Wild Irish Heart (The Mystic Cove Series Book 1)

by Tricia O'Malley

  "And what are you doing, sneaking in here after hours?"

  Shane raised an eyebrow at her and Cait was startled to see anger lying beneath the cool surface of his calm façade.

  "I own the place, remember?"

  Cait blew out a breath and turned to finish cleaning the glasses. The task gave her something else to focus on and forced her to keep her mouth from saying something stupid like, "take me." Cait did a mental eye roll. She promised herself that one day she would get over this insatiable crush that she had on her landlord.

  "Yes, sir, I remember." Cait infused her words with bitter sarcasm. He always hated it when she called him sir.

  "Knock it off. What are you doing messing with that kid? He's too young for you," Shane said bitterly as he ducked behind the bar and helped himself to a Harp.

  "Make yourself at home, there," Cait said.

  "Put it on my house account. Now, answer my question."

  Cait finished washing her hands and dried them carefully on a bar rag that hung in front of her. Part of her was gleeful that Shane cared and part of her was infuriated that he thought that she was too old for Patrick.

  "My love life is my own. Thanks for asking though."

  Cait gasped as Shane stepped towards her, pressing her small body back against the bar. She allowed her eyes to trail up his chest, past his clenched jaw, to where his deep brown eyes were murderous. It was so rare for Shane to show emotion like this that Cait found herself trembling against him.

  "Your love life? You're sleeping with him? What kind of boss are you?"

  Shock hit Cait at his words and a warm flush of anger and embarrassment shot through her.

  Her voice shook and she skewered Shane with a glare.

  "I'm the best kind of boss. One that knows what she wants and gets it. No matter what. And at this moment that would be you…leaving my pub. Now."

  Shane took a deep breath and stepped back from her. Cait felt oddly bereft at the absence of his heat. She held his eyes as he nodded once at her and ducked beneath the pass-through.

  "Excuse me, then. I'll just leave you to your business. I'm sure that Patrick can walk you home instead." Shane slammed through the front door and Cait brought her trembling head to the bar, allowing the smooth wood to cool the heat of her forehead. What had just happened? Cait needed a moment to breathe.

  "Um, I'd be happy to walk you home."

  Cait stayed where she was as Patrick's voice greeted her from across the room. If she knew her town, this would be the gossip on everyone's lips over breakfast tomorrow.

  "No, thank you, Patrick. Come here, we need to talk."

  Patrick walked to the other side of the bar and met her eyes, the naked hunger in his eyes softening her stance. Though Cait felt the pleasure of being wanted wash through her, she also knew that Shane was right. Patrick was not only too young for her, but he was also her employee.

  She pulled out two shot glasses and filled them with a splash of Tullamore Dew. She slid one across to Patrick.

  "Here's the deal, Patrick. I'm flattered that you are attracted to me. But, at your age, you'll find someone else in under a week. And you should…you should be out testing the waters and seeing what you do and don't like. Not only am I not the one for you, it also goes against my rules and my ethics to sleep with an employee. You do a good job here and I want to keep you on. But, I'm going to have to ask you never to make a pass at me again. Do you think that you can handle that?" Cait said firmly, her eyes never wavering from the young man's face. Patrick took a deep breath and nodded once before breaking into a smile.

  "So, we're okay?"

  Cait smiled at him and held up her shot glass. "Slàinte." They clinked glasses and she allowed the warm burn of the whiskey to slip down her throat. The heat only seemed to fuel her anger at Shane but she kept a cool demeanor as she and Patrick chatted about the rehearsal dinner they'd hosted at the pub earlier that evening. Cait went around and flicked off lights and tried not to think about why Shane had come to the pub tonight. Instead, she thought about Keelin and Flynn's wedding tomorrow. Cait was going solo as she was a bridesmaid in the wedding, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be able to mingle with the guests. Knowing that Flynn owned restaurants across Ireland had led Cait to hope that maybe she'd meet a new man, one not ensconced in Grace's Cove. One…that wasn't Shane. With a sigh, she ushered Patrick from the pub and locked the door behind her, pocketing her keys smoothly.

  Her small flat was only a few blocks away and made her commute convenient though she often wished that she wasn't so accessible to all of her employees. Cait supposed that that was the drawback of owning your own business. She laughed at herself as she walked the quiet street towards her building. She loved owning a pub in Grace's Cove. Rumored to be a mystical town, the cove drew curiosity seekers from around the world. Tourism was a big business in Grace's Cove and Gallagher's Pub was at the heart of it. So what if people though the cove was enchanted? They wouldn't be far wrong, Cait thought. Rumors held that Grace O'Malley had protected it as her last resting place and that very few were allowed to enter the cove without being harmed. Whispers of powers passed down through Grace's bloodline heightened the reputation of the town. It was good for business and business was booming.

  She wouldn’t change it for the world, Cait thought, and smiled at the sleepy town.

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  Wild Irish Eyes: Book 2 in the Mystic Cove Series

  Oh to stop the voices in her head.

  Other people's voices, that is. As a pub owner with an extra special gift, Cait Gallagher craves a moment of silence. That and to own the building her pub is housed in along with the heart of the building's landlord, Shane MacAuliffe. Though she is irresistibly drawn to Shane, her vulnerabilities cause her to put up a tough exterior. When the two butt heads, more than sparks fly, and Cait finds herself trembling on the precipice of love. Cait knows that she must resolve her deeply rooted self-doubts if she wants to have a fighting chance with Shane.

  Shane has watched Cait for years. Stubborn, beautiful, and with a trim body that he is dying to get his hands on, Cait is it for him. And yet, she continues to infuriate him by walking away from his kiss. Every time. At his wits' end, Shane doesn't know what to do to make Cait his own.

  Unapologetic and fiercely proud, Cait must conquer her insecurities and reveal her true self to Shane or face losing everything.

  Author's Note

  On a warm, sunny day last September, my husband and I hiked up The Saint's Path located on Mt. Brandon in Dingle, Ireland. The Stations of the Cross lined the path and led to the highest point of the peninsula. At the top, the winds were fierce and the view almost heartbreaking in its staunch beauty.

  Days later, I awoke to the bells of the Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, in a lovely hotel room. A dream tugged at my mind. So powerful, so insistent, that for the first time in my life, I was compelled to write my dream down, worried that I would lose the threads of the story that had captivated me in my sleep.

  Over the last few days of our trip, I babbled incessantly to my ever-patient husband as he politely listened to me play with characters and plot.

  Soon, my dream had expanded from one book into a five book series.

  Sometimes, you just have to follow that moment. That brief hint of inspiration that lights you up inside. That…something…that keeps niggling at your brain. The Mystic Cove books are those stories. The ones that I think about when I'm doing yoga or in the yard playing with my dogs. The ones that make me ache to return to the shores of Dingle and spend many a day soaking up the beauty and charm that the small village has to offer.

  Thank you for taking part in my world, I hope that you enjoy it.

  Please consider leaving a review online. It helps other readers to take a chance on my stories.

  As always, you can reach me at omalley.tricia@gmail.com or feel free to visit my website at triciaomalley.co
m.

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  Author's Acknowledgement

  First, and foremost, I would like to thank my husband for his unending support as I pursue this wildly creative career of being an author. It isn't easy to watch someone follow the creative path, and uncertainties are rampant. Josh, thanks for being my rock.

  I'd like to thank my family and friends for their constant support and all of my beta readers for their excellent feedback.

  Thanks to Emily Nemchick for her excellent editing services and to Alchemy Book Covers for their stunning cover designs.

  And last, but never least, my two constant companions as I struggle through words on my computer each day - Briggs and Blue.