by Palmer Jones
Seeing Trevor, holding Susie's hand, brought it all back again.
Brogan opened his mouth to respond, to tell Trevor it wasn't any of his business, but Trevor kept right on making everything worse.
“It's pretty cool, you know. You have a woman now.” He grinned and held up Susie's hand. “I have a girlfriend. Maybe we can double date.”
Brogan scanned the room, his mind racing. Five other employees stood near the bar, watching him and Selena.
Selena appeared oblivious. She finished clapping along with the crowd and turned back toward him. She reached out, but he stepped to the side. They still couldn't do this. Not yet.
He'd let his guard down long enough. Enjoyed himself when he shouldn't.
The happiness in her eyes disappeared. She shook her head. “I can't believe it. You have your money, Brogan.”
“I just need to figure it out,” he said as low as he could with the crowd. He tilted his head toward Trevor. “I can't put everything at risk. After the sale is finalized—”
“You keep saying that.”
“Selena, just wait a second.”
She held her hands up, eyes shining. “I can't do this anymore.”
Rian and Cathal walked up, their laughter dying on their lips as they spotted Selena, almost in tears. He hated that he was the cause of them. Hated that he had a damn audience.
“What the hell did you do now?” Rian shouted. The outburst so unlike Rian, that Brogan stared at him a moment before he could think of an answer.
But he didn't get a chance. Selena ran a rough hand through her hair. “I...I don't know what I'm going to do, but I can't do this any longer. I'm done. I quit. It makes it easier, right? To walk away from what I love—”
“Wait!” His world tilted for a moment, his stomach dropping. She's done with him?
In that one moment, he didn't give a shit about his restaurant. He only cared about Selena.
He opened his mouth to say that.
“It's too late, Brogan. There's no other way.” She crossed her arms, looking determined.
The pain was too much. He swallowed, his throat feeling like dust. Control. He needed to control his emotions and reaction.
She wanted him to forget his obligation to his family. Rian and Cathal were his responsibility, be it she understood that or not. He couldn't put their future, livelihoods at risk. If she couldn't wait any longer for him to figure it out the right way, then there might not be a way.
“Fine. You're right.” Brogan shook his head. “We can't do this any longer. You obviously don't understand how the business world works. Not everything can be done your way when you want it done. Some things are more important.”
No! His heart screamed at him that he was wrong. Selena was the most important thing.
But she took a step back like she'd been struck.
Rian rounded on him, his hand landing hard on Brogan's shoulder. “What the hell is your problem?”
Selena shoved Rian to the side, her expression a level beyond angry. Furious. What the hell did she have to be mad about? She'd broken up with him.
They were done. Her decision.
“I quit my job, Brogan,” she said, saying each word slowly like he was dumb. “I didn't break-up with you.”
That stomach-dropping feeling hit him again.
“But I am now.”
Then she left. Walked out the front door of this restaurant. Didn't get her purse. Didn't worry about finding a ride. Nothing. Just left him there, reeling in his stupidity.
He'd ruined it himself. Trying to protect his brothers had made him destroy his relationship with the only woman he'd ever loved.
“You don't deserve her.” Rian turned and walked out the front door after her.
Cathal took strong, deep breaths.
Brogan deserved it. He knew that before Cathal hit him.
His jaw made an awful cracking sound but popped back in with the first attempt. Cathal had left by the time Brogan blinked a few times to see straight.
That had silenced the crowd. He didn't make any sort of apology. He didn't bother to answer whatever question Trevor had asked. He turned and walked back into his office, gently closing the door.
He'd tried to save the restaurant and ended up losing everyone in the process. His brothers would eventually come around. They'd give him hell for a long while.
But Selena.
He hadn't meant what he'd said. It'd made sense in his head, what he'd tried to get across. It didn't matter. In the end, he'd lashed back out at her and had succeeded in pushing her away.
Ruining everything.
He grabbed the bottle of Jameson and walked to the sofa. A $200 bottle of whiskey should dull some of the pain of his life going to shit in less than five minutes.
20
Selena blinked, disoriented. She sat up, not recognizing the room. Where the hell was she? The room was devoid of anything personal. A hotel? It wasn't Katie's house. It didn't smell like incense and French toast. For some reason, Katie's house always smelled like French toast.
She slipped from the bed. Her eyes felt fat and puffy when she touched them. Then she remembered.
The crying. A lot of crying.
That brought last night into focus. Rian. She was at Rian's apartment. She'd started crying on the way home and remembered falling asleep. God, did he carry her inside? How embarrassing.
She crept out of the room. Rian stood in his kitchen, shirtless and in a pair of dark gray sweatpants. A tattoo across his back surprised her. It looked like words curling across his back like a snake.
“Good morning,” she said.
He snapped his head around. “Good morning to you.” He held up the frying pan. “Eggs?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
The other bedroom door opened. Cathal came out also wearing sweatpants but with a shirt with I Love NYC across the front. Odd.
His hand was wrapped.
“What happened? I don't remember you hurting your hand last night.”
