I’m sick of fighting myself and being without her. It’s time to be honest and tell Maggie what I want, what I need, and get the same from her.

The truth.

And, even if I have to break my contract, I’ll tell her what she needs to know to get her back. She’s the most important thing in my life. I’ve been absolutely lost without her since the minute she walked out of my house. I wanted to run after her then, but I was too hurt. Too stubborn. That stops now.

I’ll be damned if Joey Lemon—or anyone else—will keep me from her.

Chapter 19

~Maggie~

“Can I get you some more coffee, Mr. Dugan?” I ask the elderly man who isn’t actually an overnight guest of the inn. Still, he comes in for coffee and a full Irish breakfast, which consists of enough food to feed a family of four, three times a week. Sinead told me that she doesn’t even charge him because he lost his wife last year, and this gets him some company. He’s a sweet man, and he enjoys chatting with the guests, asking them questions about where they come from and then giving information about the area.

He should be a tour guide.

“Aye, thank you, lass.” He holds up his mug for me and smiles gratefully. “You’re a lovely sight to see first thing in the morning, sweet Maggie.”

“Thank you, Mr. Dugan. And you’re as handsome as can be. Just wave me over if you need more coffee, you hear?”

I’ve been working hard, day and night since I arrived a week ago. I can’t complain, as I knew I was here for work, and it helps to keep my mind off a certain American back home.

“I’ve got the dining room covered,” Sinead says when I walk back to the kitchen for a fresh pot of coffee. “Now that the biscuits are out of the oven, do you mind seeing to the laundry upstairs? Guests should be checking out soon, and then we can get started on cleaning the rooms.”

“Sure thing.”

“Maggie.” Sinead, a pretty woman just a few years older than me with dark red hair and happy green eyes, looks concerned as she takes my hand in hers. “Are you all right? You’ve seemed so sad since the day you got here, and I didn’t want to intrude. But it breaks my heart to see you this way day in and day out.”

I sigh, wrinkling my nose. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to me because I’ve known you for most of your life. I may not see you often, but I know you’re usually much happier than this.”

“There’s a man back home.” The comment is simple but says it all.