Page 44 of Beside Golden Irish Fields
She huffed a bitter laugh. “That would be the day.”
“Then you’re not in a relationship?”
“Leave her alone,” Carrick said with another glower. “She’s here to paint and help her sister and nephew. Not be getting into the thick of it with you.”
Brady whistled.
Carrick shoved a drink at him. “Let’s change the subject.”
“I’ll help you out there,” Liam said. “Kade, I wonder where your dad has gotten off to. I don’t see him here. Or Donal. But that’s likely since my mother went and henpecked him for today’s antics. Oh, she was mighty cross.”
“So I heard from Cormac O’Sullivan and a few other bystanders who witnessed the show,” Kade said, shaking his head. “Me own mum didn’t seem too cross. I saw her and Dad yelling at each other and then slipping into the shed to make up. I expect that’s why they aren’t here yet.”
“Oh, God!” Angie said suddenly, her mind whirling. “I just realized. I’ve seen your fathers naked. Is that weird?”
Declan laughed. “Only if it happens again. Our mother will be less forgiving next time.”
“Dad told me she made him swear he’d never do it again,” Brady said, “and he refused, sayingneverwas a long time. Look at Eoghan O’Dwyer. Unveiling himself at his age. Donal was a genius to ask him.”
“Speaking of himself,” Kade said. “Donal is here. Liam, is your mother still refusing to see that he’s courting her?”
“I suppose we’ll find out,” he said with a grimace. “Here he comes.”
A giant hand touched her shoulder, and Angie turned her head. Donal towered over her, his hair still a touch wet, making its usual silver look more like mercury in an old thermometer. All conversation in the pub stopped.
“Yank, if you require an apology like your cousin, I’ll give it.”
His mouth was tight, but his shoulders seemed even tighter. Like someone had screwed the bones and sinew together with pliers. Somehow she knew it hadn’t gone well between him and Cousin Bets. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s like your father said earlier. If we can’t have a bit of craic from time to time, then where are we?”
He held out his hand to her, and she shook it.
“Thank you,” he said, his shoulders relaxing a touch. “My father does have his moments, God bless him. Age isn’t great on the body, but it’s good on the soul.”
Angie loved that. She hoped she’d remember it in the morning.
“She give you hell?” Liam asked.
“With the four horsemen as her companions,” Donal said, running a hand through his hair. “She brought her water pistol. Shot me upside the chest again. Liam, I told you the regard I had for your father—God rest him—and your mother when we spoke a few months ago. But after today, maybe I should up and forget about everything I told you. The opinions she has…”
He’d spoken to Liam about his interest in Bets? Liam hadn’t let on that it had gone so far. She thought it a sweet gesture, endearing, although she didn’t want to be disloyal to her cousin.
“Let her cool down, Donal,” Liam said, lowering his hand in the air by degrees like a temperature gauge. “Mum’s mad usually burns through her stubbornness around an issue.”
The door of the pub crashed against the wall, and the conversation died again. Cormac O’Sullivan appeared in the doorway, his book in hand. “We’ve had us a fine day of craic, and since I was involved, I’ve conceded to introduce the next bit, God forgive me. Killian, if you’d be so good as to do your part.”
The large man stepped into the pub, red in the face. “You’re to remember I did this under duress. Gavin, step aside. I need your music player.”
When Killian pushed behind the bar, Gavin tried to head him off, but he stepped back when the man gave him a healthy shove.
Angie leaned forward in her chair like everyone else. The opening of “You Give Love a Bad Name” began to play. Part of the pub groaned. The other part started laughing.
Then the cheering started as Bets, Brigid, Nicola, and Siobhan entered the pub wearing emerald green boxing club robes identical to the ones the men had worn earlier, although theirs were paired with feather boas. They walked toward the bar, people scattering to give them room. Bets pulled out a chair as Bon Jovi’s guitar wept and then used it as a stepping stool to climb onto the bar.
This is going to be fun.
Oh, she envied them their freedom, their self-assurance.
“We’re in for it now,” Liam said, holding his head.
