The Mystic Cove Series Boxed Set (Wild Irish Books 5-7)

by Tricia O'Malley

  “Grace O’Malley?” Dylan asked, vaguely remembering some bits about her from his history classes.

  “Yes, indeed. The infamous pirate queen.”

  Chapter 30

  It was a madhouse.

  Grace had expected a good turnout, but she’d not expected what looked to be the entire village already seated and ready for the action at the town hall, which had been built just a few years back. With standing room only, people spilled out onto the street and voices rose to greet her and Rosie as they strode up the sidewalk.

  “Cait saved you a spot up front,” Casey said, giving her a quick hug and ushering her inside.

  “I can’t believe everyone is here already. The meeting doesn’t start for a while yet,” Grace said.

  “It’s the talk of the town. Nobody wanted to miss it,” Casey said, acknowledging all the businesses that had closed for the day. There were probably poor tourists wandering the streets, wondering if there was some holiday that they didn’t know about.

  “Gracie!” Grace turned at the voice and almost dissolved in tears, so shocked was she to see her grandmother and grandfather hustling up the sidewalk, identical looks of concern on their faces.

  “Nan, Papa!” Grace was enveloped in an awkward three-way hug by Margaret and Sean. They lived in Dublin and ran a cheerful boat tour and fishing charter business, and had recently taken a holiday – to Iceland, of all places. Grace hadn’t expected to hear from them for at least another week or so.

  “A little birdie told us there was some trouble down here, so we had the plane drop us at Shannon instead,” Margaret explained, looking like a million dollars in a chic leopard-print coat, white blouse, and crisp black pants. Sean – as handsome as ever, with just a bit less hair these days – smiled down at her.

  “You know we’ve got your back for anything, Gracie; you’ve only to ask,” Sean said, patting her arm.

  “I’m so sorry you came all this way. I think after the meeting today, everything will be fine. But we’ll see,” Grace said, so happy that they had come.

  “Honestly, we didn’t get many details. Something about someone trying to force you off your land. I never…! Some people think they can take all the liberties. They obviously have no idea that you’ve a real estate powerhouse in your corner,” Margaret sniffed.

  Grace bit back a smile. “Don’t worry, Nan. I’m suing him,” Grace said.

  “That’s a good girl,” Margaret said, patting her arm.

  “Well, I’ll be!” Sean all but shouted, causing Grace to jump in surprise. She turned to see him striding away, the crowd parting for him easily.

  “I swear, he just knows everyone. Everywhere we go, he’s chatting it up with someone,” Margaret said, craning her head to try and see who her husband was currently embracing in one of those awkward man hugs with a double pat on the back.

  “How does he…” Grace said, shaking her head in confusion until everything clicked into place.

  “Margaret, Gracie…” Sean crowed, towing a surprised Dylan Kelly through the crowd. “This is Dylan. I’ve mentored him since he was just a young lad. He’s gone on to do great things.”

  Grace heard roaring in her ears, and she thought for the briefest of moments she might just faint on the spot. How could he have not told her that her grandfather was his mentor?

  “Oh, Dylan! I’m delighted to meet you. Sean has spoken of you so many times over the years. He’s had nothing but good things to say about you,” Margaret said, smiling when Dylan kissed her hand. Leaning in, she whispered in Grace’s ear, “He’s a handsome lad. And quite well-to-do. You could do worse for yourself, dear. I say we all have lunch after this.”

  “Nan…” Grace just shook her head, seeing the bomb coming from a mile away but not sure how to warn them.

  “I doubt Grace will be wanting to have lunch with me,” Dylan said, reading her perfectly, “seeing as she’s currently suing me.”

  “What?” Margaret said, coming to attention and turning from one to the other. Sean stepped back, looking mortally wounded as he stared at Dylan with confusion and then disgust. Grace could only imagine how that must feel, to have his mentor look at him in such a manner after all these years.

  “What have you done to my Gracie?” Sean said, stepping into Dylan’s space and meeting him eye-to-eye.

