Things We Never Said (Hart's Boardwalk #3) - Samantha Young Page 0,36

and Davina and Astrid, I shadowed my dad. Worrying about him distracted me from the fact that Dermot was nowhere near ready to forgive me. Dad still wouldn’t talk about his divorce with Mom, and I knew him well enough to know he was inside his own head.

After all, I was my father’s daughter. We shared a very similar nature, and I knew he was silently stewing. There was nothing I could do but spend time with him and hope he’d eventually open up. The one thing I knew was that I was not leaving Boston until I was one hundred percent certain Dad would be okay.

As for talking to my mom, Dermot had put a pin in that. I was already nervous about doing it, but after his phone call, I decided to be uncharacteristically cautious. It turned out, in the end, it wasn’t me that forced our reunion.

It was Monday, late afternoon, Dad had left for work, and I was trying to keep my thoughts on the events of the day before, and not on anything else (say, Michael, who liked to intrude on my thoughts every five seconds!). Dad had invited Darragh, Krista, Leo and Levi, Davina, and Astrid over for dinner and to watch the Sunday game.

We’d laughed a lot and ate a lot, and it had been a great time. The boys always seemed to laugh when Darragh used a slang word, which led to us educating them in the language of our neighborhood growing up. There were words I’d forgotten, having lost them while I was living in Delaware. Like “bubbla” instead of a water fountain. That was adorable. How could I have forgotten that?

I’d also dared to ask about Dermot. Dad had kept me up to date on my siblings’ lives throughout the years, but I didn’t know much about Dermot’s life at the moment.

Last I’d heard he’d been dating a girl Davina not so fondly referred to as a “Masshole”—a slang word Darragh did not want his kids picking up on. She apologized but not for the sentiment. Apparently, this girl came from money, kind of a blueblood, and Dermot tired of her trying to hide him from her family. After nine months together, he broke it off. He was single again, living in a shitty apartment (my sister’s words) near Mom’s new place, and screwing everything that moved when he wasn’t working.

While Michael moved up the ranks, my brother, who had never been very ambitious, seemed content to remain a police officer. It sounded like my brother wasn’t having the greatest time in his personal life. When we were younger, I was the one he came to talk to about girls and relationships. Once again, I hadn’t been there when he needed me.

Music blared in the living room as I sat on the end of the couch near the lamp on the side table in the corner. I was working on a ring design for Davina and Astrid. They hadn’t asked for it, but after taking a thorough inventory of their likes and dislikes as seen in their apartment, I had some ideas for the rings. Just in case.

Unfortunately, I liked my music loud, so I didn’t hear the front door opening until Dermot and my mom strode inside.

Adrenaline flooded me when I saw my mother, and I fumbled for my phone to cut the music. I hurried to my feet, noting the intensity of my mom’s expression.

Dermot closed the front door behind him.

Oh, shit.

My stomach flipped unpleasantly.

Apart from dark circles under her eyes, my mom looked good. She was tall and slender and looked young in her skinny jeans, Blondie T-shirt, and suede jacket. There was no gray in her dark, shoulder-length hair so I knew she dyed it because I’d started getting gray in mine when I was twenty-nine.

Her hazel eyes met my blue ones and fear held me frozen in place by the couch.

That look in her eyes, the one she’d had when she’d spoken to me last, was still there. All these years and it had never faded.

“What are you doing here?” My eyes flicked to Dermot.

“How dare you?” Mom seethed. “How dare you stand in my house and ask that?”

“Mom.” Dermot put his hand on her shoulder. “You said it was time to talk to her. So let’s talk.”

“Your father came to see me the other day.” Mom took a few steps farther into the room, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You turned him against