by KC Enders
Making the necessary adjustments so that my knuckles brush against her, I smile and hit her with, “There’s only one girl whose swooning I’m interested in.” With everything I have behind it, I kiss her stupid and grab my guitar before heading back for another round of Irish music.
Gracyn moves around the bar, helping and filling in wherever she’s needed without a blink of the eye. And, the entire time, I’m focused on the way her jeans hug her ass, the way her hips sway with each step. I grit my teeth every time some drunk asshole stares at her a little too long for my liking, the timbre of the song changing, until she moves on or puts the guy in his place.
But the way her face lights up when she talks to the patrons, checks in with Aidan or the guys behind the bar, is breathtaking. There is nothing she can’t do, not a fucking thing, as long as she stays true to herself and follows her dreams.
I play through two sets, soaking up everything about her and her town and these people that she considers her true family. The only one missing is her friend Lis; actually, none of the girls are here tonight aside from Gracyn. Lis is working at the hospital, but Kate, the roommate, and Addison … or Adelaide maybe … are both absent.
Those girls … I feel like I need to pay some dues to. From the way Finn talks, he and Adelaide—I think—are all into indie bands and my kind of music. I should try to hook them up with some tickets to a show somewhere.
Kate is the unattached, wild friend, according to Gracyn. I don’t know a lot about her, nothing really.
But Lis and Aidan? Those two, I, for real, need to get in good graces with. Gracyn confirmed that the only fight—big fight—she’d ever had with Lis was the summer after Gracyn and I met. It doesn’t sit well with me that I caused some shit to go down between those girls, so I’m going to have to kiss some ass there and make amends.
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GRACYN
This night can’t end soon enough. I want to grab the air horn and clear these people out, so I can go home and lick and claim Gavin for my own.
Finally, when I think I can’t take it for one more minute, Finn rings the bell and does last call. God, how weird is it to be on this side of the house? Herding the drunks out the door, calling for cabs that are so busy that people are better off, walking home.
As the last of the stragglers filter out, Gavin accepts the end-of-the-night pint of Guinness from Finn and launches into his songs. He relaxes into his guitar, fingers nimbly strumming and stroking the strings, commanding the notes, coaxing and demanding the music to fall into line.
Hearing him play acoustically takes me straight back to Central Park, to the beach, to every quiet moment that we’ve shared. And, when he launches into “One,” my heart is so at peace. He’s right. As long as I am true to myself and follow my dreams, anything can happen.
“Gracyn,” Finn calls, “take the till to the back, will you, love? Check on Francie for me? He slipped out of here a couple of hours ago to hang out in the office for a bit.”
I grab the drawer from the register and hustle my ass through the kitchen.
“Francie, I’m coming in,” I call, pushing open the door.
The chair is pushed back from the desk, and there’s not a soul in sight. I round the desk, focused on getting my stuff done and getting out of here. After the mayhem of the past couple of years and the Brooks incident, I’m just ready to be done.
My heart slams to a halt, fully embedded against my ribs, pain shattering the very substance of the muscle.
“Call 911. Goddamn it, call 911!”
Part III
The Encore
Epilogue
Francie
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free!
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,
I took His hand and left it all …
I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss …
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life’s been full, I’ve savoured much:
Good times, good friends,
A loved one’s touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—
Don’t shorten yours with undue grief,
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.
Author Unknown
It’s time. Probably more than time, but I had to be sure they’d all be sorted without me. And, really, what better way than to just go? No fussing about, no decisions for them to have to make.
It’s grand.
I can’t say that I ever intended to find a new family when I came to the States. I mourned the loss of my Moira and sons. I’d buried them, left Ireland, and merely hoped to find a new sort of normal here for myself.
Honestly, I don’t even know how I started amassing these people I’m leaving behind. My pub grew faster than I’d planned, and a friend knew of a lad who needed a hand—a job, a place to live. And, before I knew it, the McBride’s boys were born. I never considered that I’d be granted a heart full of love again. I’d thought that was taken from me forever when Moira was struck and killed in the street. She’d taken our twin boys to visit her sister in Belfast, and I’ll pray until my dying breath—this last breath—that the bomb blast took them so quickly that they didn’t suffer.
The troubles were not something I could get involved in, so I left. I buried what was left of my heart and boarded a plane, half-hoping that it would crash into the ocean, ending my pain. The other half of me wanted to honor their memory by doing some kind of good. When my plane touched down, I had my answer, and I just took each day in turn.
