Page 65 of The Past

Rory gave a dry, humorless chuckle.“Never goin’ to happen.And I suggest ye don’t push me on this.Ye let yer daughter go, now ye need to leave her alone.”

Seamus stepped forward, lowering his voice to a dangerous level.“And if I don’t?”

Rory’s expression turned to stone.“Then we’ll split this farm right in half and go our separate ways.But I’m thinking for a man who was seeking to double his holdings by making his daughter wed Brian Kavanagh, splitting Glenhaven would be a significant blow to yer greedy nature.”

Oh, damn.That was ice cold, and I wanted to jump up, give Rory a high five and tell Seamus to go shove it.

But I needed to be more mature than that.

Seamus blinked.“Ye wouldn’t.”

“Don’t test me,” Rory said, voice like iron.“I’ll watch Glenhaven burn before ye hurt Fiona anymore.That’s my solemn vow to ye.”

I had definitely grown to respect and admire Rory, but I honestly didn’t know that I could love him anymore than in this minute.He chose his family over business… the exact opposite of his brother, and it made me sad that Fiona couldn’t have had that type of love and loyalty from the day she was born.

Silence crashed over us.

Seamus’s face darkened.“Ye’d lose out too if ye did that.”

“I would,” Rory shot back.“But I’m sick of yer arrogance, Seamus.Sick of watchin’ ye care more about yer money, yer damn legacy, than yer own daughter.”He shook his head, the quiet disappointment obvious.“Ye lost her.And if ye keep on this way, ye’ll lose everyone else too.”

Seamus’s eyes burned like the depths of hell and I think if he could kill his brother in this moment, he would.With fists clenched, he turned on his heel, stormed back to his car, and tore out of there without a backward glance.

I exhaled, watching the dust settle in his wake.

Rory rubbed a hand over his jaw.“Bloody hell,” he muttered.

I glanced at him.“Will he go after Fiona?”

Rory was quiet for a long moment.Then finally, he shook his head.“No.He loves this farm too much to let me split it apart.He’ll back off for now.”He turned to me.“So, what’s yer plan, then?”

I met his gaze.“I meant what I said.I want her to come back to Kentucky with me.”

“Aye… ye said that.But ye didn’t tell me what I really needed to hear.”

I knew what he was saying and there was no shame in him forcing me to admit something that I’d frankly shout from the rooftops.I looked him dead in the eye.“I love her, Rory.She’s mine to protect now.”

Rory studied me for a long moment.Then slowly, he nodded.“Then ye have my blessing.”

No one had ever given me anything in my life that was more important than those words.I wasn’t going to waste that gift, and I wasn’t going to let him down either.

Fiona was mine and it was time to make that official.

CHAPTER 22

Fiona

The pub waslively, filled with laughter and the clinking of pint glasses, but then again… that was all Irish pubs.Tommy and I were at a small corner table in the back and the musicians were on a break.Despite everything happening in my life, I could honestly say that tonight I was light of heart.

Tommy took me to a matinee—a very funny film calledSmokey and the Bandit—and then to this pub for an early meal.I’d been able to put my woes and troubles out of my mind and just be a young girl whose heart had been stolen by a handsome American.After everything, the idea of slipping away with him for a few hours was a balm to my soul.

But as we settled into our seats, I could tell something was off.Tommy was nervous and I didn’t notice it before because we were watching a movie.He held my hand the entire time, but we didn’t talk and the theater was dark.

Now, however, he was fidgeting, his fingers tapping on the wooden table, his leg bouncing slightly under it without any music to drive the motion.His usual easy smile was there, but it had an edge to it, like he was working up to something.

I tilted my head, studying him.“Are ye all right, Tommy?”

He rubbed the back of his neck.“Yeah.Just… got a lot on my mind.”

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