An O'Brien Family Christmas by Sherryl Woods

Laila. We all did our part to make sure she came along on this trip, hoping that the two of you would mend fences and get your relationship back on track.” She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “I hope that wasn’t a mistake.”
    “Why would you think it might have been a mistake?” Matthew asked.
    “I’m not seeing any signs of progress,” Susie said, sounding miffed.
    “You’re not the one who has to see them, now, are you?” Matthew responded.
    “Then things are better between you?” she inquired hopefully.
    He didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement at this sisterly concern run amok. “I’m satisfied.”
    She seemed taken aback by his declaration. “Really? Seriously?”
    “Yes, Suze. Things are progressing quite nicely, and I expect them to continue to progress. I assume I can trust you to leave the situation to me.”
    His sister looked disappointed. “You don’t want my help?”
    “Not so much,” he said dryly.
    “Good luck with that,” Mack murmured.
    Susie scowled at her husband. “I can mind my own business.”
    Both men laughed.
    “In what universe?” Matthew asked.
    She gave him an impatient look. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’m just trying to help. Do you want Laila or not?”
    “I want Laila,” Matthew said. “But I think I’ll go about winning her on my own terms, if that’s all the same to you. What kind of honeymoon are the two of you having, if you have all this spare time to worry about my love life?”
    “Careful,” Mack warned. “I might take that the wrong way. You know perfectly well that your sister is excellent at multi-tasking, and meddling seems to be in her genes.”
    “Well, I’d consider it a personal favor if you’d keep your wife focused on you and out of my business.” He held Mack’s gaze. “Please.”
    With that, he stood up and walked out of the bar, but not before he heard Mack say, “I told you this was a bad idea.”
    Susie, to Matthew’s surprise, laughed. “No, it wasn’t. I found out everything I needed to know. Matthew is firmly on the hook. Now I just need to focus my energy on Laila.”
    Matthew groaned. He debated leaving his sister to her machinations, but he knew they’d backfire. He turned around and went back. He leaned down and looked his sister squarely in the eye. “Stay out of it, Suze,” he said quietly, holding her gaze. “I mean it.”
    “I think he’s serious, Susie,” Mack commented.
    “Oh, if he had any idea what was good for him, he’d have sealed this deal by now,” she scoffed. “He obviously needs some help.”
    “Stay out of it,” Matthew repeated.
    She only grinned. “You don’t scare me.”
    “Well, I should. I know your secrets. I could spread them far and wide. A few of them might even stir up this happy marriage of yours,” he threatened with absolutely no intention of following through. He loved that Susie and Mack were finally together. He merely hoped to shake her up, make her think twice about messing around in his life.
    “Secrets?” Mack inquired, looking from him to Susie and back again.
    Susie patted his cheek. “Nothing for you to worry about,” she said, then scowled at Matthew and added pointedly, “nothing!”
    “Try me,” he retorted, hoping the empty threat would be enough to at least slow her down, if not get her to forget her scheming.
    He held her gaze steadily. She was the first to blink and look away. He heaved a relieved sigh and walked away for the second time. This time, though, only silence followed him.
     
     
    Laila found half a dozen messages at the desk on her return from Howth. One was from her father. The rest were from Trace. Since her brother was less objectionable, she called him first.
    “You’re back?” he asked when she reached him.
    “Just walked in.”
    “Meet me across the street in the park. We need to talk.”
    “I can’t right now. There are some guys coming over to speak with Nell about a possible family connection, and I promised to