Ryleigh
With her sister hot on her tail, Ryleigh walked into her parent’s kitchen. “What do you mean, he’s in New York?”
“What else could I be meaning with that sentence, Jessie?”
With Keenan away these past few days, she’d felt constantly on edge. Sparring with Devlin and Catriona had only helped so much.
Jessie yanked her mother’s apron from the side of the fridge and said, “Don’t be such a smart ass. I’m just wondering why you’d let your boyfriend go fly across the country to see his ex. Is he flying right back or is he staying overnight?”
Ryleigh didn’t care for her oldest sister, putting these thoughts into her head.
“He’s been there for a few days.” She wanted to add, ‘he’s with his cousins’ but she couldn’t find the energy to deal with her sister anymore. Sure, Jessie hadn’t been dealt the best of cards with her husband, but she wasn’t helping Ryleigh with her remarks.
“You must know that the bond between a man and a woman strengthens when they have a child together…”
She’d tried to be nice but enough was enough. “If you don’t stop it right now, I’m going to leave before dinner.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’re bringing negative thoughts to my head. Thoughts that I don’t need.”
“I’m only trying to protect you, sis.”
“Are you? How is any of this about protecting me?”
Jessie fisted the ends of the apron cords and knotted them with much vigor.
“You of all people know what I’ve dealt with, what Joe did to me and Liv. You’ve been my absolute rock in all of it after Joe got sent to prison.”
“Jess, you can be proud of yourself.”
“I am. But I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’ve heard from Bree that day when I met her and Declan that Keenan was still hung up on his ex. I—”
“Jessie, I love you. You’re my sister. But I don’t want you to repeat any of that ever again. It’s simply not true. I know the deal, and Keenan knows the deal between us. What other people say; I don’t give a fuck.”
Keenan had called her several times a day. They had found Evangeline in a sleazy motel. Thankfully, Evangeline had signed the papers. They even had talked her into going to rehab by giving her money.
Ryleigh didn’t know what to think about that, but Keenan had said Ronan insisted on donating the money. They did everything they could to help Evangeline get better and escape her horrible life with Derek.
And she knew that was all there was to it for Keenan. Sure, he hadn’t been as in touch in the past two days as he’d been on the first two days of his stay, but she wasn’t worried. Yet.
“That’s my girl,” her father Ron said when he wheeled into the kitchen. “The guy is absolutely smitten. No way he’s doing you dirty.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I say what I think.”
Ryleigh smiled at her father when he repeated his motto.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Jessie said while peering through the window above the sink.
“Nah, I called my mistress an hour ago, said now wasn’t a good time. Full house and all.”
Ryleigh and Jessie rolled their eyes at their father. Ryleigh peered over her sister’s shoulder and dropped the plate she’d been drying. It smashed on the kitchen tiles.
Ron muttered, “Are we having a Greek party?”
“Ron, please stop running your mouth,” her mother said as she entered the kitchen with a dustpan in hand.