Unforgettable (27 page)

***

Patrick stretched out lazily on the bed, humming with contentment. He reached out a hand for Breezy, more than pleased to feel her still there beside him. Opening his eyes slowly, he found her looking down at him with her head propped up on one elbow.

“Good morning,” she said, smiling at him.

“I always did like that old Charlie Pride song, ‘Kiss an Angel Good Morning.’ Now I know why. C’mere, you,” he growled playfully, pulling her into his arms for the first of many kisses he expected to share with her this fine morning.

“Did you know…,” she smiled, pulling back just enough to look down at him once again, “that when you’re relaxed, or excited, you lose that tight grip you hold over your accent and the Irish slips out…just a bit?”

“Now what made ya be thinkin’ that, lass?” he asked, laying it on thick.

Breezy giggled at his cheeky Irish brogue.

“Did you also know…,” she continued, unable to stop giggling, “that you talk in your sleep? With a full blown Irish accent, I might add.”

“Ya don’t say? Now ya have ta be promisin’ me ya’ll not be tellin’ anyone, lass. T’would na’ do. T’would ruin me reputation as a respectable business mon, don’t ya know?”

“Ya don’t say! Really?” she replied, mimicking his accent.

“Sure an t’wouldn’t that be a foin ting! Me, Sean Patrick O’Day of Day’s department store empire dethroned fer havin’ a bad Irish accent. Oh! T’wouldn’t do! T’wouldn’t do a’tall!” he said, tsk tsking and shaking his head for effect.

“O’Day?”

“Aye lass, Da dropped the O’ when he came here just in case someone was prejudiced, ya see. T’was the time o’ the Great Depression, ya know. He wasn’t takin’ any risks in failin’ in his new life. T’wouldn’t do a’tall! Why, Da even dropped his own Irish accent fer the first several years he was here.”

“Well, shame on you both! Ireland is a lovely place and the language and accent shouldn’t be anything to be embarrassed about,” she said.

She laid her head on his chest and snuggled close to him.

“I love you, Sean Patrick O’Day.”

“And I love you right back, Brittany Marie Spring,” he said, all traces of the accent vanished once more.

“Now, what is it I was talking about in my sleep and why weren’t you sleeping, too?”

“I wasn’t sleeping because I’m used to getting very little sleep. Besides, you were so cute laying there mumbling in your sleep, I couldn’t resist watching you.”

“Cute, huh? I’ll remember you said that. So what was I mumbling about?”

“I don’t know, really. It was a bunch of words strung together, like; angel and lion, Liam, moving, and a few others. All with that Irish accent I love so much. I couldn’t make out all of it, but you seemed to be happy so I didn’t wake you. What were you dreaming about?” she asked.

“I don’t really remember,” he lied.

It was only a little lie so he wouldn’t scare her off by the plans he was making in his head. If everything went according to his plan, then they’d be very happily married by mid-Spring. That was the scary part, convincing her to marry him when he knew how independent she’d needed to be all these years and how she’d literally been taught by men not to trust them. He’d move Heaven and Earth to make her realize how precious she was to him and how much he loved her, if that’s what it took.

“Do you know why I call you angel, even now?” he asked, letting her hair fall between his fingers repeatedly as he spoke.

Breezy shook her head slowly.

“Because you’re the answer to my prayers when I hadn’t even realized my soul was praying,” he answered, looking deeply into her eyes.

Breezy couldn’t help the single tear that slid down her cheek. She loved this man far more than he’d ever know, far more than she’d ever thought possible. She’d waited her whole life for someone to love her and tell her such sweet things. She only hoped he meant them.

Over the years, she’d learned to distrust men. She was convinced that only a precious few ever found love true enough to last a lifetime and she’d never be one of them. So, even though she’d now come to love Patrick with that kind of undying love, and even though she believed his words and in his love for her, there was still that small whisper of doubt somewhere in the back of her mind.

“You know I have to leave for New York today, don’t you? If there was any way I could put it off, I’d wait, but I need to see Liam and dig into some files to set some plans in motion,” he said.

“You have lousy timing, Patrick. You know that, right?” she replied playfully. “Before you leave, though, I want to give you something…an early Christmas present.”

