Page 64 of Tee’d Up For Trouble

It had been awholeweek since Jax left, and he said he’d be back soon but didn’t have a firm date because now that he was back in civilization, his manager, or was it his agent…well, that guy called Brad had set up more meetings than he was happy about. I was certain he didn’t miss me the way I did him. He had meetings and parties and all kinds of fun things happening in his life. I had the everyday pleasures of Ballybeg and The Banshee’s Rest.

So, when Cillian darkened the pub’s doorway, it was just as I’d gotten a message from Jax saying he wouldn’t be able to make it back next week as planned, so I was just not in the mood to deal with my ex.

Jax promised to try and hurry things up, and he sounded just as upset about it as I felt. At night, he’d call, and we’d talk for a while until I fell asleep, pretending he was beside me. He admitted he did the same.

“I thought I told you to take your business elsewhere, Cillian,” I told him.

Liam Murphy, who was all but asleep on the counter, raised his head. He was starting to look poorly—I knew his time was getting close. The thought made my heart heavy.

“O’Farrell, you’re not welcome here, you know that, lad, so why do you keep bringing your stinky arse over?” Liam Murphy wanted to know. He may be dying, but he still had a spark in him when it came to defending me.

Cillian ignored Liam and came up to the bar and gave me a smug smile. How on earth had I ever found this man attractive, I couldn’t recollect. It was obvious that he wasn’t here for a drink, and he wasn’t here for small talk. Cillian never showed up without a reason, and that reason was rarely good.

“Dee,” he drawled, his tone oozing fake politeness as he took a seat.

I continued to wipe the counter, ignoring the arsehole.

“Dee,” he called out again.

I sighed and threw the rag on the counter with some force. “What do you want, Cillian?”

He held up his hands, feigning innocence. “Can’t a man stop by for a chat?”

“Not if that man is you.” I nodded to Seamus, who’d just come into the pub.

“What’s this arsehole doin’ here?” Seamus growled.

“You’re not popular around Ballybeg, Cillian, so why don’t you say what you have to and get out,” I suggested.

Seamus took a seat next to Liam and glowered at Cillian, who didn’t seem to care one bit that everyone wanted to kick his arse.

He smirked. “Alright, then. Straight to the point. I thought you’d like to know who your fancy Yank has been rubbing elbows with.”

“Mind your own business,” I muttered but my heart did skip a beat.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started swiping through it, the smirk never leaving his face. He was obviously trying to stir up trouble. “Oh, just a few photos that might interest you. Here we go.”

He turned the screen toward me, and my stomach dropped.

The photo showed Jax standing next to a tall, balding man in a suit. They were smiling, drinks in hand, and the caption read:Big things in the works! Great meeting with @jaxcaldwell and the Shamrock Global Ventures.

I swallowed. Shamrock Global Ventures was trying to buy Ballybeg.

“And?” I asked almost lazily, though it wasn’t easy to pretend not to care.

“Social media is full of what he’s been up to.” Cillian casually scrolled to another photo. “This one’s my favorite. Look at them all chummy, like they’ve been best mates for years.”

The next picture was worse. Jax was shaking hands with the same man, another caption reading:Exciting opportunities ahead! Shamrock Global Ventures project outside of Cork is coming together nicely.

I stared at the screen, my chest tightening. “Whatever.”

Liam and Seamus leaned over, and Cillian made sure they got an eyeful.

“You know how these things work, Dee. Big money doesn’t just stroll into a tiny village like Ballybeg without a little inside help. And who better to smooth things over with the locals than a charming PGA champion with a pretty smile.”

I refused to believe that Jax was in any way involved with destroying Ballybeg. I…couldn’t believe that the man I’d fallen in love with could be so callous. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my pulse pounding in my ears. “You done here?”

Cillian raised an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me?”

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