A Hand to Hold

Chapter twenty-three

~ Natalie

*

“How the hell did I get talked into this?” I asked aloud as I attempted to sort through Brigid’s copious notes. “Because you’re a kind-hearted person who has a difficult time saying no to anyone, much less a woman who’s just had heart surgery,” Candace pointed out as she sat with me on the floor of my living room. “Besides, you can totally do this. All you need is a little organization.”

“A little organization and a miracle. What time is it? Is Katrina off work yet?”

“Didn’t Ronan tell you to call Cynthia for help?” Candace asked facetiously. I thought about what Maddie had told me concerning Cynthia Price as well as Ronan’s account. Now, I wanted Candace’s perspective.

*

“What can you tell me about Cynthia?” I asked plainly. Candace looked hesitantly back at me. She knew exactly what I wanted to know. “Candace?” I encouraged. She took a breath and chose her words carefully before saying, “Cynthia has wanted Ronan since the day they met.” Candace stroked her hair back out of her face and continued, “They began their affair based on a lie, though Ronan still refuses to believe it. She convinced him the last thing she wanted was a committed relationship, hoping over time to manipulate him into marrying her. Of course, that didn’t turn out like she’d hoped. Nevertheless, she still harbors the belief that Ronan will change his mind one day and marry her.”

*

Candace looked at me intently and said, “There is no telling what she will do when she finds out Ronan’s married. You’ll need to be careful, Natalie. She’s not used to not getting what she wants, and in her mind, you’ve stolen what belongs to her.”

“It’s not as though she can blame me,” I claimed. “Ronan and I were married before I even knew she existed.”

“That won’t stop her from hating you. And she’s successfully convinced Ronan she can do no wrong. He won’t hear a word against her. Tread lightly.”

“I will, Candace. Thanks for the warning.”

“No matter what, I’ve got your back.”

*

I reached for my phone and muttered, “I guess I can’t avoid her forever.” I typed in Cynthia’s number and listened to it ring several times before going to voicemail. I left a message informing her of Brigid’s wishes for me to take over, as well as requesting a callback.

*

After I hung up, I caught Candace staring at me with a strange expression. “What?” I asked, puzzled.

“Nothing. It’s just… well… you don’t really sound like Ronan’s wife.”

“That’s because I don’t feel like his wife.”

“Maybe I can help with that,” came my husband’s Irish brogue from the doorway. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment over what he’d overheard me admit.

*

Earlier that day, I dragged Ronan home from the hospital to ensure he showered and rested. I wouldn’t have succeeded if his grandmother hadn’t backed me up. Ronan looked like a whole new man. It was rare to see him in anything other than a suit. My stomach fluttered upon seeing him casually dressed in faded jeans and a handsome green flannel button-up.

*

We bid farewell to Candace, who needed to retrieve her son from daycare. After she left, Ronan regained my attention, asking flirtatiously, “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” I replied cautiously.

“For me to help you feel more like my wife.” He stood so close his body heat gave me goosebumps. I was terrified to ask what he had in mind. He didn’t wait for my reply but took my hand and led me through the front door.

*

Past the threshold, I had to blink several times before I could process what I was looking at. Five shiny new vehicles were parked in a semi-circle on the gravel driveway. Ronan gestured toward the cars and said, “Pick one.” My mouth fell open, dumbfounded by his carefree command. I must’ve been looking at nearly half a million dollars worth of engineering.

*

“Ro-Ronan… I … I can’t,” I stuttered. “This is way too much.” Ronan smiled smugly at my stupefied reaction, thoroughly enjoying himself. “Would it be easier if I chose for you?” he asked hopefully.

“No! No, I mean, I don’t need anything so extravagant.

“Yes, you do.”

“Why?”

“Because… you are MY wife. I told you I’d help you feel like it.”

