Page 8 of Lucky In Love

“Aye, Da.” He knows damn well I am, and I’m annoyed he’s not as well.

We were out all night for his stag party, yet he looked in good health even at his ripe old age of fifty. I glanced down the aisle as the music changed.

Red Shirley temple curls bounce down the rows of chairs set up, carefully dropping one rose petal at a time. Jade mumbles as she counts her steps, and when she forgets to drop a petal, she runs back to correct her error.

Despite my hangover, I smile at my new baby sister.

“Precious, isn’t she?” Da asks to my right, making me nod when the six-year-old finally makes it to the flower arch we’re standing under.

I stretch out my hand for her, and she shifts the white wicker basket to her other hand to take mine. Her little eyes look up at me with a frown.

“Ciarán, why are you wearing glasses? Are you blind?” I try to hide my laughter.

“Your brother is suffering from too many pints of ale,” Da adds helpfully.

“Ew,” Jade’s voice drifts up at me.

“When you’re twenty one will revisit this conversation. Now look, here comes your Ma.” Her head whips around with a huge smile.

“She’s your Ma now too!” I nod as the bride walks to my Da and takes her place.

“Trust me, baby sis. I know.” I try to keep the bitterness out of my voice because my new stepmother is great.

The love my Da has for her is something to be envied, but she could never replace my own Ma.

We lost her to cancer years ago, and my Da was miserable without her until Fiona entered his life with a little hurricane of a daughter on her hip. It was love at first sight for him.

He gained a new wife and daughter to spoil which I thank the good lord for daily.

The newlyweds kiss, and the on-lookers clap as they walk back down the aisle to a flurry of bird seeds being thrown on them.

“No, my hair!” Jade cries out, trying to protect the red curls around her cherub face.

“Up you go,” I reach down and pick her up, trying to shield her from it.

“Big brother will protect you.”

Chapter One

Ciarán

“Mr. Kilory, sir. Your sister has arrived.” I sigh deeply, looking at my watch and noticing she’s early, but my fucking model is late.

“Thank you, Jeffery. Can you stick her in my office until I sort this mess out?” I wave over to the director, who is furious that production hasn’t started yet.

“But sir,” Jeffery tries to interject.

“My little sister can damn well wait until I am done working.” I snap as I see the door open out of the corner of my eye.

“Very well, sir.” Jeffery turns away as I stomp over to the redhead, entering the chaos as if she’s got all the time in the world.

She turns and looks around, and when her eyes meet mine, she has the fucking never-to smile.

“You’re fucking late!” I yell, making her face fall.

She starts to shake her head at me, but I continue to bark orders in hopes of getting us back on track.

“Get your ass in the chair so hair and makeup can get to work. You’ll only have twenty minutes for wardrobe at this point.” I grab her arm and lead her into the dressing room and storm out once the flurry of people I pay good money to get to work.

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