Page 85 of After Indigo Irish Nights
The seals swam around him as if he were the center of their world, hooting and crying. Another nudged him gently under the water before rising out of the frothy black waves and taking off for the golden orb rising slowly in the orange and red-streaked horizon.
He waded out of the water slowly, as much in respect for the mossy rocks under him as his bare feet. When he reached the shore, he sat on one of the ancient rocks on the beach and hung his head.
She wanted to pour soup over him.
He couldn’t blame her.
He should have texted her, but he’d avoided it and provided himself with plenty of excuses for why. His hands had hurt so badly he couldn’t close them, least of all hold his phone. He’d left it in his gym bag and not touched it. Even now, he was afraid to turn it back on and see the volume of messages from those he knew.
When he reached his car, he pulled his phone out of his bag and set it on the hood. The sea had numbed his hands, but it still hurt to clench anything, even the steering wheel. He had a slew of messages, as many as there’d been after he and Morag called off the wedding. God!
He checked Kathleen’s messages first. He blew out a breath as he read them. She’d been worried. She’d wanted him to come home. His heart longed for her. He would find her and apologize the moment he left the sea.
He decided to read the other messages, too, and leave his emotions about those with the tide. He had calls and texts from Brady and Liam, wondering where he was, telling him to come home. Guilt wrapped around him at that. A slew of others had reached out about the fight, too, congratulating him for his effort. That pissed him off. What was there to congratulate? He’d lost.
Finally, there was a text from a number he didn’t recognize. The preview made him clammy so he opened it.
You looked old in the ring tonight. Good thing you have three weeks to get ready for me. I’m going to make Paul seem like an angel. Watch yourself, McGrath.
That chilled his already numb body. The fucking bastard. Declan would never text a threat to another fighter. Never. In doing so, Jimmy had only confirmed his worst fears.
He drove in view of the sea as far as he could, the window down to cool his battered face. When he reached the fork to Caisleán, he headed to his place first, but her car wasn’t in the driveway, so he kept going. When he reached her cottage, his heart rate spiked. She was there.
The door opened before he reached it. A frown marred her beautiful mouth, but it was the wariness in her eyes that made him ache. He stopped a few meters from the door.
“I was so upset I needed to get my head on straight.” He could admit that at least. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. I should have.”
She drew in a harsh breath. “I appreciate the apology, Ace, but I’d rather you didn’t do anything you need to apologize for. Where were you?”
They were back to Ace. He was sorry for it. He’d done this.
“I was at Jamie’s.” He took another step closer. “Eoghan was worried I might go after Owen, so he put him to watch me after I went to the locker room.”
She only crossed her arms. “Being pissed at Owen isn’t enough. I was pissed at him too.”
Shit. He shifted on his feet. “Dammit, I lost the fight. I went home with Jamie because he knew I didn’t want to talk. He gave me space to stew and cool.”
Her brown eyes flattened. “And you didn’t thinkIwould? Or your own brother? Or Liam or Ellie? Dammit, I’m trying not to— I can’t imagine how hard it was to lose the fight, but you went ten rounds. After not fighting for five years. Declan, that’s incredible. I’m not saying losing doesn’t suck. But you have nothing to feel sorry about. Nothing!”
He tapped his head. “I know it here, but that’s not what I feel. I lost in front of the whole village. And you.”
“Like I care!” Her anger made her shake.
“A man wants to be a winner in the eyes of the woman he loves.”
She was working up to a boiling fit, judging by the red staining her cheeks. “Don’t be stupid. It’s not about that. I love you, dammit.”
His bruised mouth split when he smiled. “A man has his pride.”
She gave the impression of a fire-breathing dragon. “I’m trying to understand. I really am. But you should have come home. You should have known I wouldn’t think any less of you.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.” He took a step toward her. “But it stung my pride all the same. Worse, I lost in front of Jimmy, and what does he do? He sends me a text after the fight about me getting old.”
“Fuck that.” She stormed out and stood before him. “And fuck him too. Look, Ace. I can’t possibly know your entire history with this guy, but considering he cozied up with Owen at the fight, he’s obviously a real champ.”
“That’s what I’m saying—”
“Screw them both. You’ll fight Jimmy. You might win. You might not. But you’ll give your all. Except here’s the thing…”
