“The one,” Riley repeated firmly and looked at Fiona for confirmation. “Right?”
“Absolutely.”
“We’ll take it.”
The woman was already nodding. “Shoes?”
Riley was already guiding Morgan to another part of the boutique. “Oh yeah. We’re definitely getting the shoes.”
The diner wasright across the square, and when Riley suggested lunch, Morgan didn’t hesitate. They slid into a corner booth, put their bags under the table, and placed their orders.
“Thank you,” Morgan said, feeling something she wasn’t used to feeling. Not many women worked at the ME’s office, and the ones that did weren’t particularly friendly. She tried to imagine any of them suggesting a shopping trip and failed.
“You’re very welcome,” Riley said with a genuine smile.
“Not just for today,” Morgan said. “For the work you did on the case too. Patrick told me who you are. The call rotation was the piece that made everything else make sense.”
Riley waved a hand. “It’s what I do. And honestly, once I knew what to look for it wasn’t that hard.” She stopped. “You know what? That’s not true. It was painstaking. But it was worth it.”
Painstaking detailed research was something Morgan appreciated. “Still. Thank you.”
Riley looked at her steadily across the table. “Patrick would have found a way to do it with or without me. He wasn’t going to let it go.”
Morgan turned her water glass. This was a perfect opportunity to find out more about him. “You two are close.”
“We grew up together,” Riley said. “We’re the same age, though he constantly reminds me that he’s older by a few months,” she said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. “Our dads run the pub, so not only did we go to school together, we spent the after time together too. I know him better than he knows himself most of the time, and he’d say the same about me.” She tilted her head. “Why?”
“I’m just trying to understand,” Morgan said. Which was true, and also not the whole truth.
“Understand what? Why I’m here?”
Morgan nodded, hoping it didn’t come across as offensive.
“Well, first and foremost, I’m here because I want to be,” Riley said with sincerity. “Not only do I like you, you’re one of the few women outside my family that I can talk to without wanting to rub a cheese grater over my face.”
Morgan’s lips quirked.
“You’re nice, you’re smart, and…” Riley leaned forward and lowered her voice, “I couldn’t pass up the possibility of picking GraveDigger’s brain, now could I?” She sat back. “But mostly, I’m here because I’ve never seen Patrick like this over anyone.”
Morgan looked at her. “Like what?”
Riley’s lips curved in a wry smile. “Like someone who’s found the thing he didn’t know he was looking for and is now trying very hard not to scare it away.”
Morgan didn’t know what to say to that.
“There’s something you should probably know,” Riley continued, lowering her voice and leaning forward. “AboutCallaghan men specifically.” She waited until she had Morgan’s full attention. “They believe—well, we all believe, really, it’s not just the men—that there’s one person out there for us. Therightperson. Not in a naïve, fairytale way, just… the person the rest of your life makes more sense with. We call them acroie. It’s Irish for heart.”
The server arrived with their platters. Morgan busied herself with unwrapping her silverware and putting the napkin in her lap while she processed that.
“Does he think that’s me?” Morgan asked quietly, afraid of the answer. Yes, she felt differently around Patrick than she’d ever felt around anyone, but they barely knew each other. The sex had been amazing, but physical compatibility wasn’t the same thing as the soul deep connection Riley was hinting at.
Riley looked at her. Not with pity, not with the bright enthusiasm Morgan had been braced for, but with something quieter and more serious.
“I think,” Riley said, “that’s something only you and he can answer. But if you feel different when you’re around him and are questioning it, wondering if you’re imagining things—” she shook her head. “You’re not.”
Morgan looked at her plate, no longer sure that she was hungry.
“What’s the Celtic Goddess like?” she asked, because she needed to talk about something more tangible than soul mates.