Wild Irish Dreamer (The Mystic Cove Series Book 8)

by Tricia O'Malley

  “Mum!” Fi blushed, “First off, you’re the one who shoved me out onto the street with a drunken man. If anything did happen, you would be to blame.”

  “I most certainly did not shove you out on the street. I was making sure you didn’t stay up all night cleaning. You’d think she’d appreciate her mum more,” Cait sniffed, pouring out a glass of the red wine she knew Fi liked and passing it across the bar.

  “I do appreciate you. Don’t turn this around on me,” Fi warned as she took a sip of the wine. “And Liam was at my place because he was too pissed to give me directions to his place. The man was asleep before he hit the bed, trust me on that.”

  “That’s a good girl, then,” Cait said, knowing without a doubt when her daughter was telling the truth. “You’re a good friend, Fi.”

  “I try to be,” Fi said, and shot a look at Grace. “Even to the ungrateful ones.”

  “Oh, shut it. I’m grateful, I’m grateful. You’re the best, best friend in all the world. But… what about…” Grace looked at Cait and then back to Fi.

  “Liam? We’re friends. That’s all,” Fi said, her tone final.

  “Really? Gosh, I was kind of hoping for more.”

  “I understand that. But the timing is weird, things are a little complicated, and I like the man enough to want to keep him around as a mate.”

  “But what’s complicated?” Grace asked, taking a sip of her whiskey.

  “This.” Fi pointed to Grace and then to Dylan, and then circled the air with her finger. “Too many overlapping friendships and business relationships. It’s really just better this way, all in all.”

  “But what about…” Grace made sure Cait was on the other side of the pub. “You know.”

  “One night does not a relationship make, Gracie. So we have a wee history. It’s nothing. We talked about it and we’re fine to be friends. Truly.”

  “If you say so…” Grace didn’t look convinced.

  “Let her be, Grace. It sounds like they’ve figured it out just fine. No need to meddle in their business.” Dylan wrapped an arm around Grace’s waist and squeezed.

  “Says the man who let Fi meddle in our future.”

  “That’s because you were being bitchy and ignoring me.”

  “Excuse me?” Grace’s attention turned, much to Fi’s relief, and she relaxed as Grace battered Dylan with all the things he’d done to make her act bitchy at the time.

  “What time is your flight again?” Cait asked, leaning over the bar.

  “It’s in the afternoon. Out of Shannon.”

  “And you’ll be back when?”

  “If all goes well, hopefully right before the wedding. At least according to Dylan.”

  “According to Dylan what?” Grace tuned back in.

  “My next project. Dylan’s hired me to review some contracts on a business merger.”

  “You did? You didn’t tell me that. You’re taking away my best friend right before my wedding?” Gracie pouted.

  “You’ve plenty of help here,” Dylan said, tugging on a strand of Gracie’s curls, “and I can use her on this project.”

  “But…”

  “But what? It should only be a few weeks,” Dylan smiled.

  “Fine, but if things get screwed up because Fi isn’t here to micromanage everything, then you’re in trouble,” Grace warned.

  “Duly noted,” Dylan said and sipped his Guinness.

  “And on that note, I have to go pack and finish up a few things at the house. Da is meeting me over there to show me how to shut down the electrical and whatnot.” Fi pushed back from the bar, hugging both Grace and Dylan. “Don’t fuss, Grace. I’ll be back the week before and around to help with everything. I promise.”

  “Fine. Have fun in – where are you going?”

  “Spain.” Fi beamed.

  “Fine. Enjoy your tapas and whatever. I’ll be here. Slaving away.”

  “I’ll be working, Gracie. It’s a job. No more guilt tripping. Despite what you may think, the world does not stop and start because of your wedding.”

  “Oh, now she’s being nasty,” Grace said, pinching Fi’s waist. “You’ll regret that when I make you wear yellow for the wedding.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Fi said, stopping at the door in shock.

  “I just might. I’ll expect you back here one week before. Not a second later.”

