Luck of the Irish: Complete Edition by Liz Gavin

little intimidated by Megan’s beauty and independency. Now, she wished Megan were there to help her, listen to her and give some advice. She was great at all that.
    There were no more voice messages. She frowned, then, found out Declan had sent her a text message, instead. Reading it, Keira felt that familiar feeling as her stomach summersaulted inside her. She could be stubborn but she had always taken great pride in her ability to be fair, I have to agree with him I didn’t give him a chance to explain himself.
    Her inner self returned, with a vengeance, telling her she didn’t let him explain anything because she was afraid he’d convince her to change her mind. Judging from your recent dreams, you can’t trust yourself where Declan is concerned. If you let him talk you into forgiving him, you’ll open up yourself to more pain .
    Keira hesitated and almost gave in to that annoying version of Jiminy Cricket inside her head. Checking her watch, she knew it was around two in the morning in Boston. She decided to call Megan because her sister rarely went to sleep early. She picked up before the third ring.
    “Hey, little sis. What’s up?”
    “Not much, big sis. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
    “At two in the morning? Yeah, right! What’s wrong?”
    “Oh, there’s nothing wrong, Megan,” she heard her sister sighing loudly.
    “Keira, you know I hate it when you do that. It is obvious there’s something bothering you, otherwise you wouldn’t call me at this time of night. So, spill it out!”
    She took a deep breath and told her older sister all about Declan – how they had met, how they had hooked up in her room in Dublin, what she had seen the next morning, their last phone call, his text messages and the sensual dreams - everything.
    “How do you feel about him, Keira?”
    “I don’t know, Megan.”
    “Bullshit! Listen, you’ve got be honest with yourself, at least. Think about it. If he were just another guy, would you be that annoyed? Would you feel so sad because of a potential betrayal? Would you have let him under your skin like that?”
    “Potential betrayal? How do you mean?”
    “Honey, you saw what you saw, but you have no idea who the woman is or what kind of relationship they have – if they have any.”
    “Oh, so people now go kissing and hugging total strangers in public. Is that what you’re saying?”
    “Don’t twist my words, little brat. And don’t lash out at me. You’ve asked my opinion, I’ve given you that. I’m sorry if you don’t like what you hear. You can’t be sure of anything until he tells you what happened in that coffee shop.”
    “You’re right, sis. I’m sorry. How can I be sure he’s going to tell me the truth, though?” she asked her sister, unable to hide a hint of panic in her voice.
    “You can’t, Keira. Until you know him better, you can’t be sure of anything. That’s true for any new relationship – friends or lovers. You’re not that naïve, are you?”
    “I hate to admit it, but you know me better than myself,” she muttered.
    “Don’t whine and pout, little one. I’ve known you longer than you’ve known yourself, that’s all,” Megan laughed before adding in a very serious tone. “Keira, I do know you and that’s why I trust your instincts and good sense. But, when the heart is in charge, things can get very complicated. We can make very stupid decisions. Promise me you’ll be safe.”
    “I will, Megan, don’t worry.”
    “Call me if you need anything, all right?”
    “Will do. Go to sleep, now. It’s late. Talk to you soon.”
    “Bye.”
    Keira checked the time and thought about calling Declan before she left Wicklow; but, she decided she’d better get going, if she wanted to spend some time driving around Wexford and seeing the sights, before continuing to Waterford. She’d call Declan when she got to there. That would give her time to mull things over, including her sister’s advice.
     
     
     
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