Chapter 11

“Don’t you believe in knocking, Nessa?” Delaney’s cheeks flushed with a combination of embarrassment and anger.

“I did knock, Laney. But you were obviously too involved in your fantasies to hear me. I mean, really? You were moaning. You need a boyfriend. Bad. Or a good vibrator.”

She bit her tongue, despite the fact she wanted to rail at her sister, to spit out that she’d had a boyfriend until Nessa stole him. If she were fair, she’d admit that Connor had been just as smitten with her sister as Nessa had been of him. “You’re the one into the kinky stuff, Nessa. Why are you here?”

Delaney watched her sister’s expression transform from superior know-it-all to wheedling entreaty. Nessa was nothing if not the consummate actress.

“I need a favor, Laney.”

She settled back into her chair and schooled her face. This did not bode well. She didn’t say anything, simply waiting for Nessa to move the next chess piece. This was a game they’d played all their lives.

Nessa flounced into one of the desk’s side chairs and settled what Delaney labeled her “pretty-please look” on her face. “I know you’re probably still upset about Connor and me.”

Ya think? Delaney gave no indication of her internal dialogue. She waited for the next move.

“Look, I suppose you have every right, but it’s not like we planned it. It just…happened. He’s like my…soul mate or something.” Her sister inhaled deeply and a dreamy look transformed her expression. “We plan to introduce his sister to Keegan. And Mom and Dad to everyone. That’s why I need you.”

Without meaning to, Delaney rubbed her temple where a throbbing headache threatened. “What? You’ve lost me completely, Nessa.”

“It’s a family get-together. Connor’s parents are flying in from Ireland. To meet me. To meet…us. The whole family. I need you there to help run interference with Mom and Dad.” She sighed dramatically. “You know what they’re like.”

Delaney’s throat closed off for a minute. “His parents are coming?” Something fluttered in her chest, a feeling she couldn’t define. To meet you. The accusation ricocheted in her head, but she maintained the sterile expression she wore with her patients.

Nessa continued to babble about the clothes she needed, the time off she’d scheduled, and how excited and nervous she was because she positively, absolutely knew Connor would ask her to marry him once his parents approved.

Her sister’s words washed over her like waves creeping up on the beach, tickling her consciousness with wet foam before dragging back out to sea, pulling her along. Nessa’s voice closed over her head, drowning her in an ocean of emotions. How easy it would be to just let go, to close her eyes, and breathe in the numbness welcoming her with its clammy embrace.

“So what do you think?” Nessa beamed at her, clueless about Delaney’s internal struggle. “Surely you can find someone to bring. Or I’ll have Connor coerce one of his friends to escort you. Keegan will be with Ciara, of course. Connor is convinced those two are a perfect match. Delaney? Delaney!”

She blinked slowly, her vision finding focus as she stared at Nessa’s face. Amazed she didn’t wince at her sister’s choice of words. Delaney inhaled and swallowed to give herself another moment to keep her composure. She sat up a little straighter and wrapped what dignity her sister’s babbling had left intact around her like a security blanket. “I’m quite capable of finding my own escort, Nessa.”

“But he has to be someone Mom and Dad will like. And Connor’s parents. Thank goodness his mom is American. That will make things so much easier. His dad, though, scares me. I’ve seen a picture of him—dark and brooding like some hero in a romance book. Very stern, but since he’s a big deal in their clann—”

“Taoiseach.”

The word stopped Nessa dead. “What?”

“Taoiseach. Connor’s father is Taoiseach of Clann MacDermot.”

“How did you know that?”

“Connor told me. On one of our dates.” Oh, the perverse joy she derived in saying that and creating the look of consternation on her sister’s face. “We did go out for some time, Nessa, before you appeared on the scene.” Well, they’d had a handful of dates and no matter how petty that made her or how tenuous her relationship with Connor had been, she smiled because she’d left her sister flustered. For once.

Nessa blinked hard, as if she had tears in her eyes, and she provided a credible sniffle to accompany the flutters, but Delaney knew her sister too well. Those tactics might have worked on her once but no longer. She wondered what had been the last straw—briefly—but knew Connor was tied up in the rivalry between them. A rivalry Nessa always seemed to win.

