Chapter 38 Declan
DECLAN
She was home. Nothing had been right in our world without Bree.
Having her in my arms was the single most amazing feeling in the world.
We’d spent as much time together on the couch as possible, loving and rediscovering Bree.
She curled around me and kissed my shoulder.
We’d said all we needed to say, and shown her how much we missed her with every caress.
Finally, Bree sat up and pushed her tangled hair over her shoulder. “I’m going to shower.” A light blush covered her cheeks when she reached for her clothes in the floor. “Will you show me the kitchen? Walk me through the next steps?”
“Sure.” I helped gather up her clothes and followed her into the bathroom.
Clara fussed a bit, the sound not quite an angry or frustrated noise.
Bree hesitated in the bathroom door. “I’ll be just a few minutes. Clara should be fine, but you can pick her up if you want.”
My heart jackhammered. My daughter.
Ronan beat me to the bed and scooped Clara into his arms.
Bree chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom, enjoying her shower while Finn, Ronan, and I took turns holding Clara.
She watched us with a clear gaze far too discerning for a tiny baby.
Probably me projecting onto her, but when she curled her fingers around mine and held on tight, I lost what was left of my heart.
Bree stood in the bedroom beside us. I hadn’t heard her leave the bathroom or cross the room. She smiled that bright, incredible smile and grazed Clara’s cheek with the tip of her finger. “Finn, are you and Ronan comfortable up here with Clara? If she fusses too much, you can bring her to me.”
“We’re fine, aren’t we, baby girl.” Finn took Clara from me and kissed the top of her head before he settled her in the crook of his arm. “You go do what you need to do. We’re going to get acquainted with our daughter.”
“Thank you.” Bree blinked quickly and squeezed Finn’s arm, then kissed his cheek. She did the same with Ronan, then took my hand on her way to the door. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time with her too.”
We walked together into the kitchen. I stopped just inside and let her take a good, long look at the damage before I began my explanation of how it happened and just what all had been damaged.
“There’s no way we can cook anything in here until it’s fixed, but you have time to figure out what you want to do.
The insurance adjuster needs to come out and do his assessment so he can give you an estimate on how much they’ll give you toward the damage. ”
Bree walked a slow trek around the space. Her fingertips pressed into her lips, and she tucked her other arm around her waist. “I didn’t think it was this bad.”
“It looks a bit worse than it is, but it’s still in rough shape.
” I wouldn’t sugar coat it for her. Seeing her here again did my heart good.
I hadn’t slept a full night since the day she left.
It was like I’d lived on the precipice of doom without her, the need for her seizing my lungs until I could barely even breathe.
I took a deep inhale, taking in her clean scent that pushed out the smokiness from the burned out kitchen. “Listen, I was thinking we could still have the St. Patrick’s Day party tomorrow.”
Both of her eyebrows went straight up. “How?”
It wasn’t a no, so I pushed ahead. “I know of a food truck that’s available. They’re willing to come out and set up in the back, by the patio. We can use the pizza oven out there, too. And the alcohol is fine. People will come for that alone. Once they know you’re back, they’ll flood in.”
Her nose scrunched. “I think you underestimate my importance.”
“I think you haven’t seen what I’ve seen since you left.
The pub is not doing well, Bree. What better time for you to make a comeback than for St. Patty’s day?
You might not think so, but people have missed you.
Not just us.” I clarified that the instant I saw the argument brew in her beautiful eyes.
She hesitated, hands twisting together as she made her way around the kitchen again. Every step gave away her nervousness. “You make it sound so great, Declan. But maybe they just missed the drama they were able to stir up because of me.”
“No.” I didn’t know how else to convince her except to let her see for herself. “I understand why you’re nervous, and there’s absolutely no reason for you to believe me after what you’ve been through.” I hoped she’d give this place another chance, but I wouldn’t push her.
“I don’t want to let fear keep me from living a great life.” She stopped twisting her hands and dropped them to her sides. “I trust you, Declan. I trust you and Ronan and Finn. I trust that you’ll have my back. So let’s do it.”
She met me downstairs the next day in a bright green jumpsuit covered in shiny shamrocks.
“No sequins today?” I made sure the door to the kitchen closed fully and put up the last of the signs directing people outside.
