Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 92734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
She traced the pattern with a single finger. It was tempting—far too tempting—to indulge in the fantasy. Here, in this room, she could almost believe being a publicist was actually an option. It was a career that she could have used to the benefit of her family, if only her father would see her as something more than a set of ovaries.
With a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism, she easily could have let the O’Malleys slip into the spotlight a little—just enough to entice the media and everyone who watched it. They could manipulate public opinion and gain more power and influence as a result.
But her father wouldn’t even discuss it with her. As far as he was concerned, she had her place, and it was her duty as a daughter to stay in it.
The door opened and she tensed, ready to smile and make some excuse to leave. Company wasn’t high on her list of things she wanted at the moment—hell, it wasn’t on the list at all. But when Teague appeared in the doorway, she had to bite her lip to keep from throwing herself at him. She held herself perfectly still, but sheer relief at the sight of him made her giddy. Even though she knew he couldn’t actually do anything to help her, his presence was a comfort she didn’t know she needed until he was here in the room with her. “Teague.”
“Hey.” He closed the door behind him and crossed to sit next to her. “How was Connecticut?”
“It’s good to be back.” Even if it meant that she didn’t have a choice anymore about the direction her life was going.
His dark eyes, so similar to their father’s, searched her face. “Is it?”
Words and worries and fears welled up inside her, desperate to be put to voice. She couldn’t, though. If she started talking, it would be too slippery a slope into something as dangerous as tears. Carrigan refused to cry. Refused. “You know how this goes. Choice doesn’t come into it.”
His mouth tightened. “Carrigan—”
If she let him, he’d offer her a shoulder to lean on… and she’d never be able to stand on her own. Teague had always been too willing to act as shield to her and their sisters. It was a crying shame that he couldn’t save her from her inevitable future. “How was the honeymoon?” As soon as her brother had been released from the hospital, he and Callie disappeared for a few weeks to somewhere in the Caribbean.
“We’re not talking about me.” He gave her a half smile. “But it was wonderful.”
“Good.” Even if her life was falling apart around her, at least one of her siblings was genuinely happy. She leaned back. “Did you come to offer me congratulations? Father has me set to be engaged before the end of the year.”
His expression grew thunderous. “That’s less than a month.”
“Well, you know I’m twenty-eight. My value is only diminishing with time. And let’s not even talk about my eggs.” The flippant comment struck something deep inside her. She wasn’t sure she even wanted children, but if she ever decided that she did, she didn’t want to bring them into a world where their sole purpose was to be pawns in a game not of their choosing.
Like she was.
Like all her siblings were.
Teague sighed and put his arm around her shoulders. “Say the word and we’ll fight him over it. We’ll get you and the girls out of here.” We being him and his new wife, Callie. “You can be free. Make your own choices. This isn’t all there is to life. He isn’t God, no matter what our father likes to think.”
The worst part was Carrigan knew he meant it. He’d ship her and the others off and willingly take the heat. And, good lord, there’d be heat. Their father wouldn’t take the loss of prime marriage material lying down. He might be pleased that Teague consented to marry the Sheridan heir—even if no one was happy that they snuck off to the courthouse without telling anyone—but that wouldn’t mean he’d so much as pause before he razed them and their territory to the ground for crossing him.
She couldn’t let him take the risk. Not for her.
“You know what happens if you do that, Teague. You and Callie end up dead, and he hunts us down, drags us back, and then I marry some man on his list anyway.”
His smile was bitter. “You don’t have much faith in me.”
“I have all the faith in the world in you. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you take the fall for me. I make my own choices.” Between death by marriage and death by convent. Not much of a choice when she looked at it like that—especially since it looked like her father was no longer willing to consider the convent as a choice—but she wasn’t about to let someone else fight for her.