Lilac Lane (Chesapeake Shores #14)(103)

“Am I in the way?” Deanna asked, though she showed no signs of leaving.

“Stay,” Bryan commanded. “I might need a witness. I do believe that Kiera Malone just said she had feelings for me.”

“That’s what I heard,” Deanna confirmed.

“So now it’s two against one?” Kiera asked indignantly. “That’s a fine thing after all I’ve done to mediate between you.”

“I think perhaps the three of us united would be a force to be reckoned with,” Bryan said, looking from one woman to the other.

“What on earth is that supposed to mean?” Kiera asked. “United against what?”

“I’ve been thinking recently that it might be time I made a few changes in my life. I wasn’t quite ready to talk about it, but this might be the perfect time.”

At his words, Deanna looked alarmed. “You’re not thinking of leaving Chesapeake Shores, are you?”

“Absolutely not,” he assured her. “This has become home to me, and that’s especially true since it means you’ll be close by.”

“Then what?” Kiera asked, looking thoroughly puzzled.

“Is it the two of you?” Deanna asked hopefully. “Are you going to ask Kiera to marry you?”

Bryan laughed at her eagerness, all the while wondering if Kiera was freaking out. “If I were, would I be needing you to announce my intentions?”

Deanna looked chagrined. “Sorry. But is that it?”

“That’s a subject for another time,” he said, aware of the tiniest hint of disappointment on both of their faces, though Kiera was quick to hide it. “This is about work, about a dream I once had that I put on hold.”

A smile broke across Kiera’s face as if she’d grasped the significance of his enigmatic remarks, but Deanna still looked confused. They waited expectantly.

“It’s not that I’m not loyal to Luke,” he said quietly. “But I’m thinking perhaps the time has come to strike out on my own. The pub has established its own unique niche. Brady’s has had a monopoly on fine dining in Chesapeake Shores for far too long. Kiera, would you be interested in helping me give them a run for their money? I have some ideas that aren’t suitable for a pub that I think would be welcomed by the locals and the tourists.”

“What sort of ideas?” Kiera asked suspiciously.

“Perhaps a blend of various ethnic foods with a touch of elegance, all farm-to-table. Does that appeal to you?”

Kiera’s gaze narrowed. Some of her delight seemed to have dimmed. “So this is strictly a business proposition?”

Deanna shook her head, laughing. “Dad, get a clue!”

Bryan regarded the pair of them innocently. “Were you hoping for more?” he inquired, his gaze on Kiera steady.

“And if I was?” Kiera asked.

“Well, I’m surely not going to propose marriage with my daughter sitting right here. Go away, Deanna.”

“Stay. Go.” She grinned. “He seems a little indecisive to me, Kiera. Think twice before you say yes.”

When she was gone, Bryan pulled Kiera to her feet. “Will you say yes?”

“I haven’t heard a question yet, at least not beyond asking me to leave my son-in-law’s pub to join forces with you.”

“I was thinking the restaurant’s first big event could be our wedding reception. What do you say, Kiera? I think it’s time we ended our kitchen wars and became a team in every way.”

“Where is this coming from, Bryan? You’ve never hinted at such a thing before. We’ve never even gone on a formal date.”

“If it’s courting you need, I’ll do it, though I am seriously out of practice.”

To his surprise, she touched a hand to his cheek, unexpected tears in her eyes. “I’ll consider it,” she said softly. “But only after we finish what we started.”

“Meaning?”

“We’ve that fall festival competition to get through or we’ll disappoint Nell.”

“You’re bringing that into this? One thing should have nothing to do with the other,” he protested.

“You beat me fair and square, Bryan Laramie, and you’ll not only get the trophy, you’ll get me, too.”

“You’re joking,” he said.

“Do you believe your Irish stew is the best?”

“I do.”

“Then you’ll put it to the test.”

“With stakes that high, I won’t be above bribing every single person in town to vote for mine,” he warned.

“You’d cheat?”

“To win your heart, I think I’d do just about anything,” he said solemnly.

And, as surprising as it still was to him after all these years of being on his own, he meant it. Having his daughter back in his life was monumental and he’d be forever grateful, but Kiera was the piece of his heart that had been missing.





Chapter 24



At the first opportunity the next morning, Deanna stole away from Kiera’s and made her way to Nell’s cottage. Before knocking on the door, she stood outside, drawn by the cottage’s charm, its spectacular garden, filled now with the colors of fall, and its view of the bay, which was even better than the one from her father’s deck.