at the sum she’d left to him along with the land.
It had given Brogan some freedom to decide what his next steps in life were. His last project for a coastal waterways project had ended recently. He had a pile of inquiries for other environmental assessment projects, but had decided to put himself on a self-imposed sabbatical instead of automatically taking the next job that came his way. Now, he’d finally decided to visit the land his gran had left to him.
Thus far, he’d learned two things from his self-imposed break from work.
One was that he wanted to do better in the world.
And the second, and more surprising one, was that he wanted to have a family. It had hit him like a lightning bolt one day. The thought still shocked him, because he couldn’t remember ever seriously wanting a family before.
It had been a sunny day in Kinsale, and Brogan was lingering over a pint at a picnic table tucked outside a local pub. A young couple, surely a few years younger than him, had sat at another table with their rosy-cheeked child, who was still finding his feet. Brogan had been amused at the way the child had toddled to his parents and fallen on his bum before he reached them. The mother had picked the baby up and cuddled him close, while the man had wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
I want that.
The thought had stopped him in his tracks. Perhaps it was because, growing up, he’d never had that easy affection in his own family. His mother had been more likely to swat his bum than to cuddle him if he’d had a bad dream. Brogan’s childhood home had always been filled with tension, and his days had felt like he was constantly navigating a field chock full of landmines. From an early age, he’d convinced himself he’d never wanted a family, and instead, had thrown himself into his studies.
Why was he thinking about this now? Brogan dressed and crossed to the little kitchenette in his gran’s cottage. Initially, he had thought to stay in the village of Grace’s Cove, but there was something about being out in the middle of nowhere, where the only other lights he could see were the stars, that deeply appealed to the hermit in him right now. Opening the little cool box, he studied its contents before deciding that tonight he would take Liam up on the offer of a beer. Not that he was going to call him and ask him – oh no, that sounded too much like a date. Instead, he’d just pop down to the pub and see if Liam was around. If not, he’d get a bite to eat and wander on home.
With that decided, Brogan shoved thoughts of wanting a family – and of his kiss with Kira – out of his head. It wouldn’t do to mull over things that weren’t likely to happen. He needed to spend more time figuring out what he wanted to do with his life and less time thinking about a witchy-eyed woman with a riot of curls he wanted to dive his hands into.
Gallagher’s Pub was lit up cheerfully with two lanterns beside the entrance and light glowing through the windows. Brogan had passed it several times, but this would be his first time stepping through the doors. Taking a deep breath and pushing his shoulders back, as he always did before entering a crowded space, Brogan pushed the door open and automatically scanned the room.
To his left, a long wooden bar, polished to a gleaming shine in the overhead lights, stretched the length of one wall. Glass shelves lined a mirrored wall above the bar, and a pint-sized woman bustled about behind the bar hollering orders. To his right, booths ran along both walls, and tables had been pushed aside for an impromptu dance session. Two young girls bounced to a jaunty Irish tune, played by a handful of musicians who had shoehorned themselves into a corner booth.
Brogan could see why this space was the heart of the town, for young and old alike to share. With a smile, he turned to make his way to the bar.
“Brogan! There’s a lad. Come join us.”
Brogan turned to see Liam at a table with another man. He crossed to them and took the seat that Liam had pulled out.
“Brogan, this is my best mate and worst boss, Dylan.”
“He’s lying.” Dylan flashed a smile at Brogan.
“About the best mate