again by my candid comment, and my nephew chuckled.
“See you tomorrow, Cat, you’re coming to the pub at some point tomorrow?” Daisy asked.
“Yep… although not at the ungodly hour you’re going there,” she joked with a horrified look on her face. “Connor, the driver, is taking us to visit a few places, but we should get to you guys around 5:00 p.m.— if that’s okay.
“Perfect,” Daisy, replied, “I’ll make sure to have the drinks ready.”