“Well—” Nessa sniffled and hitched the deep breath she drew into her lungs just for effect. “You don’t have to come if you want to be all mean and bitchy.”

Delaney laughed, the sound a snorting giggle she made no attempt to hide. “Me? Mean and bitchy? Really? You want to go there, Nessa?”

She shouldn’t feel such satisfaction at the flush staining her sister’s cheeks. Anger, not embarrassment. Nessa didn’t know the definition of embarrassment.

“If you don’t want me there, fine. If you do, please keep me informed of dates and time so I can ensure I have an escort. I’d hate to create a seating problem by being the odd one out.” She glanced at her watch. “I have work to do, Nessa.”

At least her sister recognized the dismissal and pushed to her feet. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I don’t like it very much.”

“What? You don’t like that I’m no longer your doormat? Tough, Nessa. Life is too short to live in your shadow and at your whim. You want Connor? Go for it. I hope the two of you will have your happy ever after, but don’t expect me to feel all warm and fuzzy that you’ve never recognized a personal boundary in your life.”

Delaney clamped her teeth around the words wanting to spew out. Years of hurt and suppressed resentment boiled inside her. She tamped down the feelings, curious they would explode now. Looking at her motives dispassionately helped her regain control. She eyed Nessa, waiting for her next outburst.

“You’ve always been jealous of me, Delaney. Admit it.”

Laughter bubbled out again but sounded a bit more hysterical than Delaney was entirely comfortable with. “Whatever, Nessa. I still have work to do and I’m sure you have somewhere you’d rather be.”

Her sister sniffed one last time, turned sharply, and marched to the door. She jerked it open at exactly the same moment someone shoved it from the other side. Nessa stumbled backward, howling and cradling her nose with her hand. Bronwyn stood in the doorway looking much more satisfied than she should given the circumstances.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Nessa. Did I bust your nose with the door?”

Delaney pressed her lips together and bit them to keep from laughing out loud. Bronwyn didn’t sound sorry at all. In fact, her best friend looked as pleased as she sounded.

“Just stay away from me.” Nessa growled the words around her hand and exited with as much dignity as she could muster—which wasn’t much.

Bronwyn waited by the door until she was positive Nessa had gone then she closed the door, turned to Delaney, and giggled. “I’m really sorry I didn’t break her nose. Without her looks, maybe Connor would see what a bitch Nessa actually is.” She waggled her brows and skipped over to drop into the chair Nessa had just vacated. “I’m sorry.”

Delaney’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out Bronwyn’s comment. “For what?”

“For introducing you to Connor, the asshat. I can’t believe he dumped you for Nessa. That’s just…wrong on so many levels I can’t even begin to count them. I want to scratch his eyes out every time I see him in the office.”

Delaney couldn’t help but smile. Bronwyn was every inch the outraged friend, and she appreciated the show of solidarity. Something stirred in her memory—brown eyes watching her hungrily, lips brushing across hers. Rory. Not Connor. Maybe she wasn’t as heart-broken as she once thought. The smile on her face shifted, and she knew the moment Bronwyn realized her thoughts had shifted.

“I know that look. You wore it every time you thought about Connor. But you aren’t thinking about jerkface now.” She glanced around the room and even sniffed, as if she could suss out the reason for the change in Delaney’s demeanor. “Oooh…” Bronwyn’s eyes widened and she leaned closer, bracing her hands on the desk and looking conspiratorial. “Was he here today? You know who I mean—tall, muscled, and sexy as all get out?”

Heat flushed her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. “I can’t talk about him. I’m a professional.”

“Then you need to go all unprofessional on him ASAP, girlfriend. That man wants you as much as you want him. And—” Bronwyn snapped her mouth shut, as if she’d been about to say something she’d regret.

“What?”

Bronwyn shook her head, a decisive and adamant motion.

“You know you’re going to tell me.” Delaney wheedled and wagged her finger.

“Well…okay. I think you need to go out with that guy. The cop.” There was nothing teasing about Bronwyn now.

“Rory.”

“Yeah. Him. And I think that if you’d been going out with him and Nessa had tried to steal him away? I think he would have laughed at her. And kissed you. Right in front of her.”

Delaney tilted her head to study her friend, considering what she’d said. Her fingers brushed her lips, the gesture unplanned but very telling.

