Page 2 of Surrender
Sophie had been staying at Liam’s off and on for weeks now, so the move wasn’t a surprise. Neither was the wedding, which was only days away. And Keefe would be the proudest brother Ireland had ever seen when she walked down that aisle. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t miss her dearly. Sure, they still owned O’Brian’s Taproom together, but working with someone and living with someone were two different things. These days when he returned home from a day at work, instead of enjoying a laugh with his sister, he was alone. And in case you’re wondering, his shadow was not good company.
“Hey, Soph?” he called out.
“Yeah?” came her voice from the bedroom, followed by a muffled curse and the clatter of a tape dispenser hitting the floor.
Keefe smiled and said, “I’ll load these boxes into the car now.”
“Okay. Thanks. Hey, I’m not going to Liam’s tonight. Thought maybe you and I could hang out. Just us. I feel like I’ve hardly seen you outside the pub.”
He lifted a box into his arms, warmth blooming in his chest. “I’d like that,” he said, then over his shoulder, “Let’s order pizza.”
“Pepperoni and sausage?” she called back.
As if they would get anything else. They’d been ordering the same pizza since they were seven, back when they talked their parents into letting them try every pie on the menu—every single one. Even the anchovy and olive disaster. They had each taken one bite, made matching faces of horror, and spat it out in perfect unison, declaring it the worst food on earth.
But the pepperoni with sausage? That one stuck. It wasn’t just their favorite, it became tradition. One small, greasy symbol of who they were: always in sync, always side by side. It was one of the first of many twin quirks that had quietly stitched their lives together.
By the time he returned, she was flipping through the pizzeria’s menu even though she knew the number by heart. It was the ritual, not the result, that mattered. Keefe leaned against the counter, arms folded, while she made the call and placed the order.
“How many more boxes have you got? The trunk is full but the whole backseat is empty.” She really had come with just about nothing.
“Just one small one.”
He nodded and studied her for a beat. “So, tell me, why are you spending one of your last evenings of freedom with me instead of letting our aunts throw you a bachelorette party? You never had one before and they throw a great party.” Keefe snorted a laugh as he recalled Sondra’s bachelorette party that him and the rest of the O’Brian men crashed. He smiled remembering they had arrived at the door just in time to send the stripper packing. It had turned out to be the best party ever.
“Sondra’s party was one crazy night, wasn’t it?” Sophie laughed too remembering that day. “But you know I’m hardly the type for strippers and pin the penis and honestly? I’d rather spend time with my jerk brother before I officially move out.” Sophie opened the refrigerator door and retrieved two beers then turned back handing one to her brother. “I feel like I’m abandoning you.”
She wasn’t abandoning him. She was finally going to live the life she was meant to with Liam. Keefe couldn’t begrudge her that. Especially when he was the one who got that ball rolling in the first place. All he wanted was for his sister to be happy and now she was. “Time with my sister sounds perfect.”
He was happy for her. Truly.
But in a few days time, he’d be rambling around this house on his own with nothing to keep him company except the plants.
Sophie took a bite of the cheesy pizza and pulled it away from her mouth, letting the cheese pull in one long string away from her mouth. “So, what will you do with yourself after I move out?”
Keefe took a loud slurp of beer then said, “Dunno. Find a hobby I guess? Connor is busy being a dad, Simon is busy covering for Connor at work and being a newlywed, even aunt Nan is a newlywed and now you…”
“See? You do feel like I’m abandoning you.”
“Fine, yes. Happy now?” Disagreeing was futile--seeing as she was right and all.
“Maybe now you’ll find yourself a girlfriend. You don’t need me in the way.”
Pfft. Just the chance for his sister to be in the way was a fine thought. “I think I’ve given up on that. Besides, every girl I bring home, you hate.”
“I didn’t hate all of them,” she said, selecting another slice of pizza. She didn’t give one thought to the fact that she had a wedding dress to fit into.
Keefe barked a laugh. “Name one you liked and you can have this last chicken wing.” He picked up the last spicy wing from the container and held it up as her prize.
She thought, took a sip of beer, and thought some more, then took a bite of pizza and thought longer. All the while, Keefe was giving her that look—with one raised eyebrow.
“Well, what about Krystle?”
“Which one? Krystle Holcomb or Nelson?”
“There were two?” Good Lord, there had been so many even he couldn’t remember them all.
“Nelson.”