  “Bridezilla,” Fi called, waving to Cait on the way out. She’d see both her parents again before she left. Humming, she strolled down the sidewalk, her mind already on the trip and not what she was leaving behind.

  When Liam wandered into the pub nearly fifteen minutes after Fi had left, Grace couldn’t help but wonder at the timing of it all. Had they purposely planned to avoid each other? Grace’s Cove was a small town; it was almost impossible to hide from someone.

  “Hi Liam,” Grace called, patting the stool Fi had just vacated. “Fancy a pint?”

  “I’ll have to pass. I’m just coming in to settle up my tab from the other night and say my goodbyes.”

  “Goodbyes?” Grace arched an eyebrow at Liam as Cait looked over her shoulder from where she rang up his bill at the till.

  “Are you off on an adventure then, Liam?” Cait asked. Turning, she slid a piece of paper over to Liam.

  “A small one. Dylan needs some help with a project he’s overseeing in Spain.”

  “Does he now?” Grace said, turning to raise an eyebrow at Dylan.

  Interpreting her mood as something related to the wedding, Liam grinned and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Grace. I should be back right before the wedding. If you need me to bring anything from abroad for the party, let me know. I’m happy to be a delivery boy for you.”

  “That’s nice of you, Liam. I certainly appreciate it. I do love some of their wines. I’ll get a list to you,” Grace said, fluttering her lashes at him while she squeezed her hand tightly on Dylan’s thigh.

  “You do that. Dylan, I’ll be in touch. Cait, as always, you run the best pub in all of Ireland.”

  “That I do. Don’t you be forgetting that with those fancy Spaniards, now,” Cait said, smiling at him as she cashed him out.

  “I couldn’t possibly. My heart belongs to your pub, I promise you that.”

  “Safe travels,” Grace called sweetly. She waited until the door closed firmly behind Liam before swiveling to glare at Dylan.

  “What?” Dylan asked, smiling at Grace.

  “Don’t meddle, the man says. Did you hear that, Cait?”

  “I most certainly did hear that, Gracie.”

  “No meddling, he says. Don’t be meddling in people’s relationships, the man admonishes me!” Grace said, digging a finger into Dylan’s waist.

  “Ow!” Dylan laughed, grabbing her finger and bringing her hand to his lips. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “You hired Fi for the Spain project.”

  “I did, at that.”

  “And it appears Liam is also heading to Spain.”

  “So it seems.”

  “Would it be for the same project then, Dylan?”

  “Ah, yes, I’d have to check my records, but I do believe it might be the same project.”

  “You’re a sneaky man, Dylan. It’s what I like about you,” Gracie decided. She turned when Cait bent below the bar, and watched her pull out a large leather-bound book.

  Cait thumped the ledger on the bar and paged it open to a fresh sheet. “Okay, everyone – bets are open.”

  “Oh, I was waiting for this to happen!” Dylan exclaimed, digging in his pocket for his wallet. “It’s my turn now.”

  “You’ve a wicked streak in you, love,” Grace said, and turned to Cait. “I’ll put fifty on three weeks from today.”

  Chapter 23

  Her mother had been unduly chipper about her leaving for this trip, which raised Fi’s suspicions enough that she almost – almost – dipped into Cait’s thoughts. But it had been so long since she’d employed that partic
ular part of herself that the ability felt rusty and unused. Deciding against it, Fi kept her well-honed shields in place and refrained from picking the thoughts from her mum’s brain. But the fact that she’d even considered tapping into her power was odd, and she mulled the thought over as she waited in line for her flight at the airport.

  Dylan had sprung for first class – which said a lot to Fi about the deal they were walking into – and she had two folders full of contracts to review on the flight to Barcelona. It was a welcome break from wedding planning and other personal things, Fi decided as she hitched the strap of her leather tote further up her shoulder and smiled at the flight attendant who took her passport.

  “Enjoy your holiday.” The flight attendant beamed at her.

  “It’s work. But I’m hoping to relax,” Fi said and walked toward the plane, her mind already on the contracts and what she knew of Barcelona. She’d only been twice before, for no more than a week each time, and she’d really enjoyed the city. Hopefully there would be some downtime to explore and maybe get a little shopping in.

