I don’t look Keegan in the eyes as I flutter away to the kitchen, pushing through the door, almost running smack-dab into Lexi.
“Whoa. Sorry,” I say with a laugh. “You okay?”
“Oh, no worries. We’re always running about. We’re bound to run into each other. How’s your day going?”
“Good, actually.” Aside from the part where Maggie and Maeve basically told me I have no chance at anything long-term with their brother. “It’s busy in the pub tonight, and that makes it fun.”
“I agree.” She hurries back to the freezer and returns with a huge bag of fries.
“What do you have for us, Izzy?” Shawn asks. I still can’t look him in the eye after he caught Keegan and I lip-locked yesterday. “Okay, let’s talk about it.”
I look up. “Talk about what?”
“Yesterday.”
“Oh, I don’t really have time for—”
“You have a minute,” he says. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. You’re both consenting adults, Izzy.”
“I know.” I blow out a breath and then shrug a shoulder. Given that I’ve decided not to see Keegan anymore, there’s no reason to be slightly embarrassed. “Okay, you’re right. I’m fine.”
“Well, that was easy.” Shawn grins and nods toward the notebook in my hand. “What do you have for us?”
I put in my order for food and then bustle away, back to the bar where Keegan’s loaded up my tray.
“Thanks.”
“Hey, Izzy.”
I stop and look up at him with a raised brow. “Yeah?”
“Is everything okay, lass?”
The lass still makes my stomach jump. Damn him. “Everything’s perfectly fine.”
I turn away and go back to work, seeing to my customers. Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten so much better at this job. I haven’t broken a glass in weeks, my feet aren’t killing me, and I remember not only the customers’ names but also their orders most of the time. I do still use the notebook, just in case.
I’ve come to feel like I belong here, and I’m not going to mess it up by getting involved with Keegan for a short-term fling, and then have to try and act like nothing happened so I can keep my job.
I’m way too old and too smart to fall into that trap.
The rest of the evening is fun and lively, with joyful Irish music and happy customers. Maggie gets up to sing a song or two with the band, and I have a bounce in my step as I make my way from table to table, enjoying the camaraderie in the bar. I even sing along with some of the songs that I’m coming to recognize.
The night flies by, and before long, Keegan is turning the lock on the door, and we’re mopping floors and cleaning tables.
“It was a good night,” Maggie says with a grin as she counts her tips. “Tourist season may be winding down, but our locals never let us down.”
“It was fun,” I agree as I toss my rag into the dirty laundry basket and glance around the bar. “I think we’re done for the night.”
“We’re done, too,” Shawn adds as he and Lexi walk out of the bar. “Hey, Maggie, can you give us a lift home? We walked over this afternoon.”
“Of course.” The three of them walk to the door, and just as I turn to join them, Keegan’s voice, strong and firm, stops me.
“Stop.”
I turn with a raised brow. “Excuse me?”
“I’d like to have a word with Izzy. You three go. I’ll make sure she gets home.”
“Okay, see you in a bit,” Maggie says with a wave. When the three of them are gone, and the door is locked once more, Keegan turns to me with intense green eyes.
“We’re going to talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you, Isabella.”
I raise my chin. “Nothing is bothering me.”
“That’s bullshit if ever I heard it.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I had a good evening. I feel pretty good. I can’t think of anything at all that’s wrong.”
“I feel you pulling away from me,” he says. “I felt the shift the second you walked into the pub this afternoon. What happened?”
I sigh, resigned to having this conversation, and hoping he doesn’t fire me. Not that I think Keegan is that kind of a boss, but still.
“Look, I just think it’s probably a good idea if we cool things between us. I don’t want any weirdness when it’s over.”
“When it’s over.” He shifts on his feet and tucks his hands into his pockets.
“Yeah, when it’s over. Your sisters told me today that you’re not really the kind of guy who gets serious about someone. And I’m not saying that I want to marry you tomorrow or anything like that—trust me, I’m not ready for that—but I do deserve to be with someone who might entertain the possibility of someday wanting me to be an important part of his life. And I’m not judging you for not being that person. Not at all. I guess I was just made aware that we’re very different people, and I love this job. And you and your family. So, I think it’s a good idea if we go back to being friends.”
I let out a breath and watch as Keegan rolls his tongue over his teeth, then nods his head and rubs his hand over his lips in agitation.
“You’re mad.”
“Frustrated is a better word for what I am,” he says slowly. “First of all, Maeve and Mary Margaret don’t speak for me. They don’t know the inner workings of any of my past relationships, and they aren’t psychic, so they can’t read my bleeding mind. Second of all, I think this is a decision I should be a part of.”
“Well, it’s just—”
“I’m not finished. You had your say, so I’ll have mine, as well.”
I close my mouth and nod.
“Is this what you really want, Isabella? Do you want me to back off and keep my hands to meself?”
His Irish has kicked up big time with his agitation, only adding to the sexiness factor.
“Well, I—”
“Because I will, if it’s what you’re wanting. I won’t bother you at all, and I’ll be the kind and respectful boss I’ve always been.”
That actually sounds horrible. And standing ten feet away from him, all I want is for him to pull me close and hug me. To reassure me that everything his sisters said is wrong.
I should have just talked to him rather than assume—making a mess in the process.
“I don’t think that’s what I want,” I admit.
He crosses to me and frames my face in his hands. Immediately, I’m calmer. My hands grasp his wrists as I look up into those intense eyes.
“I should have talked to you.”
“You should have, aye,” he breathes. “You’ve already become an important part of my life, Izzy. It’s only been a short time, but I look forward to my time with you, and I only crave more. Kissing you is at once heaven and hell because I want to take it further, but I don’t know what you’re ready for. Everything about you is a morgen’s call.”
“What’s a morgen?” I ask softly.
“It’s the Irish version of the Greek siren,” he says with a grin.