Page 59 of Grace on the Rocks

“Everyone calls youRyan…”

He flinched, and this timeGracedidn’t see annoyance, she saw pain.

“Everyone except that guy at karaoke.Hecalled you?—”

“B-B-B-Bryan,” he imitated, his face set like stone.

“I thought you had some kind of crazy alter ego as aDJ.”

“No.Ihad a…”Histhroat contracted, and his mouth tightened into a grimace.Hetook a breath. “Ihave a s-stammer.”

In that moment he looked like such an ashamed little boy with a pasted-on beard, and every punchedBandPcame flooding back toGrace.

“Well, ifGraceloses her hearing, we can be the perfect trio,”Wespiped up. “Hearno evil, see no evil…”

“So they all call youRyanbecause?—”

“Had trouble with myB’s.”

“That’s so fucked up,”Wessaid, and when they both turned to her, she added, “I’mgoing to go pee,” and made herself scarce.

Grace had a weird urge to reach out and hug the man before her.Shestuck her hand in her pocket to twirl the worry stone instead. “Whydidn’t you tell meIwas calling you by the wrong name all week?”

He took a deep breath and huffed it back out. “Muchthe same reason you didn’t tellCaitrionayou go byRiosand we didn’t tellWesmy cousinEòghannisn’t a priest.”

Her heart squeezed a little bit.Shewas putting together more and more of a picture about why he left and why he stayed away so long.Castingaround for the right thing to say, she finally landed on, “Familycan be the worst, can’t they?”

He huffed again, half laughing. “Aye, well, me too.”

She laughed. “Ohdefinitely.You’reat the top of my worst list.BeforePutin.BeforeSisterMaryAgnes, even.”

“Christ.Theretruly is no hope for me then.”

They were silent for a moment, taking up a little too much of each other’s space.WherewasWes?Gracetwisted the worry stone.

“I take it dinner didn’t improve?”

“I wish you hadn’t witnessed that.”

Grace wanted to say she was sorry he had to experience it, and especially sorry there were witnesses. “Isit just the reno?” she asked.

He shook his head. “It’severything.Goingaway but not to uni.Keepingaway for years on end.MissingGrandad’swake, when they thinkIwas his favorite.”

He frowned, fighting off tears, it looked like.

“Well… fuck ’em,” she said, because it was all she could think of.

He burst out laughing.Thenhe sighed. “Ididn’t intend to tell them about the distillery, not untilIknowJulesis all in.Didn’twant to have to face them ifIfail.”

“ThenIguess you can’t fail,Bryan,”Gracesaid, and that name sounded right.ItfitMr.Beein a wayRyannever had.

He nodded and shook his head at the same time, still scowling.

“You want to go to the pub,Bryan?Iwas going to write, butIdon’t have to.”

“No.Ihad an idea in mind for the two of you—before everything went to hell,” he added, eyeing the wall. “Giveme ten minutes to clean up?”

He was covered in plaster dust, and whenGraceraised her eyebrows, he looked around sheepishly. “Maybetwenty.”

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