  She loved flying, even more so when she had the opportunity to fly first class. Which wasn’t that often, despite the caliber of the companies she worked for and what they paid her. Her mum’s daughter to the core, Fi was more frugal than extravagant and really only spent her money when it was worth it. For example, she’d splurge on a nice leather tote that would last her for years and never go out of style, rather than buying three or four bags in the trendy colors of the season. A saver at heart, Fi had never splurged on first class for a plane ticket herself. She preferred upgrading to a nicer hotel room, or treating herself to a nice piece of art, rather than spending the money for a limited amount of time on a plane. However, when the company offered to cover her airfare, she had no problem indulging in certain luxuries. Smiling her hello at the first-class cabin attendant, Fi slipped into her seat and accepted a mimosa as a welcome drink. Relaxing, she sipped her drink and pulled out the first file folder Dylan had given her to familiarize herself with his merger. It was fascinating, really, to dip into his business and get an idea of the man Grace was marrying.

  At first she hadn’t been certain that a notorious entrepreneur with a reputation across Europe would be a good fit for Grace, but after seeing them together, Fi could appreciate all the ways in which they balanced each other. Where Grace was fiery, Dylan tempered her with his calm and cool. Where Dylan could be ruthless, Grace offered him kindness. Together they were a great pair, and Fi looked forward to see where they would go together as partners.

  “Well, this is a surprise.”

  Fi almost dropped her mimosa in her lap when she looked up to see Liam standing over her. Dressed for business in a grey suit coat and pressed slacks, he looked worlds away from the roughshod sailor who had woken up in her flat a few days ago.

  “Liam! What are you doing here?” Fi asked, and for a moment her heart skipped a beat. Had he chased her down once he’d heard she was leaving?

  “It appears I’m going to Barcelona, as are you. I didn’t know this was your next project,” Liam said, checking his ticket and settling into the seat next to her.

  “I didn’t know you were on another project at all,” Fi said, lifting her chin at him. She waited while the flight attendant asked him his drink choice. Sipping her mimosa, she let the pieces fall into place. They had both worked for Dylan at different points in their careers. It wasn’t coincidence that they were headed to the same project at the same time.

  “Dylan asked me yesterday to fly down and see to a few things. I take it he did the same for you?”

  “Yes, he asked me a few days ago if I’d take over translations for the merger.”

  “Ah,” Liam said, nodding his thanks to the attendant when she placed a beer in front of him. “I suppose I can see what he’s up to.”

  “Meddling,” Fi sniffed.

  “He might be at that, but I’ve never known Dylan to let personal interfere with business. He wouldn’t hire you for the job if he didn’t think you were qualified. Even if he does want me to get laid.”

  Fi choked on the sip she’d just taken, and despite herself, she threw her head back and laughed.

  “Okay, that’s fair enough. You’re right. I am qualified to handle this merger, and I presume you’re qualified to do whatever it is you’re doing on this, so, I suppose… cheers, partner,” Fi said, offering her cup to him.

  “Slainté,” Liam said, touching his cup to hers, before taking a long drink.

  “What can you tell me about the project?” Fi asked, deciding it was best to switch into work mode. It wouldn’t do for her head to go down the road of Liam’s ‘getting laid’ comment. No, that wouldn’t do at all.

  “He’s been wanting to switch to a different shipping company for one of his rental car companies. We export many of our cars from Spain and haven’t been happy with the costs or the environmental practices of the cargo ship. This new company seems to be not only more expedient, but much more environmentally friendly in their practices.”

  “Rental cars? I didn’t know Dylan was in that market.”

  “Electric cars, actually. He’s working on building a better fleet of rental cars for tourists who care more about the environment. It’s been quite profitable, and I think it makes him happy. I’m not too sure about this company we’re merging with – my research into them seems to keep hitting dead ends. Which is another reason I’m going to oversee the merger. If I feel like anything is off, we’ll pull out.”

