“I want to believe that,” she admitted. “I really do, but we’re in such different places, Luke, and I’m not speaking geographically. You figured out your dream in Ireland. You put all the ideas down on paper. You did your homework. And now it’s all about to come true. In a few weeks, you’ll have a gigantic success on your hands. You’ll be at the start of your life’s work. And where will I be?”
“You have your photography,” he reminded her.
“But it’s at a different stage. I have no idea if I’m really capable of achieving any sort of success with it. A couple of jobs have given me a small taste of success, but that’s not proof of anything. When it comes down to a real competition for a job, I could fall flat on my face.”
“Has anyone who’s seen it suggested such a thing?”
“No, but it’s only friends and the McDonough’s customers who’ve seen it, really. They’re inclined to be kind.”
“Is being a photographer something you really want, Moira? Is it something you believe you were meant to do?”
She shrugged, clearly uncertain. “For too many years I never allowed myself to dream of anything. I was like your cousin Jess—not good in school, not happy with anything I tried. I took pictures for my own amusement. I never considered that it could be something more, because it never occurred to me that I could be a success at anything. Mum disapproved of everything I did and Grandfather has only recently been in my life. I just saw disappointment when I looked into his eyes and frustration and weariness when I looked into my mum’s.”
“I can’t speak for Kiera, but that’s certainly not what I see when Dillon talks about you,” Luke assured her. “He couldn’t be more pleased about what you seem destined to accomplish. He’s done nothing but brag about the pictures on the walls at McDonough’s.”
“But that’s the thing. I haven’t accomplished anything. I’ve only an inkling that’s yet to be tested.” She faced him. “I’m half terrified to admit that I really want it.”
“Then you’ll test it,” he said. “And then decide.”
She frowned at his words. “Is it so easy, then, for you to think of letting me go?”
He smiled at her evident frustration. “When I fell for you in Dublin all those months ago, easy was never part of it. I want you to find your path, Moira. And when you’ve done that, I’ll be right here, ready to make it work for both of us. If need be, we’ll pile up the frequent flier miles going back and forth between here and Dublin or wherever your work takes you.”
He thought his words would ease her mind, but instead, her frown only deepened. “And if we can’t handle the distance or find a proper compromise?”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be, was it?” He touched her cheek, felt her skin heat, felt the surprising dampness as a tear spilled over. “What’s this?”
“Sorry. You’re being understanding and supportive again, and I’m being a pain.”
“You’re not being a pain. We’re in the same place more than you realize, Moira. We both have a lot of things about our lives to figure out. It won’t be done tonight or even tomorrow. We’ll do it one day at a time.”
“I’ve not much patience,” she admitted.
He laughed. “I’ve noticed.”
She sighed and settled against his chest again. For now, for this moment at least, they were in complete harmony. Maybe that was enough.
Mindful of his brother’s criticism the day before, Luke was at the pub early, prepared to handle any crisis that crept up. Finding Matthew there ahead of him, looking glum, hadn’t been the one he’d expected.
“I’m surprised to see you here at this hour,” Luke said carefully. “I’d have brought an extra cup of coffee if I’d known you were hanging around.”
“That’s okay. I’m on my third cup as it is. Sally offered to just give me the pot the last time I went in.”
Luke regarded him with concern. “Is there a problem I don’t know about?”
“With the pub? No. Everything’s on schedule. Mick’s got it handled.”
“Okay, then,” Luke said, at a loss as to why Matthew was here when he had a perfectly good office of his own across town. Then it dawned on him. This was about Laila. Matthew had hinted at it yesterday, but Mick’s presence had obviously kept him silent. Apparently, he was back looking for moral support of some kind.
Now there was a minefield Luke would prefer to avoid, but why else would his brother be hanging around looking as if he’d just lost his best friend?
“Anything you want to talk about?” he inquired, treading tentatively into the danger zone.
Matthew shook his head, then contradicted the gesture by blurting out, “Laila’s pregnant!”
“That’s fantastic!” Luke said at once, then noted the lack of enthusiasm in Matthew’s eyes. “It is great news, isn’t it?”
“I thought so,” his brother admitted, sounding weary and confused. “The timing makes sense. She’s older, so it wouldn’t be smart to wait around. She’s doing accounting work for the inn and only a few other clients now, so it’s not exactly the career she was dreaming of. I thought she’d be thrilled.”
“But she isn’t,” Luke concluded.
“To be honest, she’s furious, as if I did this all by myself to totally ruin her life.”
“Okay, I’m taking a stab in the dark here, but you two hadn’t planned on this? You hadn’t discussed it?”
“Only in the most general way, as something we both wanted down the road a bit.” He shrugged. “Best-laid plans and all that.”
“But you’re happy about it?” Luke persisted.
“Ecstatic,” Matthew said, his eyes lighting up for the first time. “I can’t wait to be a dad, and Laila is going to be the most amazing
