Doctor Lucky Charms: A Holiday Romance (Kilts and Kisses) Read online

  She set the plate of steak and potatoes in front of me, the amused expression on her face turning to one of warmth.

  “I’m just saying, boy – you’re not like this with just any lass. I could see the way your eyes lit up when you spoke about her. She’s something special.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Still too soon.” I was talking shite and I knew it. Joann was something special – Ma had seen right through me, as always.

  “You’re a good lad,” she said. “And the only reason I give you such a go about all this is that I want to make sure you protect your heart. You’re handsome and smart and successful, and on top of it all, you’re about to be famous!”

  “Ah, don’t remind me.”

  She raised her finger. “That’s what’s going to do it, that down-to-earth attitude. Your brother Aiden’s going to be hamming it up for the cameras, no doubt in my mind. But I’ve got a good feeling that the real star of the show is going to be the older brother who’s there in the background, intense and focused on his work, glancing up occasionally with those smoldering eyes of his.”

  I laughed. “Or they’ll focus on Aiden because he’s the only one of us three who actually wants to be there.”

  “All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised. And that camera crew had better have their shite together for when I show up, because I don’t watch my mouth for anyone!”

  I laughed as Ma poured us a fresh round, my mind already on the week ahead and what insanity it might hold.

  Chapter 26

  JOANN

  I couldn’t believe myself as I told Jolene about Ronan – I was squealing like a high-schooler. It was Sunday night, and I was in the study on the phone with my sister. The fire was going, my tea was close at hand, and I was wrapped up in my cardigan -my new favorite piece of clothing – while the rain continued to come down.

  “Well, one thing’s for sure,” she said as I caught my breath before getting on to the next detail. “You’re obviously crazy about this guy.”

  “No, I’m not,” I said. “Just because I had fun with him doesn’t mean that I’m crazy about him. It just means I had fun. Simple as that.”

  She laughed. “Come on – I haven’t heard you talk about a guy like this since…you know what? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about a guy like this.”

  I sighed, the smile fading from my face. “That’s what scary about it.”

  “Wait, why is that scary? You were swept off your feet, literally, by a charming, handsome, Irish doctor. That’s the kind of thing that most people would dream about. Trust me, these sorts of things can work out in a really, really wonderful way.”

  I paced slowly back and forth in the study; my lips pursed as I tried to figure out what to say next.

  “It just seems like too much, too soon, you know? For all I know, Ronan could be some guy who loves nothing more than to sweep naïve American women off their feet and toss them aside once they’ve gotten bored.”

  “Now, that’s about the most cynical thing I’ve ever heard in my life, sis. Seriously, nothing about this guy gives me the impression that he’s the kind of dude who’d act like that. Is it that hard to believe that you might’ve actually found a guy who’s, you know, good for you? I’ve been in your shoes, don’t get me wrong, and we both know how all that ended up.”

  As if they wanted to make her point for her, the kids yelled in the background, both of them happily sounding like they were spending their Sunday afternoon having the time of their lives.

  “It just seems like I need some time to think it all over.”

  “No, that’s not what you need. What you need is to act. I’m an overthinker just like you and let me tell you that overthinking is the last trait you want in a situation like this.”

  “Then I need to act? Like how?”

  “Call him. Don’t sit around thinking it over, analyzing every last little detail like I know you’re going to do.”

  “Wait, you’re saying that I should just call him, right now, and ask him out.”

  “Call him and feel out the situation. If you get a good vibe, then ask him out. It’s as simple as that.”

  “It can’t be as simple as that. What if he blows me off?”

  “Look at it this way – if he’s into you, he’s into you and if he’s not, he’s not. All you’re doing is calling him – not like you’re showing up in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm screaming outside of his window. It’s totally normal and reasonable to want to plan something else with him. If he blows you off, then that sucks, but it’s better to know now so you can start getting over it rather than spending the week stressing only to find out later. Simple, right?”

  I sighed, knowing she was right. If Ronan was into me, then he wasn’t going to freak out because I called him to see about hanging out again.

  “God, it sounds so perfect, too. Jo and Ro!” she laughed. “Or we could even combine the names like a celebrity couple or something, like Jonan.” Jolene let out a cackle at her own wordplay.

  “Now you’re definitely going to jinx it.” I pursed my lips again. “But you’re right. I’ll call him right after I get off the phone with you.”

  “Perfect. And then text me as soon as you find out anything else, got it?”

  “Got it. Oh! I almost forgot.”

  “What’s up?”

  “OK, so I’m not even close to being sure about selling the house. But if I did, I’d need you here to sign the contracts in person. You’d probably want to meet the brothers, too.”

  I could almost hear her smile over the phone. “Definitely. Especially if you and Ronan are engaged by then, you know?”

  I laughed. “Jolene!”

  “Hey, anything could happen, right? Anyway, let me check.” I heard her flip through some papers in the background, mumbling to herself as she looked over her schedule. “OK, I can come in exactly a month.”

