“I had to do something else. Something important to me.”
She sighed.
“How many times do they have to be ‘introduced’ anyway?” I mumbled, using my fingers as quotation marks. “It felt a little over the top, to be honest.”
“Ronan,” she rebuked me, aghast. “What is going on with you?”
“Nothing,” I insisted.
She stepped closer, her voice worried. “Are you all right?”
My mom was the epitome of love to me. She was forgiving and caring. Always there for us. For me.
“I’m fine, Mom. I just—I need some space, okay?”
“Space for what?”
“For me.”
That made her hesitate. I could tell she wanted to push more, but she let it go. At least for now.
“I love my family,” I assured her. “That will never change.” I smiled. “I love you most of all, Mom.”
Her expression was still concerned, but she returned my smile. “We’re here, Ronan. We’re always here.”
I turned away, heading upstairs and putting the boxes in the trunk.
That was part of the problem. They were always there.
Chapter Nine
Beth
I was surprised when I got home Tuesday to find a strange truck in the driveway. There was no name on it, no sign as to whom it belonged, but from inside the house, I heard the sound of power tools. A saw was set up in the driveway, the sawdust piles indicating work was being done. I went in and found Paige in the dining room at the small desk she used for work. She was typing but looked up with a smile.
“Hi.”
“Hey. What’s going on?”
She grinned. “Your man is downstairs installing a door.” She waggled her eyebrows. “He’s hot when he’s in construction mode.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not my man.”
“Really,” she replied sardonically. “I think he’d say otherwise. His helper is pretty hot too. Older, though, and married. Shame.”
“I wasn’t expecting him to do this.”
“I know. He called this morning, and I talked to the landlord to make sure it was okay. Ralph was fine with it, and I let Ronan know. They showed up a while ago.”
I set down the bags I was carrying and headed downstairs. Ronan was holding a door as another man fitted the hinges. They had used the wide space to add a set of double doors, and I had to admit, they looked great. Ronan saw me and grinned.
“Beth.” His stare was warm and frank. “How was your day?”
“Good.”
The other man stood, and I blinked. He was as big as Ronan, his muscles rippling as he swung the door to test it. “Hello.” He dipped his chin and held out his hand. “I’m Van.”
“Hello, Van.” His handshake was firm and strong, yet gentle. His voice was low-pitched and pleasant. He was older, as Paige stated, but attractive. “Thank you for doing this.”
He clapped Ronan on the shoulder. “Any friend of Ronan’s is a friend of mine. Happy to help.” He checked out the level of the doors and nodded. “Okay, I’ll measure the trim. You add in the hardware,” he said to Ronan. “Then we’re done aside from a lick of paint.”
Ronan ran his hand over the door. “I had them primed and the first coat put on already. Same with the trim. I’ll add a second coat once we’re done.”
“Great.” Van took some measurements and headed back upstairs.
I looked at Ronan. “I didn’t expect this.”
“I know. But I figured we had them in the shop, and I’d put them in today. Van’s schedule was light, and he offered to help.”
“You work with him?”
“He runs his own division. He’s, ah, he’s my uncle.”
Another tidbit of information about his family. They dripped out like syrup on a cold day, slow but satisfying.
“Oh, that’s very kind of him. You work together with your family.”
He nodded, a frown on his face. “Some more than others,” he stated, then changed the subject. “What time does Evan get home?”
“About four.” I glanced at my phone. “So, about half an hour.”
“Great. I got a surprise for him.”
I shook my head. “You can’t do this, Ronan.”
He stepped closer. “Do what?”
I waved my hand. “Come in here with doors and gifts and your smiles.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t reciprocate. I don’t know how to repay—”
He cut me off. “No repayment is needed. All I want is to spend some time with you. And what I have for him isn’t a gift. It’s a loan.”
“Can I pay for the doors?”
He slid his hand under my chin, lifting my head. He met my gaze, his bright-green eyes burning into mine. He stroked along my jaw—featherlight strokes of his fingers that I felt right down to the soles of my feet.
“Yes,” he murmured. “You can.”
“How—”
His mouth silenced me. His lips were firm and warm. He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me close. His tongue splayed across my lips, and I opened for him with a low moan. He kissed me deeply, holding me tight to his chest. Everything left my mind but his touch. The feel of his mouth on me, his tongue sliding along mine, possessive and gentle at the same time. I never wanted him to stop.