Chapter 18
18
S he hated staying mad at Brogan. Her reaction to the entire thing had been a little extreme. Selena thought back to the way his lips had twisted each time he'd glanced under the desk.
He hadn't panicked like someone might find out.
He'd thought it was funny. The man who didn't have hardly a sense of humor had thought the entire thing was funny. And she'd gone and blown it up like a big fight. Thrown Jacob in his face, knowing it'd get a rise out of him.
She'd tried to play it off, but even that had turned into a fight.
“Darling,” Cathal began, walking toward her and turning every female's head as he passed by the tables. The bartender raised her eyebrows at Selena before shifting away. A waitress picking up the drinks shared a look with the bartender. Great. So no one was allowed to know about her and Brogan, but Cathal made it seem as though they had some type of relationship.
But it also gave her a small reality check. The other employees would talk. It would make things a double standard for Brogan like he’d worried about. She understood his rationale, knew why he wanted to handle one thing at a time. First, the purchase of the bar and then the employment issue.
They had one day until the big party. She could make it.
“Hi, Cathal.” She took the papers from him as he held them out. “What's this?”
“The approval for your financial assistance for the assisted living facility.”
She scanned the paper, the words a blur. He'd done it? He'd gotten Mimi into the facility. She threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you! You're amazing!”
She pulled back and kissed his cheek.
The man blushed a little.
“Is there a reason you're kissing my brother?” Brogan's deep voice made her jump.
“Absolutely,” she said and spun around in the bar stool to face him. She passed off the paperwork. “She got in.”
It was a surreal feeling. Brogan reaching down and giving her a hug, in front of people. It wasn't a sexual hug or followed by a kiss, but it was something. He pulled back, smiling. His hand lingered on her shoulder.
Half the waitstaff on the second shift didn't know her other than working on the restaurant's promotion. Several of them watched their interaction. And it bothered her. Mostly because he'd made such a big deal about it and made her acutely aware of the attention.
“When can she move in?”
Cathal, elbow resting casually on the worn bar top, pointed at the paper. “I scheduled it for the beginning of next week to let us get past this weekend.”
“And I don't need to sign anything? ”
“No. Not after you gave me Power of Attorney. I'm acting on her behalf.”
Brogan squeezed his brother's shoulder. “Good going.”
That praise seemed to light up Cathal from the inside. “Thanks.” He clapped his hands together. “I'm headed out to celebrate. I hope you allow me to help you move her there.”
“Me, too,” Brogan said. “If Rian doesn't run away after the party Saturday, count him in as well. I can set up the moving truck.” He dropped his voice. “If that's alright?”
“Yes. I would appreciate that.” She took a deep breath. “I'm sorry. About earlier.”
“No, I am.”
Cathal cleared his throat. “Good. Glad we have that settled,” he said loud enough they both turned to look at him. And then both simultaneously realized they very much had an audience watching them.
Selena rose and closed her laptop. She’d double-checked her to-do list for Saturday twice already. “I'm headed out.”
“Have a good night.” Cathal nudged Brogan in the opposite direction. “Let’s go.”
“But—” He started to say something. The bartender watched the scene with both eyes and ears wide open. “Same time?”
Did he mean later that night or tomorrow morning? “Yes.” She'd just have to find out later.
Katie's options from before shifted through her mind as she drove home. Maybe quitting wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. At least if she quit as a waitress, she wouldn't be involved in the gossip. She wouldn't even have to work at the restaurant. Running the advertising side of their business had turned into a full-time job .
Plus she could always find another part-time job.
She did love her job, but now she knew more than ever that she loved Brogan more.
Rian muttered under his breath at the six chefs in his kitchen, working through the dishes the pub might offer at the charity event. Brogan stopped trying to understand what he said. He muttered in so many damn languages, it was a waste of time. Brogan understood Gaelic, but not enough to speak it. He knew certain words in French, could manage Italian.
At last count, Rian was fluent in Gaelic, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch. And maybe Mandarin. He could do his two favorite things in the world. The first was to communicate with other chefs. The second was to communicate with women. He didn't parade them around like Cathal, but he suspected his brother could charm just about any woman he wanted.
He didn't talk about it, and Brogan knew he'd never settle down, not after his last marriage ended in devastation.