She gathered the bedspread around her, dragging it behind as she bounced out of bed.

Patrick couldn’t help smiling. Even after having made love three times last night, and being as physically intimate as they had, she was still too shy to walk around naked in front of him. He found her modesty refreshing and just one more thing he loved about her.

He watched, intrigued, as she shuffled things around in her closet, pulling out one brightly wrapped package after another from a large plastic bag until she found the one she wanted.

As soon as she found the one she was looking for, she ran across the room, jumped up on the bed, stomped her way up its length and plopped down beside him with a huge grin on her face.

Patrick sat up, propped the pillows up behind him and reached for the box, anxiously trying to grab it away from her like an excited child.

Breezy playfully smacked his hands away.

“Back! Down boy, down!” she laughed at his antics.

“That’s not what you were saying last night,” he teased.

She blushed profusely, hiding her face behind the box.

“Patrick! I don’t believe you said that! What I meant was, don’t get too excited.”

“As I recall, you weren’t saying that last night, either,” he said, laughing out loud as she blushed even brighter and hid her face in her hands.

He had embarrassed her profoundly but, even though she was hiding her face, she was laughing.

“Patrick! Please!” she groaned.

“Now, that you did say…several times, I’m sure of it.”

“Oh, you!” she laughed, grabbing him by the throat and pretending to strangle him. “You are so bad!”

Patrick grabbed her by the waist, pulled her onto his lap and kissed her thoroughly.

“Never tell a man who’s just made love to you three times that he’s bad. I might just have to convince you otherwise,” he growled huskily. Then he kissed her again, letting his hand roam beneath the covers and up the length of her thigh.

“Okay, then! You’re good…you’re very, very good,” she giggled, ending on a sigh. “But you’re still awfully bad.” He laughed and hugged her tightly.

“Now will you open your present?” she asked.

“Don’t you know you’ve given me all I’ve ever wanted? You gave me the greatest gift of all…your love.”

“Oh, Patrick, I do love you so very much,” she said.

“I love you, too, Breezy.”

For the longest time, they just cuddled…content with being held in each other’s arms and looking into each other’s eyes.

Patrick finally sat her back on the bed next to him.

“Now, show me what you’ve done,” he insisted playfully.

“For the man who has everything, this is one thing I know you don’t have. It’s not much, but it is sort of symbolic,” she said, placing the box in his lap.

“I don’t expect you to wear it, but I just couldn’t resist making it for you. I thought you might get a kick out of it,” she said as she watched him tear through the wrappings.

Eyeing her curiously, Patrick pulled the black sweatshirt from the box and roared with laughter as he held it up to his chest.

“Are you kidding me? This is great! I love it!” he laughed.

He turned the sweatshirt around to see her handiwork. On the front, she had appliqued a lion’s head with a silly grin on its face. The only other parts of the lion that visible were his tail and the tips of his four paws which were wrapped lovingly around a huge red, patchwork heart.

“Now you can tell everyone who ever called you a Heartless Lion to kiss off,” she laughed.

Inside, she was angry that anyone could ever think such a thing about her Patrick.

“I’m, definitely going to wear this. And I know just where I’m going to wear it, too! How in the world did you find time to make this, what with all those Christmas orders and costumes you had to make?” Patrick wondered, his eyes still busy admiring the little lion.

She smiled sheepishly.

“I made it about a week after the Halloween party. Whoever called you a Heartless Lion didn’t know the Patrick Day I knew after only one week,” she insisted.

Reaching out her hand to stroke his cheek gently with her fingertips, she drew them along his sharp jawline to his chin, tilting his head up so she could look deep into his brown eyes. They fluttered closed when she leaned forward to kiss him lovingly.

“You’ve always had a heart, Patrick. It was just a little beat up and you kept it well hidden for a while.”

Chapter 15 “The Lion’s New Heart”

When he arrived at his New York office very early the next morning, the building was empty, except for the security guards and the cleaning crew. He smiled and nodded at one of the janitors in passing and the poor man did a double take, dropped his jaw and nearly fainted from shock.

Patrick laughed as he stepped onto the elevator. If the janitor’s reaction was anything to go by, he couldn’t wait to see the looks on Liam and Marie’s faces when he met with them this morning. He left a note on each of their desks instructing them to come to his office the moment they arrived and advised them not to be late under any circumstances.