*

When I made no move to examine my options, Ronan took my hand again and said, “Come on, at least get a closer look at them.” We strolled around the driveway while my husband gave me the rundown of each vehicle’s stats as well as their pros and cons. “I wanted you to have something sturdier than a car, so I chose only SUV models. But nothing too big. I want you to be comfortable. If there is nothing here you like, I can get you something else.” I merely chuckled at the ridiculousness of his statement.

~~~

After spending most of the afternoon test-driving a Mercedes, a Porsche, a Lamborghini, a Range Rover, and a Tesla, I confidently made my selection. “I’m curious,” Ronan said when we returned indoors, “what made you decide on the Range Rover?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” I replied with a smirk, “it was the only red one.” He stared at me in disbelief and uttered, “Are you serious?” I savored a bit of payback. Served him right for enjoying my dumbstruck reaction to his superfluous gift.

*

I giggled at the look on Ronan’s face and replied, “Of course not! Although, I do love the color.” He spared me a delicious grin as I added, “The Range Rover just fits me best.”

“You did seem quite at home behind the wheel.”

“Do you approve of my choice?”

“I wouldn’t have brought you options I didn’t approve of. Though I admit, I’d hoped you would choose the Lamborghini. But I’m happy if you’re happy.”

*

“Now,” Ronan said, moving closer, “are you ready for the second part of your surprise?” My eyes widened as I replied, “There’s more?”

“Just this,” he answered, passing me a slip of paper. I examined the page and froze. In my hands, I held the title for my brand new Range Rover… in my name. “Is this for real?” I asked incredulously.

“Of course, it is. It’s my way of apologizing for selling your Corolla out from under you. I know I’m too controlling, bean chéile. I wanted to give you back some control. Now, you can do whatever you want with your car. Although, as a favor to your husband, could you refrain from going anywhere until I hear back from Desmond?” I was touched by his sincerity, not to mention rationality, and the way he spoke without his usual air of dominance. I couldn’t refuse him if I wanted to. “That’s fair,” I agreed.

*

Ronan followed me back to the den, where I’d abandoned the plans for the gala. “Shall we get some dinner?” he suggested.

“I wish I could, but I cannot afford to lose another minute not working on the gala. There’s only a week to make sure everything meets your grandmother’s specifications.”

“You still have to eat, lass,” he sweetly reminded me.

“I’ll grab something from the kitchen after sorting through your grandmother’s notes.” Ronan looked at me as though he wanted to protest but decided against it. Glad he was learning he couldn’t tell me what to do all the time if he hoped to have any kind of relationship with me.

*

“Alright,” Ronan said, “just be sure you make time to get your gown. Don’t make me sick Candace on you.”

“Shopping with Candace? Oh, Ronan… that’s not the threat you think it is.”

*

Ronan and I locked eyes, momentarily embracing the comfortable silence between us. At some point, we’d need to have a conversation and attempt to resolve the lingering issues between us. But for the time being, I was satisfied knowing he was making an ounce of effort.

*

“I’ve got to get back to work,” I told him.

“I’ll leave you to it then. I need to spend some time at the office. Then, I plan to stop by the hospital on my way home. I don’t know how late it’ll be.”

“Thanks for letting me know,” I confirmed. I tucked my hair behind my ear and added, “And thank you for the car, Ronan. I’m truly grateful.” He took my breath away when he pulled me toward him, kissed my temple, and said, “You’re welcome, bean chéile.” He left me in the foyer, wondering if he would ever kiss me properly.

~~*~~

Two days later, Cynthia had yet to return my calls. What was she doing? Wasn’t she the assistant charity director? I considered asking Ronan to call her, but I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t handle the job his grandmother entrusted to me. After complaining to Katrina about the Barbie, my bestie reminded me that if Cynthia worked for OCE, her office location should be listed in the company directory. I felt a bit silly that I hadn’t thought of that already.

*

Katrina, Candace, and I had a date planned the following day to shop for gowns, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself until I had at least pinned down Cynthia and made sure we were on the same page. So, when I found her in the directory, I immediately called her office number. No answer. I left her yet another message but decided to take action by asking Harrison to drive me to the OCE building. It was torture to have a brand-new luxury vehicle in my possession and not be able to drive it due to my agreement with Ronan. But I was a woman of my word. I just prayed Ronan’s investigator delivered some good news to us soon.

*

It came as little surprise when I arrived at Cynthia’s office only to discover she wasn’t there. Thankfully, she was not the only person who worked in the department. “Can I help you?” a thirty-something, brown-haired guy asked me. He sported black-rimmed glasses and was clothed in grey slacks and a navy blue collared shirt. “I’m looking for Cynthia Price,” I informed him. He laughed and replied, “Good luck with that. She rarely graces us with her presence, and when she does, she never stays long.”

“Because she is busy?” I asked optimistically.

“Because she is shopping,” he corrected. Dang. How did anything in the charity department ever get accomplished?

*

“I’m Elijah Wilkes,” the guy said as we shook hands. “I do the work Ms. Price takes credit for.”

“I see. I thought Cynthia worked closely with Mrs. Ó Ceallaigh?”

“She does. Then, she comes back to the office to delegate her tasks to me and Alice. She’s in the break room at the moment. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Have you been informed that Mrs. Ó Ceallaigh is in the hospital?”

“Yes, Ms. Price popped in first thing this morning to bark orders, I mean … give instructions, just before she left to go shopping. Something about what she wore to the gala being more important than the hors d’oeuvres.”

*

“Okay… well then,” I said hesitantly. “I suppose you’re the person I need to be working with. I’m Natalie. Mrs. Ó Ceallaigh chose me to personally oversee the final preparations. I have all her notes here.” I showed Elijah the binder I’d put together of Brigid’s instructions. “Fantastic!” he exclaimed. “Things will go a lot smoother now. I’m glad you showed up when you did.”

*

After Alice returned from break, Elijah introduced me, and we dove straight into work. Alice was a mousy sort of girl with sandy-blonde hair. I never considered myself exceptionally tall, at 5’4”, but I felt giant standing beside Alice. But she was sweet and seemed to be very passionate about her work. I enjoyed working with the two of them, and by the time afternoon rolled around, I felt much more at ease with the status of the gala preparations.

*

As I packed up my notes and prepared to leave, Cynthia decided to make an appearance. “Eli, I need a latte pronto!” she demanded as she dropped her bags and stripped off her expensive wool coat. “It’s Elijah,” he muttered under his breath as he walked out of the room.

*

“You,” Cynthia said with a manicured finger pointing in my direction. “I’ve seen you before. You’re one of Madigan’s friends, aren’t you?” I could see how she reached that assumption. Maddie and I were near the same age, and Ronan hadn’t paid me much attention while we were at the hospital for Cynthia to think I knew him personally.

*

“Maddie does see me as a sister, yes,” I replied vaguely.

“So, what are you doing here?” Cynthia wanted to know. I noticed her voice wasn’t as melodic when she wasn’t speaking to Ronan. “Brigid asked me to help with the gala in her absence,” I answered.

“What?! That is what she has me for.”

“She thought you might need help.”

“And that is what I have them for.” She gestured to the desks of Elijah and Alice. “So, thanks, but no thanks. I have everything under control.” I gave her a sweet smile and replied, “I’m sure you do. Nevertheless, I promised Brigid I’d help.”

“Are you deaf or just plain dumb? I told you, you’re not needed. I might just seem like the assistant director, but I am close, personal friends with the CEO.”

“You may be, but I do not answer to Mr. Ó Ceallaigh. I answer to Mrs. Ó Ceallaigh.”

*

Cynthia sighed indifferently and said, “Fine, stay, help, whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway. Just don’t screw anything up.” She flicked her glossy hair over her shoulder and finished with, “Who knows? Do a decent job, and maybe this time next year, you can have my job when I am the new Mrs. Ó Ceallaigh.” She disappeared into her office before I could reply.

