Page 114 of See You Again
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Luke and James exchanged a look. What was Declan’s mother doing here? Siobhan Riordan was the strongest willed of all of the Bloom siblings’ mothers, but she was also incredibly loyal… frighteningly so. James couldn’t remember the last time she came to the States.
James and his siblings were fortunate that, despite the fact that none of their mothers had ever married David Bloom, the three women had been determined to raise his offspring as a family. Throughout his childhood, they had spent every holiday and summer together, rotating between Dublin, Atlanta, and Rhode Island, as their own unique family unit.
The twins waited until their own mother stepped back before giving the woman a hug and a loud kiss on each cheek.
Siobhan placed a perfectly manicured hand on each of their jaws. “My handsome boys. I’ve missed you.” After a quick perusal, her sharp hazel eyes drifted to the others in the room. “Bruce,” she gave Anne’s husband a nod, and he looked relieved when her eyes lasered in on the others. “We have newcomers.”
“Play nice.” Cara towed Siobhan by the hand over to Wes. “This is my husband.”
Siobhan tried to maintain a stern face, but it quickly gave way to a grin, and she enveloped him in a hug as well. “You did well, darling. He’s very handsome.”
James almost laughed at Wes’s terrified expression.
“I don’t like that I wasn’t at the wedding?—”
“Get in line,” Anne added acerbically.
Cara wrinkled her nose. No one in the family had been happy when Cara had eloped eight months before. However, it was impossible to deny how happy she was.
“And this must be the famous Lia Everton,” Siobhan’s expression was more guarded when she greeted the movie star.
“Please, call me Dahlia. I am thrilled to finally meet you. Luke has told me so many wonderful stories.”
James’s lips twitched. Luke had prepped Dahlia well.
Siobhan cast a look over her shoulder at where Wes had put his arms around Cara. “Hopefully, the two of you aren’t going to deprive us of a wedding like they did.”
Dahlia flushed. “We aren’t talking about…”
“Ignore her,” Luke cut in. “She’s just trying to get a reaction. Don't worry, Siobhan. You are definitely invited to ours."
Dahlia’s mouth fell open, and Luke tipped it closed with one finger before pressing a kiss to her lips. “Shh.”
Siobhan smiled, obviously pleased with herself. Her gaze went to where James had returned to Cami’s side, his arm looped around her. He braced for the impact.
She might not have been in his life on a day-to-day basis, and she might lack the nurturing nature Anne had provided all of them, but there had never been a moment in his life that he doubted the woman’s fierce love was equally distributed to all of David Bloom’s offspring. They were family, regardless of who birthed them.
Siobhan cocked her head, considering them. “You’re the podcaster? The secret girlfriend?”
Cami tilted her head to an identical angle and lifted her eyebrows. “I’m not sure how much of a secret I can be if I’m standing here in front of his family.”
Siobhan studied Cami’s face, her eyes narrowing. James opened his mouth, prepared to intervene. He loved Siobhan, but he wasn’t about to let her sharpen her tongue on Cami. He shouldn’t have worried because she let out a laugh and then reached out and rubbed Cami’s shoulder affectionately.
“I like her. She’s a feisty little thing. You are exactly what James needs.”
For a moment, the room froze, no one sure what to say. Siobhan laughed again at their expressions. “Let’s eat, and then, I want to hear everything you’ve learned about how she poisoned David.”
Anne sucked in a breath.
“What?” Siobhan turned to her with a frown. “That bitch wife of his murdered him. We might as well say it out loud.” Her hazel eyes hardened with an expression that looked so much like Declan’s, James almost smiled. “I might have wanted to kill David frequently myself, but I won’t be satisfied until…”
Anne cleared her throat, interrupting Siobhan’s increasingly impassioned words. “I was going to say justice was done, Anne.” Siobhan smiled sweetly.
All eyes swiveled to Wes when he failed to hold in his laugh. “Sorry. It’s just Declan suddenly, totally, makes sense to me.” Cara elbowed him in the stomach, and he rolled his lips in.
“Declan told me he likes you.” Siobhan said with an arched brow. “I wasn’t happy when I heard little madam here ran off with a stranger, but then Declan told me what you said to him in Dublin… He needs more people in his life to put him in check. And you, ma’am.” Her eyes went to Dahlia. Luke straightened, his arm visibly tightening around her.