  “That’s perfect. I’ll tell you if anything changes, but either way it’d be awesome for you to come here and see the place.”

  We chatted a little more, Jolene filling me in on everything that was new with the kids. When that was done, we hung up and I was alone.

  You don’t have to talk to him tonight. Just think it over, give it a few more days to see if he’s into you enough to call. The words appeared in my mind like perfectly tailored to convince me to go back on what I’d agreed to do on the phone with Jolene.

  I pushed them aside, pulling up Ronan’s number and dialing.

  Who cares if he doesn’t answer? Give him a few more days and if he doesn’t get back to you, so what – that just means it was never meant to be.

  My little pep talked worked a bit. All the same, the idea of never seeing him against enough to make my stomached tighten. As much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I was kinda-sorta crazy about the guy.

  Which itself was insane.

  Right at the moment I was certain the call would go to voicemail, I heard his voice.

  “Hey, Joann. What’s the craic?” His sexy accent and Irish slang brought a big, silly grin to my face.

  “Hey! The craic is, uh, the craic is good!”

  He chuckled. “It’s good to hear from you.”

  That was enough to make my smile even bigger.

  “Good to hear your voice,” I said. “What’s new with you?”

  “Not a whole lot. Ah…” It was like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. “And you?”

  “Just relaxing, enjoying the rainy day.”

  OK, moment of truth.

  “So, I was in town, and I noticed that Sandy Cove, as charming as it is, has a lack of Mexican food places.”

  He laughed. “I don’t think we have even a one. I’ve had some while in Dublin, and, ah…the less said about the Irish take on Mexican food, the better.”

  “Well, I was thinking about doing some homemade Mexican food tomorrow, maybe some tacos and guac. I’d, um, love it for you to come if you weren’t busy.”r />
  Silence followed, my stomach tightening more and more with each second that passed. I could sense he was going to blow me off, and I was already ready to chew myself out for falling for the first charming Irishman I’d come across.

  “I don’t think tomorrow’s going to work.”

  There it was. Cold disappointment rushed through me. I hated that I felt that way but getting loved and left had happened to me a couple times before – it never felt good.

  “Oh.” I wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily. If he was going to blow me off, he was going to at least come up with a halfway decent excuse. “Any reason why?”

  “Some, unexpected things happened with the reality show. They want to move things up a little sooner – as in tomorrow sooner. really ought to see how that all pans out before I get you roped into it all.”

  The disappointment faded a bit. It didn’t sound like an excuse after all – it sounded like an actual reason.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Joann; I want to see you again like mad. The other night was more fun than I’ve had in a long, long time.”

  Just like that, the tension in my belly disappeared.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “That’s really good to hear.”

  A bit of silence passed, the wide smile still on my face.

  “So the camera crews are going to be around all day?”

  “At the clinic, at least. But we have it in the contract that it’s up to us where and when they can go.”

  “Oh! Then just tell them you’re done at the end of the day. What time are you off?”

  “I close up on Mondays, so six.”

  “That’s perfect! Close up and then come over here after – you’re just across the street, after all. Tell the camera crews to screw off, that you’re done for the day and you’ve got a date to eat some tacos with your new favorite American.”

  He laughed. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “That’s because it is so simple. But one rule – only you can come. No producers, no camera crews.”

  “God, that sounds like heaven.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m promising. So, you’ll be there?”

  “I’ll be there. Six o’clock. I can’t wait.”

  “Me either.”

  With that, we said our goodbyes and the call was over.

  I couldn’t help but do a little jump into the air as I let out a squeal of excitement.

  Chapter 27

  RONAN

  It was Monday morning. The conversation with Joann the night before, not to mention our plans for that night, had planted a smile on my face that wasn’t coming off.

  That is, until I walked into the clinic and to see that Sidney and the rest his gang were already there.

  “Alright,” he said, sunglasses hanging down from his open shirt, his hands out in front of him. “I want a camera in the waiting room. But nothing too obtrusive, you know? Gals coming into a place like this aren’t going to want a lens right in their faces from the second they walk through the door. Put the first one up in the corner, so we have a full view of the place. Then another behind the desk, kind of a Brendan-POV. And then one more in the corner down the first hall for a match shot from the lobby.”

  Brendan was behind the receptionist’s desk, giving me a little wave as I entered. I nodded back, not really in the mood for anything more than that.

  Sidney locked his eyes onto me as I entered, a big grin spreading across his face. “Now, there’s the man I’ve been waiting to see – Dr. Lucky Charms himself!”

  I gestured toward the crew, two of them already in the process of setting up the camera in the corner. I hated the sight of it, knowing it’d be capturing so much of what went on behind the front doors of my clinic. Sure, it was what I’d agreed upon, but seeing it in action was a whole other thing.

  “What do you want?” I asked.

  He cocked his head to the side.

  “Ronan, bud! What’s with the attitude?”

  “Just not happy seeing my place wired for sound, you know?”

  He nodded. “I get it, I do. But no one’s going to get their face recorded by that thing without their express, written permission, OK? We’re not peeping toms – we only want people in our show who want to be in our show.”

