Page 42 of Killian

Celine and Killian looked at each other and laughed.

“I know this story,” Kian said with a grin.

“Should I tell her, or should you?” Killian asked.

Celine took a deep breath. “I will. About a month ago, I was in Dewey’s bar with a good friend of mine, Carly. We try to have a girl’s night out once in a while. Anyway, we were sitting at a table and she said, I think that guy likes you and nodded to a man at the bar. I told her I thought he was looking at her. She said, ‘I’ll bet you he comes here and talks to you.’ I asked her what the bet was.” Celine shook her head. “I should have known not to bet. She said if he talks to me instead of her, I have to go outside, find her brother in his black pickup truck, kiss him and wish him happy birthday. She said he was sitting in his truck with his friends hanging out beside the truck. She had just come back from talking to him. I said, she was on and if I won, she had to kiss a stranger.” Celine laughed, making them all laugh with her. “I didn’t know her brother, so I was basically kissing a stranger too. I lost the bet. The guy at the bar came to our table, pulled a chair out, and talked to me. Once I told him I wasn’t interested he left. Carly, of course, thought it was hilarious. Now I had to go outside,find her brother in his black truck, kiss him, and wish him happy birthday. Only when I went outside, I went to the wrong black truck.” She stopped when Killian chuckled, and she smiled at him. “I walked up to Killian, removed his hat, kissed him, and said, happy birthday.” She looked at Killian and he finished the story.

“I said, thanks, but it’s not my birthday. She was shocked that she’d kissed the wrong man, but I kind of enjoyed it.” He chuckled. “I even put my number in her phone and asked her to call or text me.” He shook his head. “She didn’t. I was disappointed, but about a week later, we were at the same party, and she finally sent me a text asking me to dance.” He shrugged. “We’ve been seeing each other ever since.”

Killian’s parents and Kian laughed.

“I’m happy it worked out for you,” Aileen said. “Why don’t you stay through the weekend?”

“We can’t, Mom. I’m having furniture delivered Saturday. I picked up the keys the other day. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, honey. Just come back to see us.”

“I will,” Killian promised.

“And bring Celine,” Connor chimed in.

“I’d love to come back.” Celine smiled at them.

After everyone finished eating and cleaning up, Killian and Celine gathered up the dogs, and drove to his place.

****

“It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Killian asked Celine.

Celine smiled and replied, “No, your parents are wonderful, and so is Kian.”

“You didn’t tell him that, did you?” Killian joked.

Celine laughed and said, “No, but when he claimed to be the better-looking brother, I told him to keep telling himself that.” Killian chuckled in response.

“We’re all really close,” Killian yawned. “Man, I’m exhausted. I bet I’ll fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.”

“Me too. Are we getting up early tomorrow?”

“Yes, I want to leave by six since it’ll probably take eight or nine hours to get back.”

“That’s a long trip.”

“Yes, ma’am. Especially with a trailer full of horses. Kian will drive this truck back to Clifton for me, then take a flight back here.”

“You don’t use this truck to pull the trailer?”

“No, I have another one specifically designed for pulling a gooseneck trailer.”

“Oh, okay. I had no idea.”

“It’s a big truck, but comfortable.”

“Will the dogs fit?”

“Of course, they’ll ride in the backseat. They’re used to it.”

“Okay. Do we need to stop along the way?”

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