“Oh. My. God. He’s kissed you!” Bronwyn bounced in her chair. “When? Where? What was it like?”

“Shhhh. Don’t say that so loud. Technically, he’s…” Her voice trailed off. She’d almost called him a patient but was he really? He didn’t consider her his therapist. Her contract stated she was to conduct a critical incident stress debriefing and either sign off or recommend counseling. She’d done neither with Rory. “I could be breaking all kinds of ethics and rules to even consider going out with him. I shouldn’t see him personally.”

“But you kissed him!”

“No, he kissed me.” There. She’d admitted it.

“And?”

“And what?” Delaney bristled, remembering once again that getting involved with Rory was all kinds of wrong. “I told him not to do it again.”

Bronwyn stared, disbelief etched all over her face. “Are you kidding me? Delaney, you’re crazy! The man is drop-dead gorgeous, and he has the hots for you. I’m telling you, you need to sign off on whatever bullshit paperwork you have to sign off on, get him off your professional list, and sign him up on your date list. Invite him to this thing Nessa and Connor are doing. Make them both jealous. And enjoy the hell out of yourself while doing it.”

Delaney pursed her lips and stared at Bronwyn. “Such language, young lady. Shame on you.”

“You know I’m freakin’ right, Delaney Burns. Don’t wag that finger at me. And I’ll say bad words if I want to. So there.” She stuck out her tongue. “You need to wag your finger in your own face, Laney.”

She sighed, unwillingly admitting that Bronwyn was right. But she’d stood up to Nessa today and that was a step in the right direction. “I have a better idea. Retail therapy. After dinner?”

Bronwyn nodded like a bobble-head. “Deal. We are going to find you an outfit that will make Connor really sorry he ever laid eyes on Nessa.”

Delaney inhaled slowly. “No. That’s not necessary, Bronnie. I appreciate the sentiment. but you know something? Deep down, I really think this is all for the best. Connor and Nessa, I mean. When they’re together, nobody else in the world exists. You can’t fight that kind of attraction. Like Nessa said, you’d think they were soul mates if such a thing existed.”

The other woman snorted, the sound derogatory and inelegant. “I know you’re the scientific one, Laney, but really? You don’t believe in love at first sight either. I’m telling you, sometimes there is such a thing. I don’t know if Cupid exists, or love potions, or anything else that’s all woo-woo stuff, but if you’d ever stop to look around you with optimistic eyes, you might just learn a thing or three.”

“The next thing you’re going to try to convince me about is reincarnation, or déjà vu, or…voodoo dolls.”

Bronwyn’s eyes glittered with malice. “Ooh, now there’s an idea! I have a friend in New Orleans. I bet she’d buy us a voodoo doll with Nessa’s name on it. She and Connor might be destined for each other, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be a pain in her ass. Literally.”

She had to laugh. Bronnie always knew how to make her feel better. “Naw. Leave them alone. They deserve each other.”

“They really do. Just wait until she goes all PMS on his ass. Connor’ll never know what hit him.”

Despite her best intentions, a devilish smile curled her lips and crinkled her eyes. “I hadn’t thought of that. Nessa is a real beast during that time of the month. It’ll serve him right. Now get out of here so I can finish up my dictation. I can’t leave until it’s done.”

Bronwyn huffed, but did as asked. “I’ll be out in the waiting room reading those old magazines. You really need to get new ones, Laney. Just sayin’.”

As the door closed, Delaney flipped open Rory’s file and read through her notes. Despite her misgivings—and perhaps some misconceptions on her part—she had to admit he made sense. Every time they talked, he remained grounded and resolute. He was an alpha male with a capital “A” but one who carried a protective streak bigger than Texas.

She’d seen the pain in his eyes when he talked about Nelda Whitson and her granddaughter. And she’d seen the acceptance of Nelda’s death and that of the man who’d taken her hostage. Rory’s arguments made reluctant sense to her and as she sat there, she questioned her own perceptions of his job. Was he right?

She touched her lips again and her thighs clenched reflexively. Was he right about everything? She seemed to be the only one who thought of him as a patient. He certainly didn’t. So, if he wasn’t a patient, there were no ethical lines to cross. What was she afraid of? Maybe it was time for the “physician” to heal herself—and the first step to that was acknowledging she was the one throwing up roadblocks.