“Possibly.” But in her heart she knew it was no mistake. A miscalculation, for sure, but the fire in his blue eyes when he’d saidmarry mehad been real. Thrillingly real. The words had ignited an irrational response in her passion-drenched body. She’d almost said yes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Lucky had chosen Rowdy Roost as the best spot for making the phone call, which suited Kieran fine. He had good memories of the place — his dart game with Lucky and dancing with Sara.
He hadn’t heard from her but hadn’t expected to. She might still be asleep. He would be, too, if his host hadn’t made sure he didn’t miss this critical appointment with Lucky.
Rance parked by the side doors and they both climbed out. Lucky was already inside working on his pool game judging from the sound of balls smacking against each other.
“I didn’t get that lesson, did I, mate?”
“No worries.” Rance opened the door and ushered him inside. “Get Lucky to give you a lesson.” He raised his voice. “He’s almost as good as I am.”
Lucky straightened, pool cue in hand. “Pay no attention to him, Kieran. He thinks I can’t beat him anymore now that he has his own table.”
“I don’t just think, bro. It’s a fact. Last time we played?—”
“I was rusty. I’ll admit it. But unlike you, Oksana and I have our evenings free. She does writing sprints with Mom and I work on my game.”
“Then I look forward to our next match. Either of you want coffee?”
Kieran shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“None for me, either,” Lucky said. “I’m wired enough as it is.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it.” He paused next to Lucky. “You’re gonna make that lady’s day.”
“Hope so. She’s definitely gonna make mine.”
Rance lifted his hand and Lucky grasped it as they exchanged a glance of solidarity gained through a shared life in the family trenches.
Kieran’s throat tightened. He had mates he’d known for years, but it wasn’t the same.
Rance left and Lucky snapped his cue back into its holder on the wall. “Did last night work out?”
“It did.” He would have revealed more. After all, this was his brother, even if they hadn’t spent years together. But now wasn’t the time.
“Glad to hear it.” Lucky distributed the balls among the table’s pockets and stepped away. “I’m thinking you’ll want to tell her about our mom first, and I’ll just sit quietly and listen to that part.”
“That makes sense.” He pulled out his mobile. “Her story leads right into the part of you coming into the world. At that point, I’ll hand it over to you. You can tell her about yourself.”
“What sort of stuff should I tell her?”
“Don’t worry. She’ll ask questions. Where should we sit?”
“I like the bar.”
“Me, too.” He followed Lucky and took the stool next to his. “I texted her on the way over and told her I’d call at four her time.”
“Did she answer?”
“She did. I want to show you the way she texts. It’s gas.”
“Meaning funny, right?”
He nodded as he called up the thread. “She loves emojis but they hardly ever match what she’s texting. She pretends she doesn’t need her glasses, and even when she knows she tapped the wrong thing, she won’t use the delete button. She’s afraid it’ll all disappear.”
“Which, to be fair, can happen if you hold it down too long.”
