Page 55 of After Indigo Irish Nights
Declan wandered over to his father after that. “You all right, Dad?”
“It’s hard to remember sometimes I’m not in charge anymore,” he replied, pulling a face.
“You need only ask me,” his mother said, poking her husband with a knitting needle for emphasis.
That was Declan’s cue to head back to the bar, where his friends had returned to their spot to watch the judging. Kathleen, still behind the bar, stepped in front of him with a challenge in her eyes.
“Hiya,” he simply said, losing track of everything around him. She took up his whole world when she looked at him.
“Hi back,” she responded, her mouth twitching. “Fancy a pull?”
He had to bite his lip to hold back his laughter. He knew just what kind of pull she meant, and wasn’t she clever to use the Irish way of giving a phrase a double meaning?
“I would, yes,” he managed, muffling his laughter with a cough.
“I’ll give it my all,” she said, leaning on the bar top, her neck a long line of grace and smoldering beauty. “Don’t you worry.”
She was going to kill him on the spot. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.
“Isn’t she lovely?” Jamie said to him, nudging his arm. “I’d say the fairies have managed to bring us the nicest and prettiest Yanks in all of America.” His nose crinkled. “Wait a moment. Do you smell oranges?”
“Watch the contest,” Declan ground out, although he smiled sweetly at Kathleen when she placed his beer in front of him. As expected, it was absolutely delicious, and he had to pull his gaze from her in order to keep his cool, especially with Jamie at his side, clearly disturbed by the smell of mischief that meant Sorcha.
Never let it be said that some judges didn’t milk the competition for all it was worth. Fergus claimed he needed another tasting round to be sure. Seamus agreed and Kade joined in, then Bets looked at Lisa Ann, and they both signaled another round as well.
After serving the judges their second round, Brady and Kathleen filled a couple of glasses for themselves, and Brady hoisted his up. “To a wonderful Yank and pretty damn good bartender. You have a job if you want one, the judges’ findings notwithstanding.”
She clinked her beer against his brother’s. “Thanks, Brady. It would break my brother’s heart if I worked in another pub besides our family’s, but given how happy you’ve made my best friend here, I might make an exception. Of course, I’m not going to have much time since I’m here to build a kick-ass sculpture people from miles around will come and see.”
She hadn’t mentioned all the precious time she was spending with him, of course, or her best friend. Come to think of it, they hadn’t much declared they were a couple to the village yet. Well, there’d be time for that later tonight.
“My loss, but the village’s gain,” Brady replied with a grin.
“My gain too,” Ellie said, lifting her glass. “So many people are happy you’re here, Kathleen.”
That was Declan’s cue to raise the beer she’d pulled for him. “Slainte,” he said, and with his gaze holding hers, he added, “I don’t believe I’ve tasted better.”
Ellie choked on her beer while Liam let out a chortle before muffling it. Brady’s eyes widened, but he reached across the bar top and patted Ellie’s arm, murmuring encouragement as her choking turned to laughter.
Kathleen’s mouth widened into a full, breathtaking grin. “Good to hear, Declan. Good to hear.”
“I smell oranges again,” Jamie whispered, eyes wide.
This time Liam whispered back, “Oh, drink your beer, man.”
“The judges have finished their scoring,” Cormac shouted, making all conversation cease. “Jamie, being the certified math expert around here, come help me, boy.”
Liam had to slap their ghost-averse friend on the back to bring him around. He rose with a rueful shake of his dark head.
“Poor man,” Liam told him close to his ear. “Carrick told me Jamie fainted dead away when he saw Sorcha back when she was helping him with Angie.”
“Fainted?” Declan asked. “She probably enjoyed that, but it’s not very kind, is it? He’s been afraid of ghosts since he was a boy.”
“He used to race past any haunted houses or churchyards we’d pass,” Liam said with a nod. “He’s still leery of visiting us at Summercrest even though I told him I cleaned it energetically.”
Declan still had no idea what that meant, but he trusted Liam. If he did something, it wasn’t just for show—it had a purpose. “Jamie is looking pretty green. I’m going to make sure he can handle the math with the light-headedness. Be right back.”
When he reached Cormac and Jamie, the bookie wiped his brow. “I called Jamie over to make the scoring seem complicated.”
