3 Seconds (Time for Love Book 6) (9 page)

I ignored his
question, instead focusing on the one that I wanted answers to.
“Are you competing with her for the job?”

“Well, yeah,”
Brendan answered with a frown. “At least, I
was
…”

“You
were
? Why past tense?” I asked, needing to know.

“Because the
job’s
in France
,” he answered, telling what I already knew.
“I learned a lot during the short period I was in France with Chef
Agard, and thought it would be a great opportunity to work with him
again, but I don’t want the job anymore. I don’t want to leave my
family again,” he stated, then brought his hand up to caress my
cheek and added, “And I don’t want to leave
you
. I told you,
Freckles, I want to see where this thing between us is going, and I
can’t do that in France. I can talk to Calla; if she knows I’m not
interested in the position, she’ll back off…”

“No, don’t give
her the satisfaction. We can’t give in to threats or blackmail,
that’ll just fuel her on. If she gets the job fair and square,
that’s one thing, but you can’t just hand it to her on a silver
platter. I took care of her today, and will address the issue again
when the need arises.”

“I love it when
you talk like a teacher,” he said, leaning in to brush his lips
against mine.

“It
would
be a great opportunity,” I said softly, feeling like I
should encourage him to take it even if I didn’t want him to.

“This is more
important,” he replied, causing my insides to go all gooey. When
his lips captured mine and he kissed me properly, I tried to tamp
down the hope and promise of his words, while at the same time
hoping to convey with my response that I felt the same way.

Chapter Fifteen
~ Brendan

“Brady tells us
that you’re seeing that woman you said
wasn’t your
girlfriend
last time you were over.”

I shot a glare
at my brother, who simply shrugged, then gave my attention back to
Victoria. I’d stopped in at O’Malley Brothers, the painting
business where Brock, Brady, and Victoria all worked. Brock ran the
business, with Brady as his second in command. Victoria was in
charge of interior design, and often worked with clients hand and
hand with my brothers. It was a business that started out small,
and that Brock had grown out of hard work and determination.

I’d always
thought Brady loved working there and planned to stay, but after
our last conversation, I was no longer sure. I hadn’t heard
anything about him joining the police force again, and was pretty
sure he hadn’t said anything to Brock or Victoria yet, although
he’d obviously been running his mouth about my relationship.

Douche.

“Yeah…”

“That’s all you
have to say? Yeah?” Brock asked as he leaned against Brady’s desk
in the front office, hands folded across his chest. “You haven’t
dated anyone in …
ever
… What’s this anomaly like?”

“She’s not an
anomaly
, she’s a gorgeous, successful, pretty freaking
terrific,
woman
.”

“Oh, I like
that!” Victoria said, resting her face against her palm and getting
a dreamy expression on her face.

I suppressed my
eye roll and stated, “
This
is why I didn’t say anything. I
didn’t want things to get blown out of proportion. We are still in
the beginning stages, and I don’t want anything to screw it up. I
really like Bronagh, but I’m worried that I’ll do something to fuck
things up.”

“Language,”
Victoria said. It had become her habit to try and get us to watch
our mouths, so Declan didn’t eventually pick up any bad words.

“Why do you
think that?” Brock asked with a scowl, as if he were mad at me for
doubting myself.

“Because, as
you pointed out moments ago, I’ve never been in a serious
relationship. It’s unchartered territory for me. Bronagh’s older,
she’d been married, she runs her own business … she’s pretty much
out of my league. I’m just waiting for her to realize it and kick
me to the curb.”

“She’s
divorced?” Brock asked, then asked, “
What?
” when Victoria
leaned over and punched him in the arm.

“Don’t be so
judgmental,” she admonished.

“It’s just a
damn question,” he grumbled, rubbing his arm as if her delicate
hand could damage his massive bicep.

“Yes, she’s
divorced,” I said, my tone relaying that he was broaching dangerous
territory.

“How old is
this Bronagh?” he countered.

“Thirty-five.”

His eyes
widened a bit, but before he could voice his concerns, I voiced
mine.

