Page 63 of After Indigo Irish Nights
They both laughed, and when he pulled to a stop in front of the well-lit house, he locked his jaw as Sorcha appeared in the car’s headlights.
“Shall I run her over?” he asked teasingly.
“You’d only run through her and into your house. I suppose we better get it over with and see what she wants.”
Kathleen exited and he followed.
“How was your date tonight, you two?” Sorcha preened.
Declan glared at her. “You’re a right bother, do you know that? Go haunt someone else.”
“I only wanted to tell you how good you look together,” she said, her smile as wide as a rainbow. “This time you’re spending together will reap good fruit. Enjoy it!”
She vanished.
“Typical,” Kathleen muttered. “Delivers a cryptic comment and then disappears.”
He shook his head. “I never knew her to be such a busybody when she was alive.”
“Death becomes her,” Kathleen joked and then laughed out loud. “Have you seen the old classic with Meryl Streep?” Her expression brightened further. “Hey, do you want to watch a movie? We’ve never done that.”
He took her hand as they walked to the front door. “What’s a movie? I’ve been working so much I’ve never heard of them.”
“Funny, Ace!”
He was aware it was the second time she’d used that name in a short timeframe. She always did it when she wanted distance. He knew she was more guarded with him since he’d left her at the bar the other night. She hadn’t fully let that hurt go yet. “It’s Declan.”
“Right.”
Her voice was rich with irony. He decided to tease her into relaxing. “And I most definitely am not watching a movie about a ghost.”
“It’s not totally a ghost movie, but if you have your heart set on one, we could watch the chick flick ghost romance with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.”
Chick flicks and ghosts? “No way in hell.”
She laughed and nudged him with her body. At the door, he let her precede him inside. He realized she was nervous as she clutched his hand. She probably had another “Ace” in her.
“Hi, Liam!” Ellie called when they entered the house. “We’re in the parlor.”
Kathleen put her finger to her lips and let go of his hand to tiptoe to the doorway, where she pressed herself against the wall. He stayed where he was, watching in amusement. She obviously planned to scare her friend.
“Liam?” Brady’s heavy footsteps sounded, and then he was stepping into the entry hall.
“Boo!” Kathleen shouted.
His brother let down every McGrath for seven generations by squealing like the fatted hog. Exactly as he’d done when someone had scared him as a child.
“Jesus fucking—” Brady pressed a hand to his chest as Declan and Kathleen burst out laughing.
“That was terrible,” Ellie said, appearing in the doorway, fighting laughter.
“I was hoping it would be you, babe,” Kathleen said, snorting with laughter, “but I’ll take Brady. Oh, that was fun!”
“Fun?” Brady gave a proper scowl. “If that’s fun, I’ll have to watch out for you. Or maybeyoushould watch out for me, Kathleen O’Connor.”
She shook her hands in the air. “I’m so scared.”
Ellie hugged Brady, chuckling softly. “You guys stopping in for something?”
