Page 50 of Irish Betrayal

“I’m telling you, something is bothering her.”

“I believe you, Cat. Of course, I do, but do you think it might be she’s maybe partying too much with new friends—staying up too late?”

“You mean putting her social life over her plants?”

Coll grunted. “Point taken. What then? We can buy tickets to go see her right now if it would put your mind at ease. I can work from anywhere, and you know Réka will make sure things run smoothly here while we’re away.”

Catriona shook her head no and sighed again. “Rowan will let me know what’s what. She, Ulf, and Daniel went to visit William and Katy Stanton. They’ll see Blair.”

Coll stiffened. This was news to him. “And would you mind telling me why the three of them are in Oklahoma visiting my daughter, and I didn’t know anything about it?” Stay calm, Coll. Your wife’s temper is still something to be avoided.

She sat up and gave him a look that meant his tone was about to be discussed before saying, “You know Katy and Rowan are very good friends, and River and Raven are away on vacation with their husbands.”

“Ulf? Daniel?” Coll could feel his fingers twitching to call Thomas and get to the bottom of this shit.

“Ulf is still pissed that Blair took the offer from OSU instead of saving the whole of Wales like Ulf wanted her to. You know how impossible he was when Blair was trying to decide. He decided to tag along and see if she was truly happy with her decision. I imagine he’ll use the opportunity to convince her she made a mistake.”

Coll could only grunt. Ulf was intense, but from one father to another, Coll knew that Ulf wanted the very best for Blair. His irritation that she hadn’t chosen him to work on her thesis was understandable, but going all the way to Oklahoma? Something felt off, and Coll wasn’t a person who abided unanswered questions.

Then there was… “And Daniel’s reason for being there?”

Cat pulled back and clasped his face between her palms, her blunt fingernails dragging over his stubble. She held his gaze and said words he never wanted to hear.

“Don’t freak out.”

Freaking out was currently number one on his list of things to do. “Cat,” he growled.

“I believe…Raven believes,” she added, stumbling over herself, “Daniel is in love with Blair.”

Coll was standing and holding his wife in the air. “He what?” he shouted. “That boy is way too old for our girl. If that fucking Bran knew this and kept it⁠—”

“He is five years older than Blair at most. You are fourteen years older than me, you might recall. And set me down, you big oaf,” she demanded, wiggling until her feet touched the wooden planks of the deck.

“And you will not call Bran. Or Patrick. They are on a vacation with their wives. All we know is that they thought Blair felt the same way about Daniel, but then she left Dublin without a word to the boy, and he’s been heartbroken since.

“I don’t know,” she groaned, sitting back down in her rocker. “I’ve felt Blair was holding back something from me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved they’re going to Oklahoma. I want an update, and I also don’t want Blair to know how worried I’ve been. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I’m worried.”

Coll sighed and sat down too. “You should have told me about Daniel.”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to call Ulf.”

“I know.”

twenty-two

BLAIR

The moment Daniel touched her, she was lost. Some might call it weak. Blair called it survival. She’d been spiraling on the inside since leaving Dublin while trying to remain a professional student.

The moment he held her hand, her tough outer façade crumbled. She wanted her parents and her friends. She wanted Daniel.

Daniel could fix this thing with Peter.

If she trusted him enough to tell him the truth of what she’d done.

She trusted Daniel.