Juice: The O'Malleys Book 1, contemporary Adult Romance (25 page)

“Sit down Aoife. I’ve something to tell you. And you need to hear me out, okay? You need to let me tell you everything.”

“Spill, but if you’re going to tell me that you are in love, you can stop right there. I already know.”

Rory whipped his head in her direction. “What the hell are you talkin’ about Aoife? What do you know about it?”

“I know my brothers and you are moping around here like a dog who has had its nose slapped. Please don’t let it be one of those soulless bimbos that you go out with so you won’t have to actually feel something resembling an actual emotion.”

“Hey! I feel things, I’m just shy.”

“My arse you are! You took off your clothes and streaked through the village only ten years ago when Darragh bet you that you wouldn’t. I may have been sick, but I wasn’t blind or deaf, you big eejit! Mrs Brown had to say two decades of the rosary for your poor wicked soul. Or her own probably, with all the dirty thoughts she had about your man bits.”

“Man bits? Jesus, Aoife.”

“Okay, okay,” Aoife put her hands up in mock surrender, laughing loudly.

“Tell me what ails you, brother dear?”

Ten minutes later they both sat in silence, the cup of tea long gone cold in the mug, still in Rory’s hand. He had told her everything. How he found the Evans family, all about Harry’s accident and about Cass. All about Cass, and how he loved her and how he had broken her heart. Aoife broke the silence first, her mouth opening and closing in shock.

“But, why did you do it? Why did you find those poor people and disrupt their lives like that? Ah Rory, what the hell were you thinking? Do mum and dad know? What is she like? What was he like? Is she angry with me? Harry Evans. His name was Harry Evans.”

Rory saw her touch her chest in wonder, her hand feeling each breath entering her body. “Mama told me you wanted to trace them.”

“Yeah, through the proper bloody channels! Oh Jesus Rory!! I’m so pissed off with you. Why do all the O’Malley men, have an innate need to meddle and try to fix every situation? You barrelled into this girl’s life and what? Told her I was the recipient and I wanted to know about the donor, her feckin’ twin brother?!”

“I didn’t tell her anything. She found out by accident.”

Aoife’s voice rose to a shrill and dangerous level. She stood up and started mumbling to herself. He could make out the odd ‘bastard’ followed by some serious head shaking and, “No, say you didn’t?”

“Sweet Jesus, you seduced her didn’t you? You bloody did! Oh I’m shamed. She must hate me even more now. Tell me you didn’t Rory please!” Rory couldn’t bring himself to look at her or answer the bombardment of questions. He put his head in his hands and groaned.

“Ya little bollix ya. I’m telling mama and dad."

Aoife stormed out of the room, and Rory heard her shouting in the kitchen and then being soothed. It only took a minute before half a dozen raised voices joined in. “He did what?!” “Oh sweet Jesus.” “What the hell is wrong with him?!”

“Where is he? Get him up here! Now!”

Rory groaned. He knew they were coming for him, ready to string him up for what he had done and he deserved it. He knew that, but not now. He couldn’t deal with it now. Slipping out of the conservatory, he left through the back door. Wrapping the lapels of his coat around himself, he walked off through the fields he knew so well, leaving them all behind. His head was wrecked and he needed a damn pint.

The taxi driver dropped Cassidy at gates of Cherry tree farm and turned around to say goodbye to her. “You’ll be grand here lovey, that’s the O’Malley place up the top of the lane. Lovely place it is too. Ah, they’re lovely people altogether. The boys were a bit wild in their younger days, especially Rian the youngest lad. Broke Mrs Murphy’s windows three times in one month kicking a ball through it. Now, I’m not sayin' it was on purpose like, but the young Murphy lad was always bothering them O’Malley girls. He stopped soon after that. Nicer people I tell you, you couldn’t meet. Are you staying long, love? Are you a friend of the family maybe?”

Cassidy tried to decipher the majority of what he was saying, but his accent was so thick and he spoke so fast that she just nodded and handed him 20 euros.

“Now that’ll be 17 euro, sorry about that but it’s a long old drive from the airport. Sure you wouldn’t get a bus this time of night anyway. Now, my Mary had a word with Grogan, he’s the town councillor.” Cass nodded at him, she was becoming well acquainted with
his
Mary. She sounded like a tough cookie.

“Grogan, my Mary said. We could use a bus that went past nine at night surely? And do you know what he says to her? He says, Mary, you’re full of bright ideas you should run for the council yourself. Imagine!  My Mary on the council, oh how we laughed.”

Cassidy smiled while trying to exit the cab as quickly as she could.

“Nice to meet you, keep the change.”
What the hell was that about?

Walking up the long pathway that was lined with trees, she ran it over and over in her head what she wanted to say. Would he even see her? There was no ATM’s out here and she had exactly 10 euros in her handbag.
Oh Cassidy what the heck were you thinking?

Where the hell am I anyway
? It was a whole lot more secluded than she thought it would be. The trees on either side of the path made a tunnel of complete blackness. The only illumination came from small ground lights every so often, that lit the next ten metres in a dim, yellow light.

Just as she was going to give up and sit in the middle of the lane and cry, she spotted an opening and the lights ahead of a big farmhouse.
Oh God, what am I doing here!?

She approached the house taking in the large light that lit the old red door of the white washed farmhouse. Hanging baskets and window boxes were littered around making it look beautiful and well loved. Cass heard voices ahead.

“Rory! Rory O’Malley, you better back inside in the next ten minutes!”

Eh? Why was someone shouting for Rory?

She walked through the gravel into the light and stopped ten feet from a crowd of people milling around the front door. Everyone stopped and turned to gawk at her.

“Hi. I’m… I’m looking for Rory too.”

She was stammering and her voice came out quiet and afraid.

