Taking Risk Series Read online

  Coming toward me, she reaches for the picture, taking it from me before gazing down at it. “You know what the great thing is about pictures, my dear?”

  She doesn’t look at me or wait for me to answer before she continues, “Everything is standing still. Time hasn’t passed. It instantly takes ya back to that moment. This was taken, by me, over thirty years ago. I remember that after I took this, Ciara jumped into the lake and hit her head on a stone. Had to get three stitches, while Marla and I cried and cried.” A small smile comes over her face as she gazes at the picture. “We were so worried, ya see. She just passed out on us, and my goodness, her ma was so upset, and so was my ma because we weren’t supposed to be swimming in the O’Callaghan lake. We were supposed to be doing laundry, but we got bored and Ciara talked me into it.”

  She runs her finger along the picture and lets out a sigh. “It’s funny ’cause Ciara said that, while she did get hurt, it was meant to be because if she wouldn’t have gotten hurt, then Mr. O’Callaghan wouldn’t have come up to the hospital with Ivor and we would have never fallen in love.

  “We were the three musketeers back then. Everything we did was together, and we promised never to part. But when Ivor fell for me, he decided that I wasn’t going to be out of his sight. At first, it didn’t bother him that Ciara and Marla were there, but it was hard. When the three of us were together, it was us, no one else, and I tried to include Ivor, but he was so quiet, very stern, but man, did I love him.

  “He told me to choose between them and him. I had every intention of picking Ciara and Marla, but my ma, she talked me out of it. We were poor, ya see, very poor, and a rich heir to a very profitable whiskey business wanted me. Ya don’t turn that down. So I chose Ivor. I broke their hearts when I told them. Marla hated me, but Ciara, she told me she understood. That I had to follow my heart. She always had such a good soul, one that you instantly loved.”

  My lip had started to quiver as I sat there listening to her. Tears run down my cheeks because she is right. My mom was a beautiful soul, but I find it so hard to believe that she could be friends with someone like Noreen O’Callaghan.

  “I tried to stay in contact with them. Marla, not so much, since she hated me for choosing a man over them, but I sent Ciara letters. But once Ivor and I got engaged, it became very difficult. There is so much that is expected of an O’Callaghan woman.”

  “You can say that again,” I mutter and she finally meets my gaze.

  With a small smile, she nods. “We are to be the one who lifts our man up, loves him, even in his darkest hour, have babies, and plan parties. We don’t get to go out with our friends, do what we want. It isn’t about us; it’s about them.”

  I shake my head, my blood boiling. “That’s not how it is with Declan and me.”

  “Maybe not to that extent, but one day it will be.”

  “No, it won’t,” I say back, and it won’t. He wouldn’t do that to me.

  “He idolizes his father. Wants to be him. I used to be like you. Had a plan, but I allowed love to take that from me.”

  I shake my head, holding her gaze. “I can love him and still be me.”

  “I thought so too,” she says sadly, shaking her head before glancing at me. “Do ya think Declan will want ya to work once you have a baby?” she asks, and I don’t answer her. I don’t care what she thinks. Declan won’t make me do something I don’t want to do. “No, he won’t. Do you think he is actually okay with you working and going to uni? No, he is not, but he does it because he loves ya, and losing you would not only mean breaking him but also losing his distillery.”

  “That’s not true. He loves me and cares what I feel,” I spit back, but she is already shaking her head. How does she know how to hit me where I am weak? Why is she doing this? When I ask her that, she shakes her head, holding her palms up to me.

  “I don’t mean to do anything to you, my dear. I am trying to warn you. I thought like you do. Ivor was so charming, loved me and cared about what I wanted.”

  I stand up, the chair falling behind me as I glare at her. “I don’t doubt that, but you were submissive to him. You let go of your friends, my mom! So please don’t talk to me about how Declan is gonna treat me.”

  She nods slowly. “I’m sorry,” she says softly.

  “You should be. How dare you try to pit me against Declan?”

  She looks up at me and shakes her head. “That’s not what I am doing. I am warning ya, Amberlyn. Once you’re married, you won’t go anywhere because you love him. Soon it will be one thing after the next that you’re willing to let slide because he’ll tell ya what’s best. It happened to me, and as much as I don’t want you to go through what I went through, I also know that my son will not be happy with anyone but you.”

  “He won’t do that to me,” I say, and the tears start to roll down my face once more as I hold her gaze.

  I don’t know if it is the fact that she knew my mom and didn’t tell me. Or that she betrayed her friendship, or that she is scaring the living shit out of me, but I am overloaded with emotions. I always thought she was a snob from the start, but if my mom loved her, she must have been a good person at one time. Which means what she is saying is true. Did Mr. O’Callaghan really change her that much?

  And as much as I hate to ask it, will Declan do that to me?

  Will I lose me and become a hateful snob?

  Chapter 27

  Declan

  Reaching across the table, I take hold of Mr. Maclaster’s hand and smile.

  “Thanks for coming in.”

  Walking around the table, he comes to my side, cupping my shoulder. “Anything to help out family,” he says and I smile.

  “Not yet, three more weeks,” I say with a wink and he laughs.

  “Eh, you’ve been family since she agreed to marry ya.”

  That warms my heart for sure, and I know he can see that through the grin I shoot him. “Grand, thank you,” I say with a nod. “So you’ll come in every Wednesday?”

  He slaps his hands together before nodding. “Yup, I’ll be here, until the missus complains. When that happens, I’m done.”

  “Of course,” I say in agreement. “I appreciate this.”

  “I want ya to succeed. Does well for my niece.”

  I laugh. “I think we both know it isn’t about Amberlyn.”

  He laughs too, a flash of guilt coming over his face. “Eh, I may be getting a bit bored, but don’t let that leave this room.”

  “Wouldn’t tell a soul,” I promise. He shakes my hand once more, and I watch as he walks away, heading for the stairs to leave. Starting next Wednesday, Mr. Michael Maclaster will be working as my part-time marketing advisor. He says he’ll only work that day, but I have a feeling he might come in more than he thought, or maybe work at home. Either way, I couldn’t be happier; things are moving. My da doesn’t even come to the office anymore. After his retirement party last week, he’s slowly been cleaning out his office, and I haven’t seen him for the last two days since Cathmor has gone into production.

  It’s been fuckin’ fantastic.

  All I need is for Amberlyn to be happy and things will be excellent. Which, I think I got myself a plan for that. Heading out of the boardroom, I start toward my office. My da offered me his office, but I like mine. Probably ’cause it’s big enough for Kane and me. Finding my best mate sitting behind his desk, I send him a nod before shutting the door.

  “How’d it go?”

  “Bloody good, he starts next week and had some great ideas. I’m happy,” I say with a grin as I wake my computer up to send some emails.

  “Awesome, Fiona said that he was excited and was gonna take the job. Even Sheila was supportive. He must be bored or something.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, he just said that to me.”

  “Grand, this will be good for him then.”

  “And the distillery.”

  “Oh, for sure. Smart man, he is.”

  “That’s for damn sure,” I agree