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Authors: Ellie Lyons
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twinkling. “I do play a bit of rugby.”
“Ask him for his autograph,” Sean interrupted without looking up. “He loves that.”
Ally had forgotten Sean was there. She looked over to find him tapping on an iPad.
“Bugger off,” Luca mumbled.
Ally didn’t think Luca looked that bothered and took the bait. “So how about an autograph? My sister lives here, and you can make it out to her.”
Luca shook his head. “I’m just a kiwi farmer who loves to play rugby. That’s hardly a reason to sign autographs.”
“I can only gauge by American sports stars,” she began, “but I’d think it goes with the territory.”
Luca nodded. “You know, I get it that people want a piece of someone who shows up on the tele. It’s just not one of my favorite activities.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” She imagined the women lining up to get close to him. Her sister sounded like she’d be first in line.
“Yeah, I’d like some of his throwaways, come to think of it.” Sean interjected again.
“That’s it!” Luca stood up and grabbed his brother by the collar, pulling him off the couch.
She noticed that Sean was still clutching the iPad and didn’t seem the least bit threatened. She knew he must get sick of both his brothers’ crap, but Sean seemed to enjoy egging him on.
“Ugh!” Luca exclaimed, dropping Sean, and walked down the plane into the galley. He passed by Sue, who was coming in to clear trash.
“What have you done now, Sean?” Sue asked.
“It’s too easy to get a rise out of him,” Sean explained, his voice level. Then maybe as an afterthought, he added, “He’s not allowed to hit me.”
She saw smug all over his face. “Why not? I thought brothers always kicked each other’s butts.”
“Yeah, in most families I suppose.” Sean kicked his legs up on the couch. “Our family tradition,” he explained with air quotes, “is built on respect, responsibility, and relations. God, that’s all I used to hear: the three R’s.”
Ally leaned back again her chair. The sudden disgust was unsettling.
“Luca can go out and kill guys on the rugby field, but he’d be in big trouble at home if he roughs me or any other family member up. It goes back to the fucking Maori thing. It’s all rubbish. I mean times have changed. I don’t see how Luca should inherit the kingdom just because he’s the firstborn.”
Listening to Sean complain so openly about what was clearly a family matter made her very uncomfortable. The fact that he would air family laundry to a complete stranger was really odd. She also felt the urge to defend Luca in his absence.
“I know we just met, Sean, but as I sit here in your private plane with my dad in the hospital, I’m having a tough time feeling sorry for you.”
“It’s not that great, trust me. That’s why I’ve been gone for three years.”
*
Luca listened to the conversation from inside the galley when Sue came back from the pilot’s cabin. She followed his gaze. “Nice lady.”
“Hmm-hm. She’s a professor.” Luca was busy listening to Ally put Sean in his place. Good for her.
“That’s not what I meant,” she said quickly as Phillip lumbered into the galley.
Phillip stood next to Luca and followed his gaze. “Cal was holding out on us. Maybe I’ll make a play there,” he said, giving Luca a shove with his elbow. When Luca didn’t take the bait, he continued. “You know Cal talked about those girls constantly, but did you see those legs in there? Sorry, Sue, your legs are nice too.”
Sue finished fixing a plate of fruit, ignoring the brothers as she walked up to the pilots.
Phillip took out an orange juice from the mini bar. “I met her mom once.”
Luca turned to face his brother. “When?”
“She came down with Cal once, just the two of them. I remember her mentioning how it was her dream to spend winters in New Zealand. That’s a nice family,” he said, putting the juice away and heading back to the
“Ask him for his autograph,” Sean interrupted without looking up. “He loves that.”
Ally had forgotten Sean was there. She looked over to find him tapping on an iPad.
“Bugger off,” Luca mumbled.
Ally didn’t think Luca looked that bothered and took the bait. “So how about an autograph? My sister lives here, and you can make it out to her.”
Luca shook his head. “I’m just a kiwi farmer who loves to play rugby. That’s hardly a reason to sign autographs.”
“I can only gauge by American sports stars,” she began, “but I’d think it goes with the territory.”
Luca nodded. “You know, I get it that people want a piece of someone who shows up on the tele. It’s just not one of my favorite activities.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” She imagined the women lining up to get close to him. Her sister sounded like she’d be first in line.
“Yeah, I’d like some of his throwaways, come to think of it.” Sean interjected again.
“That’s it!” Luca stood up and grabbed his brother by the collar, pulling him off the couch.
She noticed that Sean was still clutching the iPad and didn’t seem the least bit threatened. She knew he must get sick of both his brothers’ crap, but Sean seemed to enjoy egging him on.
“Ugh!” Luca exclaimed, dropping Sean, and walked down the plane into the galley. He passed by Sue, who was coming in to clear trash.
“What have you done now, Sean?” Sue asked.
“It’s too easy to get a rise out of him,” Sean explained, his voice level. Then maybe as an afterthought, he added, “He’s not allowed to hit me.”
She saw smug all over his face. “Why not? I thought brothers always kicked each other’s butts.”
“Yeah, in most families I suppose.” Sean kicked his legs up on the couch. “Our family tradition,” he explained with air quotes, “is built on respect, responsibility, and relations. God, that’s all I used to hear: the three R’s.”
Ally leaned back again her chair. The sudden disgust was unsettling.
“Luca can go out and kill guys on the rugby field, but he’d be in big trouble at home if he roughs me or any other family member up. It goes back to the fucking Maori thing. It’s all rubbish. I mean times have changed. I don’t see how Luca should inherit the kingdom just because he’s the firstborn.”
Listening to Sean complain so openly about what was clearly a family matter made her very uncomfortable. The fact that he would air family laundry to a complete stranger was really odd. She also felt the urge to defend Luca in his absence.
“I know we just met, Sean, but as I sit here in your private plane with my dad in the hospital, I’m having a tough time feeling sorry for you.”
“It’s not that great, trust me. That’s why I’ve been gone for three years.”
*
Luca listened to the conversation from inside the galley when Sue came back from the pilot’s cabin. She followed his gaze. “Nice lady.”
“Hmm-hm. She’s a professor.” Luca was busy listening to Ally put Sean in his place. Good for her.
“That’s not what I meant,” she said quickly as Phillip lumbered into the galley.
Phillip stood next to Luca and followed his gaze. “Cal was holding out on us. Maybe I’ll make a play there,” he said, giving Luca a shove with his elbow. When Luca didn’t take the bait, he continued. “You know Cal talked about those girls constantly, but did you see those legs in there? Sorry, Sue, your legs are nice too.”
Sue finished fixing a plate of fruit, ignoring the brothers as she walked up to the pilots.
Phillip took out an orange juice from the mini bar. “I met her mom once.”
Luca turned to face his brother. “When?”
“She came down with Cal once, just the two of them. I remember her mentioning how it was her dream to spend winters in New Zealand. That’s a nice family,” he said, putting the juice away and heading back to the
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