Cathal reached forward, a glass of whiskey in his hand, and snagged the phone.
“You don't know the passcode,” Brogan muttered. A second later, Cathal held up the phone, open to Selena's text. “Remind me to change it.”
Cathal smiled as his finger swiped across the screen of Brogan's phone. “You need a lesson on how to text a woman.”
“She's an employee.”
“Who is upset, obviously. Go over there. Comfort her.”
Rian sipped his Guinness. “You like her. Anyone that'sseen the two of you together lately knows that. You're trying to hide it, I know, but you're doing a pretty crappy job of it.”
Brogan reached for his beer. Her earlier text had pushed him into having one for a change. “Fine. I'll admit it. I do like her.”
“No shit,” Cathal murmured.
“Spending each morning with her has solidified that I like her more than just the fact she's a pretty face. But it doesn't matter. I'mnotcrossing that line.” His voice rose as if he needed his own conviction coming from his lips to actually control his body. Because it seemed like no matter what he told himself, it all disappeared the minute she came close to him. The way she straightened his tie. He had no idea if his tie was ever crooked and he didn't give a damn.
She wasn't trying to seduce him. He'd had that before with Crissy. Either Selena was a very talented actress, or she was just as nervous about crossing that line as he was. For his own sanity, he'd take that version for the time being.
“Alright. We get it. You're a saint.”
“I'm not a saint.” He hadn't had a saintly thought about Selena in several months.
“You have a lovely woman with golden eyes issue you a freaking invitation to make a move every single day, and you can walk away. She was two inches from being in your arms yesterday. Had her handsonyou.”
Cathal held up his drink. “That, dear brother, makes you a saint. We'll hold your canonization later. Back to the main business at hand. The loan. The bank agreed with certain stipulations. They want all three of our personal guarantees.”
No doubt he'd give his guarantee. He'd do anything for the restaurant.
Rian wasn't as quick to answer. “I don't know. Can we find another bank and run it past them?”
Cathal tilted his head forward. “Damn it, man. Just put in or get out of the business.”
Brogan laughed. “That's easy for you to say. Between the three of us, Rian's name is more important. No one cares about the man in the back that does the paperwork or you, whatever the hell it is you do most of the time, but they know Rian O'Keeley. If we don’t make this work and him to be financially linked to a failing business—”
“He's right.” Rian chuckled. “For once in that pretty head of his. I should go in without any reservations. I'll do it. Because I believe in us. In this restaurant.”
Cathal nodded. “Hell, yeah.”
“Then I'm in, too,” Brogan said. “Not sure that any bank would want you once you give them your financial statement. You have more in student loan debt than assets.”
Cathal shrugged. “Georgetown was expensive.”
“Your lifestyle was expensive,” Brogan shot back. “If we're all in, then there's only one more thing to do.” He held out his bottle of beer, the other two men toasting with him. “Here's to O'Keeley's.”
They all drank and set their empties on the coffee table. Rian leaned back, his long, lanky frame taking up a lot of space. “Glad that boring part is over. When are you going to make a move on Selena?”
“I'm not,” Brogan snapped back. “Both of you, just drop it.” The constant reminders didn't help the situation.
“No.” Cathal leaned forward. “You've never found a woman like this. You look different when you're with her.”
“Maybe it's just lust?”
Both his brothers looked at each other before Rian rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Lust, eh? No. You look fartoo unhappy for it to be just lust.” He paused, always for effect. “You like her—really like the woman behind all that hair.”
“And eyes. Those eyes get me,” Cathal added.
Brogan growled. He felt it. Heard it. Didn't care that both his brothers smiled wider.