Page 71 of Taming Irish

“Thewhat?”

“Ireland’s oldest pub. It’s almost a thousand years old.” She opens one of my drawers, then cocks a brow and says, “Are ye really going to make me pack forye?”

I can’t help but laugh. The woman is relentless and stubborn, just like her brother, and I love her forit.

“Okay,” I say, earning me a huge smile and one of Emer’s signaturehugs.

I start to grab a few items and put them in my bag when I see Emer glancing at the sketches laid out on thedresser.

“Wow.” She picks one up, her eyes widening in appreciation. “These are incredible. I didn’t know ye were anartist.”

“I’m not. They’re just sketches ofdesigns.”

“Ye’re a fashion designer?” She keeps flipping through the papers. I feel my cheeks grow warm, because next to the designer clothes she can afford, I know mine are justmediocre.

“It’s just ahobby.”

“It’s more than that. Ye’re really good.” She sounds genuinelyimpressed.

I shrug, but a small tickle of pride stirs in my chest. I know these designs are better than any I’ve done before. And I know I have Shane to thank forit.

We’ve gotten into a habit of spending the afternoons side by side, him with his guitar and me with my sketchbooks. Maybe it’s the music, or his presence, but I’ve been inspired lately, the pictures in my head coming into focus, and my fingers have itched to get the designs down onpaper.

After packing my bag, I’m surprised to find a Hummer limousine waiting for usoutside.

Emer shrugs when she sees my expression. “Aiden insisted I take a driver. He doesn’t like me driving on the highway by myself. Plus, it means we can have a few glasses of champagne on the waythere.”

“I think you may just be my new favorite person,” I say when we’re in the limo, and she pops open one of the champagnebottles.

She laughs and hands me a flute. “I really hope my brother doesn’t screw this up. Because I really like ye,too.”

I frown at her comment. “We’re not…together. Shane and I arejust-”

“Friends?” She raises one brow at me, then shakes her head. “He’s practically moved in with ye. I think we can clearly say ye’re more thanthat.”

I reach for the flute she offers, and take a longsip.

“I’ve never seen my brother the way he is with ye. He cares about ye, that’sobvious.”

Her words cause my stomach to flutter with hope, but I quickly push the feelingaway.

“I care about him, too. But you know him better than I do, and we both know he’s not the settling downtype.”

“No one is until they meet the right person.” She winks at me, and I see in her expression that she really thinks I am that person forShane.

And damn if I don’t wish she was right. But I know the truth. Five months from now, I’ll be back home, and I’ll probably never see any of themagain.

But it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my time while I’m here. That’s one lesson Shane has taught me. You have to live in the moment, because you never know what the next second willbring.

An hour into the drive and one bottle of Dom Perignon finished, Emer has me laughing so hard with stories about Shane as a boy, that I’ve got a stitch in mystomach.

“He really was wild,” I say, wiping the tears from myeyes.

“All four of them were.” Emer lifts up another bottle of champagne and raises her brows inquestion.

I nod, and she starts to tear the foilaway.

“I guess the name Wild Irish suitsthem.”

“It was my mom who named them that. Even though they won’t admitit.”

“I can’t imagine Aiden and Owen being like that. Cillian, yes. He still has that whole brooding bad boy thing going on. But, Owen seems so serious. And Aiden, well he looks at you like you hung thestars.”

“They’ve all created and had their own share of trouble over the years. But ye’re right. Shane has definitely taken the longest totame.”

I chuckle at that, and add, “I don’t think he’ll ever betamed.”

She grins at me. “I think he alreadyhas.”

I shake my head, knowing she’s wrong. He has a restlessness to him. And the more time I spend with him, the more I think he’s struggling with more than just not being able to play hismusic.

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