Chapter Nineteen

Grace

I woke up the next morning with a killer headache from a bottle of wine and a whole lot of crying.

Why the hell was I crying?

I wasn’t the type of girl who sobbed over a man. A man who I said I was never going to marry when he needed a wife.

Blast.

I told him that I was never going to get married, yet that didn’t stop him. He wasn’t pushing me. He spent time with Jane and me, making me forget all about why I was opposed to marriage in the first place.

But when I finally mustered up the courage to go after Jack and tell him that I didn’t want to lose him, that I may have been against marriage but for him… That’s when it all blew up.

Blast.

I saw Lacey at his car window, her hand on his. All resolve left me and I tried not to cry right there.

I guess I didn’t have to worry about Jack moving on and the company being fine without me.

The thought of that panged my already aching chest and head. Would I have to go to every family function and see them so happy together?

Now I was in the present, trying not to worry about the future. But I kept thinking about what could have been. If I didn’t bring up the London job in front of Lacey. Then Grandmum wouldn’t have said anything.

The buzzing of my phone didn’t help my headache, it took everything in my power to move and grab it.

I figured it was probably Sarah or maybe even Carolyn calling about the new position. I didn’t know my fate at Murphy’s Pub, and there was no way in hell I was going to try a small press on my own. There was no other choice but to take Carolyn’s offer and to get the hell out of Dublin.

I managed to clear my throat before answering the phone, not even looking at the screen to see who the caller was. “Hello?”

“Gracie, love, I’m sorry did I wake you?” Mum’s almost-too-cheery-voice carried through the speaker.

I shook my head, slowly sitting up. Was she seriously asking that right now? After yesterday? “No, no. I’ve been up, just doing some yoga.”

I stared at Janey’s bed and the yoga mat she’d been using as a pillow for a few months.

“Gracie, I know that sleepy voice and that you’re still in bed. Granddad wanted me to call to invite you and Jack for dinner and a round of golf tonight. He assumes that Jack golfs, at least.”

I sighed, remembering that he did used to golf when we were in school. With Lacey. The girl he was obviously going to go back to.

“We didn’t make up yesterday. He left and I’m pretty sure Lacey left with him,” I said, straightening my shoulders.

I didn’t wait to see if she did.

“Oh,” Mum said, leaving the air thick between us.

“I did really like him,” I said. “This wasn’t just about trying to convince him to fall for me or chase after me. He’ll probably never speak to me again after the fiasco with Grandmum. Why would you ever say something like that? You know how she is.” I sighed.

“I never thought—this isn’t my fault,” Mum said through her teeth.

“I don’t even know if it’s worth it. He obviously doesn’t care about me. And I really was offered a position as an editorial director back in London. A dream job. So, there is that,” I blurted quickly.

“I guess some congratulations are in order,” she replied, but there was nothing happy in her voice.

I groaned. “Out with it, Mum. I know that tone, and I know the disappointment. I know you wanted this grand ordeal so Granddad could get the company or get me to marry Jack so I could have us all set. Well, none of that happened. I want to be upset with you and Grandmum. But this is on me for not being completely honest in the beginning. I should have told him everything. Not just that I wasn’t sure about marriage, but about what you knew.”

Mom’s voice softened. “Gracie, if I would have known Grandmum would have said all of that, Granddad and I would have never said a word to her. Though, we should have known better.”

“Too late now,” I muttered.

She sighed. “You know, Lacey confided in me that she broke it off with Jack in uni because he was always so focused on work. She wanted to go back to London and he always had his sights set on running the company.”

I had a hard time believing that Lacey would confide in anyone. “Really?”

Mum laughed. “Well, this was after a few glasses of wine one night, but yes, she did admit that. But what she would never admit was that Jack never looked at her the way he looks at you. The man never made time to meet her family or stop in for tea or whiskey with Grandfather.”

“Why are you telling me all of this, Mum?” I asked, wanting her to just get to the point.

“I want you to be happy. Maybe going back to London and taking that job will do that for you. Or maybe, you’ll take the job that Grandfather tells me about in purchasing at Murphy’s Pub and see where things go with Jack.”

“I should get ready. I’ll call you later,” I said quickly, the tension rising in my temples.

“Okay, let me know if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you, bye.”

I sighed and finally got up, walking the few steps to the living room where Jane Pawsten was happily chewing on something near the couch.

“You’re not eating another blanket are you girl?” I groaned, crouching down and petting behind her ears.

She happily rolled over for me to scratch her belly, dropping the now half-chewed tie of Jack’s. I held up the blue material and found myself half smiling, half in tears, which caused a head tilt from Jane.

I didn’t know when he left it at my place, but I remembered how I thought it brought out the blue in his eyes. How much I loved staring at them. The ones that were probably now gazing lovingly at my cousin instead of me.

“Do we go back to London or do we stay here and take a chance?” I whispered.

She didn’t say anything and nuzzled into my lap.

I didn’t expect a dog to have the answers. But having her there to comfort me was more than I could have asked for.

Then my phone rang, causing Janey to stir in my lap. Fallon’s number flashed across the screen.

Shite, was this them sending the cavalry after me?

Quickly I cleared my throat and answered, “Hello?”

“Grace, how are you?”

“Um. I’m grand, you?” I asked tentatively.

“Well, my lovely husband likes to inform me of things at the last minute sometimes, and I found out we have a trip to another Murphy’s next week in Boston. I need to do some shopping for the trip and thought maybe you’d want to come with. Connor insisted on a personal shopper, but I’d rather just have another girl go with me. I’m not being too forward, am I?”

Usually, I loved listening to Fallon’s incessant rambling, but today it just made the pain tighter in my chest.

“I’d love to, Fal. But I’m not feeling too well. I think it’s the flu.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. Do you need me to bring anything? I don’t know if they have Tamiflu at the drugstores here, but I can find something.”

“No. No. Wouldn’t want you getting sick either. I’ll just make some tea and stay in bed.”

She sighed. “Okay, well maybe when you feel better we can do something. Hopefully, you’ll be good for work tomorrow. I think Aileen would cry if I made her sit at your desk.”

“Yeah…hopefully I am…” I muttered.

I had one day to decide if I was going to stay at Murphy’s or go back to London.

And hopefully I made the right choice.