~~~

“She actually said that?” Katrina asked in disbelief from the backseat of Candace’s Lexus.

“Those exact words,” I answered.

“Boy, is she in for a rude awakening,” Candace said, her laugh almost maniacal.

*

As planned, the following day, the girls and I headed into the city for a day of shopping. At first, Ronan wasn’t pleased that I didn’t want to ride with Harrison, but when I pointed out the low risk of anything untoward happening in broad daylight, in a public place, and surrounded by the girls, he reluctantly agreed.

*

I wasted no time giving my friends the details of my run-in with Cynthia. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell her you’re Ronan’s wife,” Candace added. “The sooner she lets go of that pipe dream, the better.”

“Because she didn’t give me the chance, for one. And second, Ronan should have told her himself, but he didn’t. I thought that meant he was waiting until the gala.”

*

“Oh, Candace! We’re near Diamond’s. Can we go there first?” Katrina pleaded. I was thankful for the respite from discussing Cynthia. “Sure,” Candace answered. “There’s lots of amazing gown shops around here. I’ll find a spot in this parking garage up ahead.”

*

The girls dragged me all over the damn city. I told them I wasn’t up for an entire new wardrobe in one day, but they took charge and forced me to purchase no less than five new outfits. We’d just entered the third shop when I couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on me. Only, every time I looked around, I saw no one. I chalked it up to Ronan putting insecurities in my head. I was in a busy store in the middle of the day. I had no reason to be spooked. The only thing I should be worried about was the damage Candace was doing to Ronan’s credit card on my behalf.

*

Already exhausted before evening looking at gowns, I breathed a sigh of relief when we came to a place called Edmund & Alma’s. Their selection was impressive and promising. I could have closed my eyes, and the first dress I touched would’ve made me look like a million bucks.

*

The girls had boundless enthusiasm for dressing me up like a doll. Their excitement was boundless, and their opinions limitless, but I knew in my head the type of gown I was on the hunt for.

*

“I told you I’m looking for something Christmasy, Trina. No purple!” I yelled at her from behind the dressing room curtain. “But it looks so beautiful on you!” she yelled back.

“No, Kat!”

“Fine.” I heard her footsteps disappear.

*

Moments later, Candace called, “Natalie! You have to see this!”

“Hang on, let me zip this green one up first.”

“You’re going to forget all about that green one, when you see what I’ve got.”

“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” I stepped out from behind the curtain and involuntarily gasped. “Oh my,” I whispered.

“Don’t you love it?”

“There aren’t words, Candace,” I replied, awestruck. “It’s perfect!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~