Bittersweet (22 page)

“’Tis okay, me lovely Jenna.” He winked again. “Or should I say somebody else’s lovely Jenna? If anythin’, I’m still glad to meet ye. Who doesn’t love havin’ a beautiful woman on their arm even only for a short time?”

“Thank you.” She blew out the breath she’d been holding, and a weight lifted off her shoulders. She’d been reluctant to accept this date because she didn’t want to lead him on, but now she was glad for it. Callum was incredible, and she’d love to keep in touch with him even after she went home.
He’d be so good for Sam, actually
, she thought and smiled at the thought of the possibilities for her best friend currently back at the hotel.

“What’dya say we get to know each other anyway? I’d love to learn more about ye and this other man of yers who’s lucky enough to have yer heart.”

“Well…” She cringed.
Get ready for the crazy, mister, ’cause you asked for it.
“There’s not much to tell, really. Okay, I lied. There is. So here is the short version of the long story, if that even makes any sense. I’m from Canada, but I currently live in the States with my incredible little boy. He’s my world, and I’m extremely close to my folks. Jayden, my son, is with them as we speak while Sam and I are on this vacation with sort of a good but unusual reason motivating us. My ex and I divorced almost two years ago now.

“You see, I got into a car accident, and it nearly took my life. I was in and out of it for a while, and lost a bit of time, so while I was out of it fighting for my life, Tyler—my husband then—was so overwhelmed with guilt over the accident that he sort of took comfort in the arms of his coworker, and I saw it before actually finding out.” She squeezed his hand and took another sip of liquid courage, aka her beer, before getting to the unbelievable part. ’Cause hey, he asked for it, and for some reason she felt as though it was important for Callum to know…everything. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but there it was. It was as if it was only the two of them in the room suddenly. The background faded, she tuned out the noise, and he seemed to hang on to every single word she spoke. “So anyway, you’re probably going to think I’m a certifiable nut case after this, and I assure you I’m not, but when I got hurt, I hit my head among many other things, and I believe that’s when the visions started.”

“Visions?” His eyebrow rose in disbelief, but he seemed interested for her to go on, so she did.

“Yep, visions.” She let go of his hand and licked her lips nervously. “This is the crazy part. You ready?”

He nodded and sat back to make himself more comfortable.

“Okay, so when I woke up from a coma, I was convinced my ex had died and a year had gone by before I’d moved on and fallen in love with this man named Brady who I met here in Ireland. He was amazing, very caring, and sensitive to my needs—a caretaker. Tough on the outside, but on the inside, he was all teddy bear. You know? Gorgeous really, and everything I could ever want. My dream man figuratively and literally. He was tall and muscular with hair so dark it looked black, and he had these piercing, light blue eyes one could get lost in—a real ladies’ man.” She shook her head before going on. “Anyway, it turns out it wasn’t real, at least physically. Tyler never died, and Brady didn’t exist. So I tried to make things work with Tyler. I mean, I loved him. He was my husband, the father of my child. We’d been together for so long. Everything was great too for a while. Tyler took some time off and we spent a lot of time together at first, and I thought we fell in love all over again until I kept seeing him with the other woman in my dreams. It was silly, right? I tried to ignore the sinking feeling he was having an affair, but the visions kept coming to me stronger, so I asked him about it, even going as far as describing the woman he was sleeping with behind my back.”

Jenna laughed without humor, and this time it was Callum who held her hand. “It’s okay, go on,” he said.

“Anyway, he denied it until he was blue in the face, and I got pregnant with our second child in the midst of things. There were complications because of the stress too, but it wasn’t until I walked in on the two of them having sex on our couch that everything went to hell between us. Tyler chased me outside, fell on me, and I lost our baby.”

“I’m so sorry.” He cupped her face and signaled the bartender to bring them another pint. “This is a lot more than I’d hoped to learn. Ye don’t have to go on if ye don’t want to.”

“I appreciate that, but I’ve already gone this far, and it’ll help you understand more about the one I’m in love with. It’s a lot to take for our first outing, huh?” She smiled shyly but still had this crazy need to get the whole story out there.

“Go on.” He nodded in encouragement.

He probably thinks I’m crazy and is suddenly glad I only want to be friends, but I don’t care.
“So there I was going through a divorce, trying to get over the loss of losing a child, and trying to keep it all together for my son, and I still kept having dreams of this Brady fellow. He was my shining light in the darkness in my world, and I loved him even more for it. I still do. The problem is, I’m not sure he even exists. Sam thought it’d be great to take this trip since in my dreams-slash-visions, or whatever you want to call them, I’d met him in Dublin, so here we are. You ready to run yet?”

