Page 18 of Shamrock Kisses

Patrick rounds the corner, and I look up, still reeling from everything I’ve learned.

“What’s so funny?”

“Your life,” I say, shaking my head.

“My life?”

“Brandon gave me some things to research.”

Patrick’s expression tightens. “Oh …”

“Good thing you’re not a convicted felon.”

“You don’t want to know how much I’ve spent on lawyers.”

“Seems like it was worth it …”

“I agree.”

We stand there, the severity of everything hanging between us.What should I do with this information?

“So …” I start, trying to gather my thoughts.

“So,” Patrick echoes, smiling. “I’m not going to be bothered until Monday morning, and I told Declan he has to hire your company to clean his lake house for the inconvenience. What’s your number? I’ll text it to him.”

“That’s how you’re going to ask for my number?”

He chuckles, extending his phone to me. I type in my number and save my contact, then call myself.

“I’m turning my phone off until I leave here tomorrow,” he says as I give it back to him. I feel very special.

“Cats,” I say, still in disbelief about my search. He sits next to me on the couch, our shoulders brushing. Neither of us says anything, but the silence feels comfortable. I lean into him, and he puts his arm around my shoulder, giving me a little squeeze. “You may be the most interesting person I’ve ever met,” I admit.

13

The pressure of the last hour presses down on me—work, stress, chaos—but right now, sitting next to Rachel, I feel a sense of calm. I glance at her, still surprised she stayed. After everything, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d bailed. But here she is.

“Can I take you out for dinner to apologize?” I ask, the words slipping out before I can overthink them.

Rachel turns to me. “You want to apologize?” Her voice is almost teasing.

“I do.”

She bites her lip, holding back a laugh. “Are you into cold plunging?”

“No …”Where is she going with this?

“Well, I think you can apologize by doing a polar plunge into the lake.”

I raise an eyebrow. “So, you want to punish me?”

Her cheeks flush, her giggle soft but playful. “I want to know why you were talking to your CEO about penetration and backdoors … and I also want to know how seriously you want to make up for the last hour.”

The flirtation in her voice is impossible to miss. I’m caught between laughing and taking her seriously. Holding her gaze, I decide to lean into it, feeling bolder than I have all day. “Do you want to know that before or after I spoil you until you can’t take anymore?”

Rachel’s breath catches, her smile faltering as the heat between us builds. “Patch.”

I freeze. No one calls me that except my close friends, and hearing it come from her does something to me. Something I wasn’t prepared for. She bites her lip again, glancing out the window. “I’m going to need you to polar plunge first,” she says, looking out at the lake.

---