Brogan leaned against the wall watching and letting the aromas from the dishes whet his appetite. The first dish they offered was fish, turbot he thought, with leeks, clam and mussel and cabbage. Everyone who'd tried it had loved it. Even Katie, who, according to Selena, lived on Taco Bell, cleaned her plate at their initial tasting.
The second dish the group had fought over. Rian initially wanted to do a Guinea hen. Both Selena and Katie had shot that one down, not that Katie was in the decision-making process, but she did represent their clientele. Cathal was disappointed with that outcome that hen was only second to the lamb in his book .
Fillet of beef was their second option. He kept it to himself that the dish included a small sample foie gras. Selena didn't seem like she'd enjoy knowing she ate duck liver.
“How are the cooks doing with the menu?”
Rian shook his head.
Brogan's nerves shot up the longer he remained silent.
“Great. They got it down. Saturday night should run without a hitch.”
Brogan shifted to face his brother. “Then why do you sound annoyed?”
“Because that means we're actually going through with this.” His lips pressed into a thin line, and he crossed his arms. “I could always come back here. You know, back to Atlanta when the rest of the world became too chaotic. The menu at O'Keeley's is my creation, but it was never labeled as that. The restaurant is hardly mentioned at all in the articles that are written when I do competitions or demonstrations. I suppose it might have helped us, but I enjoy the anonymity. The break in the pace.”
“I get it. I appreciate you putting yourself out there for us. Selena said the ticket sales have been incredible. She's even sold drink tickets for the specialty drink.”
“Who let Cathal be in charge of that? I told him what we were having, and he picked a damn whiskey cocktail.”
Brogan chuckled. “He had to have some input. And we all knew it'd be whiskey he picked.” Cathal had proved himself much more involved when asked. He showed up when told. He handled the loan at the bank and Selena's granny's situation. He still didn't have day-to-day responsibility, but Brogan might find a place for him.
“Irish Redhead. He picked the drink in honor of the bartender at the bar where he assaulted Simmons. Her testimony cleared his name.”
“Is that all he did for her?” Rian's question was met with another round of laughter.
“I think so. He tried to talk to her, but she didn't want anything to do with him.”
Rian’s shocked expression matched his own when he'd found out. “I didn't know such a woman existed. We should take her picture and hang it on the wall as it's equal to a picture of the Loch Ness Monster, I'd wager. A fictional character that you don't think it exists until you see it with your own eyes.”
“He was very disappointed, I think. I suspect he'll try again in a couple of weeks. You'd think he'd just move on to the next pretty face, but the way she declined his date intrigued him. She told him that she didn't date violent men.”
“Violent,” Rian said the word, probably hating it the same way Brogan did. “He does have that tendency, but only in very peculiar situations. And until your Selena found herself in trouble, he'd not acted out since we left Ireland. Fifteen years. I wouldn't call that a violent man.”
Brogan had thanked Cathal dozens of times, but he'd brushed it off and thanked Brogan in return for saving his arse both times he'd found himself behind bars for the same situation.
He patted Rian's shoulder. “Tomorrow will go smoothly. Selena has driven herself short of mad with all her lists. I even have a list.”
“Oh, she gave me a list to cover my lists,” Rian said.
“See. After the event, you can crawl back into trudging around Europe, discovering new food and women. Your happy place.” Because Rian hated staying stationary. Always had. The middle O’Keeley needed to ramble around the world. It kept him from remembering his own painful past.
“I thought about sticking around this fall. Traveling the United States.” He motioned to the ten cooks prepping the food for tomorrow. “Seeing how I can improve this. I realize I prepare traditional Irish dishes, but they aren't always authentic. Americans aren't used to some of those flavors. I'd like to find a way to merge our culture with theirs. A new fusion. Something unique.”
“Have at it. I'll be here, buying a multi-million-dollar piece of property, leaving every night hoping a pretty golden-haired woman lets me see her one more time.”
Rian nodded. “Yes. Try not to mess that up, please. Cathal and I both like her. She's not afraid to call you on your bullshit.”
“Thanks. You should put that in her birthday card come November. It's a nice sentiment.”
They both chuckled, and Brogan left Rian to his preparations. He had just enough time to find that pretty woman and sneak a few kisses before things in the restaurant became too busy.