Page 103 of After Indigo Irish Nights
It was over.
It was over.
His mouthguard contained his shout of victory. He’d won. He’d beaten him in the first round. He could hear the crowd screaming in the background.
Jimmy didn’t look at him as his manager helped him to his feet, but Declan refused to let him walk off without any acknowledgment.
He went over to Jimmy and touched his glove. The man didn’t even lift his head.
“We are done, you and I,” Declan said, knowing this was his last fight. His future awaited him, with Kathleen.
Jimmy finally raised his battered face and managed a sneer. “Next time, McGrath—”
“There is no next time. This is it. You will never darken my road again.”
Jimmy’s brows rose briefly—both of them knew the Irish phrase, always uttered with the utmost seriousness. Declan shook his head and walked off.
The crowd noise blew in like an old steam locomotive, making his ears ring. Donal was hugging him. Then Eoghan.
Where was Kathleen? She was the one he wanted.
More people swarmed the ring. His father gave him a bear hug. Seamus, a firm grip on his shoulder.
“The shop is yours now, my boy!”
Yes, the prize money. He had his future set. He could even give Kathleen a ticket to Boston to see her family, if she’d accept it. Maybe she’d want him to come along.
Where was she?
Someone clapped him on the back. “God, what a fight.” Brady was beside him, hugging him and jabbering about victory like a magpie.
Other friends joined in. Carrick. Kade. Jamie. Liam. Cormac. Fergus.
In fact, he couldn’t see past the crowd gathered around him. Where was she? He needed to find Kathleen.
Pushing his way to the edge of the crowd, he scanned the packed space and finally found her at the edge of the front row, next to Ellie. Their eyes met.
She didn’t look right. Her face was pale. Why wasn’t she cheering?
Then he remembered the humiliation Jimmy had dealt him before this very fight. Did she think less of him because of what Morag had done?
He lifted his glove to her, but she shook her head and looked away. Leaned in to whisper something to Ellie. His breath froze in his lungs as he watched them get up and start to leave.
She was turning away from him because of what she’d heard.
His heart wrenched in his chest, stealing his breath. God, he hadn’t imagined the hurt of it.
He rested his gloves on the ropes for support. Now his knees were weak, his lifeforce running out of him like blood.
“They’re probably going home,” Brady said, appearing at his side. “It’s a mad crush here. Drink some water, Declan.”
He didn’t want water. He wanted Kathleen to look at him the way she used to. With love and joy and everything he’d ever wanted.
He took the bottle because Brady gently shoved it at him. The fight hadn’t been long, but somehow it had lasted for decades, this thing with him and Jimmy. “I need to go after her.”
He couldn’t let her go like this. If he did, it would be the same as letting Jimmy win the fight.
Brady put his arm around his shoulder. “Take a moment. The whole village is with you. You brought a lot of pride to Caisleán tonight. Also, Linc thinks they have the support they need. They plan to call for a vote tomorrow on Kathleen’s sculpture and the museum.”
