Page 2 of Shea's Hero

I force my lips into something that feels like a smile. Brightly, I ask, “What’s up?”

She gives me her patenteddon’t bullshit melook. “Don’t give me that perky voice, Shea Walsh. Something’s wrong.” Glancing at the wings, she asks, “Is it the food? Because we can order?—”

“It’s not the food.” To emphasize my point, I take a hearty bite of my wing. “You don’t have to worry about that, Jade. I promise.”

“Is it being here?” Her lips thin. “We can go back to your place. Niall won’t mind.”

“No, I don’t want to leave. It’s fine. Really. I just… My mind was wandering. Thinking about the job I’m supposed to start tomorrow.”Liar.“It’s for a pretty big publication. So I want to make sure I make a good impression.”

“Shea.”

“Jade.”

We mock-glare at each other, making increasingly ridiculous faces until we both burst out laughing.

Niall walks over to the table with a fresh beer in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other. As he hands the soda to Jade, he glances between us and laughs. “You’ll never get too old to make those awful faces at each other, will you?”

Jade beams at him. “Yup. It’s tradition.”

“Tradition? What kind of tradition is that?”

I lean over and ruffle Niall’s hair. “Something we started doing in college. Like you didn’t have silly things you did withyourfriends?”

Niall humphs at me. “I’d hardly call what we did silly.”

“Really?” Raising my eyebrows at my brother, I ask, “So the dares you guys used to do weren’t silly? Eating disgusting foods? Putting bugs in each other’s beds?”

Nora, the lone woman on the Sleepy Hollow B and A team, is sitting at the table beside ours. Overhearing us, she turns and says with a quirked smile, “Oh, the things they did were definitely silly. Like the time Niall and Finn thought it would be funny to swap out all the salt in the cafeteria for sugar. Or when Matt put the snake in Niall’s?—”

Niall coughs loudly. “You know. I’m not sure we need to rehash that old story again.”

“Fine.” Jade kisses his cheek. Then they exchange thislook, so loving and intimate it makes my heart twinge. It’s an odd incongruity. I’m so happy for them, and I don’t want to feelenvious, but there’s just this little part of me that wishes I could have found the same thing.

As a loud cheer erupts from the dartboard section of the bar, Jade turns to me. “Actually, Shea. Do you want to sit outside on the patio for a bit? I was hoping we could talk where it’s a little quieter.”

Concern for Jade shoves aside all my own wistful thoughts. The few bites of food I ate turn to a rock in my stomach. “Is everything okay?”

Immediately, my mind is filled with worrisome possibilities.Is there a problem between Jade and Niall? But they seem so happy. In the five days they’ve been staying with me, they’ve been almost sickeningly cute. Although you never know what emotions someone’s hiding down deep. Is it her job? Is she struggling after everything that happened last fall?

“Everything is more than fine.” Jade takes my hand and gives it a little tug. “It’s just not something I want to announce to a bunch of people.”

“Okay.” I get up from my chair. “Let’s go outside, then.”

Jade glances at Niall, and he gives her an affectionate smile. “Don’t be out there too long. It’s a bit chilly out.”

Once we get outside, Jade grabs my hand and drags me over to a set of chairs surrounding a small fire pit. Even though it’s May, the evenings are still cool, so the fire is a welcome burst of warmth in the cool evening air. According to Niall, the patio is a new addition since the last time he visited, a small paved area decorated with hanging Edison bulbs and fire pits and clusters of Adirondack chairs.

Aside from me and Jade, there’s only one other group out here—two women quietly comforting a third, who appears to be crying. I hear one of the non-crying women say soothingly, “You’re better off without him, Penny. Any guy who treats his girlfriend like that isn’t worth your tears.”

The other friend jumps in. “And you’re a catch, Pen. Smart, beautiful… He’s the one who’ll be sorry when you find a real man. One who recognizes how amazing you are.”

Jade glances over at them, sympathy in her gaze. After a moment, she says, “I’m so glad I found Niall. I never have to worry about him treating me badly.”

Lightly, I reply, “If he did, he’d have me to answer to.”

She smiles. “I know. But you don’t have to worry. Niall is… amazing. So sweet and caring and he shows me every day how much he loves me. Sometimes I still can’t believe it took us this long to get together.”

“But you did.” Leaning close to the fire, I warm my hands over the flames before sitting back. “And now you’re married.” With a smile, I add, “My sister for real.”

---