“What?” He looked thoughtful but didn’t even crack a smile. His sincerity was a little surprising, actually. “Of course not. I’m actually fascinated by it all, and yer kind of crazy doesn’t scare me at all.”

“Gee, thanks! I’m glad I could amuse you,” she teased, and a smile came back to both of their faces. “The weirdest thing of all is how real he feels, and Sam seems to think he exists. She wouldn’t have convinced me to come all the way here otherwise. She’s such an amazing friend.”

“Good to know yer friend is here to give ye a little push.”

“There’s that and the fact she’s hoping to meet her own dream guy. I forgot to mention that I had visions of her with someone special as well. He was Brady’s best friend. Silly, right?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Fate works in mysterious ways, Jenna, and ye never do know what she has planned.” He smiled and rubbed his hands together as though he had a plan of his own in mind but wasn’t ready to share it with her. “So his pal was fated to yer friend? Interestin’.”

“I agree. Do you have any insight for me? Does his description sound familiar at all?” she couldn’t help but ask and tried not to get her hopes up too much, but they were a little.

“There are a lot of Irishmen with dark hair and light eyes, love. I know many anyway, so I’m not sure how to answer that. I’ll check into it for ye, though.” His eyes crinkled a little at the sides while he chuckled silently. “Why don’t ye tell me a little more about yer friend, and then I’ll tell ye more about meself? How’s that sound?”

“You know, I was just thinking Sam would be perfect for you.” Jenna giggled, and as the night wore on she had a fantastic time. Callum was something special; he just wasn’t hers. Sam however, who knew? Only time would tell. They talked, laughed, danced, and drank for a few more hours before they parted ways but not before he made her promise to see him again in three days time with Sam at Cian’s again for some afternoon tea.

Intuition told her he had something up his sleeve, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. One thing was certain: she already cherished the new people in her life and looked forward to seeing them again.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“What do you mean he’s perfect for me?” Sam fidgeted and smoothed her hair down as if to make sure not a strand was out of place.

“Well, we got to talking the other night at the pub, and I had this feeling. You know we decided we were only friends. I told you that the night of our date. Heck, it even feels weird calling it that. Callum is super sweet, and you look beautiful by the way, so stop fidgeting.” She smirked.

“Fine.” Sam groaned while Jenna rang the bell at Cian and Sarah’s. It was an overcast day in Dublin, and she hoped the rain would hold off enough so they’d be able to sit out in the backyard again. The last time they’d been there, the landscape had been so serene, and she couldn’t think of a better place to unwind and get to know the fabulous new people in their lives. She took a deep breath of fresh air and tried not to obsess over her own appearance. It was nice to see Sam being the nervous one for once, thanks to Callum’s new interest in her, but Jenna wanted to make a good impression as well.

It had been three days since she’d last seen the Connellys, and while she and Sam had made the most of them, yet there was still no sign of you know who, and she was getting discouraged. She shook the thoughts away as the door opened to reveal one very appealing man.

“Jenna.” Callum smiled wide and brought her in for a hug. “Thank ye for making it.” He stepped aside to let the ladies in, and once the door closed behind them, he once again focused on her friend. “And Sam, ’tis so lovely to see ye. Jenna here has told me so much I feel like I know ye already.”

“Oh really?” Sam looked at her skeptically and raised one of her eyebrows in curiosity.

“Mmm,” he said and took the liberty of taking her hand in one of his so he could kiss her palm. “All good, I promise.”

He winked, Sam looked as if she were about ready to melt, and Jenna laughed.

“Callum O’Donnell at yer service, me lady.” He bowed to them, and Jenna’s heart felt as though it had stopped beating for a second.

“Wait, what?” Her eyes went wide, and a sudden flash came back to her from before…

Whelan’s was just getting busy by the time they arrived.

“I think we need a few drinks,” Sam announced, raising her voice to be heard above the band.

Jenna held on to her hand as they made their way to the bar to order. After getting their drinks, they found one of the only free tables and sat down to enjoy their surroundings and each other’s company.

“I’m not sure I’d be able to drink this stuff too often, but it’s not bad,” Jenna said after finishing off her Guinness. The foamy, thick beer went down smooth. “Want another one?”

Just as Sam nodded, more arrived, brought to them by one of the waitresses working the floor.