“This is why I
didn’t rush to tell you.
Yes
, she’s older than me.
Yes
, she’s experienced more than I am.
Yes
, I’m
worried that she’s going to realize I’m just a young punk who
hadn’t done anything with his life yet, and wonder what she’s doing
wasting her time … then she’ll bail.”

Brock and Brady
shared a look. I knew they were surprised that I’d shared so much.
I’d never been one to talk about my feelings, preferring instead to
express them in my lyrics. But, it felt good to get my fears out in
the open. I knew I could trust my family.

“Oh, Bren, no…”
Victoria said, walking toward me, her face full of concern. “You’re
not a young punk. You’re a man who’s driven, creative, and brave.
She’s lucky that you’re willing to give
her
a chance.”

“You haven’t
met her yet,” I argued. “You’ll see how amazing she is once you
do.”

“I know how
amazing
you
are…” she countered, causing my heart to shift
uncomfortably.

“What if I
screw it up?”

“Just look at
me and Brock,” Victoria said, pointing at my brother, who just
grunted. “Did you ever think the two of us would not only date, but
get married and have babies together?”

“Well, no,
but…” I stopped, focused on her words and asked, “Babies?”

Victoria bit
her lip, as if trying to conceal her expression, but her joy was
too big to be contained.

“We’re
pregnant!” she squealed as she jumped up and down.

I pulled her
into a hug and looked over at my shoulder at Brock, who was
grinning as if he were the first man to ever impregnate a
woman.

“Why didn’t you
say anything?” Brady managed even though he was receiving a bear
hug from our brother.

“We were just
waiting until we had the two of you together. I’m only two months
along, so we want to wait a while before we tell everyone,”
Victoria said as she pulled away, beaming.

“Your secret is
safe with us,” Brady replied.

“Now, you have
to promise to bring her to the barbecue this weekend, I have to met
her,” she said, squeezing my hand.

“All right, but
you guys have to go easy. Give her some space and time. The age
thing is a big issue for her. I know she’ll be nervous to meet you
guys and worry about what you think, but when you add the whole
group to the mix, she’ll be even more intimidated.”

“We’ll be
gentle,” Brock promised as he pulled Victoria in and cradled her
against him.

Chapter Sixteen
~ Bronagh

I don’t know
how I let him talk me in to coming here…

I looked around
the backyard. The sun was shining and reflecting off the pool, and
there were people everywhere. Beautiful, laughing people, with
babies and small children. There was a lot of chatter filling up
the gorgeously landscaped backyard, and it was obvious that not
only did these people know each other very well, but there was a
lot of love in this group.

I felt like a
sore thumb, an outsider, as I sat under the shade of a tree,
sipping my margarita and trying to take it all in.

A statuesque
redhead had her arm around a gorgeous sandy-haired man with a
mischievous grin. She was laughing at something that Brendan’s
older brother, Brock, who I’d met briefly when we arrived,
said.

Brock was the
opposite of Brendan. Tall, bearded, and intimidating as hell, until
you noticed the way he cradled his son gently in his arms. His
wife, Victoria, was the picture of perfection, with her dark hair
slicked back in a ponytail, her black shorts perfectly tailored,
and paired with an obviously expensive blouse, as she walked up to
the trio carrying a tray of meat for the grill, and traded her
husband the tray for the baby.

My eyes drifted
to where Brendan was talking with two men. One, his brother Brady,
who I hadn’t met yet, and the other a brown-haired guy who looked
to be the youngest of the group.

A small smile
played on my lips as I took advantage of my sunglasses to peruse
the length of the man who’d wanted me to meet his family and
friends. Wearing only swimming trunks, sunglasses, and flip-flops,
he looked like a surfer instead of the rocker/chef that he was. His
skin tanned quickly and gave him a nice golden glow, which only
made his already killer body look that much better. That, coupled
with his long hair and presently laid back attitude, made him
nearly irresistible to me.

He really was
the whole package.

