Page 15 of After Indigo Irish Nights
“I’ve always liked the quote by James Corbett,” Seamus said, hooking his hands on his sweater. “‘To become a champion, fight one more round.’”
She and the Lucky Charms shared another look. Yes, these were their men, God help them. At least they’d be doing some good, helping Declan come out of retirement.
“Maybe you aren’t wired to understand it, Bets.” Donal patted her arm. “This is men stuff.”
What could she do but nod? Some women would probably understand, but she wasn’t one of them. “Carry on,” she told them.
Donal laughed. “So it’s agreed then. We’ll all help with Declan’s training. Gavin, you’re the best at footwork. Seamus and I can handle the punching. My dad will have something to add, I’m sure. After all, he taught me. Killian, I know you’ll still be raising your horses, not in full retirement like the rest of us, but you’re a model at the proper stance.”
“He’s never going to give up the farm,” Nicola said, some aggrievement in her tone, no surprise.
“But I’m cutting back my hours and hiring another trainer, so I should be able to help some,” Killian said before looking pointedly at his wife. “And you, my dear, had promised to give more work to our beautiful daughter with the plan to let her run the bookshop in a year or so.”
Bets waited for this response. All of the women save Brigid Fitzgerald, who’d worked her whole life as a teacher, had been out of the work force until after their children were raised. Bets wasn’t the only one who wasn’t ready to give up her purpose.
Nicola’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll be seeing when the time is right for me to make those changes at One More Chapter, Killian Donovan. I did call it that for a reason.”
Bets wanted to yellAmen.
Gavin tilted his head to the right, where Siobhan sat beside him. “That’s what this one said about cutting down her hours at her and Bets’ knitting shop and hiring another helper. The only thing that makes her contemplate taking time off is—”
“Portugal,” Seamus said with a laugh. “I was just saying as much to Declan. Every Irishman loves to go there for vacation.”
Bets didn’t. She and Bruce had gone with the others a couple of times, and sure, it had beat cold, rainy Irish days. But they’d stuck to tourist sites and beaches, and something had been missing. Art and culture, she now realized.
“I dream about the hot sun on the beaches,” Brigid said with a sigh.
“Me too,” Nicola said, closing her eyes a moment as if the sun itself was on her face. “And then there’s the wine and the food.”
“Bets dreams about Paris,” Donal said, putting his hand on her knee and squeezing it. “We still haven’t found the time to get to Paris, have we, Bets? Every time I ask, she says she’s too busy with the center. I don’t know how Linc convinced her to go the first time.”
He knew how busy things had been. “I didn’t know Linc was taking me to Paris. It was supposed to be a simple dinner.”
Linc had suggested dinner spontaneously, and she’d gone along, little expecting what he had in mind. She hadn’t realized he was interested in her, but thank God that was behind them. Linc was just a friend, and Donal had come to consider him one too. In fact, one of the things on their to-do list was finding Linc the love of his life, a tall task seeing as he had three ex-wives.
But they’d find her for him. The local matchmaking ghost Sorcha was on their side.
“Maybe I need Linc to corral you to go again,” Donal said, pinching her playfully in the side. “I could probably handle him coming to Paris with us since I’m the one you’d be going back to the hotel with.”
Oh, these men and their posturing.
“That’s my cue to go talk to Kathleen,” Bets said, rising. “Her shipment didn’t come in today. That’s the fourth day I’ve been at that company to have her stuff delivered.”
“You know how things are here,” Gavin said. “Even the alcohol isn’t always delivered on time, and this is Ireland.”
“Yes, if the alcohol is late in this country, there’s no hope,” she said in an aggrieved voice and went over to join Ellie and Kathleen.
“The life of the party arrives at last,” Ellie said, leaning over to kiss Bets’ cheek as she lowered into a chair next to them. Kathleen sent her a smile.
“Dad texted earlier. He’s coming back in a few days, and he wanted me to ask if you need anything from Paris? He didn’t think Donal would mind.”
So Donal wasn’t the only one who intended to keep bringing that up. Bets decided to laugh.If you can’t beat them, join them.“Tell your dad to bring some arnica cream for the men. They have boxing fever.”
“I thought they were only going to train Declan,” Ellie said with wide eyes. “Aren’t they a little old to be boxing?”
“They’re Irish, girl,” Eoghan said, leaning his elbows on the table. “It runs in our blood. And don’t be insulting men of a certain age. Fergus and I still get into the ring from time to time and go at each other.”
“You do?” Ellie’s shock was as evident as Bets’ had been.
