“You’re not speaking to the right people then. We’re supposed to break ground within the month.”
“Not we. Me. I’ve got it handled.”
The conversation shifted then to more construction talk, so Chloe moved farther away. Walking to the back office, she paused and asked a waitress to check on the Cahills in a few minutes. Then she considered her next move. Since starting her job at the Rose, she’d heard some questionable conversations between the Cahills but nothing that felt threatening like this. What had Ronan done to draw Cahill’s ire?
She didn’t have a way to reach Ronan, but she did have Brendan’s number. But the whole neighborhood knew the brothers didn’t get along. No one knew why though. Just some kind of falling out. Today was the first time she could remember seeing them at their mom’s house at the same time. Maybe they’d patched things up. Without giving it too much more thought, she texted Brendan.
Hey, Brendan, it’s Chloe. Can you please pass my number on to Ronan?
Are you asking me to be your wingman? I’m wounded.
She shook her head. Trust me, Ronan has no interest in me. I just heard something that I think he needs to know about.
I can pass a message if you want.
She could do that. Would Brendan tell him? It shouldn’t matter. Ronan had told her not to eavesdrop. If he didn’t get this message, at least she’d done what she could to make sure he didn’t screw up his job. Just tell him that the Cahills are looking for a reason to fire him.
Got it.
That wasn’t much of a response. She didn’t know why, but it felt important that Ronan understand. Make sure you tell him. They aren’t playing.
I’ll make sure I tell him. How about that drink? Can I stop by tonight?
Amazing. A Doyle who wanted to spend time with her without being tricked into it. Sure. I get off at eight.
Meet you at the Rose?
No. I’ll be at Last Shot down the street.
See you then.
Brendan might not quite scratch the bad boy itch she had, but it would be good to catch up with him. Until the block party, she’d forgotten how much fun she’d had just hanging out with the neighborhood families. Because she’d gone to Catholic school, she hadn’t spent her days with her neighborhood friends. The weekends and summers gave her freedom. Playing Truth or Dare at the block party reminded her of all the summer fun she’d had with those families.
She had wanted that. The sense of belonging among big sprawling families where there was always someone around for company. But it wasn’t in the cards for her. She mostly liked her life, and she knew she wasn’t meant to live like her mother and sister. She didn’t know exactly when she’d had that revelation—probably when she left Tim. Until then, her mother’s life was pretty much what she had expected for herself.
So she’d take a few drinks in a dive bar with an old boyfriend where there was no chance for her imagination to run wild.