His lips were grim. “I hurt it on a hard-headed man.”
“You hit Brogan?” A pang of guilt flooded her.
“Yes.” He didn't pause but walked into the kitchen and pulled out two bottles of water from Rian's fridge, one for himself and one for her. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I'm all cried out for the next decade. I'm sorry. You guys really didn't have to do all this for me.” If she had the ability, she'd start up the waterworks again judging by the sickening feeling still hovering in her chest. “Have you talked to him since we left the restaurant?”
Both men looked at each other and then back at her. “I'm glad you didn't wake up last night. He stopped by.”
“Where was I?”
“Asleep in my bed.” Rian seemed amused. “A fact that peeved him to put it mildly. He took a cab after downing most of a bottle of that rare Jameson whiskey. For a man his size, you'd think he could hold his liquor a little better.”
“The sot,” Cathal mumbled.
Selena walked across the almost empty condo. Calling him a minimalist was the best description. White marble floors. Black furniture. Chrome kitchen.
She sat on a stool at the counter while Rian plated her eggs. She didn't know what to expect, but from such a renowned chef, her eggs looked plain.
“Did he say anything?” She didn't know what he might say. He'd already declared his business more important than her. Her nose began to tingle, signaling the threat of more tears. Sometimes it sucked to be a woman.
“He said plenty. After forcing us to listen to a few rounds of Whiskey in a Jar. I swear that man can't sing to save his life.” Cathal sat down beside her. “He's hurting pretty bad about now, I suspect.” He set his arm around her shoulders. “You have to know he didn't mean what he said.”
She wanted to, really, but it hit too close to home. She wasn't worth it. He'd said the words be it he knew what she'd meant when she quit or not. He made her worst nightmare come to life.
>
“He thought them. The fact he would have said them or not doesn't change.” She looked at Cathal. “If you didn't think he meant them, then why did you hit him?”
“Oh, he deserved the hit for saying it, be it he made up shit at the moment or not. You scared the daylights out of him when he thought you were breaking things off. Could you not see that? He can school his features, throw on a mask that lets him boss everyone around. But when you said that to him—” Cathal shook his head and took a long drink of water.
Rian leaned on the counter. His eyes weren't blue like his brothers’. They were an interesting shade of hazel, blue-green. “What Cathal and I both noticed last night was the last time Brogan let that much emotion breakthrough was when Ma passed. You have his heart, Selena, be it the man knows his own mind or not.”
She pushed the eggs around on her plate. “So, you both think I should forgive him? Pretend he didn't mean it when he told me I wasn't worth more than his business to him?”
“Hell no!” Cathal shook his head. “That man needs to come to you. He has some serious groveling to do to get his head out of his own arse. He will.”
Her lips twitched, wanting to smile, which seemed wrong. “I think the saying is to get his foot out of his mouth.”
“No. The man can't see daylight he's so concerned about himself.”
“I think he's concerned for you. And Rian. He feels this huge responsibility to make sure you are both successful.” And she'd never do anything to jeopardize it. That's why she'd quit. Because she wanted Brogan more than that job.
And he'd chosen his job.
His brothers.
He'd chosen his brothers over her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Why didn't she see that last night? Brogan hadn't chosen the restaurant or even himself. She looked at the two men staring at her. She twisted the cap of her water bottle off. “I know he misunderstood what I meant, but I think he meant what he said.”
“No—” They both spoke at the same time.
She held up her hand. “He said that some things were more important. To him, you two are his world. He might have lashed out with how he said it, but the meaning was true. In that one moment, forced to make a decision, he chose you both over me.”
They looked at each other as it dawned on them, too. Rian shook his head. “I'm sorry. We would have never put that choice to him. We keep telling him he doesn't have to take care of us, but he won't listen.”
The pain lessened. Granted, she wasn't happy at what he'd said, but she understood it. Because she knew what was in his heart. He'd been the provider for so long. That was a hard habit to break.
“I don't blame him.”
Cathal opened his mouth to speak, but she covered his hand with her own.
“No. I've been involved with your brother for what, a month give or take? A month. I love him, although I've never had the opportunity to tell him. But, when it comes down to it, it's been a month. In Brogan's thinking, when he thought he had to choose between running the business the way he thought best and taking care of you both, or me, he chose you. I wouldn't want to be with a man that'd turn his back on his family after seeing a woman for a month.”
Rian ran a hand over his face. “You're a jewel, Selena. I swear, if Brogan screws this up with you, I'll kill him myself. You have to be the sweetest woman I've had the pleasure of meeting, aside from my own Ma. You deserve someone far better than my brother, but if you'll have him, I'll know he's taken care of.”
She'd found a family she didn't even realize she'd craved. She leaned over and hugged Cathal before rising and hugging Rian.
“I'm afraid I'm not that sweet. I still owe him some serious payback for hiding me in the bathroom.”
21
Brogan waited outside Selena's apartment. They were scheduled to move her granny at eight. It was nearly seven now. He'd been awake since three, running over in his mind what he'd say to her. His brothers had been quiet about any thoughts Selena had shared the day before when they'd driven her home from Rian's condo.
