Dario stared at his dad, trying to take in what he’d just told him. He took a step towards him, trying to block out the cacophony of sound coming from every corner of the room, as Carlo had moved on to a new musical number and now led the crowd in an enthusiastic chorus of ‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’.
‘You’re going to have to say that again to me, Dad, because I need to make sure I’m hearing you right…’
The last fifteen minutes of his life had been insane. Selling his family’s company. Then finding the connection he’d always felt with Gwen was real.
But now two ropes were pulling him in different directions, and it felt like they were ripping him apart. Gwen. The crazy crush that had lasted over thirty years and now she’d told him that she’d felt the same. How did he get so lucky? And how did he get so unlucky that it fell on the same day that he committed a betrayal that his father would never forgive?
Or was he telling him something different now?
To the side of his dad, he saw Minnie Ryan nod to Gino, as if spurring him on, and Dario realised he had seen that dynamicbefore, when his mum would cajole his dad into something that Gino was reluctant to do. And she was always right.
‘I said, I’ve changed my mind,’ his dad repeated, and yes, Dario had heard it correctly the first time. He wouldn’t have been more surprised if Gino had punched him in the face. ‘I agree to sell the business. It’s the right thing to do.’
Dario wondered if his dad was drunk, but he sounded perfectly lucid.
‘I know that the deal expired at midnight…’ his dad was saying, ‘but if you go now and call them, maybe you can still get them to honour their offer.’
Dario needed more information to absorb this.
‘But, Dad, are you sure? Why the change of heart?’
His dad glanced over to Minnie and returned her smile. ‘Because maybe I’m a foolish old man who needs to be reminded that it’s the people we love that matter, nothing else. And life is too short to lose them before the choice is taken out of our hands. So I’m sorry, Dario. I should have listened to you. Now go make the phone call.’
Stunned, Dario didn’t know whether to confess to what he’d done, or quit while he was ahead and avoid risking upsetting Gino all over again. It was one thing being given the go-ahead now, but would his father be furious that he’d gone against his wishes?
Sod it. He had to tell him. He couldn’t bring himself to be dishonest, even by omission.
Through clenched teeth, he winced as he admitted, ‘Dad, I already made the call. I sold the business.’
Gino froze, stared at him, and Dario saw a thousand emotions run through the eyes of a face as still as stone. This was Gino’s dream. His heart and soul. And Dario had taken that away without his consent. He braced himself, waiting for the retribution, the wrath…
But it didn’t come. Instead, Gino’s words were slow and deliberate. ‘Then you did the right thing. I was wise to give you the business, Dario, because you did what we needed to do even when I refused. That takes courage.’
Dario’s feet were glued to the floor, every sense blocked by both shock and gratitude.
That was when Minnie stepped forward and hugged him. ‘Well done, Dario. Your mum would be so proud of you.’
‘Thank you,’ he croaked, overcome with affection for the friend his mother had adored. He wasn’t sure he would hold it together long enough to say any more than that, so he was grateful when a diversion took Minnie’s focus off him and on to something else. Or, rather, someone else.
‘Emmy! Are you all right, my darling?’
Ailish and Emmy had rejoined them and now Minnie was speaking to her granddaughter, clearly full of concern.
‘I am, Gran. I just need to sort something and… Cormac!’
Everyone in their group now stopped their conversations and turned all eyes to Emmy and then to the guy who was standing at the bar with Carlo’s fiancée, Yvie. The same man who had just turned and was now walking towards them. He stopped a few feet in front of Emmy and didn’t shrivel at all under the gaze of the now-silent audience in this corner of the room. Instead, he remained silent, waiting for Emmy to speak. Dario felt Gwen’s hand slipping into his as they watched Emmy step forward.
‘Please ask me again.’
Silence.
‘Please. Ask me again,’ she repeated. ‘I made a mistake. You said you wanted to ask me in front of the people I love, and here we are,’ she said with a nod to the crowd. ‘So if you truly do love me enough to spend the rest of your life with me, please ask me again.’
She didn’t need to say it a fourth time.
Cormac pulled a box out of his pocket, and then opened it and took out a beautiful diamond ring. He took one more step towards her and held it out to her.
‘Emmy Ryan, will you please, please put this ring on and say that you’ll marry me?’