Brendan had
introduced me to the few people who were already here when we’d
arrived. Shelly and her husband, who’s name I couldn’t remember,
were a very sweet couple, but were busy trying to chase around
their toddlers. Gaby, a baker!, was in the kitchen helping Victoria
with the food, while her husband was pushing their little girl on
the new swing set in the backyard. I’d offered to help them in the
kitchen, which was really the only place that made me feel
comfortable, especially in a strange place, but they’d insisted
that I grab a margarita and mingle. Once outside, I’d feigned
exhaustion from a late night working at the pub, and had settled
into my seat, ushering Brendan off to go help greet the other
guests who were arriving.

I’d managed to
watch the goings on from my safe spot for about thirty minutes, and
was beginning to feel guilty. Brendan hadn’t brought me along to be
a wallflower, and everyone looked really nice, but I couldn’t deny
that being the oldest one at the party was making me feel a little
uncomfortable.

“Hi,” a voice
said from next to me, causing me to look up, startled. “I noticed
you sitting alone and thought you might like a refill.” The girl
was young and cute, with short spiky hair and a friendly smile.

She was holding
out a fresh margarita, so I took it from her and said, “Thanks, I
appreciate that.”

I gestured for
her to sit down and join me. Her tank top featured a rock band and
her skirt slid up precariously as she sat.

“I’m
Bronagh.”

“Abby,” she
said, then pointed out to our stunning hostess. “Victoria’s
sister.”

“It’s nice to
meet you, Abby; thanks for the drink.”

“Sure,” she
replied, taking a healthy sip from her own glass.

“What do you
do, Abby?” I asked, then grimaced. “Sorry, force of habit.”

“That’s okay,”
she replied with a shrug. “I’m still trying to figure it all out.
Currently, I’m a waitress.”

“You any good?”
I asked, my business hat going on without a thought.

Abby eyed me
and said, “I haven’t gotten any complaints, and I get really good
tips.”

“I own a pub,
Callaghan’s, and I’m always looking for good servers. If you’re
ever in need of a change, let me know.”

Abby’s
pixie-like face bloomed, and she said, “I love that place! Thanks,
Bronagh, that’s really sweet. You know, I don’t always come to
these things, but I’m glad I decided to come today.”

“Why wouldn’t
you? It seems like a great group.”

“Well, you see
him? The smokin’ hot one with the dreamy face and longish hair?”
Warily, I followed her finger, knowing whom I was going to find.
“We used to hook up … Then his brother married my sister, and
sometimes it feels awkward, you know?”

I let out a
long sigh when Brendan felt our stares and looked up. I couldn’t
see his eyes, but it looked like his lips turned down when he
realized who I was talking to. He said something to the guys, then
turned and began walking in our direction.

“Man … he’s
hot,” Abby said under her breath next to me, and I had to agree
with the much-younger woman, he
really
was.

“Hey, Abby,”
Brendan said in greeting when he stopped in front of us. “I see
you’ve met my girlfriend, Bronagh.”

I could sense
her confusion at his introduction, and I felt bad for not saying
anything, but there really hadn’t been time; I’d been taken aback
by her statement. I had no idea that I’d be running into someone
from his past at a family gathering.

“Your
girlfriend?” she asked, standing suddenly and looking down at me in
confusion. Flustered she muttered, “It was nice to meet you, see
you guys around,” then she turned and walked quickly toward the
house.

“So, you guys
used to hook up, huh?” I asked, keeping my tone even. I didn’t want
to cause a fight, but wanted him to know that I knew, and that it
had made me uncomfortable.

Brendan held
out his hand, so I placed mine in his and allowed him to pull me
up. He stepped closer and brought his lips to my ears so he could
speak softly.

“Yes, I hooked
up with her a few years ago. She was a groupie, nothing more, and
it was before Brock and Victoria started dating. If it hadn’t been
over already, it would have been once they did. I never saw her as
anything long term, and I told her that.
Now
, we’re
family.”

“I don’t think
she thinks of you as family.”

“Well,” he
responded. pulling back and pushing his glasses up on his head so I
could see his eyes. “That’s all she is to me. She’s my sister-in
law … aunt to my nephew … and that’s all she’ll ever be.”

I nodded,
feeling better, but at the same time feeling bad for the sweet girl
I’d just met. I understood her struggle.