The floor in the main part of the pub had just been polished for a final time. Luke had been advised to avoid dragging the furniture across it and, if possible, not even to walk on it for the next few hours. That meant he was confined to his office for the time being with nothing but his lists for company.
He’d just settled down to make phone calls to the people he’d decided to hire for his waitstaff when someone started banging on the front door. Then he heard a key turn in the lock.
“Wait!” he shouted. “Dad, is that you?” His father was the only one with a key likely to turn up without an invitation. Even Mick and Matthew had agreed to stay away between now and the official opening—on Thursday for the family, on Friday for everyone else. And his sister, though she had access to the keys, was unlikely to barge right in.
“I just stopped by to check on you,” his father responded, as he opened the door.
“Dad, come around to the back,” he pleaded, trying to halt him. “The floor’s just been finished.”
One foot in midair, his father glanced down at the gleaming wood, then stepped back. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You had no way of knowing. I’ll open the back door for you.”
A couple of minutes later, Jeff came in bearing coffee and, if the aroma coming from the bag was telling, some of Sally’s raspberry croissants fresh from the oven.
“What’s this?” Luke asked, diving eagerly into the bag. “Ah, just the treat I needed.”
His father shook his head. “The whole family has an addiction to those things, but I think yours is the worst. Will I get so much as a sniff?”
Luke sighed heavily and held out the bag. “I suppose I can share.”
“And done so graciously, too,” Jeff said, laughing.
“What brings you by, Dad?” Luke asked, unable to hide his wariness.
“I just wanted to check with you and see how things are progressing. The opening’s getting close.”
“Thursday night for the family and the town bigwigs,” Luke confirmed.
“You’re ready for it? You have everything you need?”
“I’ll have my staff hired by the end of the day. Moira’s going to train them. Gram’s working with a cook to make sure the food’s up to her standards. I think she gladly gave up on turning me into a chef. I could see the despair in her eyes every time I tried something and failed to meet her expectations.”
“She is a perfectionist,” Jeff agreed. “But isn’t that what you needed?”
“Absolutely,” Luke said. “She’s been a godsend, as has Moira.”
“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned Moira in just a few minutes. How does she fit in exactly?”
Luke grinned. “She’s declared herself my consultant. Connor’s making it legal. Hopefully, she’ll have her paperwork in place by the opening.”
Jeff looked surprised. “I thought Megan was all set to turn her into a photography star. Is she willing to settle for working here with you?”
“To my astonishment, she doesn’t seem to consider it settling. And there will be time for her to take pictures, if that’s what she wants to do. I won’t stand in her way.”
“And beyond that? Have you made plans?”
Luke shook his head. “The pub’s my focus now. Once it’s proven itself, then I can think about the rest of my life.”
His father frowned at his response. “Moira strikes me as impatient. Is she willing to sit on the sidelines while you think?”
“I’ve really given her no choice,” Luke admitted, well aware by now of just how risky his posture was. “I’m assuming because she decided to stay on that she’s giving me at least a few months to figure out where we go from here.”
Jeff regarded him with amusement. “You sound very analytical, not at all like the impetuous son I recall who plunged headfirst into a relationship with Kristen Lewis in a gesture meant to save his sister’s marriage.”
Luke shrugged. “What can I say? I’m growing up. There are some, including you, who think I haven’t done that fast enough.”
His father gestured toward the front. “I can have no complaints about that now, can I? I’m proud of you for having the vision to create a place like this.”
“Seriously? All you’ve done since I first mentioned it is tell me the drawbacks.”
Jeff gave him a chagrined look. “Yes, your mother pointed out to me that I have a bad habit of focusing on the negative. I only meant to give you things to consider, not to imply that I thought you weren’t capable of figuring out whatever needed to be done. In fact, I think it’s going to be a roaring success. I imagine I’ll find myself here most nights for a pint of ale at the end of the day.”
“Just to do your part to make it a success?” Luke asked with a frown. He could imagine all the O’Briens assigning each other time slots to ensure that there were customers in the place and money flowing in.
“Absolutely not,” his father said. “I’ll be here because it will remind me of Ireland, because I can expect friends and family to be stopping in and because I’ll get a taste of Ma’s food on a few days other than Sunday. Jo will be here because it will keep her out of the kitchen.”
Luke relaxed at the response. “I hope everyone views it that way,” he said. “Not just the O’Briens.”
“Oh, I think you can count on it. And the Irish music you’re planning will be a huge draw for the community and the surrounding area. If St. Patrick’s Day is any indication, the world is populated with people who are either Irish or wish they were. They’ll be your regular customers.”
Luke smiled at
