Page 67 of Surrender
Sophie turned back to Keefe, who looked sheepish and slightly pitiful. “I can’t believe this!”
“I can explain everything,” he said.
“You’d better.”
There was a pause. Keefe straightened, trying to muster what was left of his dignity. “Would you like a drink first?” he asked.
Sophie gave him a slow, dark look. “Make it a double.”
Ginny wisely slipped out of the room, mouthing good luck to Keefe as she went.
Now seated at the bar Sophie stared at Keefe like he’d grown a second head. Keefe sighed and gestured for her to sit. “Soph, please. Just let me explain.”
“Explain why you’re sneaking around with a woman who lied to our entire family and used you?” she said, sitting but crossing her arms like she was preparing for battle.
Keefe rubbed a hand down his face. “Gwen didn’t come here to trick anyone. She came here looking for her sister. She didn’t even plan to stay, and she definitely didn’t plan to start a relationship with me.”
“And you don’t see how that makes things worse?”
“I see it,” Keefe said quietly. “I see all of it. But none of that changes the fact that I love her. And she loves me. Sophie… I’ve never been happier. Couldn’t you just try to forgive and forget? For my sake?”
Before Sophie could launch into her next verbal assault, the front door of the pub creaked open.
Nan walked in, carrying a reusable tote bag filled with peaches and looking pleasantly surprised to see her niece and nephew sitting together at the bar. Then on a second look she saw Sophie’s eyes burning. Nan’s eyebrows rose. “What’s going on here?”
“Perfect timing. You can talk some sense into my brother. Keefe’s gone and lost his mind,” Sophie said, standing again. “He’s back with Gwen.”
Nan set her bag on the bar and raised one brow. “And?”
“And?” Sophie looked incredulous. “Does there to be an and? She lied. She manipulated her way into our family?—”
“She didn’t manipulate anything,” Keefe cut in. “She was scared. She had no idea who Darcie really was or what kind of family she might be walking into. Hell, she didn’t even think she had a right to want a family.”
Nan sighed. “Sophie, love, you’ve got to let this go.”
“I’m trying,” Sophie snapped. “But I can’t just smile and pretend everything’s fine.”
Nan gave Keefe a look. Then she looked away.
Sophie caught it. “What was that?”
Nan blinked. “What was what?”
“That look.”
Nan shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“There! You just did it again!” That look could only mean one thing.
Nan sighed. “No, come on.”
“No, you come on! You can’t be serious. You already knew? You knew and didn’t tell me?”
Nan looked at Keefe again telling him the jig was up and to put on his big boy underpants and tell his sister the truth.
Keefe sat forward and broke the news. He knew this day would come and it had. It was time to face the music. “Gwen met Shamus.”
Sophie stared. She couldn’t be hearing this right. “What? When the hell was this?”
