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The night passed quickly, remaining steady and busy for several hours. I kept checking on Emma with increasing concern. She was growing more and more restless and at around two in the morning, she woke up with a coughing fit.
She was getting worse.
Sean scowled as he noticed my distraction. I swallowed hard, knowing I was going to have to face the big grumpy bear. He was a good guy at heart, but sometimes his moodiness was hard to deal with. With a nervous reluctance, I squared off my shoulders and approached him.
“I need to go for a little bit,” I started. I kept my voice soft and non-confrontational, knowing that it was the best way to go if I wanted to keep my job—and I did. Sure, sometimes the nights got loud and rough, but the men that frequented here typically tipped well and generally treated me with respect. I knew finding another place like it would be a miracle, especially this close to my apartment.
“We’re busy, Leah. I can’t let you go right now,” he answered, his voice short. His face reddened a little with aggravation.
“Please, Sean. My daughter, she’s sick,” I tried to explain.
“I see you checking her all the time on your phone. I’m sure she’ll be fine for another hour or two until the end of your shift,” he scowled.
“I need to check on her. Please,” I pleaded.
“If you want to keep your job, Leah, you’ll stay. This is not the night for you to disappear on me. I need you here serving drinks,” he replied.
“I…” I started, but his mouth hardened into a firm line. I didn’t know what else to say so that I could get him to understand. He wasn’t a father, but a single man solely focused on building his business. He didn’t have a care in the world for the worries of a poor single mother.
“I need this job,” I protested, my voice wavering. Overwhelmed, tired from lack of sleep, and fearful for my daughter, my eyes started to water. I blinked, trying to will the tears away. It didn’t work.
“Sean,” a smooth male voice murmured beside us. I turned my head, only to see a familiar pair of blue eyes. Kieran was leaning against the bar, staring directly at us. His brow furrowed, his concern for me a bit heartwarming. Sean cleared his throat, his jawline ticking with nervousness.
“Kieran. I hope we haven’t disturbed you,” he choked worriedly. I glanced between them, noticing the significant difference in power play between them.
“Let her go home, Sean. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of things,” Kieran offered. I suddenly felt like I should know more about him, like there was something I was missing in the true meaning of his words.
“Please, Mr. Murphy. You don’t have to concern yourself with Leah,” Sean tried, and Kieran shook his head.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said again.
Beside me, Sean stayed silent for a moment before nodding once with understanding.
“I thank you, Kieran.” He dipped his head. When I glanced back at Sean, I saw that he was more relaxed. He peered back at Kieran with something like deference, rather than fear and that put me at ease. Whoever this Kieran was, Sean respected him, and I might even go as far to guess that he trusted him with what he had promised.
“Let me walk Leah home. Tommy in the back used to work at a pub back in Dublin. Go tell him I said to help you until I return,” Kieran explained.
“Got it. I appreciate this, Kieran,” Sean said quickly. He strode out of the bar into the back room, leaving me alone with Kieran. It felt like there was only the two of us, even though the rest of the pub was filled with patrons.
“Come. I’ll walk you home.”
For the first time, I felt like I could breathe.
CHAPTER3
Leah
“You don’t have to walk me home. You could just stay here,” I protested. My face felt hot as he gazed back at me. His jawline ticked and he cocked his head, staring at me as if I’d said the most ridiculous thing in the world.
I didn’t need anyone to take care of me. I’d been doing just fine on my own so far.
“It’s only two blocks. I’ll be fine,” I added.
Those light blue irises of his flickered, fire and ice at war within their depths. I wanted to reach out for him, but at the same time I wanted to run. His lips thinned slightly, and he shook his head.
“I insist,” Kieran replied, his voice resolute. It left me with the feeling that if I fought any further, I’d anger him, and he didn’t look like the type of man I wanted to piss off.
I sighed. I hadn’t been sleeping much lately. The cleaning agency had sent me to a particularly tough job this afternoon and I was still feeling sore from how strenuous it had been. The smell of bleach was still scalded into my nostrils, and I didn’t know if it would ever go away at this point.
