Page 55 of Tee’d Up For Trouble

“What else does he have that’s big?” Paddy yelled from the other end of the bar.

Jax raised his pint. “A big co?—”

“Don’t you dare say that out loud in my place of business, Jax Caldwell,” I warned dramatically, my hands on hips.

“Co…ld.” He did put on a show of fake coughing.

Everyone laughed.

“You having fun yet, Yank?” I asked.

“Yeah, baby, I’m havin’ the time of my life.” He flashed me that easy, disarming grin, his dimples going in deep. My stomach flipped with sheer lust.

“You’ve been on your phone and computer a lot.” I leaned my elbows on the bar. Now that the village knew we were together—and, yes, having sex—I didn’t feel the need to hide it or pretend otherwise. I was a straightforward lass, and this was what it was: a fling. Something fun while Jax was here.

For how long, though? He’d be leaving soon, I reckoned. From the bits and pieces I’d overheard when he was on the phone with someone named Brad—who I guessed was his agent or manager—it was clear he had other responsibilities piling up, ones that couldn’t be ignored.

He didn’t miss a thing because he tilted his head. “I have a few things in the air.”

“Things that need you to leave Ballybeg, I assume.” My heart thundered, and I felt a pain in the deep recesses of it and knew when Jax left, it would hurt…a lot.

“Yes,” he admitted. “There’s a meeting in London with some sponsors. I have a thing I need to do in Dublin.”

I nodded, keeping my face neutral. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on.”

“Dee, darlin’, ask me what you want to ask.”

“I’m just making conversation.” I straightened and was about to walk away when he grabbed my hand from across the counter.

“I told you when I leave, I’ll come back.”

He looked at me then, his eyes searching mine like he was trying to gauge my reaction. And I could’ve told him I’d be fine when he didn’t come back because I knew he wouldn’t. Why should he? But that would have been a lie. So, instead, I smiled softly. “It’s okay, Jax. Ballybeg isn’t the center of the universe. You’ve got a life to get back to.”

“Dee—”

“No, really,” I interrupted gently. “I mean it. I’ll miss you when you go. But I’ll be alright.”

It felt like someone had wedged a stone in my chest, but I wasn’t going to cry. Or beg. That wasn’t who I was. I’d spent too much of my life learning how to let people go. Jax Caldwell wasn’t going to be any different.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but then the music shifted, and the sound of Mickey’s bagpipes gave way to a lively reel from Noreen’s fiddle. Someone shouted for acéilí, and before I knew it, half the room was pushing tables and chairs aside to make space for the dancing.

“Dance with me, Dee, and when I have you locked in my arms, I hope you’ll do me the honor of actually listening to me and not to whatever you got going in your head.”

He wasn’t angry, not overtly, but I could feel the steel in his tone.

“Look—”

“I’m looking, babe, and I don’t like what I’m seeing. So, why don’t you get your tight ass from behind the bar and give me the feckin’ time of day, yeah?”

I couldn’t help but grin. He was now saying feckin’ instead of fuckin’. It was cute.

I came around and put my hand in his. “I was going to spare you.”

“From what?” he demanded, yanking me to him.

“Me crying into my pint. Now, come on, you wanted to?—”

He slammed his mouth on mine and shut me the hell up. He kissed me like there was no tomorrow. I didn’t care that the entire village of Ballybeg was watching us; I kissed him back and held him tight. Whatever time we had, I would enjoy it. Sure, I was afraid of getting hurt, but now that I knew it would happen and soon, I could be prepared for it.

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