  “I swear to you I didn’t know until this moment that she was your granddaughter,” Dylan said. “And for that, I’m truly sorry. I never would have even leased this land had I known. I only ever came here because you spoke so highly of it. I thought I was just picking up a parcel of land in a beautiful spot. I couldn’t have known what a can of worms I was opening.”

  Seemingly appeased, Sean stepped back, unsure now. He glanced at Grace.

  “I’ve never known Dylan to lie, Gracie. Surely there’s just been some sort of misunderstanding. Can’t we all just work this out?” Sean asked, hope on his face that he wouldn’t have to choose between the two – though family would always come first.

  “We are. Inside. Meeting’s about to be called,” Grace said, sailing resolutely past them to where Cait waved to her from the front row. Grace was relieved to see that the whole first row on one side comprised her family – Cait and Shane, Aislinn and Baird, Patrick and Morgan, and others spread out, having chosen their side. There was a flurry of welcome when everyone saw Margaret and Sean, and the meeting was delayed a few more minutes while everyone said their hellos and settled in. Grace took the seat on the aisle, and Dylan took the seat directly across from her, Liam at his side with a stack of papers in hand.

  In front of them, the council members – six of them – all sat at a long table, some blinking in confusion at the spectacle before them and others looking a bit excited about the drama. Grace didn’t blame them. It was probably the most interesting council meeting they’d had in years.

  “We are calling this meeting to order,” Mr. O’Sullivan said, and the crowd immediately quieted down. “This is a special session of our town meeting and we are here to address the validity of certain building permits. The issue at hand is that while the permits have been passed, there is now a legal action being taken, challenging the legality of the leasing of the land. The question today is not for us to determine whether it was legal or not – that is left up to the solicitors to handle – it is whether the building permits should be revoked or put on hold until the complications surrounding this build-out are addressed. Does everyone understand that?”

  The whole village nodded as one.

  “To reiterate, it is not our place to decide if the leasing of the land was legal or not. We are here to decide if Mr. Kelly is given his building permits.” Mr. O’Sullivan looked over his glasses once more. He’d once taught maths class and his stern looks could bring most of the village to silence in seconds. “Good. Ms. O’Brien, please proceed.”

  Grace stood and smoothed her skirt, turning to smile briefly at the crowd before addressing the council.

  “It is my understanding that the law requires adequate notice when the long lease of land is expiring. Because no notice was given to myself or my family, the land shouldn’t have been available to lease to another person. While I understand that Mr. Kelly thinks he’s fairly leased the land, there is no record shown of notice been given in regards to the plot of land he’s trying to build condos on.”

  A murmur of disapproval went up through the crowd at the mention of the word ‘condos.’

  “It is my belief that all building permits should be revoked so that Mr. Kelly doesn’t do any sort of irreversible damage to the land or my property until the legalities of this situation are properly sorted. At that time, I suggest the town vote on whether they’d really like a swath of tourist condos marring our pristine coastline. Thank you for your time,” Grace said, sitting back down quickly.

  Her face burned with frustration and she refused to look at Dylan. It didn’t have to come to this point, but the man refused to budge. She supposed it would have t
o be a lesson for him, that big corporate ideals aren’t always best suited for small towns. The crowd behind her clapped and cheered, calling out a myriad of interesting insults to Dylan until Mr. O’Sullivan shut them down. Margaret patted her leg when Dylan rose to speak, his hands full of papers.

  “May I approach the table?”

  Mr. O’Sullivan nodded and Dylan approached, handing each of the council members some paperwork.

  “First of all, I’d like to set the record straight on a few points which seem to have been miscommunicated,” Dylan said, turning to address the crowd before zeroing in on Grace. It was hard to deny his charisma, Grace thought. He carried himself well and had an easy confidence as he spoke.

  “It’s not my fault if Ms. O’Brien wasn’t notified by the government in regard to the lease being up. That’s on the tax office. And we all know how they can be,” Dylan said, and several people murmured their agreement.