“Wow, talk about service,” she teased.

“They’re from a couple of admirers.” The older woman gestured toward the bar. Jenna tensed as the woman left.

“Okay, Jenna, don’t freak out,” Sam warned.

“The same two guys? First the airport and now here? What are the odds? Did you know they were here the whole time?”

Sam nodded. “I noticed about an hour ago. Are you up to this? It’ll be kind of rude if we just leave, don’t you think? But we will if that’s what you need.”

Jenna shook her head and took a deep breath. “I’m fine, really. I mean, it’s a free drink. Who could be upset with that?”

As a polite gesture, Jenna turned toward the bar, held up her drink, smiled at the same one who had caught her eye the day before, and took a sip. She told herself she was doing this for Sam since Jenna still felt bad about their earlier encounter.

“Wow, Jenna, I’m impressed, but now you’ve done it.” She gestured toward the two men, who were now approaching them.

Jenna laughed. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt, as though her old self was resurfacing. Maybe it was because of the surroundings without the constant reminders of home anywhere near her, or, then again, maybe it was just the drinks. Either way, she’d felt better about herself in that moment than she had in a long time, and she enjoyed the change.

“Hi there,” Sam purred, scooting her chair closer to Jenna so the men could sit with them. “My name is Samantha, and this is my lovely friend Jenna. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Jenna gulped nervously as the one she was attracted to took her hand into his. He didn’t take his eyes off her the entire time he spoke. “Lovely, Jenna, Samantha, the pleasure is definitely ours, I assure ye.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm before continuing, “I’m Brady, Brady Connelly, and this is my good friend, Caleb O’Donnell.”

“Hey, are you okay?” Sam took a step toward her, but Jenna just held up her hand to keep her put. She didn’t answer because there were other things she had to know first.

“Did you just say your name was O’Donnell?”

“Aye, what of it?” The poor guy looked both concerned for her and confused at the same time.

“Do you by chance have a relative named Caleb?”

At the mention of Caleb, her friend gasped as she put two and two together, and Jenna looked at her as if to say,
You see where I’m going with this?

“Not that I know of. Why ye askin’?”

“Do you remember how I told you my story the other night? The one about my love for this mysterious dream guy, and when I told you I’d envisioned Sam with his best friend?”

He nodded but stayed silent.

“Well, his name was Caleb O’Donnell. Or at least I thought it was. Caleb, Callum…” She looked toward Sam, who was now beaming with hope and excitement. “The names are just way too similar to discredit, right? I mean, oh my God, this is too weird.”

“Not necessarily.” They all jumped at the sound of Cian’s voice as he descended the stairs to join them in the foyer. “Yer feet will always bring ye to were yer heart truly lies. Now…” He clapped his hands together as if he was quite pleased with himself. “Me lovely boyo here tells me quite an interstin’ story of undeniable love under the most gone-in-the-head situation.”

“Sure looks it.” The younger of the two men spoke, but the girls were left stunned speechless for the time being. “It’s like hen’s teeth, it is.”

“Aye,” Cian said and held out both arms for each woman to take as he guided them toward the back of the house. “I’m sure me love, Sarah, has already wet the tea. Now what you say we relax with a cup and ye can tell me all about it while these two get to know each other better?” He winked at Sam and guided her over into Callum’s capable hands before giving Jenna his undivided attention.

And before she knew it, she was relaying the whole story again while sipping on tea with the older couple. They were just as patient as Callum had been as she bared it all. Here and there, they asked questions before nodding as if they understood.

“Crazy, right?” she finished.

“I don’t mean to gawk, dear, but ’tis quite an unusual feat yer telling us here.” Sarah scooted her chair closer and steepled her fingers. “Has Cian mentioned our boy to ye?”

“Your son?” She gulped and put the small cup on top of its saucer. “The first time I met Cian, I actually asked if you had a son. Your husband seemed so familiar to me, and—”

“And there was probably a reason for it too.” The older woman smiled fondly at him. “We have all sorts of senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and what we hear around us. But there are the ones we overlook too. Like the ability to connect with the soul. ’Tis our intuition, empathy, and peace that sometimes give us the foresight to look beyond the norm, my girl, and not all of us are as lucky as ye seem to be, to be able to tap into that.”

“Jaysus,” the old man interrupted. “As beautiful as she is smart, that she is.” He leaned over to kiss his wife, and his eyes twinkled mischievously. “Now do ye remember what I told ye about my son?”

