Page 76 of Tee’d Up For Trouble

I’d spent hours on the phone with Brad, working to mobilize his social media team for our “small village versus corporate greed” campaign. Brad thought I’d lost my mind at first, but when I told him how much this mattered to Dee—to us—he got on board. By the time we were done, Ballybeg would be a headline in every golf magazine and Irish news outlet from Dublin to Donegal.

I was going to do interviews and discuss my personal life, including Dee and Ballybeg. If there was a reason for me to put my life under a media microscope, this was the best one.

Then there were the financials. I’d crunched the numbers, consulted lawyers, and set things in motion—strategically buying up land to make life difficult for the developers. To keep it under the radar, I was using a shell company instead of my own name, but I knew it wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Big Gil would be calling soon—I was sure of it. I knew because my father already had, and that conversation hadn’t gone well.

“I hear you’re doing this because of a woman,” he thundered.

“Yeah, Dad, it’s your future daughter-in-law.” I knew that would needle him right where it hurts, and it did.

“A fucking pub owner? Are you out of your mind?”

“No, Dad, I’m in love.”

“Same difference,” Dad had growled. “Now look, everyone likes a little strange, and you’re?—”

“We’re not gonna discuss my sex life.” I kept my tone light, but I was gritting my teeth.

“First, you give up your family legacy, and now?—”

“Dad, you need to pull out of Big Gil’s Irish deal,” I put enough steel in my voice so he’d know I was serious.

“Not happenin’, son.”

“In that case, when the media calls you a money-hungry arsehole who’s screwing his son’s fiancée’s village, don’t come complaining to me about it.”

“Why would the media call me anything?” he asked cautiously.

“Because in about a half hour, I have a Zoom interview with Scott Van Pelt, and I’m going to tell him all about how wonderful Ballybeg is, how Big Gil and the guys in Cork are a bunch of gobshites.”

My father knew Scott Van Pelt; in fact, half the sports fans in the world did. Scott was a prominent ESPN host known for his conversational and engaging style on SportsCenter. He was the first media personality Brad had called, and Scott was excited to talk to me when he saw what I was trying to do.

“Jax, you’re going to ruin your life.”

“Dad, that’s what you said when I said I wanted to play golf, and now I’ve two PGA championships.” I looked at my watch. “Now, think about what I said, and I’ll talk to you later.”

My interview with Scott would air in a couple of days, kicking off the social media assault. Meanwhile, I’d spoken to my finance guy, and we were ready to start covering property taxes for the villagers who wanted to stay put. Paddy and Mickey were hard at work convincing those willing to sell to choose me over Shamrock Global Ventures. It was an expensive endeavor, no doubt, but I didn’t mind—not one bit—because for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had a real purpose.

Sure, convincing Dee to let me help had been harder than any PGA tournament I’d ever played, but every argument, every exasperated sigh, and every time she glared at me with those emerald-green eyes made me love her more.

When I told her how I’d talked to everyone in Ballybeg and around, she’d been skeptical.

“What does everyone mean?”

“Everyone. Paddy, Mickey, the lads down at the council office—hell, I even chatted up the guy who delivers flour for Cadhla’s Bakery. I’ve been pulling every string I can find.”

“What is it you’re looking for?”

“Any information I can get about Big Gil’s venture and Cillian O’Farrell.”

She arched an eyebrow at me. “You’re telling me my future depends on Ballybeg gossip?”

I grinned. “Darlin’, in a village like this, gossip might just save the day.”

“You think we’re going to save the day?” She sounded scared, and I didn’t like that at all. I wanted her to feel confident, but it was hard to do when I knew that this was a freaking Hail Mary.

“When the social media posts, interviews, and videos about how Ballybeg’s heritage is at risk hit the airwaves, it’s going to put pressure on all right people. People love a good David versus Goliath story, and that’s exactly what this is.”

“And you’re the David in this scenario?”

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