Page 6 of An Irish Hope

“Oh, and he’s still at it. Okay.”

Okay, yes. It had been a long moment since he’d felt game enough to crack a joke, after being gas-lit for so long about what was considered funny. What was funny was how when people talked about gas-lighting it so often seemed to be how women were the victims, and men always the evil perpetrators. Andy was proof the opposite could be true. That a woman with certain narcissistic tendencies could be just as much to blame. Which only made him feel weaker, and even despite the therapy his counsellor had offered, he still knew he could be vulnerable to a strong woman. Which was why he’d take his time before dipping his toe into the dating scene again. Like maybe five or, better yet, ten years.

No way was he ever going to get caught up in the heady world of hormones and attraction and leaping into a relationship before he really got to know the woman. Like, really got to know the woman. Mam and Da had warned him when he’d come home engaged. And considering he’d thought he’d known Greta and she’d still blindsided him, then he knew this would take years. Hey God, I want to do things Your way this time. I’m pretty sure I need to wait five years. So help me to be patient while I’m waiting for the right woman to appear. So, at the rate he was going, after waiting a minimum of five years before he was emotionally healthy to date again, then another two to three years before he’d know whether a woman was worth pledging his forever to, he was looking at a solid ten years before he could possibly consider himself ready to say “I do” again. Not that he’d said it the first time, but—

“You okay over there?” Grady asked.

“Yep.” He shoved his shoulders back. “I’m good.”

Because he was now a man with a plan, a man who would place himself firmly on the shelf until he felt emotionally ready again. Which meant he could enjoy seeing this part of Ireland with no strings attached, no need to impress or be impressed by or join Grady’s schemes to find some fun that inevitably involved flirting and ended with sore heads the next morning. Andy might want to see his friend come to know God, but it didn’t mean Andy had to compromise his values. He wasn’t a pushover, no matter what Greta might’ve thought.

“Hey, you know the hotel restaurant is closed tonight? We should hit the local pub instead.” Grady glanced at him as Andy’s nose wrinkled. “I saw they have karaoke.”

His interest flickered. He might not have had a lot of great qualities, at least as far as Greta was concerned, but his karaoke skills were on par with his running. She’d never been ashamed of him in that regard, at least. “Sounds like a plan.”

Grady laughed. “You’ve always liked a plan, haven’t you?”

“Yeah.” A plan meant not wasting time, meant he knew where he was headed, what he should work on now to set up success for the future. It meant getting organised, getting his ducks in a row, and then watching his hard work get executed effectively. Except, of course, when his body didn’t work as he’d trained it to. Or when the person he’d planned to spend forever with decided she didn’t want him after all.

His heart dipped. He pushed past it. That was the past, remember?

“Come on. I’ll race you back. Last one back buys the steak.”

“Hey!” Grady protested as Andy set off.

He drew in a deep breath of Atlantic-fresh air, picking up the pace as Grady’s footsteps thudded behind him. The past was done. He’d asked God to set him free. So he was going to trust that He’d heard Andy’s prayer.

CHAPTER THREE

“Ash, where have you been?” Rory whisper-yelled as Aisling rushed to join the bridal party about to head into the restaurant. “You disappeared and have been MIA for fifteen minutes.”

“I got caught up with something.” Like trying to figure out how to stitch a dress she was still wearing so the rip wouldn’t be seen. A safety pin for the win. And strategic hand placements in case it wasn’t such a win.

“What kind of thing would be more important than your brother’s wedding?” Fiona murmured.

Aisling pressed her lips together. “Look, I just bumped into someone and had to do a quick repair.”

“Repair of what?” Rory asked.

She pointed to her side split, which drew a gasp.

“Maybe you should lay off the dessert tonight,” Fiona snarked.

Rude. “Maybe you should make sure you have lots of dessert to sweeten you up.”

Beside her, Declan coughed, and Aisling glanced at him as Fiona rolled her eyes. She caught a twinkle in his eyes and offered a small smile. Yep. The man knew Fiona well enough to understand Aisling’s frustration. Fiona had basically ignored him all day.

Rory’s eyes widened. “What happened to your hair?”

She sighed, pasting on a smile as Colin and Kara glanced her way. “You two having fun?” she called.

“It’s grand,” Colin said, nuzzling Kara’s cheek.

Aww. Aisling blew them a kiss, then murmured to her sisters, “Look, I had a run-in with someone. Like, I literally ran into him and ended up on the ground, which is how I ripped my dress, okay?”

“Who was it?” Aidan frowned. “If you need me to find him to make him apologise I will.”

God bless him. He even seemed to mean it. It was nice to know Rory had a protective boyfriend who cared. “Thanks, but no thanks. He seriously would not stop apologising, so I don’t want to go through that again.”