He was going to come face-to-face with Gray tonight. Ciar smiled and took pictures with several of the evening's guests, who kept approaching him to congratulate the pub's success. He ordered drinks, shook hands, and watched his dream coming to fruition in real time.
His father and Uncle Cormac were in attendance and looking sharp. They commandeered a table in the cigar room, and Ciar imagined they’d be there until closing.
He gripped his vodka and orange on the rocks so tightly he hoped Gray had chosen sturdy glassware. He couldn’t help but ask his friends, “When are the girls to be here?”
Daniel gave him a sharp look but answered, “Anytime.”
As if his query called them, Mags walked through the door, beautiful with her “Don’t mess with me” expression, her brunette hair swinging with every sway of her hips. Blair was next, brilliant red hair tamed in one thick, puffy braid down her slim back, and then Bébhinn, the dark-haired O’Faolain princess on the arm of her fiancé, Dagr Griffiths.
All eyes seemed to focus on the parade of gorgeous women. Ciar took a deep breath, realizing if he held it any longer, he would pass out.
Any second, a leggy, golden-haired bombshell would enter the new pub that she’d had a hand in creating.
Ten seconds.
Thirty seconds.
One minute.
Two.
Four.
“Mr. Murphy. Mr. Murphy,” someone at his side interrupted his vigil again. He focused on the man and woman who were trying to get his attention. Swallowing his anger at the interruption, he said, “I am.”
The woman, dressed in a sharp business suit, stuck out her hand, which he took. “I’m Jess Rathers, and this is,” she nodded to her companion, “Derek Banner. We wanted to introduce ourselves before the evening went on any longer. We work for O’Connor Hospitality. If there is anything you see tonight that doesn’t please you, we ask that you let us know immediately.”
Ciar’s confusion must have shown on his face because the woman, Jess, added, “Josephine and Gray O’Connor hired us to oversee that the evening goes smoothly.”
He felt a man come in close and whisper, “Breathe. The show must go on, so just fucking breathe.” Jonathan.
He managed to nod at the O’Connor representatives. “Appreciated. Enjoy the evening.” And then, once they moved on, he looked at his best friends. “She isn’t coming.”
“We heard. I would have been surprised if she’d been willing to see you. She’ll need a lot more from you than a chance meeting at your own fucking pub.”
He felt his head nod in understanding when, in reality, he no longer understood anything. He was about to flag a waiter down to order another drink when the girls and Dagr joined them.
The absence of smiles was the only clue he needed that the next conversation wouldn’t be pleasurable either.
He nodded to the new arrivals. Dagr shook his hand. “I’m impressed, Murphy. Gray Eyes looks to be a raging success. Congrats, man.”
Ciar finally flagged down a waiter and ordered a round of drinks for him and his friends. Though if the girls’ faces were anything to go by, adversaries were a better fit.
Once the drinks were delivered, Ciar faced the angry lineup of femme fatales. “Gray is out of town?” He didn’t mean to word that as a question.
No one responded.
He barely stopped himself from frantically looking around for his father. His dad was not happy with his decisions and wouldn’t have saved him from this torture even if he could.
He was reaping the rewards of his closed mouth. Gray had been, no, she was the end-all woman for him. When he told her that, he’d meant it.
He still meant it. He just didn’t know how to explain his actions, or explain that his past affected his present, or how he hoped it wouldn’t affect the future.
His phone buzzed with a text from Tina. She sent the third picture of the evening. This one was of Imogen snuggled inher crib with her favorite lop-eared bunny he’d gotten from the hospital’s gift shop the day she was born.
He liked the photo before putting the phone back in his pocket. His life had become a mockery of what he’d envisioned only short months ago.
He would never change the fact that Imogen was his daughter, but his treatment of Gray…he had nothing but regrets.