Jenna nodded. “He was in the US.”

“Aye, but the wonderful part of it is he was there te—”

“I think I’ve got it from here, Da.”

The deeply accented baritone came from behind them, and Jenna felt as if the world had stopped and everything was going in slow motion. Sam and Callum were at the other end of the yard getting to know each other. Sarah and Cian sat quietly on the patio as they watched it all unfold, and Jenna’s heart felt as though it was about to burst through her chest.
Because holy crap, can it finally be? Seriously?

She stood abruptly and held on to the table for support as the man came into view, and she looked him over from head to toe, afraid she would miss something. “Brady?” He was tall, with thick, black hair and a smile that definitely made her heart skip a beat. His blue eyes pierced right through her and straight into her soul. “Please tell me I’m not daydreaming or something.”

“’Tis not a dream, Jenna.” He moved closer until he stood only a foot away. “I could have sworn Callum was fluthered when he called me a few days back and demanded I return home from abroad. Ye see, there was this beautiful Yank he met right here in me parents’ home who had tales of loving this man from Ireland with dark hair and light eyes. Only she’d never officially met him. He talked of the hardships she told him about, of betrayal, heartache, and visions of hope, and I couldn’t believe me ears. I had to see for meself before it was too late.”

He reached up to wipe away her tears and held on to her shaking hands while he continued. “And I could’na get here fast enough. Ye see, Jenna, whut me da, ma, and Callum forgot to mention was that I left here for the very same reason. For months I thought I might be mad as I dreamed about this woman with such beautiful long brown hair, so soft to the touch, who had the most amazin’ green eyes.” He cupped the side of her face, and she closed her eyes to lean into his touch. “I had to find her, so I left to start searchin’.”

“And I came here,” she whispered.

“Aye.” He nodded. “So ye did. I don’t know how to explain what we’ve got goin’ on, but one thing I know for sure is I have to give it a go. I feel like I’ve known ye for so long already. What’dya say, me lovely Jenna, my other half. Will ye do me the honor and take some time so we can get to know one another?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” It felt like sparks of current leaped out of her and into him wherever they touched, the chemistry was so good. And before she could say any more he crushed his lips against hers. Suddenly it was as if only the two of them existed, and nothing else mattered. He was a real dream come true, and she held on to him for dear life.

After so long, she’d finally become alive, had felt whole for the first time in a long time, and when they broke apart to applause and whistles from his family and Sam, it was a whole new beginning.

“Allow me to introduce meself properly. The name’s Braeden Rhys Connelly.” He held her flush against him and refused to look away. “I noticed ye the moment ye pulled up, but I had to wait to be sure. Then I heard everythin’ come out of that beautiful mouth I could’na wait any longer. This here is my ma and da, and over there is me other family and me best friend Callum O’Donnell.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Braeden. I’m Jenna—Jenna Baker. That woman standing next to Callum is my best friend Sam, and I can’t even express in words how happy I am to be here right now.”

“Good to hear.” He chuckled. “I’m just about wrecked from the travel, but it was completely worth it to have ye in me arms.”

His father cleared his throat to remind them of everyone else’s presence, and their little bubble where only the two of them existed popped for the time being. Throughout the afternoon they touched constantly, caught up, and had a great time with his family. Sam and Callum hit it off, and sparks seemed to fly all around the three couples. The older couple were madly and deeply in love, the other was testing the waters, and Jenna and her dream man—well, that was love at first sight.

***

“I can’t believe we’ve got to go back already,” Sam pouted. “Good-bye fantasy, hello reality.”

“What are you talking about?” Jenna laughed and looked at her friend as though she was nuts. “They’re coming back with us, Sam.”

“I know, but being here just seems like a fairy tale. I guess I’m just afraid that when we get home it might burst the bubble.”

“Nonsense.” Callum kissed her friend senseless and only pulled away when Brady came back to their booth with another pitcher of beer. They’d finally made it to Whelan’s to celebrate an amazing couple of weeks and their last night in Ireland before the big move back.

“What’s this about bubbles?” Brady asked and pulled Jenna closer as soon as he got comfortable.

“Silly Sam over here thinks she’s in some kinda fantasy land and things might change when we go with them tomorrow.”

“Well, I can’t speak for ye, my friend, but it only gets better with each passing day between Jenna and me.” He wiggled his eyebrows and both men laughed.

“I agree, but are you ready?” She was curious if the thought of meeting Jayden and her parents made him nervous at all. She, however, was looking forward to it.