Page 18 of Taming Irish

When I see her flinch, I curse myself under my breath. She’s more sensitive than the other women in my life, and I’m usually a hell of a lot easier on her than I’ve been today. Normally, I’d stop, make some kind of joke to ease the tension between us, but I keep walking, needing to get away before I say something else I’llregret.

What I need is thetroubleOwen just warned me to stay outof.

And hell if I don’t want to go looking for it rightnow.

Instead, I walk around to the back lot and toss my bag in the passenger seat of my Ferrari 812, knowing Owen would have me trading it in for a Dodge Caravan in his perfect world. Who the hell chooses that kind of life overthis?

Squealing my tires, I make a sharp left onto the M50, not bothering to stop at my Dublin apartment, and head west towards Sligocounty.

And even though I try to get Owen’s voice out of my head, his damn words ring in a continuous cycle in myhead.

Even the longest day has itsend.

I know it’s the truth, in more ways than he meant. I’d watched my own father’s life cut short, and for no other reason than bad luck and faulty genes. My grandfather and dad died in their early-forties, both from massive heart attacks. And don’t think it doesn’t scare the shit out of me, knowing if I’m lucky, I have another ten to fifteen good years left before the damn Hayes curse takes me,too.

So, yeah, I’m going to enjoy every second I have left on this earth.Forever the bachelor. Because the only thing worse than not enjoying life to the max, is leaving behind a grieving family who have no idea how to survive in this world withoutyou.

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