  Oh, he’s good, Grace thought, very good indeed, getting the villagers to agree with him like that.

  “Then I came along and saw a beautiful piece of property up for lease. I mean, you’ve all seen the property, no? Sure and you wouldn’t begrudge a man for wanting to own a stretch of that coastline.”

  More murmurs of agreement, and Grace almost rolled her eyes.

  “So I leased the property and notified the tenant that she would need to leave. Did I think too much about it? No, but I suppose I should have. I just thought this town would be excited about what I was trying to build here.”

  “We don’t need condominiums,” a voice shouted from the back.

  “Ah, thank you, and I completely agree. I’m not entirely sure where that rumor got started.” Dylan slid a glance at Grace, though it certainly hadn’t been her who’d started the rumor. She’d just repeated it. “But the assumption that I plan to build condos is a huge misunderstanding. What I have plans to build and what my current building permits are for – as I believe the council already knows – is a community and cultural center. It will offer free classes such as business mentorship, sailing classes, hobby building, and so forth. We planned to create a place where retirees can go to volunteer their knowledge to teach the next generation, to pass on lessons, and to gather for games, learning, and to celebrate the great culture and history of this town. I fell in love with Grace’s Cove the first time my ship pulled into harbor. I would never try to harm this place. I only wanted to enhance it.”

  With that, Dylan Kelly sat down to a stunned silence. No one was more shocked than Grace. She felt like she’d been played for a fool.

  “If there is no further information to add, the council requests to adjourn for a week to investigate all paperwork and claims before we decide how to proceed,” Mr. O’Sullivan said, perfectly reading his audience. He knew that if he made a decision – now that the crowd was split straight down the middle – there would be pandemonium. The village needed at least a solid week to discuss all the ins and outs of this cultural center – and frankly, just to dissect the new gossip.

  “Meeting adjourned.”

  Grace stood and, refusing to look at Dylan, whistled for Rosie and stormed from the hall, refusing to speak with anyone. If Dylan thought he’d endear himself to Grace by withholding crucial information and then embarrassing her in front of the whole town, he had no idea who he was dealing with.

  Chapter 31

  Dylan fielded questions outside the hall until Sean approached him, shaking his head.

  “Phew, boyo, you’ve gone and gotten yourself into some deep trouble with one of my most loved people in the world,” Sean said as he and Dylan walked toward where they had always gone to discuss problems – the pub. By some mutual agreement, the townspeople gave them space, and Margaret strolled behind with Aislinn and Morgan. Cait had already gone ahead, reading the energy of the town correctly and knowing she’d have a big night to set up for.

  “I didn’t know she was yours. I truly didn’t,” Dylan said, miserable that he had caused pain to Sean’s granddaughter. It was just the icing on the cake of an absolute shite couple of weeks. Why couldn’t he have just stepped back from this project altogether?

  “I understand. Don’t think I’d be sitting here having a wee chat with you instead of my Gracie if I thought otherwise,” Sean said, commandeering two stools in the far corner of the bar, which was a clear sign for others to stay away. Cait sized up the situation and, making no comment, slid them two whiskies, neat.

  “That’s a fine lass,” Sean said, raising his glass to her in acknowledgement. Cait, never one to be at a loss for words, hesitated in front of Dylan.

  “Go on, say what you need to say,” Dylan said, nodding his head at Cait.

  “Grace is special. Don’t let her shut you out – or run too far away. She’ll build a wall up so impossible to break that it will be like she never even knew you. And that’s the last I’ll say of that,” Cait said, snapping her mouth closed. “Sure and I see you sitting there, Donovan. I’m on me way, can’t you see?” Cait cuffed the lad on the head, and he issued his apologies and waited his turn for a pint.

  “Now, that has me wondering,” Sean said, narrowing his eyes at Dylan. They bumped their glasses and took a sip of whiskey before Sean continued. “Is this more than a business matter? Are you and Grace involved?”