One of the men, a slightly thicker version of Rory, stepped forward and openly looked her up and down. He had wide black eyes and the cheekiest dimples on both his cheeks. Cassidy couldn’t help but gape at the crowd in front of her. They were one handsome family. Each one a carbon copy of the older man and woman who stood holding hands looking distressed and worried. Obviously Rory’s Mama and Dad. Opposite in every way, they made a very striking pair. He was tall at least 6 ft 4inchs and had a shock of red hair streaked with grey strands that fell to his shoulders in curls and had a full beard. He wore black jeans and a Thin Lizzy tee shirt that made him look younger than his years and effortlessly relaxed. Cassidy pulled her coat around her, wondering how he could bear to be out in the cold with only a tee shirt on. The woman who held his hand was around 5ft, petite and dark, she had deep-set dark eyes and looked like a female version of Rory, compacted into a small beautiful package. She wore a winter coat, red with black buttons.

The man who was eyeing her suspiciously said, “Listen lady, my brother isn't seein' visitors tonight, I'll call ya a cab. This is a family matter.”

Rory’s mother spoke up. “Hush Rian, manners please. The girl looks frozen to the bone. Where are you from girl?” From behind the crowd, a man with a deep timbre cleared his throat. A male voice with a slightly English twang mixed with an Irish underlay spoke. “Let her in. Her name is Cassidy. Cassidy Evans.”

Darragh!

One of the girls in front of her made a noise and Darragh ran forward to catch her as she fell to the ground.

“Aoife, Aoife! Oh Jesus, she’s fainted, bring her inside!”

The small woman, who Cassidy assumed was Louisa, ushered the boys over and they lifted Aoife tenderly into the house. Louisa turned to Cassidy her eyes filling with tears. “Oh Cassidy, we are so happy to meet you. I am Louisa O’Malley and this is my husband Gearóid.”

Cassidy hugged them both tightly before another girl stepped forward. She was like Rory with long dark brown hair, cut straight with a fringe. She was tall too and towered above Cassidy. She was stunning, Cassidy smoothed her own hair and gave up as it bounced back up to crown her head and covered half her face.

“Don’t crowd her mama. I’m Annie, Rory and Darragh’s sister. Rory has gone out for a….stroll?” She looked at Louisa who nodded at her looking embarrassed.

Annie put her arm around Cassidy’s shoulder and ushered her into the house.

“Yeah, a stroll, he'll be back soon. Come in and meet the family while I check on Aoife. Don't be worrying now; she'll be grand in a minute.  A fecker for the fainting. Every year at midnight mass at Christmas time. Lucky her eh? Getting to leave early!”

She laughed then, a loud hearty sound, accompanied by snorts and a leg smack that only came to an end when Louisa elbowed her in the ribs. She looked at Louisa and grimaced. “Sorry mama, Fr Connors’ mass is a bit long, interesting of course…just a tad tiring.”

“That’s grand Annie; I think we all got your meaning.” Louisa was trying and failing to look annoyed. Cass stared at her. “Are you sure she’s all right. I can come back another time.”

“You will not indeed,” Annie exclaimed.

“Sure, you’re here now and we were just talking about you not five minutes ago. I’m sure Rory will be only delighted to get reacquainted.” Cassidy caught the mischievous smirk and decided then and there that she like Annie O’Malley.

Before she could respond, she was ushered in through the front door and looked around at the lovely homely atmosphere of the large family room. A huge open fire blazed against the far wall, a timber railway track sleeper acted as a mantel piece that held a treasure throve of trinkets and photo frames. There were so many of them! Her own little family was a much smaller and quieter affair. Looking around, Cassidy noticed that there were photos everywhere; picture frames of all shapes and sizes adorned the walls. As if the person hanging them had cared little for the symmetry of them and instead wanted to show off her children and family with pride.

Cassidy was led to an armchair and sat down sinking into the plush red fabric.

“Here Cassidy, drink this. It’s a cold night and we’ve all had a bit of a shock.”

Cassidy looked up into Darragh’s eyes and smiled, glad of a familiar face. She took the glass and swirled around the amber coloured liquid. Taking a glup she coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Yeah, it’ll do that to you the first time, maybe small sips.”

Cassidy nodded at Darragh and tried to answer while her throat burned. She counted six pairs of eyes watching her with frozen smiles and anxious looks on their faces.

“Right, how about some introductions?” The cheeky one moved towards her with his hand out.

“I’m Rian O’Malley. Rory’s younger, more intelligent and much more handsome brother.”

He winked at her and she smiled back at him. Wrong on one count anyway. He was gorgeous, but didn’t hold a candle to Rory in her eyes.

“I’m Gearóid, the dad.” The huge shy-looking older man came forward. He was big and redheaded like Darragh and Aoife, but had a softer, shyer look. Cass stood up and shook their outstretched hands. Annie stepped forward. “Well, now you’ve met us all. Except our Aoife.”

They chatted with Cass for the next couple of hours and spoke of Harry and Aoife.

Cass felt comfortable and relaxed into the chair feeling sleepy.

The front door burst open suddenly and Rory fell in still singing.

“I’m homeeeeeeeeee. Oh my lovely rose of Clare, you’re the sweetest girl I know. You’re the queen of all the roses and the pretty flowers that growwwwwwwww.” Annie winked at Cass and slapped her lightly on the knee. “Lover boy is home. Looking forward to this. Give him hell girl.” Cass stood and wrapped her arms around herself.

Louisa walked up to him and stood with her hands on her hips.

“What the hell do you call this, Rory? What are you doing comin' home here drunk, and in that state?” “Sorry mama.” Rory tried to look sorry, but failed miserably when he stood up on a dining room chair and threw his arms out.