Only the Quiet Page 18

  GRIMLOCK MANOR WAS BUZZING with activity. Redmond and Aidan were sliding across the foyer floor in socks, getting a running start and having a grand time as they skidded into the twin stairwells that bookended each side.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, stepping around Redmond so he didn’t accidentally plow into me.

  “Sock hockey,” Jerry volunteered, kicking off his shoes on the front mat and taking a small slide of his own. “It’s the Grimlock family’s official sport.”

  “Sock hockey?” I arched a dubious eyebrow. “Do I even want to know?”

  “You’ll get used to it.” Jerry headed straight for Aidan and gave him a hug.

  “You seem in a good mood.” Aidan beamed at him. “I take it you had a good time helping Oliver and Izzy conduct research.”

  “Ollie.”

  Aidan’s forehead wrinkled. “Did he okay that nickname? He doesn’t strike me as the sort who would be okay with that.”

  There was the understatement of the year. “He’s not exactly happy with it,” I offered.

  “I can see that. Well ... luckily Jerry won’t be hanging around the gate very often.” Aidan’s expression brightened as Redmond lightly hip-checked his fiancé into the stair railing. “Thanks for volunteering to bring Jerry back. That was nice of you.”

  I stilled. “What?”

  “Volunteering,” Aidan replied, seemingly unaware of the change in my demeanor. “It was actually a big help because I was at the main office much longer than I’d planned. It turned out I had to put in a formal request to get a full file on Washington. I did — and they warned it might take a few days — but I followed protocol. I think they should just hand over the files we need, but they like their bureaucracy.”

  “Uh-huh.” Annoyance, bitter and rough, returned with a vengeance as Jerry made his way over to us.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, laughing as Aidan slid their feet together. “Other than everyone enjoying the freshly-waxed floor, that is.”

  “Aidan was just thanking me for volunteering to bring you here,” I replied pointedly. “He was very grateful.”

  “Isn’t she a peach?” Jerry cooed without missing a beat.

  I wanted to grab his arm and shake him. I understood exactly what he was doing, and I didn’t like it. “Yes, I’m a peach. Hey, speaking of peaches, do you want to go with me to the kitchen and look at the fruit? I’m starving.”

  “I’m good.” Jerry refused to make eye contact. “It’s prime rib night. You’ll want to save as much room as possible.”

  “Yes, but ... .” I didn’t get a chance to finish because Aisling picked that moment to stroll into the room. She looked markedly better, as if having two nights in a row of solid sleep had allowed her to return to the person she was meant to be. Her long black hair was back to being lustrous and there was a sparkle in her eyes.

  She also had a baby in her arms, which didn’t seem like a good idea given the men sliding across the floor.

  “How are things?” Aisling beamed as she bounced Lily, who looked almost happy as her eyes moved from uncle to uncle. She clearly didn’t understand what was happening, but she liked the movement. There were practically happy thought bubbles floating over her head.

  “They’re fine.” I forced myself to shove Jerry’s machinations out of my head and focus on the good things in life. Aisling’s rebound was one of those good things. “How are you?”

  “Better. Lily only cried a few times today, and she stopped whenever we fed her ... or changed her diaper ... or made Cillian stop singing.”

  “I heard that.” The long-haired Grimlock brother smoothly slid into the room, slamming his shoulder into Aidan as he chewed up the distance between the parlor and front door. “The floor feels pretty good. I think we need to put together a game.”

  I was still behind when it came to what game they thought they were playing. “I don’t think beating up your brothers while sliding across the floor in socks is a real game.”

  “You just haven’t played with us yet,” he admonished. “Sock hockey is the best game ever.”

  “Your sister is standing in the middle of what could be a huge mess, holding your infant niece,” I pointed out. “That’s not safe.”

  “Oh, you’re a rule follower.” Cillian chuckled as Braden made his way into the room. Instantly our eyes met and I felt warmth creeping through my chest. The look he shot me was flirty, which only served to make me angrier with Jerry’s manipulative effort.

