Escape With Me (With Me in Seattle 16)

“Thanks.” I stare at the boxes and then sigh. “Does someone have a knife?”

“Here.” Keegan returns with a pocketknife, slices open the tape on the boxes, and then goes back to brewing the coffee.

The man is handy to have around.

I open the first box and find my laptop, some papers, my phone charger, makeup, and hair supplies all thrown inside.

Nothing is wrapped.

At first glance, I’d wager that my laptop is ruined.

“Dude, that’s a big mess,” Maeve says.

“Your poor computer,” Maggie agrees.

“I guess he was a little bitter,” I reply with a sigh and set the box aside, then reach for the other, bigger box. “This should be clothes.”

I’m not wrong. He tossed my clothes into the box, along with a couple of pairs of shoes. One of the flats doesn’t have its match. And then I scowl at a pair of pink, lace panties.

“These aren’t mine.”

The girls stare at me. Even Keegan turns around in surprise.

“What the fuck?” he asks.

“Exactly. You know what? Throw it all away. I don’t want any of it. There’s nothing in there that I can’t live without.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Keegan says as he passes me a fresh mug of coffee. “And I’ll hit that computer with a sledgehammer a few times, just to make sure no one can get any info off it.”

“Oh, can I do that part? Might be good therapy.”

Chapter 4

~Izzy~

“I shouldn’t be here,” I whisper to Maggie, who’s standing beside me at the cake table.

“Why?” she asks. “You were invited.”

“Yeah, but it’s a family thing. I haven’t even been around for a month yet. I definitely shouldn’t be at Anastasia’s baby shower.”

“You and me both,” Shawn says as he joins us. “Since when are men invited to these things?”

“Baby shower parties have been co-ed for a while now,” Maggie informs her brother. “And it’s fun.”

“At least we get cake,” Shawn replies.

Out of all of the siblings, Shawn is more even-keeled and the quietest. I feel like he’s the calm in the storm. That the other siblings are more outspoken, the girls are certainly lively, and Shawn is this stoic, handsome guy who anchors them all.

Getting closer to the O’Callaghan family has been educational, to say the least.

“Don’t overthink it,” Maggie suggests to me. “It’s just a fun party. A chance to eat too much, laugh a little bit, and look at cute baby things.”

“I just heard from Maeve,” Keegan says as he joins us. “She and the parents are on their way over.”

“They must be jet lagged,” I reply. “They just arrived from Ireland last night.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s the truth,” Keegan agrees, “but they’re anxious to see everyone. Nothing could keep them away from the pub today.”

I glance around and sigh in happiness. Maggie, Lexi, and I spent the morning decorating for the occasion. Pink and blue balloons, streamers, and confetti are everywhere. One table has gifts, another cake, and one more is set up for a buffet-style lunch that Lexi and Shawn have been working on for several days.

“I thought you said it would just be family,” I say to Maeve.

“That’s right.”

“Then why so much cake? So much food? This feels excessive.”

Maeve’s face splits into a wide smile. “Just wait until you see Anastasia’s side of the family, my friend. There’s a lot of them. Also, most of them are famous.”

“Famous?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“More famous than Kane?” The eldest O’Callaghan sibling is a world-renowned glass sculptor.

“Somewhat, yes,” she says. “You’ll see.”

I glance down at what I’m wearing and thank the heavens above that Maggie and I went shopping last week after my drunken debacle and the ruined boxes arriving from Troy. With my shiny new paycheck, I was able to replace the majority of my wardrobe.

I’m in a pair of black jeans with a white button-down shirt and a thick belt to tie it all together. I finally feel like myself in clothes that fit my style and make me feel more confident.

I even took the time to put on my usual makeup and teased some loose curls into my long, blond hair.

I wear my hair up in a ponytail or bun almost every day for work, so this feels extra indulgent today.

I guess I’ll pass muster for famous people.

Keegan’s parents arrive first, and it’s a flurry of hugs and laughter and love. I step back out of the way, but Keegan’s father’s gaze catches mine, and he walks right over to me.

“You must be the lovely Izzy that I’ve heard so much about. I’m Tom O’Callaghan. How are you getting along, then?”

I smile at the thick accent and the kind face so much like his three sons. “I’m doing very well, thank you. You have incredibly kind children.”

“And that’s the truth of it, but it’s always nice to hear that they behave when their sainted mother and I are away.”