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“The last few weeks have shown me that I can’t just come in and take over a hotel without a proper understanding of the place and the staff. It made me realise just how much I appreciate my job in Cork, even if I am far from my family. I have a great life there, not to mention an amazing group of people working for me, and this whole experience has made me happy for what I already have.”

“I’m glad then.”

She glanced at me, unsure. “So, are we good? I really am sorry for my behaviour when we first met.”

“Katy, it’s water under the bridge. And just to be clear, you don’t need to worry about me telling anyone about you and Lou.” Well, I had told Tristan, but I’d already made him promise to keep it to himself, and I knew he would.

“Thank you, but it doesn’t really matter. This is my last week. I’ll be driving back to Cork on Friday. That night was simply … a moment of insanity.”

I frowned. “Lou’s a good guy, you know. He might be a loudmouth and overconfident, but he’s got a heart of gold underneath it all. Plus, he’s an amazing sous chef and will likely move up to head chef someday. You could do a lot worse.”

“We’re too different, not to mention we live hours apart,” Katy said. “It was a fun night, but nothing that needs to be repeated.”

She seemed resolute on the matter, and I didn’t push because we didn’t know each other like that. Besides, I’d witnessed many a one-night stand between coworkers over the years, and very rarely did they lead to anything serious.

“I’m going to head out and check on each department, make sure everyone’s ready,” I said, and she nodded, her laptop reopened and her work resumed.

I walked the length of the hotel, checking in with housekeeping, then the kitchen, followed by maintenance and reception. Samara wore her new uniform happily, alongside her fancy new name badge. We chatted a little, just catching up, and then I continued upstairs to inspect the rooms.

I was walking down the hallway on the first floor when I heard voices, then several people rounded the corner. I saw Tristan first, my skin heating like it always did in his presence, followed by his brother, and an older couple. It only took a few seconds for me to see the family resemblance and realise they were Tristan’s parents. They must’ve been at Derek’s wedding, but I didn’t remember seeing them that day. Then again, I’d spent most of it hiding in my office.

Nervous energy began to trickle in. When I’d set out to inspect the rooms, I did not expect to run into the man I was sleeping with and his parents. I’d only met his father once, under less than agreeable circumstances, though I doubted he remembered me at all. His mother I’d never met, but I saw where Tristan got his looks from. Both he and his sister, Nuala, were the spitting image of their mam. Derek appeared to take after their father, a tall man with dark hair and light eyes.

Tristan’s gaze crinkled with warmth when he saw me. “Erin, let me introduce you to my parents, Padraig and Jo. Mam, Dad, this is Erin, the manager here at the Astor Cove.”

“Ah, Erin, we’ve heard great things,” his mother said, stepping forward to shake my hand before his father moved in to do the same.

“A pleasure to meet you both. Your sons have done an amazing job with the place, as I’m sure you can see.”

“Yes, we’re very impressed.”

“Well, I’ll let you continue your tour. I was just inspecting the rooms before the guests arrive.”

Tristan’s fingers tipped off mine and I leaned into him the tiniest bit, missing the contact. It was only as I lifted my gaze that I noticed his mother eyeing us, her gaze lighting.

“Yes, we’ll move on, but it really was so nice to meet you, Erin,” she said, coming close to squeeze my arm. “I hope my son is treating you well. You must come to dinner at our house some evening. I’d love to get to know you better.”

Well, that was that, then. Not only did my entire family know I was seeing Tristan, now the cat was out of the bag with his, too. His mother continued walking on with Derek, Tristan shooting me a look that said, Come find me when you have a spare minute; though from the simmering heat in his gaze, I didn’t think he wanted me to find him to discuss work.

He followed his mother and brother, his dad trailing behind as he shot me a kind smile and said, “It’s nice to see you were okay in the end, Erin.”

My breath caught as he walked away. He remembered me. I could hardly believe it, especially after all these years and especially since I looked completely different. Perhaps he remembered my name, and it jogged his memory. Or maybe Padraig Balfe was merely a shrewd businessman, though he was now retired, and one of the big things in business was to remember names and faces.

Despite my best intentions, I didn’t end up having a single free moment to seek out Tristan. As soon as the guests started arriving, it was all hands on deck. I barely got a chance to breathe, let alone find time for a sexy rendezvous. Thankfully, things were running smoothly, and the dinner service had just started in the restaurant when I was passing through reception and heard someone calling my name.

I turned and found our neighbours, Molly Weir and her husband, stepping into the hotel in their Sunday best.

“Wow, they really spruced the place up, didn’t they,” Molly exclaimed as I approached. “We have a booking for dinner at six, but we thought we’d come a little early to have a drink at the bar. Just the one, you know yourself.”

That was right, Tristan had offered them a complimentary dinner for their trouble with the potholes. I almost laughed at them showing up right on opening night to accept their compensation. Then again, I didn’t blame them for wanting to enjoy a free evening out.

“Very good. Let me show you to the bar,” I said, leading them through.

“We finally got word from the council. The holes are getting filled in next week,” Molly said. “Mind you, myself and Mr Balfe’s assistant had to call every day to pester them. I think they’re sick of hearing from us, so they finally got their finger out.”

“That’s good news,” I said as we entered the bar area, which was already full of guests. It lifted my heart to see how busy the place was. I led the couple over to some free stools by the bar, then frowned when I saw Zach and Mairéad sitting at a table, huddled close as they shared a cocktail.

What were they doing here?