Page 56 of Once upon a Summer Night

“As much as possible, aye.”

“But if a Protector claims his mate and she refuses him, then he’s reduced to never finding love again? Ever?”

“Ever.”

“You’re not an aristocrat,” Emma said suddenly, focusing on Colin. “But you’re rich enough to be one. Maybe that will suffice for her aunt. But more importantly, if she’s your soul mate, you would make her happy, Col. And she would make you happy. And that’s worth more than a business.”

Colin’s jaw tensed. “I’m not an option.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “But, if she’s your mate, you’re theonlyoption!”

A moment passed, and Colin looked first at Aidan, then at Reilly. In a measured tone, he said slowly, “First, she doesn’t love me. If she was my mate,which she isn’t, and I claimed her,which I’m not, then I would be condemning myself to an eternity of being tied to someone who doesn’t love me. Second, claiming her and obtaining her love—again, if she was my mate, butshe isn’t—would mean that I’d have to tell her about who I really am. That’s not an option, as I don’t ever plan to bring her back in time simply to prove that I’m not crazy, which is what would have to happen if she were to ever accept my words as truth. And, aside from all of that, if I were to throw all this away for Ellie’s hand, we’re fully sunk in the UK. I can’t choose myself over my company and her happiness. It goes against what I promised Brianagh.”

“Bollocks,” Reilly argued. “Brianagh wantsyourhappiness more than she ever wanted business success.”

And I want to know that I can make something by myself, without being handed a ready-made company.He held that thought in and instead shot back, “Shewantsher clan to be taken care of. Eleanor Carberry isnotmy mate.”

“Well, you did one thing almost right, anyway.” Reilly stretched back on his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. “She’s not British, as you originally thought. But she’s not Irish, either.”

Colin glared at him, then turned to Emma. “You know we need to start the dates. Make them happen, Emma. Have her pick a day to start with Reg, and I’ll get her another match as a backup. I’m heading back to Boston tomorrow morning. I’ll approve the matches over the phone.”

“You can’t leave,” Reilly broke in gravely. He didn’t flinch as a violent crack of thunder, followed by an equally impressive bolt of lightning, split the sky. “Trust me when I say it’s not a good idea to piss off the Fates.”

Colin’s eyebrows formed a deep slash above his eyes as heground out, “Dare I ask how my travel plans would upset them?”

Reilly smiled grimly. “Once a promise is made to a soul mate, it’s binding.Lifebinding. Which is why I also gave my word, so that if you’re not able to perform the promise, I can step in for you and attempt to once again save your sorry arse.”

“What promise?” Colin exploded, jumping up.

“‘I promise I can keep you safe, away from the cameras,’” Reilly mimicked Colin’s words from the press conference in a high-pitched voice. “Thatpromise.”

“For the last time, Ellie is not my soul mate!” he nearly shouted, then quickly lowered his voice. “And besides, when I said that, I didn’t intend to leave her to the wolves, for crying out loud.”

“That’s the thing about the Fates,” Reilly remarked calmly, his eyes shifting to the pelting rain against the window. “They rarely take yourintentinto account.”

From the second floor,Ellie listened to the cadence of her hosts’ conversation, which contained a dizzying, fast-paced combination of American English, British English, and Irish Gaelic. She couldn’t make out everything they were saying, but she enjoyed listening to the different accents and languages. Even Colin knew Gaelic, which Ellie found surprising—perhaps it was a requirement for working at Celtic Connections?

A massive crack of thunder shook the house and Ellie shivered, a feeling of unease settling over her. She ran a hand over the worn stair banister, its wood smooth and secure under her touch. She admired the craftsmanship; most everything in the house was rustic in a charming, eclectic way.

When she had been there last, she’d only seen the back of the house, and by the time she left, it was dark, so she wasn’t able to fully appreciate the quaint cottage. As they drove up in the twilight yesterday, Ellie was struck by its fairy-tale quality. The thatched roof, whitewashed outer walls, and colorful garden gave her an immediate sense of stepping into a timeless space.

Her first impression of the interior of the cottage was that it was spacious, but that, she quickly realized, was due more to the decorating than to the size of the rooms. It certainly was bigger than it looked from the outside, with four bedrooms and at least two bathrooms, one on each floor. The room Reilly brought her to was a pale yellow and overlooked the back garden. When she glanced out the window, she saw the two chairs pulled up to the fire pit, just as she remembered it from her night with Colin.

Despite her best efforts, it still gave her the shivers to think of it. Prior to that night, Ellie hadn’t known such chemistry existed—classic literature extolled the feelings of love and what it drove characters to do, but she had always chalked that up to creative license.

She’d been so, so wrong.

Not that I’m in love with Colin, she quickly amended.I just like him. A lot.

And how cruel was it that now that, because she’d made a promise to her aunt, she had to suffer through the attentions of men she knew she didn’t want, because the one she did was off-limits by his own declaration?

She heard her name mentioned, and she strained to hear the next words, though they were low. But then, Colin exclaimed angrily, and decidedlynotin a low voice:

“For the last time, Ellie isnot my soul mate!”

Ellie sucked in a sharp breath. Blindly, she groped for something to hold on to as the embarrassment and heartache collided in her chest. Mortified, frozen, unable to do anythingexcept attempt to breathe, Ellie stood there for long minutes, fighting the prick of tears. A painful stab of disappointment lanced through her as she realized what she’d done. She’d gone and romanticized a man who had no desire to be romanticized. He didn’t want a relationship, and he especially didn’t want one with her.

Hetoldher this. But, apparently, her heart chose to ignore him. Foolish, foolish heart.

---