Page 63 of Almost Priest

“I think you’re all a bunch of drunks.”

He laughed and faced her. He really did have the most mesmerizing eyes. His heart shaped face and scrappy elfin hair made her feel like she was in the company of a fictional character of lore.

“Now, look who is talking. I give you one wee flask and yer tongue becomes as sharp as a sward. I believe you’ll fit right in just fine with the lot of us. Look at ye, lyin’ in the middle of a field, piss drunk, before you’ve even had lunch. It’s like my Morai always said,A McCullough lying on the floor is the only kind of McCullough who will drink no more.”

“Well I’m not a bloody McCullough!” she said tipping the flask to her lips and taking another sip. When she found it empty she shook it above her face and frowned.

“A-ha, seems to me you’ve taken all yer toasts.”

“Do you have any more?”

He laughed. “’Friad not, love. I’ll have to be getting you home soon anyway. I’ve work in a few hours.”

“I don’t want to go back.”

He turned to her and watched her for a moment. His blue eyes seeing parts of her she wished she could keep hidden, but such was the sadness of being drunk in a ball field.

“Do you love him, Sammy?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she whispered back.

“Then he’s a fool.”

Enough said.

They lay in the field for a while longer, not talking about anything too serious. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sam knew she was getting sunburn and probably had a dozen more freckles on her nose to show for it, but she didn’t care.

When Kelly finally helped her to her feet she toppled right back to the ground and realized how drunk she actually was. The dugout wavered like a seesaw and home base looked like a tilt-a-whirl.

He helped her to the truck and even buckled her in. As he walked around the car to the driver’s side, dread built inside of her at the thought of returning and feeling dejected even more. Kelly climbed in andpaused when he saw her expression.

“No, no, we’ll have none of that. I didn’t give you my good hooch so you could piss it away on tears and sorrows. Where’s the smile I saw minutes ago?”

“I lost it,” she slurred, slouching against the seat to face him.

“Well, perhaps not all is lost. Your time here is not over yet and farther more Colin is no bloody better than the rest of us. He’s no priest as of yet. Who’s to say how things may change between now and then?”

“He wants to take his vows, Kelly. He’ll do it. I know him.”

Kelly smiled sadly at her and lovingly touched her cheek. She would’ve been uncomfortable had anyone else done so, but that was just Kelly, openly affectionate. “He wants you too, love. That’s the crux of it all, that he can’t have you both. He loves his church. She’s all he’s ever opened himself to, but he loves you too, Sammy.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can’t compete with Gob.”

“Gob?”

“You know what I mean. God! This is all your fall. You and your damn whiskey. God, I can’t compete withGod.”

“Ah, but the church and God are two different matters entirely. No one said if he has you he can’t have his God as well.”

“That’s not what he wants. I know he loves me, but he loves the church more. I would always be the mistress who ruined what could have been a perfect marriage.”

“Well, if that’s true then he’d better be damn sure because I have no doubt that someone will wife you up in no time a’tall. And while an Irishman may be able to go twenty years without kissing his wife, he’ll kill the man that does.”

That made her smile.

“Thanks, Kelly. For everything, but Colin couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Her eyes grew heavy so she shut them for a bit.

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