Page 17 of Ciaran

“I’m still your friend, Millie. We might not have seen each other since high school, but I’m here for you. If you ever need a shoulder, I have two broad ones, and they’re both yours.”

I bob my head, not trusting myself to speak.

Ciaran studies me for a few seconds longer before finally letting me off the hook. He picks up our half-drunk coffee cups and stands, then crosses to the kitchen, and puts them on the counter.

“Tanya should be here by now. Let’s put you to work.”

I blow out a relieved breath, giving him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

“Boss the other night. Sir today. Just so you know, both are fine by me.”

My eyes widen, and I narrow in on his twitching lips. “Still dreaming I see, Ciaran.”

He winks again and turns around, but as he heads for the stairway, I’m sure I hear him mutter, “I’ll never stop.”

Chapter 6

Millie

“Have you enjoyed your first day?” Tanya asks as the clock ticks toward six in the evening and the end of my first shift.

“I’ve loved it,” I say. “Thank you for being so patient with me, even when I asked the same question multiple times.”

She gestures dismissively. “Ask away. When I leave on Friday, I want to make sure you’re completely comfortable with everything.”

I bite my lip. Should I ask? With my life in chaos, I desperately want to latch on to a semblance of hope. Oh, to hell with it. I pluck up my courage and cross my fingers behind my back.

“Ciaran mentioned you might not be returning after your maternity leave.”

“There’s no might about it. With two kids under three, I won’t have the time. Childcare alone will cost me more than my salary, and my parents live on the West Coast, so I can’t rely on them to watch the kids while I work. I’ve told my guy he’ll have to apply for more overtime at work, because if he thinks I’m working an eight-hour shift here, then spending all night cleaning house and running around after two kids, all to pay someone else to take care of them, he’s got rocks for brains.”

The relief must show on my face because Tanya adds, “Have I just made your day?”

I nod. “I really need the money.”

“Don’t we all,” Tanya says with a grin. “As long as Declan is happy with your work, I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about.”

“Declan isn’t the only person she has to worry about.”

Both our heads snap in the direction of the man speaking.

My heart pummels my ribcage like a bird desperate to take flight but trapped in a steel cage, its wings flapping uselessly against the barrier to freedom. The moment I’ve dreaded all day has arrived.

Callum is dressed in a smart black suit, with his beard shorter than Ciaran’s, and his hair longer. Apart from those minor differences, the two have remained identical, just as they were in high school. Although they looked alike, I had never had any problems differentiating between them. Their personalities set them apart.

“You’ll have to keep me happy, too.” A glimmer of a smile plays around his lips without reaching his eyes.

“Oh, Callum, I didn’t see you there,” Tanya says, seemingly oblivious to the icy undercurrent brought on by Callum’s hard stare. “This is Millie. She’s taking over for me when I leave to have the baby.”

Callum saunters over, his trademark swagger still firmly in place, except now he’s matured, he wears it with a confidence bordering on arrogance. He stuffs his hands deep into his pockets. “You haven’t changed a bit, Millie.”

Tanya’s eyebrows almost disappear into her hairline. “Oh. Do you two know each other?”

“Yeah. We went to the same high school. Isn’t that right, Millie?”

Unable to summon a single word, I nod.

“How wonderful. Millie’s had a fantastic first day. She’s a natural with the guests. I don’t think you’ll even notice I’m gone.”

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