Page 37 of Surrender
Keefe conceded. “Yeah, she’s my best friend.”
Gwen was quiet, watching him in a way that made him want to pull over and take her in his arms.
“And now,” he said hesitantly, “I want a family. Not just the idea of it. A real one. A wife. Kids. The whole beautiful, chaotic mess.” That may have been a bit abrupt but he figured why not put it out on the table and see what she does. If he understood her as well as he thought he did, she would want the same things.
Her breath caught—just slightly. It wasn’t what he said. It was how he said it. Like he already saw her as part of it.
She looked away first, toward the sliver of blue sea glinting in the distance, then back at him. “That would be a beautiful life.”
The air between them was charged now, humming with unspoken possibilities. He let his fingers trace the curve of her knuckles once more and as the wind tangled her hair and their fingers remained laced across the console, Gwen allowed herself to hope.
Hope that this wasn’t just a chapter.
Hope that this was the beginning of the story.
Hope that it wouldn’t end when she finally told him the truth.
By the time they reached Ballydonegan Beach, the sky had turned the soft shade of honeyed gold that only came at the tail end of summer afternoons. The sea sparkled beyond the sand and stones, all blue and wild and wind-ruffled. It made Gwen want to kick off her sandals and dig her toes into the golden sand.
“God,” she breathed in the salty air. “This is unreal.”
Keefe came around the front of the car with a grin. “Told you I knew a spot.”
They didn’t head to the beach proper just yet. A little cluster of food trucks was parked nearby, and Keefe steered her toward one in particular, cherry-red with a faded chalkboard menu that listed things like Bally Burger Bliss and The Beach Beast.
Behind the counter stood a tall woman in overalls and bright red curls springing out from under a baseball cap. She spotted Keefe immediately and let out a holler.
“Well, look what the tide dragged in!”
Keefe laughed and opened his arms as she leaned over the counter to give him a warm hug. “Hey, Rosie. You still feeding poor unsuspecting tourists heart attacks on buns?”
“Only the lucky ones.” She gave him a once-over, then turned her eyes to Gwen. “And who’s this then?”
Gwen smiled politely, trying not to bristle at the casual familiarity between them. “This is Ruby.” Keefe put his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “My girlfriend.”
Gwen blushed, gushed, and smiled all at once. It was all she could do to keep from kissing his face clean off right then and there.
“Pleasure to meet you, Ruby,” Rosie said, offering her a handshake. “You letting this one cook for you yet? Or has he just been dazzling you with his wit and charm?”
“She’s letting me bake bread with her,” he said, flashing Gwen a grin that made her stomach flutter.
Rosie raised a brow, her eyes flicking from Keefe to Gwen and back again. She didn’t consider herself overly romantic, but even she had to admit they were more than just a handsome couple. There was something between them—something intangible yet unmistakable. It was like the soft, steady rhythm of rain falling outside the window, comforting and alive, something you could feel deep in your bones.
“That sounds dangerously domestic,” said Rosie with an exaggerated horrified look.
Gwen couldn’t tell if that was teasing or something else, but she just shrugged and said, “Only because he promised I’d get to knead something muscular.”
That made Rosie laugh. “Sounds like you’ve finally met your match, Keefe.” She turned back to the grill. “You’ll be wanting your usual I suppose—unless you want to play it safe?”
Keefe looked at Gwen. “You game?”
“Always.”
“Two mucky bacon burgers—with ketchup—and side of curry chips coming right up. Cheese on your chips?”
“Cheese makes everything better,” declared Gwen.
Keefe couldn’t hold back. He took her face in his hands and kissed her—hard and fast—as if he meant every damn second, but had to keep it brief.
