Page 16 of Calling on the Matchmaker
“You have to wipe the moment from your memory,” she insisted.
That would be impossible. “I’ll do my best, but you must know you’re unforgettable, Finola Shanahan.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “You cannot say things like that.”
“What? I can’t tell the truth?” He grinned. “Would you rather I lie?”
“It’s not lying if you restrain yourself.”
“Once you get to know me, you’ll learn I rarely restrain myself.”
“I do not plan to get to know you.” Her voice turned sassy.
“Is that so?” The more he talked to her, the more she intrigued him and the more he wanted to get to know her. “Well, you’ll find I’m irresistible.”
“I’m finding that you’re rather arrogant.”
“And you like me. I can tell.”
“Certainly not, Mr. Rafferty.” She bunched her robe into her fists, twisted around, and started up the next flight of stairs. “I guess I’ll need to keep praying, this time for your wayward soul.”
“Thank you. I need the prayers.”
“Aye, you do.” With a final glare, she ascended the last stepand crossed into the apartment. A moment later, she shut the door behind her and closed him away from view.
As soon as she was gone, he wished she’d come back out and talk to him longer. Something about their exchange brought him to life.
He watched the door for a few more seconds before he retreated down the stairway. Striking up a whistle to an old Irish love ballad, he exited the building and started toward St. Charles Street.
He wasn’t exactly sure what he would say to Bellamy McKenna when he arrived at Oscar’s Pub. But he knew one thing. He no longer needed his dad to convince him to meet with the matchmaker. Riley was going there of his own free will. In fact, there was no other place he wanted to go and nothing he wanted to do more than to tell Bellamy to arrange a meeting with Mr. Shanahan.
Riley whistled all the way to the end of the street before reality hit him harder than a toppling wall of bricks. He stopped short, causing everyone around him to do the same and stare at him expectantly, waiting for him to jump in and rescue somebody.
But the truth was, the one who needed rescuing was him. Being Saint Riley of the Kerry Patch wouldn’t be enough to win over James Shanahan. He had to be and do more to prove that he was worthy enough for the Shanahans and for Finola.
But what could he do that he hadn’t already done? His list of accomplishments included rescuing people from burning buildings, saving passengers from drowning on sinking steamboats, halting deadly brawls, preventing robberies, catching runaway feral livestock, providing fuel during an ice-storm crisis, and more.
Even if he listed everything he’d ever accomplished, his heart told him it wouldn’t be acceptable, not for a man like James Shanahan.
No, he needed better qualifications, something that would truly show he was a worthy man. Would his bid for mayor prove that he had aspirations? Could he somehow convince Shanahan he wasn’t just running for mayor, but that he intended to win?
As he continued the rest of the way, his mind whirled with all his options. Upon entering Oscar’s Pub, the scent of tobacco smoke and beer hung heavily in the air. The dark-paneled barroom contained a few lanterns attached to the wall, providing only dismal light. But oil paintings hung on every wall and were bright and cheerful landscapes of Ireland, many of County Wicklow.“Myhome, the most beautiful country on God’s green earth, so it is,”Oscar McKenna always boasted.“Right on dirtyDublin’s doorstep.”
A polished mahogany bar counter ran the length of the room with the shelves behind it holding rows of spirits in all shapes and sizes. Bellamy was drying a glass and conversing with a patron seated on a stool at the counter.
Since it was still before noon, Oscar wasn’t at his usual table at the back where he conducted business. But the leather ledger where he kept a record of all his matches was there, putting a claim on his spot, a place no one else ever sat. From what Riley had heard, the ledger had been passed down from father to son for several generations of matchmakers.
Would it soon go to Bellamy? Even if not, Riley was too impatient to wait for Oscar. And since Bellamy had been the one to meet with him in the first place and start the matchmaking process, it only seemed right for him to continue.
At the sight of Riley, Bellamy straightened and raised a brow.
Riley grinned as he crossed toward the long counter. “I’m ready for you to set up a meeting with the Shanahans.”
“Are you now?” Bellamy was watching him again, as he had the day he’d come to Riley’s dad’s bedside, as if he was entertained by people and their reactions more than anything else.
Good thing Riley didn’t mind putting on a performance. He spread his arms out wide and faced the few men who were seated around the pub, those who were too old to work or too drunk. “Hey, folks,” he called to them, drawing their attention. “What do you think? Should the matchmaker set me up with Finola Shanahan?”
As the men whistled and cheered their support, he gave a mock bow before he turned back to Bellamy.
