Page 110 of After Indigo Irish Nights
“I’ll come with you,” her best friend said, taking her hand.
“Are you sure? Brady—”
“Will be fine. He’ll understand us not wanting to be around while this is going on. It’ll be good to go back to the old neighborhood and see your family. You need some time to heal.”
Kathleen looked back at the shattered arts center and tried to imagine her pirate ship rising up into the sky. Right now, she couldn’t see it. Her heart was too heavy. She would go home and regroup. Her eyes found Declan again, milling in the crowd.
She had to get herself back on track to do what she’d come here for.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Kathleen was gone.
“What did you just say?” he asked Brady as his heart roared to life.
His brother finished adding grounds to the coffee pot. “Even with the police arresting Owen last night, I think it’s better they’re—”
“Brady, what are you talking about?”
“Kathleen and Ellie left early to take a plane to Boston this morning. With the arts center being closed—”
“I’m going after her.”
He still needed to prove she could trust him, but the more time it took, the more distance grew between them. Now she had an ocean between them. He wasn’t going to allow it.
His brother’s footsteps sounded behind him as he strode out of the kitchen. “Declan, I think you should give her some time.”
“I can’t afford more time, Brady. I have to get her back.” It had been two days since their fight. He couldn’t wait longer.
“Liam!” Brady’s yell filled the entire house.
Declan swung around. “Was that necessary?”
“You need Yoda.” His face was grave. “Stop being so prideful and thinking you have to do everything on your own.”
Those words echoed Kathleen’s, which seemed like a sign, so he stayed put.
Liam jogged into view, dressed in his simple white meditation pants and a T-shirt that saidDon’t Be Trapped,Free Your Mind. “What is it? I heard your bellow all the way down in the dungeon.”
“I’m going after Kathleen,” Declan said without preamble.
“Good.” He smiled warmly. “I hoped you would.”
“He needs help, and I can’t be the one to do it.” Brady grimaced. “I want to, but Ellie is really upset about all this…”
He wasn’t going to come between his brother and the woman he loved. Declan pointed to the door. “Go to the pub. You have no knowledge of this.”
“How will you find her in Boston?” his brother asked with another agonizing scrunch of his face. “Ellie will never forgive me if I give you the address. I’d leave it lying around for you to find, but she’d never believe it was unintentional.”
He remembered the name of their family bar—it was her last name, after all—and he also knew the first name of her eldest brother, the one who looked out for her. That was the one he’d find. How many Robbie O’Connors could there be on the Boston police force? “Don’t worry about me. Get on with you.”
Brady hugged him. “I’m rooting for you, brother. Remember Sorcha.Dia duit.”
After his brother left, Declan turned to Yoda and cut to the crux of the matter. “Liam, Kathleen doesn’t believe love is enough anymore. I need to regain her trust.”
Liam walked over to the stairs and sat on the last step. “Because you didn’t tell her about Jimmy and Morag.”
“You know I didn’t tell anyone.” Declan sat down beside him. “She said that wasn’t the issue. She said I put the past before her. Before us.”
