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When Bets and Linc arrived, Taylor had to bite her lip not to laugh at how cute they both looked in the blue T-shirts with white lettering proclaimingI am Veritas. She snapped a quick photo for Liam before the woman moved in for a powerful hug. “We did it! Ghislaine says the news cycle is already running wild. Taylor, I can’t thank you enough for this idea.”
“Only doing my job,” she joked.
Linc chuckled softly. “Let’s go home then and wait for our boy.”
Taylor battled to keep her hope strong. They had done what they could. Now they would have to wait. Again.
Bets glanced up at the man she called cowboy and gave a blinding smile before turning and taking Taylor’s hand. “You’ll wait with us, won’t you?”
She nearly winced at the plea in the woman’s blue eyes. “Actually, I have more research to cram in for my special project with Arthur. But I’ll be over. The minute we hear news.”
The drive back to Caisleán was filled with raised voices and even higher spirits. Eoghan started a song at one point, and the whole bus joined in. The tale was about a man coming home from a long time away, traveling dark seas to return to those he loved. Taylor had to look out the window at the passing scenery to conceal her emotion. When they arrived in the arts center, she wanted to take off; otherwise, she’d be there for hours. Man, the Irish could talk, a total contrast to the clipped New Yorkers she was used to.
But she couldn’t leave without first thanking Eoghan. Finding him in the crowd standing beside his beautiful wife, Sandrine, and his son, Donal, she waited a short distance away until he spotted her. She gave him a wave, and he hurried over, a sudden gust of wind blowing the short wisps of gray hair covering his head straight up in the air before they fell back in place. He was a sight in his oversized T-shirt, and her heart melted as he took her hand and kissed it sweetly.
“This village owes you a lot, Taylor McGowan,” he said softly. “More than anyone can know.”
He’d sworn to her that he would never reveal her true secret to another person unless she gave him her leave. Not even his wife. He’d said he was old and didn’t have too many years to carry it, making her heart catch when he said he now understood what it must be to keep such a secret from those she knew. He did admit to rather liking being one of only a few who knew something so special. Like a secret brotherhood, he’d told her, making her laugh alongside the Merriams and Arthur and Clara, who had also sworn to keep her secret safe.
She believed them.
“We all do the part we must,” she told him, leaning over and kissing his cold, weathered cheek. “You did wonderful as well. I’m grateful to you. For more than anyone can know.”
He gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Will you come have a celebratory drink with us then?”
She fidgeted in place. “I was going to get back to our special research project.”
“Of course.” He looked down at his feet, his disappointment evident.
Her throat caught as she wrestled with herself. This community had come through for Liam—and her, although they didn’t know it. She should honor that, shouldn’t she? But it was more than that. These were Liam’s people, and since he was hers, that made them her people too. She needed to let them in more and trust them as he did. “Okay, one drink.”
His head shot up, a grin spreading on his wrinkled face. “Of course. Just one.”
The phraseOf coursein this situation turned out to be Irish foryeah, you cute, shortybecause she was still at the Brazen Donkey two hours later, wedged between Eoghan and Bets, who simply couldn’t stop touching her arm as the group regaled her with stories about Liam. They talked about everything from how he’d been known to heal injured animals when he was a kid to how he’d once held a headstand for twenty minutes when Brady and Declan had asked him how long he could manage it. They’d finally thrown an empty water bottle at him to stop the madness because, as Declan said, “We would have been there all night.”
She was laughing at another story from Ellie when a loud honking sounded outside the pub. Her skin frizzled with tension as the pub fell silent.
And then Liam was bursting through the front door, his green eyes shining with a brilliant light, the most beautiful smile on his gorgeous face. He found her immediately. Their eyes met, and she grinned, her heart exploding with love. He started for her, the crowd parting, and when he reached her, he looked over and gave his mother a smile before grabbing her to his chest.
Before she closed her eyes, she saw the momentary shock on Bets’ face. Before Liam would have sought out his mother first—now he sought out his soulmate.
“God, I missed you,” he whispered fiercely in her ear. “And what you did! I’m so proud to call you mine.”
She gripped him as hard as she could before he reared back and kissed her, pressing his lips to hers as if they might never kiss again. All the longing of the last few days surged up in her, and she grabbed the back of his hair and kissed him with all the love inside her. The sound of whistling reached her ears, and she pulled back, patting his chest and scanning his features. “You’re not hurt?” Only then did she note the fading bruises on his neck. Gasping, she brushed her fingers lightly over them.
He shook his head, catching her gaze. “No,a stór.You have nothing to worry about on that account. We’ll speak later.”
They could both feel Bets waiting patiently, and Taylor had to respect how hard that must have been for her. She nodded but leaned in to kiss him swiftly once again, wanting to wrap her arms around him and never let go.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” she whispered fiercely.
“Me too.” One final rakish smile and then he was hugging his mother.
Linc looked over at her, tears swimming in his eyes. She felt some water run down her face and realized she was finally crying. She swiped at her tears and picked up her whiskey, taking a fortifying sip.
Someone took her hand, and she turned to see Eoghan holding out a wrinkled handkerchief to her, his own eyes wet. “I am Veritas,” he whispered and then signaled to her.
She’d taken her T-shirt off already, but the words were etched in her soul. She closed her eyes as she let the joy skyrocket through her. Her plan had worked.