  “Hey.” I felt awkward greeting him. “I ... um ... wasn’t sure you were here.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and wished I’d forced Jerry into an Uber alone so I wouldn’t have to feel like such a dolt.

  “It’s prime rib night,” Braden explained. “I would never miss prime rib night.”

  “Yeah, um, speaking of food ... thanks a lot for the gumbo. It was really good. I almost cried it was so good. You’ll have to tell me where that place is.”

  “I’ll take you there.”

  He was getting harder and harder to resist, something I believe he recognized, because his eyes crinkled at the corners and told me that he was fighting off a smirk.

  “Um ... I guess we’ll see.” I felt like an absolute idiot, which meant I needed to change the subject. “You guys really shouldn’t be doing that with a baby in the room,” I admonished as Cillian and Redmond barreled into each other at full force. “Seriously. You could kill that baby.”

  “Wow. Who knew you were such a worrier?” Redmond teased as he zipped behind his sister, slowing enough to grin at Lily over Aisling’s shoulder. “She does have a point, though. If Lily is going to play, we need to come up with specific rules.”

  I was horrified. “Lily can’t play. She can’t even hold up her own head.”

  Redmond ignored me. “What if we make the person who is holding Lily untouchable? He or she can score, but no one can check that individual into the boards. Possession of Lily changes when someone not magically imbued with untouchable status manages to score.”

  He couldn’t be serious. “You cannot keep that baby out here. I just ... no!” I knew I sounded shrill, but I couldn’t help myself. I hadn’t toiled for hours to make a salve so she would stop crying and bond with her family just so they could risk banging her head into a wall. “I am putting my foot down.”

  “Oh, she’s putting her foot down,” Cillian teased. “That’s kind of cute.”

  “It’s totally cute,” Braden agreed, smirking as his father joined the fray. “Izzy is very upset that we’re going to use Lily as a ‘no-hitting’ totem in our match, Dad. How do you feel about the subject?”

  Finally someone was going to take my side.

  “I feel we should wrap a towel around her head just to be on the safe side,” Cormack offered, grinning at the baby as her serious gaze found him. “That way there won’t be any accidents.” He cooed the last line in baby talk. “Isn’t that right? We don’t want her brains to fall out.”

  I felt as if I was talking to seven different walls ... and they were all moving and hip-checking one another. “I don’t get this family,” I lamented.

  “You will,” Griffin offered, coming in from the opposite side of the room and swooping toward Lily. “They’re not nearly as complicated as they pretend to be.” He claimed the infant from her mother and then cast a stern look toward the Grimlock boys. “Light contact with Aisling only. She’s only two weeks out from giving birth. If you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”

  Redmond offered him a saucy salute as Griffin trundled toward the parlor with the baby. “Yes, sir. We’ll treat her as if she’s one of our own.”

  “She is one of your own.”

  “Then we’ll own up to that,” Braden offered, lifting his chin in defiance as he faced off with Redmond. “Let’s pick teams. I’ll take Izzy. She’ll be a detriment because she doesn’t understand the game. You take Aisling. She has to go slow because of her lady parts problem.”

  Aisling was incensed. “I d
on’t have a lady parts problem!”

  “And I’m not a detriment,” I added. “You’re playing a game in your socks. How hard can it possibly be?”

  Braden’s eyes lit with mirth. “Ah, famous last words. Let the games begin.”

  Nineteen

  Sock hockey was strangely invigorating.

  Even when we finished — Redmond’s team claiming victory despite fervent protests from Braden — I wasn’t sure about the scoring rules. As far as I could tell, the only rule that seemed to stick was that you got five points for checking a sibling into a wall ... or a statue ... or into the stairwell railing. You got extra points if that sibling started bleeding. And if you managed to kick a sock into a net at the end of the room, you got a shot of something that made you warm all over.

  Jerry didn’t play, which I found interesting. He stood on the sidelines and cheered for Aisling and Aidan, who were on different teams. If either was offended by his divided allegiance, they didn’t show it.

  And, despite a lot of big talk, Aisling’s brothers were ridiculously gentle with her. They simply didn’t make it obvious. They slammed into her with alarming frequency, though they often pulled back at the last second and made sure she was kept far from any sharp edges.