  “Wow, Dylan trusts you that much?” Fi asked, then winced at the wounded look on Liam’s face.

  “Despite how I may look, I’m a fairly competent business analyst.”

  “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. I know you’re competent. I just meant he must trust you a lot if you have the ability to pull the plug on a…” Fi flipped through her folder, then finished, “Ten-million-euro contract.”

  “Yes. I’ve earned his trust,” Liam said.

  Fi sighed and flipped the folder closed. Reaching out, she squeezed Liam’s arm.

  “Truly, I didn’t mean to be sounding callous with you. I’m just not used to making deals at that level, so I imagined there would be more people involved in making the decision to call off something at that level is all.”

  “My feelings are hurt.” Liam sniffed and looked away.

  Fi smiled, because she knew he was playing at this point. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

  “Have dinner with me.”

  “That sounds like a date,” Fi cautioned.

  “It sounds like two friends lonely in a big city together needing sustenance.”

  “So long as it remains as that,” Fi sighed, and finished off her drink as the attendants went around the plane readying them for take-off.

  “We’ll take it a dinner at a time,” Liam decided.

  Fi rolled her eyes, biting back a laugh as the captain called for takeoff and they prepared to leave the green hills of Ireland behind them.

  Chapter 24

  “I assume Dylan has booked us at the same hotel then?” Fi asked as they walked to the taxi stand at the airport.

  The flight had been relatively uneventful, except for when Fi had tried to pass off their in-flight meal as the dinner she had agreed to have with Liam. Fi laughed when he threatened to force her to be his tour guide for the entire three weeks instead of joining him for a dinner, then quickly acquiesced and kept to their original arrangement.

  “He has me booked at a hotel called the One,” Liam said, sliding a glance her way and then toward the line of taxis waiting outside.

  Fi decided not to comment on the hotel name, though she wondered if there was subliminal messaging there. Not exactly subtle, her friend’s fiancé, was he?

  “Is that really the name?”

  “It actually is. I’ve stayed there before,” Liam said with a laugh, and held the door of the taxi for her.

  Fi smiled and addressed the taxi driver in fluen
t Spanish. “Hola, nos quedaremos en el hotel llamado the One en el centro de la ciudad.”

  Liam glanced at her and smiled.

  “What?” Fi asked.

  “I like hearing you speak Spanish. It’s sexy.”

  “Thanks. Friend,” Fi said, putting extra emphasis on the word. Turning, she looked out the window as the taxi wound its way toward the city center. She liked the architecture of Barcelona, where some streets were cobblestoned, houses and flats clustered on top of each other, and winding alleyways led to delightful little restaurants. It was a city she could wander in, and she hoped to find time to get lost for a while at some point during the trip. It was something she often enjoyed doing when she had a free afternoon. She would wander a city at her whim, turning when she felt like it and seeing where she ended up.

  Liam was likely a wanderer as well, Fi thought as she studied his face. This Liam was a different Liam than the one she knew – the one who checked his watch and the neat little smartphone in his palm, making sure the time synchronized on both. She’d be lying to herself if she said Liam in a business suit was any less handsome than Liam in his dock clothes. Maybe it was just Liam, Fi thought, and turned her head to look out at the city once more. The man was handsome in anything he wore… and even more so without clothes.

  Heat rose to Fi’s face at the thought. Hoping he didn’t notice it, she jumped into a conversation with the taxi driver about the best restaurants surrounding their hotel.

  Satisfied with his answers, Fi smiled as they pulled up to an impressive hotel, all sleek lines and shiny windows. It would be perfect for business, but not something Fi would have chosen on her own. She preferred small in-the-corner type places – the bed-and-breakfasts and locally-owned spots. It was there she would get the best tips for restaurants or outings, because the people who ran them cared about their guests and made extra time for them.

  After going through the check-in routine, they made their way to the elevator tucked across from reception. The foyer was sleek and modern, done up in whites and blues with touches of gold. At least it wasn’t fussy, Fi thought as she stopped to wait for the elevator.