Why Not Tonight
Page 36

“We have giraffes,” Natalie told him. “That’s better.”
He chuckled. “It’s not a competition.”
“It is to me. I’m Team Happily Inc all the way.”
“You’d like Fool’s Gold. We have the longest serving mayor in California history. Mayor Marsha knows all. It’s kind of spooky, but also oddly comforting. Our house was just outside of the main part of town, on the edge of the forest. My brothers and I had acres for our playground. In the summer, we barely spent a second inside. One year Mathias, Nick and I built a fort in some trees. I looked at it a few years ago when we were home for a visit. It’s a rickety thing. We’re lucky it didn’t fall apart and send us crashing to the ground. Whenever our father got in one of his moods, we disappeared. We had a few places we could go to get food.”
“Like where?”
“Neighbors. A couple of restaurants in town would take care of us. I’m sure they sent a bill back to Elaine and my dad.”
Natalie made a little noise.
“What?” he asked.
“You do that. You call your mom Elaine.”
“She’s not my mother.”
“She didn’t give birth to you but she raised you. Of course she’s your mother.”
She lied to me. Ronan didn’t say the words, but he thought them. Ceallach’s deception had been understandable. His father was a narcissist who only thought of himself, but Elaine was supposed to have been different. He was supposed to be able to trust her.
Natalie sighed. “Sorry. It’s your birthday. You get to be a butthead if you want.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re not mad I called you a butthead?”
“Nope.”
She snuggled close again. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.”
“Thanks.”
They reached The Boardroom. The lights were on, the doors open and the sound of music drifted out. Ronan knew the party for him was in back, in the private room. He thought briefly of bolting, but knew that would disappoint Natalie. Instead he braced himself before following her through the main area and down a short hall. Another door stood open and he could see about thirty people inside.
“Ronan! Happy birthday.”
People cheered and called out greetings as they entered. Nick approached and slapped him on the back. Mathias did the same. Ronan was about to say something when he caught sight of the banner on the wall.
Happy Birthday, Ronan and Mathias
Ronan glanced at his former twin. “What’s up with that?”
Mathias sipped his beer. “We celebrated on my birthday for the first twenty-four years of our lives. I figure we’ll celebrate on yours for the next twenty-four, then split the difference until one of us is dead.”
Their gazes locked. Ronan allowed himself to remember what it had been like to really be a twin—half of an important whole. Back then he’d known what he wanted and who he was. Life had been a lot less complicated.
“Good plan,” he said with a grin. “Plus, I’ll outlive you.”
“You wish.”
More people joined them. Ronan got a beer and saw Atsuko had brought a date—a much younger blond man who looked at her as if she were the only woman alive. Carol’s father and uncle—Ed and Ted—had shown up, along with several of Ronan’s interns. There was a pile of presents in one corner and a buffet set out along the back wall.
Ronan excused himself to find Natalie. She was talking to a very pale Pallas.
“How are you feeling?” he asked his sister-in-law.
She waved her glass. “Living on ginger ale and crackers,” she said. “The diet of champions. Or in my case, pregnant women. Happy birthday.” She took a sip. “Did I know you two were dating?”
Natalie shrugged. “I’m not sure. Did you?”
Pallas groaned. “I’m in a weakened state. Please don’t mess with my already shaky mental ability.”
Natalie glanced at him, then turned back to her friend. “It’s casual. We weren’t going to mention it, but people seem to have found out.”
Ronan wasn’t sure he liked the description of “casual” but he was in no position to correct her.
“You make a cute couple,” Pallas said. “Unexpected, but cute.”
He wondered what was unexpected about them. They were both artists and had other similar interests. He supposed Pallas’s surprise came from the fact that Natalie was so cheerful and always saw the positive in every situation where he did not.
Nick and Mathias joined them. “How are you enjoying the party?” Nick asked.
“It’s great,” he lied, although he was having a better time than he’d expected. Most likely because he was with Natalie.
“We’re signed up for the outdoor charity challenge next month. You probably saw the signs out front. It’ll be the five of us.”
The information processed slowly. Ronan had seen the signs—the outdoor challenge was a charity event with everything from a 5K to a tug-of-war. He had no problem with the individual events. It was the team that got his attention.
What five was the obvious question, only he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
“Del and Aidan flying in?” he asked instead.
“Yup. Mitchell brothers rule.”
Nick’s gaze was steady, his tone firm, as if he was doing his damnedest to make sure Ronan knew there was no getting out of this. That he was one of the brothers and expected to attend.
Ronan glanced toward the door and thought longingly of his solitary house on the mountain. How he could be alone there and happy to be so. Only being on his own hadn’t been all that successful for him. He’d stopped working and he’d been lonely. He reminded himself that the best times of his life had been spent with his brothers. He should be grateful Nick was being a hard-ass about the whole thing.
“I’m in,” he said quickly before he could change his mind.
His brother relaxed. “Awesome. I’ll let the others know.”
Natalie moved next to him and smiled. “We’re going to start the dart competition in a few minutes. Want to be on my team?”
He looked into her brown eyes and saw smug confidence. “Let me guess. You’re as good at darts as you are at flying paper airplanes.”
“It’s kind of the same thing. Aim and throw.”
He put his arm around her. “You have unexpected depths.”
“I know. Makes me pretty irresistible.”
She was teasing, but he knew there was truth to her words. And while she was a temptation, she was one he was going to have to resist. What they were doing was fine. Anything more would cross the line...for both of them.
CHAPTER TWELVE
NATALIE WAS DEFINITELY feeling her wine. She’d had a great time at Ronan’s birthday party, but even more important, he’d enjoyed himself, as well. She’d kicked his manly butt at darts, had watched him talk and laugh with his brothers, and then when the night had gotten late, Ronan had pulled her close and they’d danced. She was tipsy, tired and totally happy.
Ronan held her hand as they walked back to the gallery where they’d parked their cars. She was going to ask him to drive her home—there was no way she wanted to drive and it was a little too far for her to walk. She knew she needed the exercise, but the thought of getting home and just sliding into bed was way more appealing.