Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77611 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77611 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Win told me about him too,” Bex blurts. “While he was taking care of me. He called him a dragon. His pub beast. He couldn’t stop thinking about him either.”
When I give her a wide-eyed look, she rolls hers in response. “What? You couldn’t. It’s a special day. I’m not lying for you today.”
Why is it a special day? Other than the fact that it’s the Finns’ anniversary that I’m being paid to sing for.
“Let’s not get distracted,” Ken says with an amused grin. “Michael also called me the other night to make sure I hadn’t stuck my nose into his business.”
“He mentioned that.”
“Interesting.” His smile softens. “Realizing that he’d found you, or more accurately, that you’d found him, was enough to renew my faith in fate, Winston. No one planned for that to happen. It’s important to me that you know that. No chess pieces were placed, no palms greased. And while it wasn’t impossible that you would meet him again—you know some of the same people—it was supremely unlikely. And so the universe, seeing two people separately pining for each other, decided to give you both a little nudge.”
We were both suspicious of the coincidence, weren’t we? How odd it was. How unlikely. If Bex hadn’t gotten a wild hair and asked me to come, or if Seamus hadn’t asked Michael to give this family thing one more chance before he left…
“What if he leaves?”
I don’t know I’ve actually whispered the fear out loud until Bex leans her head on my shoulder and repeats her words from the other day. “We are not our parents, Win. We’re not doomed to revisit their mistakes, and we shouldn’t have to pay for them either. If he leaves, you’ll hurt, but you’ll be fine. And you’ll never be alone.”
She nudges me gently. “You remember that Erin Hanson quote you put on my fridge when I was feeling down a few years ago? The one that inspired me to take risks, even if it was scary?”
Swallowing hard, I nod. Of course, I remember it. I’d printed another copy of it for my classroom cork board because it had inspired me.
There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky.
And you ask, “What if I fall?” Oh, but my darling, “What if you fly?”
I must look like I’m going to cry again, because Ken straightens and takes a worried step toward me. “If you’re not interested in him, if I’m reading the situation incorrectly, we’ll just forget this conversation ever happened and I’ll make it all go away.”
My laugh is a little watery. “You’ll make it go away? It’s your fault Bex talks that way, isn’t it? You can’t just say things like that, Tanaka. And you don’t need to worry about my happiness.” I’m blinking furiously because the chill is making my eyes water. “I’m not a Finn for fuck’s sake. What you should do is take your own advice for a change. We say that all the time, don’t we, Bex?”
“I never say that.”
I narrow my eyes at her. Why is she lying so hard?
“You’re not a Finn, no,” Tanaka agrees easily. “You’re a Winston. One of a kind. And I did.”
“You did what? Wait. You did?”
Ken winks at me and puts a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “We all deserve to be happy, Win. Our problem—yours and mine—is getting out of our own way so it can happen.”
Then he turns and walks toward the lodge, throwing over his shoulder, “Bex, you can show him, and only him, until it’s time.”
I spin around to face her, his mysterious words momentarily jolting me out of my pity party. “Show me what?”
She gives me a mischievous smile before following behind Tanaka toward the lodge. “I’ll show you as soon as we get you changed, and maybe put on some concealer before your performance. You’re covered in beard burn and Angelina Jolie would envy your lips right now.”
I chase after her. “Stop complimenting me and show me the thing. I need the distraction.”
“Are you going to stop fighting fate and make babies for Uncle Connor?”
“Rebecca, I swear to God.”
She stops and turns to me, suddenly serious. “You love him, don’t you?”
I don’t pretend she isn’t talking about Michael. “Is it that obvious?”
“Only because it looks like you tried to ruin it. Did you ruin it, Winnie?”
I sigh, thinking about his expression when I ran out of the kitchen like my ass was on fire. “I tried. I guess I’ll have to find out if I succeed or not tonight.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
My rendition of Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” is a hit. Shawn and Ellen Finn dance alone while surrounded by several generations of family, very few of them dry-eyed. When the band throws a few upbeat Irish songs they played at the pub into the set, Shawn and Seamus are standing by the stage, singing along.