I was afraid I’d be embarrassed to have him over there, I truly was. But this time… I’m more worried about her than I am the state of her home, or anything like that.
I can’t bring Mary here, that’s for certain.
“Tully.”
“Mmm?”
He pulls into Ballyhock centre. I want to talk to him a bit before we get home.
Home. Why do I keep thinking that?
“Do you think we could bring my mum to the house to meet Mary?” If I can get her to go.
“Of course,” he says with conviction. “Maeve’ll burst her fucking buttons having your mum come. Not to mention the fact that you’ll have more space if you bring them there, and Mary will know a few people as well.”
I nod. “Good. Thank you.” I clear my throat. It isn’t as easy to talk about the next thing I want to talk about. “Do you think… Sebastian could take a look at her?”
Sebastian’s the Clan doctor, and he lives right there at the mansion.
Tully drops his voice, and gives me another gentle squeeze of the knee. “Aye, lass. Of course.”
Again, he doesn’t ask any more questions.
It’s past dinnertime, but there are voices in the dining room when we enter. Mary sits at the table with one of the staff, polishing the silver.
“Mary, you don’t have to do chores to earn your keep here,” Tully says, frowning.
She looks up with a smile. “Very nice of you, but I’m more comfortable doing something with my hands.”
I walk in and sit beside her. I lift a heavy silver spoon and soft cloth, and polish alongside them. “Saw Mum today.”
“Oh?” Mary’s eyes light up, but she continues to polish a fork.
“Aye. Tully thinks it’s a good idea if I invite her here for you to meet. I don’t want to rush right into things, since she’s older and a bit fragile.”
Mary nods. “I understand. And aye, McKenna, I’d love that!”
I smile at her. “Excellent. Then we’ll plan on it.”
Tully’s waiting in the doorway. The man’s been more than patient with me, but now I can see the weariness in his own eyes as he drags a hand across his brow.
“McKenna?”
I nod and get to my feet, but as I walk across the length of the room to meet him, Keenan comes around the corner.
“Got a new development, Tully.”
“Oh?”
“Aye. Need to have a meeting with the inner circle this evening.” I can see him stifle a yawn, but he only nods.
“Yes, of course. And I’ll tell you about what happened at the school today as well.”
Keenan nods. “See you in half an hour in the meeting room?”
“Aye.”
Tully gives me a wink. “Just enough time to get us situated after a long day.”
When Keenan leaves, I roll my eyes. “We don’t have time for that.”
He gives me a look of mock affront. “Not sure what you have going on in that dirty little mind of yours,” he mutters, “but I’m only looking for a kiss.”
“As if.”
He chuckles, the sound sending my heart to thumping as we go up the large flight of stairs to the room.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Tully, you’re laughing at me!”
Is he? I hated being poked fun of as a child. I was the nerdy girl with glasses who sat alone. I wonder sometimes if it’s partly why I like being the teacher now, as if it brings a sort of healing from my childhood.
“I’m not,” he says, but his shoulders are shaking.
I sigh dramatically as we make it to the landing.
“It’s just that sometimes you’ve got the vocabulary of a college professor, with your five syllable words and -ologies and -isms. And then sometimes you sound like a thirteen year old.”
I giggle to myself. “I suppose it depends on the mood.”
His lips twitch. “I suppose.”
He opens the door and brings in my bag. I squeal when the warm, soft bodies of my kitties wrap around my legs.
“Oh, Mummy missed you!” I say in a baby voice, which earns me a groan from Tully.
“As if they understand a word you’re saying.”
“Now, don’t you listen to that big, bad man,” I continue in the singsong voice. “He’s all bark and no bite.”
“Is that a fact?” he asks in a rumble. My heart thumps a little faster. I’m kneeling on the floor with Cookie tucked up to my chest, in the perfect position to observe the heavy black tip of his heavy black boot.
“Fact!” I tell the boot.
I look up to see his hands planted on his hips.
“Have to go meet Keenan in a few minutes,” he says. “But that’s plenty of time to school a naughty little mouth.”
I rise with Cookie as my talisman, cradling her up to my chest as I defend myself.
“Now, Tully, I was only teasing you…”
“Quite disrespectfully,” he says with a shake of his head, as if he’s terribly sorry to disappoint me. “Ah, well. I’m afraid you’ll have to be punished when I get back, then.”