  By the time Cormack called for dinner, everyone was sweaty and Braden and Redmond were throwing so many sports euphemisms at one another I’d lost count.

  “I still don’t understand why anyone won,” I admitted as I followed Aisling into the parlor, swiping my forehead with the back of my hand.

  “It’s not about the ending,” she explained. “It’s about the journey.” She stopped next to Griffin and Lily, the baby quietly snoozing in a small basket with handles.

  “What’s that?” I asked, curious.

  “They’re carrying her around like a dog,” Redmond replied, strolling into the room. He snagged a bottle of whiskey from the drink cart and started pouring the amber liquid into glasses as Cillian added ice. “By the way, we all have to toast the legend of the sock monster after playing sock hockey. It’s a family tradition.”

  That sounded like a lot of nonsense. “I don’t drink whiskey.”

  Redmond looked horrified. “What do you drink?”

  “I prefer absinthe, although I’ll drink the occasional glass of wine, or sometimes vodka.”

  “Ugh.” Redmond screwed up his face. “I think we finally found your flaw. I would rethink your crush on her, Braden. You can’t trust a woman who doesn’t drink whiskey.”

  A quick glance at Braden told me his cheeks were burning, but he didn’t challenge his brother. Instead he merely accepted the glass Cillian passed him and raised it above his head. “May the sock monster be forever sated.”

  Suspicious, I glanced around the room. Redmond, Cillian and Aidan all saluted in time with Braden. Aisling was focused on the baby in the basket. Jerry was busy flipping through a wedding magazine. Cormack was reading the journal I’d brought from the library. Those paying attention seemed to be sincere ... which made me doubly sure they were messing with my mind.

  “I’m not saluting a sock monster,” I said finally. “You guys like to screw with people. I get it. I draw the line at a sock monster.”

  “You might not say that when you have no matching socks in the morning,” Braden teased, his attention drifting to Aisling when she smoothed the ruffles that surrounded the basket. “Seriously, that’s like a pet carrier. I can’t believe you’re transporting my niece from room to room in a pet carrier.”

  Aisling was haughty. “Do you have any other suggestions?”

  “Why don’t we just put a bassinet in every room?” Redmond challenged. “I mean ... she’s tiny. We can carry her around and then have handy bassinets when we need them.”

  “First, she’s only in a bassinet for about three months,” Aisling countered. “Once she starts rolling around, she’ll need to be in a crib.”

  “So?”

  “So, bassinets are expensive.”

  “Make Dad buy them.” Redmond flashed his father a friendly wink when Cormack tore his eyes from the magazine. “You’ll do that for your only grandchild, right? I mean ... it is what’s best for her.”

  “I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Cormack admitted. “What’s the problem?”

  “Aisling is carrying your only granddaughter around in a pet carrier,” Aidan supplied. “Redmond is offended by it.”

  “I’m offended by it, too,” Braden admitted. “Next thing you know, the kid will be wearing a collar and barking instead of talking. Although ... if she has her mother’s mouth, which seems to be a given, we might prefer barking. We always did want a family pet.”

  Aisling murdered Braden with a hostile glare. “I’ll show you how to bark,” she muttered, starting in his direction. Griffin grabbed her hand to tug her back before things could get out of hand, whispering something only she could hear and eliciting a small smile from her.

  “I don’t know what you just said to her, but I take offense to that remark,” Braden said. “Seriously, though, a pet carrier sends the wrong message.”

  “It’s not a pet carrier,” Griffin countered. “It’s a portable bassinet, and it allows us to carry her between the townhouse and here without making things difficult for her. Isn’t that the most important thing?” He looked to Jerry for backup.

  “Oh, I can see where you’d think I would be your best bet because I am a huge fan of ruffles,” Jerry said. “I mean ... it’s like a giant purse, and who doesn’t love a nice purse? The thing is, that’s an ugly purse. I might have to side with Braden and Redmond on this one.”