He touched his bruised jaw. It still hurt to chew.
He'd chosen the restaurant, his family, over her. And in the process had shattered his own heart. It'd taken that thought of losing her to realize how much he truly loved her. And he did. Completely. The words he'd spoken shamed him. Family, the people he loved, were more important than anything. Rian. Cathal.
And Selena.
Until he'd lost her, he was blind to realize she'd made her way onto that list.
The door opened, and he rose from the top step. Selena stood there, dressed in short exercise shorts and a small tank top.
“Hi,” he said. He cleared his throat. “Good morning.”
“What are you doing here?” She crossed her arms. His mind blanked for a moment. He was here to apologize, beg her to forgive him, and all he could think about was her lack of clothing.
“I wanted to talk before my brothers showed up.”
“I don't have time to talk to you today. I have a lot going on.” She raised her arms over her head, reminding him of a cat stretching and revealing her stomach. “Besides, it's early.”
He swallowed and focused on her face. Not her body. “Selena, I'm sorry about Saturday.”
Her lips pursed together. She took a second before answering, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. He still loved watching her do that.
“I figured you are.” She leaned down and straightened the welcome mat in front of the door, giving him a complete view of her cleavage. Was she doing this on purpose?
She straightened.
He blinked to shift his attention. “Well, I am. Very sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything—”
“No.” She took a step closer to him. “What specifically are you sorry for?” She brushed past him to lean on the railing of the walkway. That wildflower scent trailed behind her. It'd only been two days since he'd seen her. The effect she had made it seem like years.
“Specifically? I...uh, I'm sorry about what I said.”
She raised her eyebrows. Alright, she wanted something more specific than that. He'd give her anything she needed from him, as long as she'd come back. To him. He didn't care about the restaurant.
“I'm sorry I said you didn't understand anything about business. You do. I won't make excuses, but before I pushed you away, dozens of employees watched us. Trevor came up, excited the no-dating policy was gone. I panicked. All I could see were lawsuits, losing the business—”
“And since you're responsible for your brothers—”
She'd touched on that once before. But having to say it exposed his vulnerability. “Yes. That I'd let them down, too. And at that moment, I couldn't think of anything else but how to make sure I didn't ruin their future.”
“Because you can't choose me over your brothers.”
He winced. What kind of answer could he give her for that? He didn't have to choose. They were all equal.
She stepped closer.
He didn't move. The truth wasn't the quickest way to win her back, but she needed to hear it. “At the time, I didn't think I could choose you over them.”
“I know, Brogan.”
“You do?”
She nodded, her hair swinging softly with the motion. “Yes.”
“I didn't realize I'd chosen them over you until I had about half a bottle of whiskey in me.” He watched her a long moment, searching for a way to explain how different he'd become. “I'll never say I'm thankful for our fight. I hurt you, and I'm truly sorry for that.”
“What do you want, Brogan?”
“I came to apologize.”
Selena tilted her head to the side. “What do you want for the future? Not for your brothers. Not for me. Not for the restaurant. For you. What do you want?”
He didn't have to second guess himself. “You.” He swallowed, nerves pegging him from all sides. “I wouldn't choose you over my brothers. I can't choose one person I love over the other. And
I love you, Selena.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes. “Did it take the whiskey for you to figure that out, too?”
“No.” He reached out, skimming a finger lightly down the curve of her cheek. “I've suspected it for a while, now, but it took the whiskey to make me get out of my own way and acknowledge it.”
“I love you, too, Brogan.”
Relief rushed through his system. Hearing those words was step one.
“I'm not coming back to work at O'Keeley's.”
“I didn't expect you, too. But I want to keep seeing you. Every day, if possible.” He searched her face, trying to figure out the right way to ask. “I love you, Selena. And I want to marry you.”
She took a sharp breath.
He rushed on before she could say yes or no. “It doesn't have to be this month or even this year, but I know you're who I want. If you'll have me.”
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a long hug. “Absolutely.”
She kissed him lightly. Enough that it left him wanting more. When he began to wrap his arms tighter, she moved away.
“I love you, Brogan, and I do want to marry you.” She had such a teasing expression he had to smile. The gorgeous, opinionated woman would be his wife someday. He'd do everything he could to make sure he kept her happy.
“But? You look like you were going to say something.” He took a step. “Better yet, you can tell me later and let me kiss you until my brother's show up to help move?”
“No.” She shook her head. “You can't. See, I do forgive you for what you said. But, I still haven't exacted revenge for hiding me in the bathroom.”
Wait. “But I thought the no-touching thing in the office was revenge.”
“That was for hiding me under a desk.”
He glanced down at her outfit, the skimpy thing that made him want to lock her in his bedroom for a full week. The sigh he heard escape his lips matched his mood at the realization of her payback. “You're going to make me suffer all day, aren't you?”
“That was the plan.”
“You're mean.”
“I guess you should know that before you marry me.” She laughed, light and sexy.