Bree shoved her hands into the pockets and pulled the legs out in a series of flapping motions. “Thought it might be a good idea to leave off the sequins this year because of Clara. Plus, this jumpsuit is amazing.”
I smiled at her excitement and held out a hand. “You want to unlock the door? Looks like people are lining up.”
Her head whipped toward the door, her eyes going wide and her throat dipping.
Finn and Ronan were occupied with Clara, watching over her as she napped upstairs. Ronan had promised to bring her down later. We were all enamored with our baby girl, but Ronan was something else.
Bree crossed to the door and twisted the lock, opening the door and sweeping her hand out. “Welcome. Come on in. Food is out back. Drinks in their usual place.”
Tom was the first one in the door. He stopped in his tracks and gaped. “Bree?” A smile appeared a heartbeat later. “Thank goodness.”
The tension in Bree’s shoulders relaxed. She dropped her hands to her sides and took her time returning to the bar.
Finn came downstairs, stopped to whisper to Bree that Clara was still sleeping and he wanted to help out for a bit. He headed outside to the patio to oversee the firepit, stopping to say hello to everyone he passed.
Conversations buzzed in highs and lows, and more than one person came over to tell Bree how happy they were to see her again. She took it all with grace and poise, and with every hello and handshake, her smile stretched wider.
Tom pressed his phone to his ear and nodded several times.
Minutes later, a new group of previous patrons poured in. They bee-lined to Bree, settling into the stools in front of her. “You really are here. Man, we’re glad to see you again. This place hasn’t been the same without you.”
“Told you.” I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t help gloating just a bit.
She elbowed me playfully in the ribs, rolling her eyes, but she never stopped smiling. The pub filled to near capacity within an hour. Bree took it all in, then shot me a look. “There’s something I need to do.”
“How can I help?”
She cocked her head to the side. “Hold that chair for me.”
I grabbed the wooden chair from the nearby table and held the back. “Now what?”
She put her foot on the seat and gripped my shoulder, stepping into the chair and releasing a sharp whistle. The noise died to a whisper. Bree set her hands on her hips and scanned the crowd. “Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate our favorite day of the year with us.”
A cheer rose in a wave that crashed over my eardrums. Shouts mingled with claps and more whistles.
The green banners swayed in a breeze from the open door leading to the patio.
It flirted with Bree’s hair, flipping the ends over her shoulders.
She laughed and patted the air, asking for quiet again.
“This pub has been passed down from Sullivan woman to Sullivan woman since it was first opened. Generation after generation of women have owned and operated this pub. It was an honor to take over that challenge from Nana Maeve.” She paused for a breath, and the entire room held theirs.
“It’s my pleasure to announce that we have another Sullivan girl in our presence. ”
Dead silence hit so hard I wondered if I’d gone deaf. But then, a creak on the stairs interrupted the moment as Bree flourished her hand in that direction.
Ronan descended slowly, little Clara tucked into his arms. He kept his head down, concentrated on his steps and the precious bundle in his arms.
Bree’s hand tightened on my shoulder, and she released a tiny sound so full of love that I covered her hand with mine.
Her chin lifted at the contact, and she looked across the room. “It has been my deepest fear that my tiny, precious, innocent baby girl would be mocked, pitied, or branded a mistake because of how she came into this world.”
A few people around the room gaped, their mouths falling open with wide gasps.
Bree kept going. “I want my daughter to feel safe and loved. That is how I felt growing up here. As a little girl, this town welcomed me, loved me. This community made me feel accepted. And I know that you can be as kind as you were cruel when I came back. If you can learn to accept me, to accept that I do not fit your perfect mold of a Clover Hill citizen, then I would very much like for my baby girl to grow up here.”
She’d put so much of her heart into the speech that several people sniffed and dabbed their eyes.
Mine watered with the threat of tears I kept at bay even as my chest cracked open with an outpouring of love so strong it locked my legs.
I’d been angry with her for leaving, but hearing her impassioned speech broke down my anger, sending it away in a rush that melted my heart.
Would they accept her? They’d better, because I would not give her up again. I shared a look with Ronan, then Finn–who’d entered in time to hear Bree’s speech. We understood each other with nothing more than that look and moved to surround the woman we loved.