Read Callaghan Brothers Guide: The Official Guide to the Callaghan Brothers Series Online
Authors: Abbie Zanders
“Well, Brian is a fan favorite,” I tell them.
Brian’s sitting off to the left now, not at the table with everyone else, but close. I notice he does that a lot – stays on the fringe, in the shadows. His head snaps up and he regards me with tortured eyes. “Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
The pain increases before his eyes go cold. “Not me. Pick someone else.”
I nod. Brian doesn’t believe he has a happy ending in his future, but he does. I’ll make certain of it.
“Nick.”
Nicki’s twin brother looks at me, his freaky silvery eyes both hypnotizing and disconcerting. He’s come a long way, but he’s still a bad boy with some issues. Beneath that cocky attitude is a tortured soul that thinks he is incapable of a loving, lasting relationship.
He smirks.
O, ye of little faith.
“Taser.”
Sean openly guffaws at this. “Timothy?” For a moment, I think he’s going to fall right off his chair, he’s laughing so hard. I sit up a little straighter and glare at him.
“Yeah. He’s mysterious. Women love that.”
“Yeah, okay, good luck with that.” Sean wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. “Who else you got?”
“Corinne.”
This is unexpected. “But she’s a girl.”
“She’s a woman,” I correct, ignoring Brian’s wince. “And she deserves a happy ending, don’t you think?”
They shrug, but Kieran looks thoughtful. “Well, you did write our cousin Celina’s story, and that came out alright.”
“How do you know?” I ask him. “That book hasn’t even been released yet.” Suddenly Ian is looking everywhere but at me.
“You hacked my laptop?” Clear, cerulean blue eyes lock onto mine, and I
know
he has. I don’t know when, and I don’t know how, but he has. It’s my fault, I realize. I wrote him that way.
“I really like the one about Zane and Celeste,” he says, throwing down the gauntlet. “Very hot.”
“That’s not even in your series!”
He shrugs, a move of masculine elegance. “So? We’re all yours, right?”
Oh, it’s on now. My eyes narrow into slits. “Watch it, boy. There will be sequels. There’s no telling what I might feel compelled to share about you.”
He laughs at me. “You wouldn’t. You like Lexi too much to do that to her.”
Damn it, he’s right. I do. But I’m sure I can find something that will teach him a much-needed lesson. The internet holds a wealth of non-lethal, but humiliating possibilities.
“Getting back on track,” Shane says, ever the organized one. “Why exactly are we here?”
“Oh. Well, I wanted to say thanks. You’ve all been so awesome.”
It’s quiet for a moment, until Kane grunts. “
That’s
why I drove all the way down here?”
“Well, yeah. I wanted to thank each of you, face to face.”
He shakes his head, and I know he’s thinking of all the other things he might have been doing instead - namely, his wife.
“But that’s not the only reason. The readers, well, they have questions for you.”
“What kind of questions?” Jake asks warily.
I reopen my notebook and scan my list, starting at the top. “How have your lives changed since you found your
croies
.”
“That’s easy,” Jake says, taking the lead as usual. “My life didn’t really start until I met Taryn. I was just going through the motions. Then she shows up and BAM! Shit got real. For the first time, I felt. I mean, really
felt
.”
“Felt what?”
“Love. Fear. Rage. Want. Need. Desire.
Everything
.”
“So would you say, as a whole, that in your
croie
, you found a missing piece of your soul?”
I look around and see them all nodding emphatically. I think that about covers it. “Next question. What legacy has your mother left with each of you?”
They all go quiet for several long moments. Kieran clears his throat. “Unconditional love,” he says, his voice slightly thicker than normal. I wait, sensing there is more to come. I can see it in their faces, the reverence they share for this amazing woman who was cruelly taken from them long ago. If they hate me for it, they don’t show it.
“Compassion,” says Michael.
“Selflessness,” adds Shane, almost at the same time Sean says “Family comes first”.
“Unwavering support,” Jake murmurs.
“Live each day to the fullest.” That, from Ian.
Kane is the only one who hasn’t chimed in yet. All eyes go to him expectantly. “Take care of your own,” he says gruffly, and I know that it is a lesson they have all taken to heart.
Damn, I feel tears coming on again. Time to move on. “Do you want the next generation to follow in your footsteps, primarily joining the service?”
“It’s tradition,” Jake shrugs.
“Even your daughters?”
Sean snorts. “Females cannot become Navy SEALs. It’s the law.”
My fingers fly over the keyboard, and Google confirms this. “Okay, they can’t be SEALs. But I’m sure you could teach them what they need to know. What about including them in... the family business?”
At this they shift in their seats and exchange uncomfortable glances. Unsurprisingly, it’s Kane who answers. “Fuck, no.”
“Why not?” I press.
He looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind, icy blue eyes chilling my blood. Though he is my creation, even I’m a little scared. I dig deep, summoning my courage. “Look at Nicki,” I rationalize. “She’s as tough as any of you. And though they might not advertise it, each of your wives has a core of solid steel.”
Kane narrows his eyes in warning. Clearly, he does not wish to continue this discussion. But I bet he already has begun assembling a cache of first-rate weaponry to give to his daughter someday.
Shane, the diplomat, meets me half-way. “No argument there. They have to be, to be able to handle us.”
“And your daughters are turning out to be every bit as strong, proud, clever, and intelligent as their mothers.”
They beam at me, proud fathers, uncles, and honorary kin.
“So someday they
could
do it, if they wanted to,” I prod.
“Sure they could,” Ian says, looking uncharacteristically serious. “But that’s not what you asked. You asked if we
wanted
them to follow in our footsteps. The answer to that is a great big ‘Hell, no’, but I can tell you this: if that’s what they want, we’ll make damn sure they’re the best of the best.”
“Fair enough.” I make a mental note, thinking that if I continue the series into the next generation, there are going to be some kick-ass females getting their own stories. I tap in a few words and read down to the next question. “When away on a mission, what food or tradition most calls to you and reminds you of home?”
“Tootsie rolls,” growls Kane, and we all chuckle, aware of his wife Rebecca’s obsession with them.
“We’re not usually gone long enough for it to become an issue,” Ian shrugs. “In and out, clean and mean.”
“I was gone a long time,” Brian says quietly. “And I used to dream of a big, thick juicy burger, loaded fries, and a vanilla shake.” A few of them smile knowingly.
“What about the Ghost Team? Now that you’re all married and settled, will you disband?”
“What Ghost Team?” Sean snickers, palms up. “Sorry Abbie, we don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jake leans forward and lowers his voice. “We will always protect what’s ours.” Even Kane, who says he has retired from active duty, is giving me a meaningful look.
“I’ll take that as a no then.” Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief. I can’t even imagine these alpha males being content with a “normal” lifestyle of a regular job, wife, kids. These guys need the adrenalin rush that comes with being heroes, even if they don’t see themselves that way.
They stare at me, waiting for the next question.
“What do you want people to remember most about you?” I ask, consulting my list. I’m loving these questions, because bullshit canned answers aren’t going to cut it, and they know it. This one though, seems to stump them.
“That we are good men.”
“That what we do, we do for all the right reasons.”
“Fate knows what the hell it’s doing.”
I type those in as they shout them out and look up expectantly.
“Cool.” I close my laptop and smile. As much as I want to take another sip of my beer, I don’t, because I took my eyes off of it for a few seconds. The last thing I want is to wake up later with something embarrassing written on my forehead in Sharpie. They’d do it, too, just to prove they can pull one over on me.
“So that’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” Sean asks. They exchange glances of disbelief.
“Yep. For now. So, carry on, I guess.”
I push my chair back and stand up. Or try to. I’ve been sitting so long my knees scream in protest and I’m forced to lean on the table for support. That’s not much better. Too much typing has exacerbated my carpal tunnel and I have to smack my hand on the surface a few times to get the blood flowing again.
“You okay, Abbie?” Michael asks, ever the concerned physician.
“No worries,” I assure him. He narrows his eyes, no doubt realizing that his wife Maggie’s irrational fear of doctors had to originate somewhere. I refuse to acknowledge that.
“You’re not leaving already are you?” Jake asks.
“Got to.” I check my watch. “The kids will be home from school soon. That means homework, practices, dinner, laundry, dishes...” I stop, because really, I could go on for some time.
“When will you be back?” Ian asks.
“When I can.” It’s sweet, how they seem to care. The edges of the bar room are beginning to blur, and I know my time here is almost over. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. I have responsibilities, people who depend on me.
“You
are
coming back, right?” They all look at me expectantly, even Kane.
As if I could ever really say goodbye to these guys who have become such a huge part of my life.
“Yeah,” I promise. “I’ll be back.”
A
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Thanks again, and may all of your ever-afters be happy ones!
Abbie
A
bbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...
Contemporary Romance
Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers, Book 1)
First and Only (Callaghan Brothers, Book 2)
House Calls (Callaghan Brothers, Book 3)
Seeking Vengeance (Callaghan Brothers, Book 4)
Guardian Angel (Callaghan Brothers, Book 5)
Beyond Affection (Callaghan Brothers, Book 6)
Having Faith (Callaghan Brothers, Book 7)
Bottom Line (Callaghan Brothers, Book 8)
Five Minute Man (Covendale Series, Book 1)
All Night Woman (Covendale Series, Book 2)
The Realist
Time Travel Romance
Lost in Time I
Lost in Time II
Paranormal Romance
Vampire, Unaware