  I said nothing, knowing only bad things would come out of my mouth if I did.

  “And you’re going to have this all taken care of before the clinic opens at the top of the hour, yeah? We’ve got some nine o’clocks and the last thing I want them to see is the arse cracks of your technicians.”

  The technician in question glanced at me with a red face as he pulled up his jeans.

  “Don’t worry – we’re going to be done soon. We’ve got the break room set up as a little command center of sorts, so none of the patients are going to see me or my team. We’ve already got the cameras set up in all the offices and up and down the hall.”

  “But nothing in the exam rooms, right?”

  “Of course not!” he said, slapping me on the back. “What kind of show do you think I’m making, Doc? Anyway, I want to borrow you for twenty minutes while my guys get the rest of this stuff set up.”

  “For what?”

  “The interview! The audience is going to need to get to know you, right? So, the way we do that is you and I chat for a few minutes, nothing major, nice and casual, and that way we have lots of footage to drop in here and there.”

  “Don’t have time,” I said, eager to move past him and get on with the work of the day. “Need to call a couple patients and-”

  “Make no mistake, doc,” he said. “This is part of your job now. I’m a man of my word, so I’m not going to ask you to do anything that you didn’t agree to in the contract. So, that means if I do ask you to do something, it’s a something that you’re bound to in the legal sense.”

  I sighed, seeing plain as day what he was getting at. Last thing I needed was lawyers in my business.

  “Fine, fine. Let’s just do it and be done, yeah?”

  “That’s, ah…well, it’s not the spirit, but it’s as good as I think I’m going to get from you. Come on! You’re handsome as hell and look good on camera, and that’s half the battle.”

  “What’s the other half?”

  He grinned. “Editing. You give me a half hour of footage of anyone talking about anything, and I can chop it up to have an audience love them to pieces or hate them with the fire of a billion suns. Good thing you’re on my team, right?”

  He put his hand on my shoulder and led me down the hall toward the break room, my eyes going wide as I stepped over the threshold into the space. It was totally different – the tables and chairs had been moved off to the side and set up for food service, crewmen and women standing here and there drinking coffee and chatting to one another. All of them cast quick glances in my direction, all trying to look without looking like they were looking. Three big cameras were set up in various parts of the room.

  “Wait, does the staff not get a breakroom?” I asked.

  “Easy, easy,” he said as he led me to a chair across from another chair. “This is just for the first day. We’re going to interview you and your brothers and the rest of the staff. When we’ve got all that footage, we can use the cameras to record remotely and go down to a skeleton crew here. Trust me – the last thing we want is to cramp your style, you know? We want a real cinema verité sort of thing.”

  One of the crewmen handed me a mug of coffee and I took it, sitting down across from Sidney and taking a sip. A pair of women zipped over to me, their hands four blurs as they applied makeup.

  “Hey!” I said. “I don’t need any of this shite.”

  “Trust me,” Sidney said. “When you look at yourself in an HD camera without makeup on, you’d think you’re were auditioning for a role as a zombie on The Walking Dead. Even a good-looking gent such as yourself needs a little color on camera.”<
br />
  Despite my grumblings of protest, the girls worked quickly, thankfully, and were soon done. Sidney gave a signal to one of the crewmen who turned on a light that blasted me in the face with illumination. I narrowed my eyes, giving myself a moment to adjust.

  “Alright, alright!” Sidney called, getting his voice into host mode. “Let’s do this…action!”

  He signed to the crew, and they began to record.

  “So,” Sidney said. “Let’s start with basics – tell us your name.”

  “Ah, my name’s Dr. Ronan O’Neill.”

  “And people call you Dr. Lucky Charms, right?”

  I let out dismissive snort. “Sidney, not a single person in my life has called me that aside from you.”

  He let out a big, uproarious laugh. “That’s it!” he said. “The deadpan delivery, the dry sense of humor – it’s perfect.”

  I was a bit confused as he went on. “You want what you’re saying right on the show?”

  “No, no – don’t worry about me. Trust me, I know I don’t have a face for the big screen. They’re going to cut me out in editing and your answers are the only the only thing that’ll end up in the show.”

  It was all so strange to me – sounded a little deceptive, even. I chalked it up to the business of Hollywood and pressed on.

  “Now,” he said, clapping his hands together. “What got you into the lady parts business?”

  “The lady parts business?” I asked, a little shocked at his phrasing. I shook my head, not wanting to spend any more time in that chair than I absolutely had to. “I grew up with a hell of a lot of strong women around me. Me ma, my aunts, the rest of me ma’s friends….they stepped in after me da passed. I don’t know where I’d be without them. So I have a healthy respect for women.”

  “Tell me about your ma.”

  “She’s the toughest woman I know, curses like a sailor, doesn’t take any shite, and can drink most men under the table. Make no mistake – she’ll be coming around here to make sure you boys and girls are in order.”

  Sidney nodded enthusiastically, as if I were telling him exactly what he wanted to hear.