Page 69 of The Devil's Detail
“No fucking chance. The kids are knackered with all the skiing. It’s great. They’re in bed by eight. Spark out.” He’s laughing. “But seriously, Jax, send someone. I don’t want to have to tie our star client to the back of a sledge and pull him to my house to stop him from sitting on his own in the dark.”
“Fucking movie stars,” I joke. “I’ll sort someone. Think Baz could do with a winter adventure? He’s not happy in Ireland. He doesn’t drink, and everyone here thinks he’s weird.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. They’ll be upset the whiskey sales are down. That can’t catch on. Not in your family anyway, Jonno.”
“It’s all about the profit. You know it, Ash,” Jonno quips back as he takes Shay out of his crib at the side of us. He can’t leave the boy alone.
“Well, let me know the details. And I’ll warn Carter someone is coming. If he doesn’t like it, he can take it up with you, eh, Jackson.” Crafty bastard, I hear the laugh in his voice.
“Totally,” I deadpan, as Jonno is also grinning like a Cheshire cat.
To be honest, I’ve not heard from Carter as much as I thought I would have. But based on what Ash has said, they are working long hours on set. Cold, hard days, as most of the scenes are outside. And Carter likes to be involved. Although, he’s barred from skiing for pleasure, in case he gets injured. Ash said he’s sitting sulking on a Ski-doo.
Aoife comes in to feed the baby, plops down on the settee, and gets set up. She’s a bit more awkward than Evie, but then my sister has had three kids in under three years. The next twowill make five kids in under four years. I suppose that's what happens when you have twins twice. Jonno sits with a totally rapt expression on his face. I can’t help smiling at him. He’d feed the baby himself if he could.
“So are you going to go?” Jonno turns his attention to me.
I look at him in total confusion. “Go where? I’m here for Christmas. Evie’ll throttle me if I leave you ‘alone’.”
He laughs. “I’m not alone. I’ve got Aoife and Shay, and, for my sins, all the O'Clery's. Marshall’s coming over. Have you heard? Landing tomorrow, as Jude’s off to LA. Mum’s been crying, she only has Jake, Sofia, and the Dicksons. She’s not going to cope with so few people. I told her to enjoy it, as once Evie gets back with the hordes of kids, she’ll be inundated.”
Aoife is taking me in. “Is it Carter Maywood? I saw him on the entertainment news, in a bar in Italy. Singing.” She looks like that is the crime of the century. “Loads of skiers. All off their heads. It looked like good fun, though,” she wistfully finishes off.
“Would you rather be there? Drunk in a bar? Or here with him and me?” Jonno asks her as he tilts his head at their son, looking put out at the comment.
“Christ, here, of course. Although I would love a whiskey. But sacrifices have to be made for the people you love. So I’ll wait.” She looks lovingly at her baby boy.
“I’ll taste test for you,” Jonno adds in helpfully. As if he’s doing her a favour.
“Digging yourself a bigger hole, Jonno. And no, why should I? I’ll send Baz. I don’t really need him here, but he insists on coming with me.” I grin at them both.
“I think you should go, too,” Jonno says seriously.
“I said he could call me, which he hasn't. Not that I’d go fucking running to him.”
“Don’t be like that, Jackson. He’s on your mind. I see you, brother. I know he is. And the fact you’re put out he hasn’t calledmuch. But when he did, you were cold. I’ll bet he thinks you’re going to sack him off for good.”
“I wasn’t cold.” My voice is getting louder, and when the baby squirms I pipe down and hiss at Jonno, “I wasn’t cold.”
“You were. I heard you on the call. Aloof Jackson is back.” He sighs. “Just go, Jackson. I know you want to. I’ll make the decision for you. Go to Italy. Claim that man. He wants you, you want to be with him. Why are you waiting? What for? Him to totally submit to you. You don’t even like that. Not your thing.”
Aoife’s eyes widen, and I put my hands up in an apology for her husband. Jonno just grins.
“Won’t it be giving in, though. I mean, he did lie, and he might again.” I sound unsure, but I’m not sure if I am. So I must be.
“Do you trust you?”
I screw my face up at him. “What sort of a question is that?”
“Do you trust you? It’s an easy question to answer.”
“Of course,” I say, as if he’s lost his mind.
“Then why not go. If he pisses you off, leave. Join the skiers. Get drunk in the mountains. Join Ash and the kids. You trust yourself to make the right call. So make it.”
I look at him in contemplation. He is right. I do trust myself. I am in charge of my own life. I make the rules. So what if anyone looking on thinks it’s not right. I decide if it is. And no one from my family is judging either way. They want me to be happy, full stop.
“You don’t mind if I go?” I ask them both.