  “Which is exactly why I’m standing with Aidan at the wedding,” Aisling muttered.

  “I heard that.” Jerry extended a warning finger. “Do you want to start a war, missy? I’ll totally fire the first cannonball if you do.”

  “No one is firing cannonballs,” Cormack warned, lowering the journal to the table at his left. “We’re going to plan this wedding like adults. I’m not dealing with nonstop arguing as we did last time.”

  “That was Aisling’s wedding,” Jerry pointed out. “She’s to blame for those fights.”

  “Oh, please.” Cormack rolled his expressive eyes. “You planned that wedding. Aisling had other things going on.”

  “Like being pregnant before being wed.”

  “Thanks, Jerry,” Aisling called out. “We haven’t had a good fight about that in a few months. I’m so glad you brought it up.”

  “That’s what you get for breaking my heart, Bug.”

  She heaved a sigh. “I’m not trying to break your heart. It’s just ... I want to be there for you and Aidan. I don’t understand why that’s not allowed.”

  “It’s not allowed because this is my wedding,” Jerry snapped. “I’m the center of attention for this one, which is a massive change, I know. Still, I should get what I want.”

  Braden snickered. “Yes, because you’re never the center of attention.”

  “You’re definitely standing with Aidan,” Jerry groused, glaring at Braden. “I mean ... definitely.”

  “You know, Jerry, it’s my wedding, too.” Aidan appeared to be choosing his words carefully as he downed his whiskey. “Why don’t I have any say in how things go?”

  “Because you’re the groom.”

  “And?”

  “Well, we’re both men, so I’m a groom, too. I’m also the bride. You don’t want to be the bride. It’s a thankless position.”

  “I hear that,” Aisling muttered.

  “Oh, please. You weren’t the bride. I did all the work for you. You were basically a groom in a dress.” Jerry shot her a derisive look. “I know what I want for my wedding. I’ve known for a very long time. If you want to be difficult about it ... well ... then maybe we’ll just have the ceremony at a pizza parlor or something.”

  “Ooh. Chuck E. Cheese.” Redmond’s eyes lit with delight. “That would be awesome. We could have Skee-Ball tournaments ... and
totally pants that animatronic mouse. Is that an option?”

  Jerry narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”

  “Whatever floats your boat. Now I want pizza. Can we have pizza with the prime rib?”

  Cormack sighed. “No. You’re going to eat your dinner like a good boy and then go to bed. There will be no Shark Attack tonight either. I want to go through that journal and I can’t if you guys are rowdy. I believe Izzy brought us an important piece of the puzzle and I want to give it the attention it deserves.”

  “Have you found anything yet?” I asked hopefully. All the hijinks had almost made me forget that we had a serious situation on our hands. “I mean ... we have to help those ghosts. I’m pretty sure they’re desperate for us to do something to free their souls.”

  “Then we’ll help them.” Cormack sounded sure of himself. “For now, we’ll eat dinner and then go from there. We’ll hand Lily and her dog carrier over to the night nurse and be on our way.”

  Aisling scowled. “Oh, I see how it is,” she groused. “Now you’re on their side.”

  “Well, you didn’t win sock hockey by an acceptable margin.” Cormack grinned at her. “When you’re dominating again, I’ll consider taking your side.”

  DINNER TURNED INTO A DRINKING affair. I wasn’t even sure how it happened. One minute I was sipping from a perfectly acceptable glass of wine. The next minute I was sucking down my third glass of absinthe and laughing so hard I thought I might throw it up. That’s when I decided I needed to sober up.

  “Give me a tour of the house,” I suggested to Braden as we left the parlor. “I mean ... I’ve been here a few times now and seen several rooms. I’ve never seen all of them, though. I bet the house has a lot of secrets.”

  “It certainly does,” Braden agreed, pointing toward a hallway that led to the back of the house. “When she was a teenager, Aisling found five secret ways to sneak out of the house that Dad didn’t know. Three of them led to the garage so she could steal one of his cars along the way.”

  I fell into step with him, laughing at his expression. “I can’t believe she stole your father’s car. Did she get grounded?”