Duncan stood out the most for Kayla. He wasn’t only beautifully strong, he also had a darkness, a ruggedness, even though she could often see his playfulness shining through. The way he’d teased her but, at the same time, cherished her was heartwarming. He was a contradiction, and she figured it wouldn’t get boring and predictable as it had been with her ex Cole all those years ago.
“You must be the girl who has my son’s panties all up in a twist.” She turned toward the chuckling voice and instantly recognized the man as Duncan’s father. Sean had black hair with a touch of gray at his temples. He was a beautiful older version of Donovan with his wavy hair and gray eyes.
Kayla knew a heartbreaker when she saw one, and Sean must have broken quite a few in his time, and perhaps even now. She turned in her chair and tried to shake Sean’s hand, but he ignored her outstretched hand and went for a hug instead.
He pulled her up and into his arms and spoke softly in her ear. “Good to meet you, Kayla. I’m so happy for Dunc. I hope you two make each other very happy. Give this old man a few grandchildren to run after, and I’ll be the happiest of us all.”
She sniggered and pulled back to see Sean’s twinkling eyes. If this was how Duncan would look in thirty years, she wouldn’t be disappointed. Not at all.
“Leave my girl alone, old man.”
They both turned when Pops joined their table again with a white wine for Kayla and a whiskey for himself. As they all sat down, Kayla looked around the pub and spotted Duncan standing at the bar talking to the pretty brunette waitress. She was cackling with her head thrown back, and he sat there smiling at her. She felt a pang of jealousy, and she didn’t know what to do with the feeling. She’d never had the need to feel jealous of her partner.
“Tell me about yourself, Kayla. You work for my other boy Donovan?”
She returned her focus to Sean and smiled at his question. “I do indeed. He’s quite the character, and they are a bit rowdy, but I love working there. I grew up with three older brothers and two younger sisters, so I feel right at home in their man cave they call an office.”
Pops and Sean chuckled, and she could see Sean’s appraising eyes travel over her face. “What’s your last name, dear?” Sean asked.
Before she could answer, Pops interrupted. “Son, told ye already, boyo found himself a good Irishwoman. He set the standard damn high for the rest of yer heathens, I tell ye.” He patted the back of her hand and looked at Kayla. “Tell you what, the moment yer two sisters come into town, ye must send them straight to Lucky. No detour, nothin’. The rest of these lads all need a good Irishwoman, so they’ll have their pickin’.”
Kayla smiled and looked over at Sean, who smirked as he shook his head.
“Aye, I think that’s the best idea ever. Two more Kaylas is precisely what we need, ye hear?”
Sean and Kayla shared a smile, and Pops looked at them as if they were the crazy ones.
Seeing Kayla sittingthere laughingand joking with Pops and his dad made Duncan’s heart sing and dance the nonexistent “Kayla Song.” She was so beautiful in her tight black skirt and baby blue shirt that stretched across her breasts. She must have gone straight from work to the dojo. They hadn’t had the chance to speak to each other since they’d arrived here.
Some douche tried to take up all of his time, rambling on about Ronan’s upcoming fight. Duncan glanced back at Kayla and noticed that she seemed enthralled at what must have been an old story about Duncan from his dad. Sean loved to tell childhood stories about his sons. Duncan shook his head, smiling.
Pops noticed Duncan watching and gave a nod, as if to say that he wanted him to come over to the table. Duncan gave Pops a chin lift in acknowledgment, but he turned around to Brennan behind the bar.
“Yo, Bren, hit me up with another beer?”
Brennan looked annoyed at Duncan from his side of the bar. “You can have a beer if you take it back with you to Pops’s table, you hear?”