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He was incapable of doing anything slowly. Combined with a potential reconciliation with his sister, it was a fucking shitshow, to put it lightly.
That was partly why I wanted to buy the club from him. Being an older bar, it was run-down and in need of renovation, but I was willing to make it work.
My father hadn’t wanted to expand the business. It had always been his, but it was now mine, and I’d already made changes. I didn’t want an empire like Damien had—I just wanted something that was mine.
And I wanted a family-friendly restaurant with reading areas and nooks and crooks. With book-themed tables and drinks menus and decorations on the walls. With fairy lights and music and happiness.
I wanted something that honored the relationship I had with my parents—and one that would honor the one I desperately hoped Damien would have with his sister and niece.
They were talking right now. As bad as it was, I could barely focus on Abby’s words. Her predicament seemed so small given that she only knew such a small fragment of the story. I completely understood the position I’d put her in, but I hoped she’d choose professionalism over it all.
The way life had changed was so insane. I could barely fathom that two months ago, I was coming home from California on the warpath to the man I now loved. That’d he’d morphed from an arrogant asshole to a sweet and sexy man who held my pain as tightly as he held his own.
We were two broken hearts. We’d collided somehow, someplace, somewhere. We made sense.
I believed we always would.
“She’s the best I’ve interviewed, and she wasn’t even great,” Abby said, breaking into my thoughts. “What if I trialed her? One week if she can get childcare.”
“She’ll be able to. Well, if her meeting with Damien goes well, but then I don’t think she’d have called at all if she didn’t want to make amends.”
“Tough. I think a trial is the way forward.”
I nodded and reached for my phone as it vibrated.
Damien: Can you have kids in your bar?
A smile stretched across my face.
Me: Until later, yeah.
Damien: Will be there in a few…
“What are you grinning about?”
I showed her my phone screen.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Damn. I guess it went well?”
“I guess so. At least well enough for him to bring them here.”
“Did you meet the kid when you saw Perrie?”
Shaking my head, I stood up. “Nope. Just Perrie. I don’t know her name and even her age is vague.”
“So, you’re really meeting the family today.”
I glared at her.
“Kidding! You know I’m happy for you. That turd has kinda grown on me. His good looks help his cause.”
“I saw you checking out his ass the other day.”
“Again. It only helps him. As long he doesn’t talk around me…”
“Funny,” I said slowly, opening the door. “He feels the same about you.”
Her laugh was infectious.
I walked through to the bar. It was the middle of the day, so it was as quiet as it would get. I didn’t know exactly what it meant that Damien was bringing his niece and probably his sister here, but I hoped it was all good.
I hoped they’d rebuilt their bridges and burned all their walls down.
I hovered by the edge of the bar. It was, thankfully, Fergus’ day off, so Abby went to talk to the part-time girl behind the bar. All that did was leave me alone to tap my nails against the end of the bar.
I didn’t need to know everything, but I wanted to. All I needed to know was that he was okay.
I needed to know he had his sister back.
I watched the door like a hawk. Waiting and waiting and waiting until it opened and I saw three figures, two tall and one small, coming through it. The small person had her hand tucked onto Damien’s, and she was staring at him in awe.
Perrie Fox tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Today, she looked a million miles away from our initial meeting. Her hair was pulled into a twisted knot on top of her head, and she wore ripped jeans and a tank top proclaiming that she’d run for wine.
We were destined to be best friends from that shirt alone.
The little girl who held so tightly onto Damien had Perrie’s blond hair. Her eyes were dark, too, the only familiarity to her uncle, but there was something about seeing the three of them walk to me.
There was an easiness in their relationship that made my heart warm.
Damien grinned as he caught my eye. I fought my smile, but it was damn near impossible. Especially when he picked the little girl up and perched her on the edge of the counter.
“Good?” he asked her. “Comfy?”
“Yes, and no,” she replied in a small voice.