Moved forward, hoped and prayed that I could somehow do them service. Make them proud.
As each lad that came to me passed through the pub, helping out until they found their way, my heart eased just a bit. It wasn’t until Finn showed up at my doorstep with his own set of troubles he was running from that things changed. That lad needed more than just a job; he needed a family.
Then, Lissy and Gracyn found their way into my pub and my heart, and against everything that made sense, I was stepping in more and more. Offering advice, a shoulder to cry on, a pat on the back, and a soft place to land.
Those three—Finn, Lis, and Gracyn—became the children I hadn’t gotten to raise. They allowed me to be the father I’d only dreamed of being.
Knowing that each of them has found their way with a person worthy of their love grants me the peace to let go.
Aidan will honor and care for Lissy, giving her the support she needs and the love that she deserves. I hate that I’ll miss their wedding, seeing their wee ones and holding them in my arms. That hurts more than the cancer ever has.
Finn—thank the good Lord he has Addie to keep him in line. I did more than my share of worrying about that boy, but, for the love of God, I wasn’t sure he’d ever find his stride. Now, with the way he’s stepped up in the pub, taking charge but finding that balance between work and his woman, I have no fear that he’ll do the pub justice, run it well, and carry on with helping those who need it. He’ll make me proud. He can’t help but to do so.
Gracyn though. The girl who, by all appearances, had everything is the one who struggled the most. God love that girl and her stoic heart, always trying to be what others thought she should be. She fought a battle that not many could ever see, one that not many could ever appreciate. She’s not only found love, but she’s also found the one man capable of helping her to see what she can do if only she grants herself the opportunity. See all the things she has to offer the world, if she allows herself to.
Two weeks is not a lot of time, nothing in the grand scheme of things, and one might say it’s hardly enough time to get to know a person, but I watched. I
saw the way her Gavin treated her, the love, the reverence. The no-shite adoration that he didn’t even try to hide from the world. That man loves Gracyn freely and fiercely, and tonight, before I came back to the office for some much-needed quiet, I watched again as she showed the same for him.
Fierce.
Free.
Honest love that will withstand the test of time.
Christ, they’ve already weathered more than most couples, and as long as they have each other, they’ll find the chords, the lyrics, the tunes that make a symphony of music.
My kids are grand. They have what they need, the love they deserve. They have each other, and they won’t be alone.
My final task was seeing them all sorted and now it’s done. They will cry some tears, hopefully lift a parting glass, but not a one of them needs to be burdened by my passing.
The sun will shine on them, and I’ll be with them all the way.
Acknowledgments
I promised you an explanation. I’ve dedicated each book to my fiends and have gotten multiple messages from people pointing out my typo. Nope. Not a typo. I live in a house full of men. Hubs, our two amazing grown kids. The dogs. All are of the male persuasion and let me tell you…they can be FIENDISH.
That being said, let’s move on to my friends! I had a lot of questions with this one. Asked a lot of questions, and then some more. So, a huge thank you to Alyson Santos for helping me with the music and tour questions. To Matt Dillman for letting me pick your brain. Kevin McKay and Mae Wood for sharing your legal knowledge and answering far too many, “but, what if …” questions. To Christy Wallingford for the lyrics to One. And always, thank you, Lynsey M. Stewart. You have been a constant source of support and encouragement since well before any of this started.
You guys, I still can’t believe that this is real. My goal when I released Troubles was to get a single four-star review from a person who didn’t know me at all. I’ve gotten so much more. New friends who live near and far. Old friends who I’ve not seen since high school reading and spreading the word. My admins in McBride’s—Christy Wallingford, Marisol Scott, and Kate Spitzer—who chat periodically about when the pub is going to open for real.
Patrons of McBride’s on Main, I love our little group! Thank you for reading, for telling others, for all the reviews, recommendations, and making the pub a happy little place to go. Sometimes we meet for drinks in real life, sometimes we share virtual beverages, but you all are the best! Readers, Bloggers, Betas … thank you. I mean, it would be pointless if not for you!
About the Author
Karin is a New York Girl living in a Midwest world. A connoisseur of great words, fine bourbon, and strong coffee, she’s married to the love of her life who is also her best friend. The mother of two grown men, she is proud to say that they can cook and clean up after themselves, and always open doors for the ladies (you’re welcome, world). Even though her boys no longer live at home, the three dogs she’s rescued have taken up their empty space.
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Connect with her at www.kcenderswrites.com
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Also by KC Enders
Beekman Hills Series
Troubles
Twist
