Chapter 463 – Second Chance Love of the Missing Groom Novel

“It’s a family dinner,” James added, leaving Stan speechless.

Critical hit!

Stan felt as if he had ten thousand lifepoints slashed off his existence just then!

Did they have to hurt him so much?

Meanwhile, James blinked at Stan. “Why don’t you join us? You could come back later to catch up on your work.”

“Buzz off!” Stan was no masochist—he would be the only single man at the table. It would be so awkward!

James said, “Just get yourself a woman soon and you won’t be single anymore.”

“Does it look like Mr. Althoff has another sister?” Stan snapped.

Diarmuid wheeled on Stan, his aloof gaze slightly cold just then. “What was that?”

“Nothing!” Stan quickly smiled and turned to flee immediately.

The elevator doors opened just then and Diarmuid strode inside with James behind him.

As the elevator went down, Diarmuid said, “Try not to upset Stan too much from now on.”

James thought to himself that he was not really doing that, since he was just telling the truth…

That was when Diarmuid finished. “His brain isn’t that good. You’d drive him nuts.”

James was speechless and stared at Diarmuid in silence.

Stan would probably get a heart attack from that one if he heard it—that burn would leave him charred!

Soon, the elevator arrived at the basement parking lot and Diarmuid got into his car.

James opened the door and was about to get in, but Diarmuid shot him a look. “You’re driving there on your own.”

With that, he drove off, leaving James standing there speechlessly.

He looked around and decided that it was nothing awkward seeing that there was no one around, and so went to get his car as if nothing happened.

Erin was playing with Tommy in the courtyard.

Her eyes blindfolded as she tentatively reached out to feel if there were obstacles up front, calling out to the boy, “Tommy? Where are you, Tommy?”

“Over here!” he exclaimed, deliberately standing in front of her and dropping to a crouch just as she reached him.

Then, seeing Diarmuid enter, he scurried to hide behind him and exclaimed, “Over here, Aunt Erin!”

His voice drew her toward him again and she quickly tracked the voice and headed in that direction. “You’d better not move, Ike Althoff, or I won’t play with you anymore.”

It had been half an hour, but she could not seem to reach him at all, and she was so impatient she was using his name!

“Alright, I won’t move,” Tommy said as he poked his head out behind Diarmuid.

Diarmuid frowned. “Tommy…”

Before he could finish, however, Erin had already lunged toward him, wrapping her arms round him.

While Diarmuid was left speechless, Erin sensed that something was wrong and she quickly took off her blindfold.

Realizing that she just grabbed hold of Diarmuid, she promptly jumped backward as if she just touched magma. “I, I…”

Diarmuid was uncomfortable, but he cleared his throat and said, “It’s fine.”

“Hahah! You lose, Aunt Erin! You didn’t get me!” Tommy skipped around happily and ran up to her. “You’re it.”

Erin, however, grumbled. “I’m not playing with you anymore.”

“No! Let’s play, Aunt Erin!” Tommy took her hand and shook it side to side playfully.

Nonetheless, Erin shook her head determinedly. “No, I’d get the wrong person.”

“Get the wrong person?” James asked just then, having just arrived himself.

Erin’s eyes lit up when she saw him, though Tommy answered before she could. “We were playing blind man’s bluff. She got Daddy instead of me…”

James certainly knew that Diarmuid hated being touched by others, and he could not help looking in Diarmuid’s way.

Diarmuid glared at James. “What are you looking at?”

James quickly lowered his head and pretended to rub his nose—there was no way he could say ‘at your face’!

While Diarmuid headed into the mansion, Erin passed James the blindfold. “You’re it.”

James was speechless for a moment before asking, “Why not you?”

“No way,” Erin said and quickly tied the blindfold over his eyes, leaving him speechless again.

As James was forced to play with them, Tommy shouted from up front, “Uncle James, I’m over here! Come and get me!”

At the same time, Erin called from behind, “I’m here!”

James was speechless. Who was he supposed to go for?

“Don’t move, both of you! I’m coming!”

“Over here, over here!” Tommy waved excitedly at him.

Meanwhile Diarmuid entered the house to find Abigail washing some food ingredients.

“You left work early?” he asked.

Abigail turned, and seeing that it was him, she said, “I could say the same about you.”

He took the ingredients off her hands, saying, “I’ve made a reservation at a restaurant. We’ll be eating outside—you don’t have to cook.”

“I’ve already made soup. A few more dishes and I’ll be done,” she said. “How about we eat out tomorrow instead? Just stay home for the day.”

Most of the ingredients were washed and ready to be cooked—they would go bad if left around.

“Also, you should call us ahead of time if you’re taking us out to eat,” Abigail pointed out just then.

Diarmuid actually did not think of that, and he nodded. “I’ll remember next time.”

Hence, they were staying home for dinner, with Diarmuid telling James to cancel the reservation at the restaurant.

After learning that James was there as well, Abigail made a couple more dishes and called everyone in around an hour later when the food was ready.

“Mrs. Watson is not around, so you would all have to bear with my cooking.”

James said, “It’s a grand feast.”

Abigail shot him a look. “Lie all you want.”

Most of the dishes she made were vegetarian: eggplant risotto, chickpea crepes, omelets, escalivada, and potato and cod soup, with only a plate of steamed crayfish and rack of lamb for meat.

Erin mentioned over dinner that she booked a plane ticket for tomorrow afternoon.

Since she had not eaten well since Mrs. Watson got sick when she returned, Abigail suggested lunch outside at noon.

Naturally, Diarmuid would make the reservation.

James was holding his fork, looking hesitant to speak.

Presuming that he was going to apply for leave, Erin shot him a glare to stop him.

James shook his head—it was just a half-day’s leave, not the whole day.

Erin’s flight was in the afternoon, so he could perhaps skip work only in the morning.

“I’ll book the restaurant tomorrow—I’m buying,” James said, clearly trying to curry Diarmuid’s favor. “May I take half the day off?”

Diarmuid looked up at James, naturally seeing through him.

“Fine,” Diarmuid said quietly.

Abigail took leave from work the next day, and she was sitting on the living crouch with her baby in her arms.

Erin and James left on a date, leaving just her and Sheryl.

Tommy was sprawled on the couch, looking depressed, so Abigail went to stand beside him and asked, “What’s wrong, Tommy?”

He pouted. “I want Aunt Erin to stay. I want to play with her.”

“She has to work,” Abigail said.

“Does she have to?” Tommy asked.

Abigail sat on the couch and reached out to pat his head. “I’ll play with you from now on.”

Tommy was skeptical. “You lie.”

“Have I ever lied?” Abigail’s voice quivered as she saw the doubt in her son’s eyes, her heart skipping a beat.

“No, but you never stay home,” Tommy answered seriously.

Abigail certainly knew that she never spent much time with Tommy, and her heart seemed to clench at the sight of doubt from her own son’s eyes.

“I’ll make it up to you from now on,” she said mildly.

Tommy was still skeptical. “Really?”

“Of course,” Abigail said assuredly.

“Okay, I believe you, Mommy,” Tommy said after thinking about it, and he lay over Abigail’s lap. “If only Aunt Erin could stay with us.”

He definitely liked playing with his Aunt Erin, since he was usually under the care of Sheryl and Mrs. Watson.

And Sheryl certainly could not run around as much to play with Tommy.

Erin was lively, willing to babysit Tommy, and would play with him as much as he liked.

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