Page 153 of On The Rocks

Giovanni immediately came over and insisted we took our time savoring the wine he brought to the table. The appetizers took a while to come out, but not in a way that was annoying. Itwas just a laid-back place with an equally laid-back owner who wanted us to relax and enjoy our night.

Callum’s face softened as he studied the restaurant. “My da loved it here. It was the only place he’d go out to eat after he got sick.” Pain flashed across his face, but he quickly recovered and replaced it with a tight-lipped smile.

“Tell me,” I urged. “You don’t talk about your da much.”

“I know,” Callum mumbled. “It’s tough to speak about him sometimes. Me and Donovan talk now and again, but as time goes on, it seems to get harder to keep it together. People say time heals, but I’m working through some residual feelings, so it feels as raw now as it did then.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the conversation I had with Maureen flicking through the back of my mind.

He smiled. “I think I resisted you for so long because he wanted you for me so badly.”

I laughed softly. “That’s understandable. We’ve all got a little rebellion in us. I know if Orla had put somebody under my nose, I would’ve run a mile just to spite her.”

“But not Paddy?” Callum asked. “He put me under your nose.”

“You were the exception,” I admitted.

“So were you.” Callum took my hand, his eyes lifting to mine. “I felt it, Maeve. It used to irritate me to hell when I’d try to talk to you, and you’d scuttle away and bury your nose in a book. You were the only girl who never fawned over me.”

“I was painfully shy,” I whispered.

“I know, but you were different from all the others even back then. I was annoyed by you because I desperately wanted to get to know you. The only reason I resisted the idea of marriage was because I thought you didn’t like me. Maybe deep down, I felt rejected.”

I covered his hand with mine. “You have to understand, you were Callum O’Shea, and I was Maeve, the frizzy-haired nerd. Why on earth would Callum O’Shea ever be interested in the likes of me?”

Fire flashed in his eyes. “Those bitches did a number on you.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “But so did the rest of society. When a girl doesn’t fit a certain mold, she’s written off. I always knew my beauty was deeper than the surface. I’m happy you saw it, too.”

His forehead furrowed. “I’ve never fit a mold either. Da always wanted a certain type of son. Being the eldest, I was expected to be the strongest, the most obedient, the perfect firstborn. Whenever I wasn’t, I got punished.”

My heart clenched painfully at his words.

“Da gave me a few good beatings growing up,” he blurted out. “It cut me deep, Maeve.”

I squeezed his fingers, tears filling my eyes. “That wasn’t on you. The fault was all his. He was your father. His job was to guide and encourage you, not beat you down just for being a kid and doing kid stuff. It’s the same thing as Orla hitting me. There’s something broken in them, Callum, not us.”

Callum’s eyes locked on mine. “It made me internalize things. I don’t ask for help, and I don’t share my problems; I just deal because it’s how he taught me to be. It’s what he beat into me.”

“Oh, Callum.” I blinked back my tears. “I can understand that.”

“I’m not screwed up by it,” he stated emphatically. “But it affected the way I deal with things. I find it hard to admit when I’m wrong and when I’ve fucked up, but it still doesn’t excuse what I did.” He upturned his hand and intertwined our fingers. “Sorry I hurt you, wife. I’m trying to do better.”

“I know,” I assured him. “Thank you for trusting me with all this.”

His lips tipped up and he nodded to my cleared plate. “You want another?”

My heart flipped. “Another dessert? You just became my dream man. Thank you, but no. I couldn’t eat another thing.”

He lifted his hand, signaling to the waiter for the check.

“Thank you for a lovely date, Callum,” I whispered.

He lifted my knuckles to his mouth and kissed them. “Thank you for coming. I had the best time with you.”

He watched the waiter place the bill on the table before he released my hand and went into his back pocket for his wallet.

“You wanna go halves?” I asked.

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