What are the odds the only celebrity Ash’s mom is interested in is my mom? You couldn’t make this shit up, if you tried. Nerves fire at me, and I shift uneasily in my seat. Dillon looks over at me while Ash squeezes my knee under the table. Blood rushes to my head, making me lightheaded, and I’m terrified I’m about to hurl up everything I’ve eaten.
“Why have I never heard about this?” Ash glances between her parents with a frown.
“I used to go see all her movies before I was married and had you lot. Then the farm and family responsibilities took over.” Cath shrugs, beginning to clear away the plates.
“Sit down, Ma,” Dillon says, standing. “I’ve got it.” He takes the plates from her hand before walking over to the sink.
“You’re all too young to remember this,” Eugene says, continuing the story, oblivious to my inner panic. “But one of her movies premiered at the Savoy in Dublin, back in the day, and rumors were rife that Lauren was going to be there. We got your nana over to mind you lot, and we headed into town early so we could see her.”
“Unfortunately, Lauren had to pull out,” Cath says. “Her daughter fell out of a tree and broke her arm. She didn’t want to leave her. As a mother, I respected her even more for that.”
I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was six, and Reeve and I had managed to ditch our nanny in the house and sneak outside. Dad had just left to drive Mom to the airport. The workers from the construction company my parents had commissioned to build a treehouse in our back garden had just left for the day, and I wanted to investigate. Reeve tried to talk me out of it, but I was impatient, and I couldn’t wait to see. The two-room treehouse was being built between two large trees, and a bunch of scaffolding propped the half-finished structure up. I got halfway up the side of one of the trees when I lost my footing and my balance. I can still remember Reeve’s cries and screams as I fell through the air toward the ground. He caught me, and we both fell awkwardly, but he definitely cushioned the blow. I ended up with a broken arm, and Reeve suffered a sprained ankle, but it could’ve been a lot worse.
“She’s a fine mother and a fine actress,” Mr. O’ Donoghue says, yanking me out of the memory and back into the present.
All the blood drains from my face, and bile swims up my throat. This is what I get for concealing the truth. I feel terrible sitting here, after enjoying this woman’s hospitality, not letting her know she’s in the presence of Lauren Mills’s daughter.
“Grace’s surname is Mills,” Ronan says. “What a funny coincidence.”
And that’s my cue to fess up. I’m not going to insult my friend’s mother by lying to her. Clearing my throat, I grip Ash’s hand under the table. “Actually, it’s not really a coincidence.”
Ro frowns, and a quiet hush settles over the table. Expectant faces stare back at me.
“You might as well tell them,” Dillon says, clawing a hand through his white-blond hair as he resumes his previous position against the wall. His intense gaze settles on mine as he gives me a quick reassuring nod.
“Wait? You know?” Ash’s eyes pop wide, her gaze darting between me and her brother.
“He saw the photo by my bed,” I confirm.
“So, you two are an item?” Shane asks, pointing between us.
“No!” Me, Dillon, and Ronan say all at once.
Dillon glares at Ronan. Ronan returns it and then some.
“But you said—”
“Shut up, Shane,” Ronan and Dillon say in unison, trading more pointed looks.
“My mom is Lauren Mills,” I blurt, just needing to get it out. “I’m her only daughter, Vivien Grace.”
38
Shocked silence echoes around the table with my revelation. “I remember that accident you were just talking about,” I blurt, turning to face Cath. “I was six and too impatient to wait for our new treehouse to be built. I was scaling one of the trees to take a look when I lost my footing and fell. I was lucky I didn’t break more bones.” I’m deliberately leaving Reeve out of the story, because I’m not prepared to get into all that.
“How come Dillon and Ash know? Why didn’t I know?” Ronan asks. Hurt splays across his face, and I feel so bad.
“I didn’t intentionally leave you out, but I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”
“Viv came to Ireland to study and to get away from the paparazzi in L.A.,” Ash explains. “It’s not something she wants to publicize, which is why she planned to keep it quiet.”
“I don’t believe it,” Cath whispers. Her hand is clasped to her chest. “But I see it now. You look so much like her!”
I’m sure she’s being polite because my hazel eyes and brown hair are inherited from my dad, but I got my height and my curves from Mom. “I didn’t mean to deceive anyone,” I quietly admit. “And I apologize if I’ve caused any offense.”
“Oh, honey. No.” Cath gets up, giving me a quick hug. “There’s no need to apologize. I just wish I’d known Lauren Mills’s daughter was coming for dinner. I’d have taken out the fancy china.”
The look of regret on her face, combined with her words, breaks the sudden tension, and everyone bursts out laughing.
They ask me a few polite questions after that while I shoot off a message to Mom. She’s an early riser, so she should be awake in an hour or two. I plan to call her and put Cath on the phone. I’m sure she’ll get a huge kick out of that, as Mom will when I explain.
The rest of the men get up to help Dillon with the cleanup after dinner, and I trail Ash out to the large orchard at the back of her house.
“I had no idea Ma was a closet Lauren Mills fan or I would’ve warned you,” she says, lighting up a cigarette.
“It’s okay. At least it’s out in the open now. I didn’t feel comfortable lying to your family. Especially when they’ve been so nice to me.” I trail my fingers along the bark of the apple trees as we walk between them, wrapping my cardigan more tightly around my torso. A light breeze wafts through the orchard, sending chills down my spine. “I think I hurt Ronan’s feelings though.”
“Ro needs to toughen up. He’s too sensitive sometimes.”
“I like that about him. Too often men are told they must be strong. What’s wrong with showing vulnerability?”
“You need to speak to him.” She slants me a pointed look, before leaning back against one of the trees, blowing smoke circles into the air.
“Speak to who?” someone familiar asks, lifting all the tiny hairs on my arms.
“This is a private conversation, Dil. Butt out.”
“Chloe wants you to push her on the swing,” Dillon replies.
“C’mon.” Ash stubs her cigarette out on the tree, gesturing for me to come with.
“Don’t let Shane see you doing that.” Dillon smirks. “He’ll probably have a heart attack.”
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” she says with a cheeky grin.
“I want to speak to the princess alone,” he says, earning an instant growl from me.
“Dillon. Please.” Ash harrumphs. “Would it kill you to be nice?”
“I’m trying to play nice, and you’re getting in my way.” He gives her a gentle shove. “Shoo. I’ll escort her highness to you when we’re done.”
“You’re insufferable,” I huff, folding my arms more tightly around myself as a blast of cold air sweeps past me, blowing strands of my hair into my face.
“You want me to kick him in the nuts?” Ash offers.
“It’s okay. I can handle Dillon,” I reply, brushing knotty hair out of my face.
Ash wiggles her fingers, wandering off.
“Is that right?” Dillon lounges against the tree Ash just vacated, crossing his feet at the ankles. The devilish glint in his eye, combined with his lazy, lopsided sexy smile, does weird things to my insides, and I’m questioning my sanity in agreeing to be left alone with him. Honestly, this guy’s facial expressions should be outlawed in all four corners of the globe.
“What do you want?” I want to minimize my time out here with him alone. Number one, because I don’t trust myself with him, and two, it’s fucking freezing and it feels like my toes are turning blue.
“That’s a loaded question.” Flashing me a panty-melting smile, he lights up a joint, as if he has all the time in the world.