CHAPTER1
Liam O’Connor
“I can’t believe you did all this without me. Why didn’t you wait for me to get off work?” my brother Finn asked.
Hefting my mallet, I knocked the last cobblestone into place on the new walkway. I stood and brushed the dirt off my jeans. “Maybe because you have a soon-to-be wife waiting for you inside.”
“She usually gets home around this time,” Finn said. “That does not mean I wouldn’t have helped with the walkway. I know I asked you to come to Tabiq so I could build her the house of her dreams, and you did. The house is amazing. This is all…more than I asked.”
I looked around and shrugged. “Curb appeal is important. If it looks like shit, who will ever want to visit?” I made a show of checking my watch. “Not that I don’t enjoy bragging about my work, but I think you’d better head inside.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Reesa got home about an hour ago and said something about a special dinner that you’re supposed to be taking her to,” I reminded him.
“Damn it.” Finn ran his hand through his hair. “How the hell did I forget that?”
“I would guess it had something to do with running a hospital.”
“That’s no excuse. Reesa runs an entire country,” he grumbled.
“Maybe if you lived under the same roof, it would be easier to keep your schedules in check,” I suggested.
“Liam, we’ve been through this before. Tabiq is…old-fashioned in some ways. You don’t live together before marriage,” he stated.
“You can’t really believe the Tabiqian people think you’re not having sex. If they do, they’re living under a rock.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, it’s all about image. Reesa’s reputation is very important. But the wedding is in a month. Then I can share this home with her. Until then, I stay at the resort like you.”
Not like me. You have Reesa.
“If you don’t get your ass moving, you might be single longer than you want,” I said, nudging him to go inside. “Besides, I’ve got to clean up before heading back to the resort.”
Finn patted his pockets, then walked back to his car. “Fuck. I forgot my cell phone at the hospital. Can you tell Reesa I’ll be back in half an hour?”
“Hell no! If you want her to know you’re going to be late, it’s on you to tell her,” I said firmly. Finn might be my older brother, but I’m not dumb enough to invoke the wrath of a woman who’s been stood up.
“Liam, I need my phone. If there’s an emergency, they have to be able to reach me,” he replied.
“I’m finished here for the day. Why don’t I go and fetch it for you? I’ll even bring it to wherever you’re going for dinner,” I offered.
He glared at me, but my suggestion made the most sense. “Fine. We’ll be at Alex and Ziva Henderson’s home.”
“I thought this was some important dinner, not dinner with friends,” I said.
“The Hendersons are important. They have been a key factor in bringing Tabiq into the worldwide trade business.”
I laughed. “I’ve driven around this island and trust me, it’s far from being economically stable. The Hendersons might not be doing as great a job as you believe.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know. Hell, there’s stuff even I can’t figure out. But it’s not my place. Reesa trusts them and I am not about to tell her otherwise. Besides, my business dealings with them have shown me a different side from what we’ve heard about them in the past,” Finn said.
“Since I am only concerned about what’s happening in Ireland, I don’t give a shit. The Hendersons can take over all of Tabiq for all I care. You just seem dead-set on making this your new home. I don’t want you to lose everything over loving a woman,” I explained.
“Loving Reesa is everything. But you are right about one thing. If I don’t get my ass inside, my night will go completely sideways. Thanks again for going to retrieve my cell phone.”
“No problem. It’s not like there’s anything to do in this country. They don’t even have a decent pub to enjoy a cold stout, never mind a nightclub. How the hell is anyone expected to…meet anyone?” Just in case Reesa was eavesdropping, I decided not to say “get laid.”
Meeting women in Tabiq was impossible. The only ones who would speak to me worked at the resort. But even then, they wouldn’t hang around for small talk. Not that I did a lot of it, but I did more than Tabiqian people. They were beyond reserved. No one had to tell me that tourists were tolerated, not welcome. I could see it in their eyes when they looked at me.