The first thing Marie saw when she stepped into her office was the note written in Patrick’s all-too-familiar handwriting.

“Oh, Lord! He’s back!” she mumbled, slumping down in her chair with her face in her hands.

“Did ya get one o’ these as well then, lass?” Liam asked from the doorway.

“Yes,” she sighed, waving the note in the air listlessly, “Just in time to ruin Christmas, too.”

“Now girl, don’t ya be believin’ in Christmas miracles?” he chuckled.

“I don’t know, Liam. I honestly think he’s beyond help. One thing’s for sure, though…if we don’t get in there right now, he’ll be out here roaring at us in a few seconds.”

“Do ya really think there’s a problem, lass?”

“When hasn’t there been a problem where Mr. Day is concerned?” she grumbled.

Liam seemed to mull this over in his mind before sighing heavily.

“Yer right, lass. But, no matter how unpleasant it is, we have ta go in there an’ find out what he’s angry about this time, an’ what he expects us ta do about it. So, what da ya say we go in there together an’ get it over with as quickly an’ painlessly as possible?”

Marie groaned and walked over to stand beside him.

“With him, there’s no such thing as quick and painless,” she said.

They each took a deep breath and entered Patrick’s office together.

“Patrick, we’re here. What is it ya need?” Liam asked as he and Marie stood stiffly in front of the imposing oak desk.

“Sit down, please,” Patrick answered gruffly, the high back of his large leather chair preventing them from seeing any part of his body.

“Before we get down to the business at hand, there are a few things we need to get out in the open,” he began.

Liam and Marie looked at each other with no small amount of trepidation.

“Liam, you threatened to take this company away from me, correct?” he asked in a normal tone.

“Aye,” Liam answered warily.

“A company my father started and is my inheritance by law, correct?” he asked in a slightly louder voice.

“Aye,” Liam answered again, feeling a flush rising up the back of his neck.

“A company that I helped build to the success it is today, correct?” he continued, his voice rising with each new question.

“Aye, lad, aye,” Liam agreed, sweat breaking out at his temples.

“You threatened to take this company away from me unless I went to Indiana to build and open the new store and distribution center, correct? A company that bears
my name
…not yours! AM. I. CORRECT?” Patrick roared.

“Aye, Patrick, but t’was fer yer own good, lad. Yer father did give me controllin’ interest in tha company an’ tha permission ta do so,” he tried to explain.

“Oooh! For my own good,” Patrick repeated, flicking the fingers of his left hand dismissively from behind the cover of his high-backed chair.

It took a mighty effort on his part to maintain an angry, authoritative voice. He tried to frown more and struggled not to laugh. The very fact that he had to
try
to frown was a testament to Breezy’s effect on his entire life.

“I’ve heard rumors that I’m cold, ruthless, unfeeling, hateful, uncaring and downright mean, among other nasty little adjectives I will not mention. Is that correct, Marie?” Patrick said, making her jump at becoming the focus of his attention.

“Yes, Mr. Day,” she answered, exasperated and exhausted already.

“I have the infamous reputation of being ‘The Heartless Lion.’ Is that correct, Marie?” he went on.

“Yes sir,” she sighed.

“You and I had a complete falling out recently, didn’t we? And you ran to Liam for help, directly resulting in my banishment to Indiana, isn’t that correct?” Patrick continued, still trying to sound angry.

“Yes sir,” she squeaked.
Great!
she thought.
I’m 59 years old and I’m about to get fired from a job I’ve held my entire adult life less than a week before Christmas.

“
Well
, DAMMIT!
Things are going to change around here, right now!” he roared, swinging his chair around to face them.

“Starting with me,” he grinned, dark brown eyes sparkling with glee.

The stunned look on both their faces was priceless, the very reaction Patrick had hoped for. He grinned even wider when they both noticed the sweatshirt Breezy had given him. He was wearing it with a pair of tight fitting jeans and white sneakers. To say they were dumbfounded was an understatement, since the only thing he’d ever worn to the office was a three-piece Armani suit. You wouldn’t have caught him dead in such casual clothing three months ago.