  Dylan ran a hand over his face, feeling drained. He was so used to things just neatly falling into place for him that he had no idea how he’d ended up here, having made a complete mess of everything and pining after the one woman who currently hated his guts. He said as much to Sean and glared at him when the old man started laughing.

  “Don’t you give me that nasty look, young man. I’ve been waiting for the day when a woman would send you arse over end. I should’ve known it would be one of mine. Strong women, they are,” Sean said, nodding approvingly.

  “I’ll admit that I’m attracted to Grace. She’s a lovely woman. But my mind isn’t really on romance. It hasn’t been for quite a while now. I just wanted to come here and see this project through. I really felt like I could make a difference and build something lasting that would contribute to the community,” Dylan said, sighing into his whiskey.

  “There’s always time for romance, son,” Sean said.

  “I don’t like to blur those lines. It wouldn’t be fair to her, you see? If I made a play for her, she’d think it was just to get her land. I’ve already overstepped my bounds.” Dylan held up his hands at Sean’s glare. “I promise, no more than a kiss. But for me, that’s crossing boundaries, when it mixes business and personal. I would never try for more. You know how I feel about that.”

  “Aye, that I do. You’ve ethics, which is something I’ve always appreciated about you,” Sean said, rocking back and forth on his chair as he mulled the problem over, “You know… Margaret left me for over twenty-five years. Took off to America, pregnant with Grace’s mama. It took everything in my power to get that stubborn woman to love me again. But I’ve never regretted a minute of it.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Dylan said, sipping the whiskey and letting the burn of it numb his insides.

  “Now, my Gracie’s built of the same stuff – if not stronger. She’ll go down fighting. I don’t know what’s all between you two, and maybe that’s for the best of it. But I’ll say this – pride goeth before a fall. A little compromise does a world of good. Go talk to her. Before it’s too late.”

  “Twenty-five years, huh?”

  “Twenty-five miserable years. I swear I’ve never met a more stubborn lot of women. Damn, I love them for it, too. Nothing in my life has made me prouder than being surrounded by and raising strong women who can stand for themselves. I’ll tell you this – if Gracie decides you’re it for her, that’s an honor. She may be a difficult woman, but she’s world class,” Sean said, smiling at Cait when she slid them more whiskey.

  “I’ve been nothing if not impressed with her,” Dylan said carefully.

  “And the… you know,” Sean sai
d, waving his finger in a circle in the air.

  “The… what?” Dylan said, furrowing his brow in confusion and wondering if the whiskey had already gone to the old man’s head.

  “The extra stuff. Abilities and whatnot…” Sean trailed off and then clamped his mouth shut.

  “I don’t know what… are you saying…?” Dylan just couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘magick’ to his respected business mentor, and he sought around in his brain for another word.

  “Never you mind,” Sean said, clapping Dylan on the back and standing. “I see you still have much to learn. My advice? Talk to her. Now, my beautiful bride calls for me.”

  Sean disappeared across the room faster than Dylan could down a whiskey shot and he was left mulling over what the man said. Before too many people could begin to approach him, Dylan slid Cait some money and slipped out the door, no longer interested in charming the crowd.

  There was only one person he wanted to win over to his side.

  Chapter 32

  He found her by the water, staring down at the walls of the cove, the wind whipping her hair free from the loose bun she wore. Grace hadn’t bothered to change. She was too keyed up from the meeting, and instead she stood at the cliff’s edge in her skirt and blouse, watching as the water churned in anger far below her.

  “Grace,” Dylan said, far in advance so as not to startle her. Though he was certain she’d heard his truck door slam, he was uncomfortable with just how close to the edge of the cliff she now stood.

  “You didn’t have to come out here. Go celebrate with all your new friends,” Grace said, shooting him an angry glance over her shoulder.

  “Grace, I’m sorry. But I have a right to protect what I’m trying to build.” Dylan realized it was the wrong approach as soon as she turned and stormed to him, as beautiful in anger as she was when she was laughing.