She looked at her watch. Finn said he’d meet her at O’Malley’s at eight and she was running out of time. She opened her closet and inspected the hanging garments once again, as if something perfect would magically appear.
Her gaze snagged on the big plastic bin of items she had yet to unpack. There were skinny clothes in there from years past, items she loved and didn’t have the heart to let go of.
She moved a few boxes and dragged the tub out of the closet. The top popped off with a sealed snap and she tossed it to the floor. Her hands sifted through a hodgepodge of shirts and jeans that were likely out of date, but she loved them all the same. When she landed on an old pair of perfectly worn-in jeans, she smiled.
She loved those jeans. It was ridiculous for a piece of denim to hold so much nostalgia. Her heart steeled itself for the emotional disparaging that usually followed when trying on clothes.
Slipping out of her sweats, she stood and slid the jeans over her legs. She fell back on the bed and hiked them over her hips, sucking in to do the buttons. She stilled, her mind hollow without a thought as the zipper glided up without a hitch.
Frowning and blinking, she tucked her chin against her chest and tried to see over her boobs. That wasn’t right. She rolled off the bed and went to the mirror. They fit. Holy shit, they fit!
Her hands gathered up her shirt as she twisted in front of her reflection, admiring her hips and hating the bulges that haunted her since adolescence. If she could hide those nasty parts she could wear the jeans.
She returned to her closet and tugged down a loose fitting, swoopy shirt that had a swatch of lase sewn in over the chest. The purple top slid over her skin and she returned to the mirror. She actually looked pretty good. Her fingers tugged the top over her hips and she nodded.
The shoes she intended to wear wouldn’t go and there was a vain part of her that could only go so casual. She dug in her closet and produced a pair of peek-a-boo toed black pumps. Wedging her feet into the heels she stood and smiled. This was an improvement indeed.
As she drove to the bar, the radio gods seemed to be celebrating with her. Nothing but great songs played as she consistently reminded herself she was in her skinny jeans.
As she parked, she looked for Finn’s truck. When she didn’t see it, she hesitated. You can go in without him.
She lamented her lack of wingman only a minute or two before her bolstered, skinny jeans pride insisted she make a move. Locking her car, she grabbed her purse and headed into the bar.
The atmosphere was familiar and unfortunately a reminder of how she’d invisibly slinked out the last time she was there. You can do this.
When she spotted Kelly at the bar, she smiled and made her way in that direction.
“Hey, Philly! Long time no see, m’lady.”
“Hi, Kelly.” She settled onto one of the many vacant stools and checked her watch. It was ten after eight. Finn should be here any minute.
“What are you drinking tonight?”
She ordered a glass of wine, thinking the narrow stem would add a level of sophistication to her look. You’re insane.
Kelly produced a glass of merlot and went to help another patron. Mallory turned and surveyed the bar. Sitting at the bar on the tall stools felt a little like she was on display.
She recalled how Finn had eventually migrated over to one of the booths the last time they’d been there. O’Malley’s was somewhat empty at the moment so she had her pick of the litter. Her gaze settled on the table in the back corner and she plucked up her glass and headed that way.
After sliding into the booth, she placed her glass on the table and settled in for some people watching. The door continuously opened as new people arrived. Each time the bell rang she held her breath waiting for her friend, but suffered a bite of disappointment when a stranger appeared.
The bell rang and in walked a face she recognized. Mallory slumped a little lower, ducking into the shadows and watched as Erin made her way to the bar. Kelly’s welcome of his brother’s girlfriend was indifferent. He handed her a beer and quickly moved on.
Erin wore tight jeans and a fitted, pink flannel with cute tucks over her thin arms. Her shoes were nothing more than flip-flops and her hair was straight and pale gold. Somehow Mallory knew she was one of those girls who didn’t have to bother with straighteners and blow dryers. She was very pretty in a low maintenance way Mallory envied.
She frowned as Erin sidled up to a man in a green T and rugged Levis. Mallory’s frown turned to a protective scowl as Finn’s girlfriend nudged the other man with her hip. The man drew her close, draping his arm over her hip and whispered something in her ear.
The bell above the door rung and Erin immediately put space between her and the man. Her eyes darted to the entrance and she relaxed when a man Mallory didn’t recognize walked in.
Erin whispered to the man. He glanced at the door and whispered something back. Erin smiled and batted her gold lashes, then sauntered away to the bar. Mallory glanced at Kelly who was preoccupied at the bar. Her gaze returned to Finn’s girlfriend who sat alone at the table in the front, her fingers rapidly moving over her phone. Was she texting Finn?
The door opened again and a group of guys came in followed by one young girl with striking red hair. Mallory ducked a little more into the shadows. If Erin was pretty this girl was breathtaking.
The guys all seemed to surround the redhead with a protective air and Mallory wondered what made a girl so lucky. The redhead laughed and slid onto a stool at the bar, resting her arms over the edge of the counter as she shouted for Kelly.
Finn’s brother turned and smiled as a rowdy cheer broke out from the group surrounding the redhead. They were all obviously very close. Drinks were served and the group sidled around the bar like puppies in a barn, each person crowding over the other and reaching for whatever they needed.
Mallory drew back as she saw Erin roll her eyes and shove her phone in her purse. She didn’t look happy. The girl stood and strolled over to the group of newcomers, a fake smile taking the place of her frown just before she made her presence known.
The group turned and Mallory gasped. Every single one of them was beautiful. The redhead glanced at Erin then rolled her eyes, turning back to the bar as if she had better things to do. The men all smiled politely.
Mallory recognized some of them. The blond man she’d never seen before, but the rest of them seemed familiar. Her shoulders tightened when her gaze landed on the man she saw at the market with Finn’s twin.
The bell rang and the door opened. Finnegan and his twin walked in. It was odd that she suddenly had no problem telling them apart. It wasn’t the difference in their tattoos or clothes. It was the glint in their eyes and the set of their shoulders. They were identical, but very different in subtle ways.
Finn had a kindness to his gaze that was absent in his twin’s eyes. His twin looked like a man burdened by secrets. He lacked the ease Finn displayed, as if he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin.
She watched from the shadows as they joined the others at the bar. The redhead, when she spotted them, lit up with a stunning smile, nothing like the uninterested way she greeted Erin.
They were each handed a beer and Finn draped his arm over Erin’s shoulders. His date scowled at him and he seemed to tease her. She shouldered off his touch and he visibly sighed. Was this what his life would be like if he married her?
Mallory searched the bar and saw the guy Erin had first talked to before Finn’s friends arrived. He was watching the group as closely as Mallory had been.
“Hey.”
She turned and found Finn standing beside her table. “Hey.”
He slid into the booth and she glanced nervously back at his group of friends. Erin was leering at them. She cleared her throat and sipped her wine. “Are they your siblings?”
“Yup. Colin and Sammy are coming later. They have to get Tallulah to bed first.”
“Tallulah?”
“My niece. Little devil. I thi
nk she’s God’s way of smiting Colin for giving up his priesthood.”
She choked. “Colin was a priest?”
Finn chuckled. “Almost. He was in seminary for almost ten years. Then he met Sammy.”
“Wow, he must really love her to give up something so meaningful.”
He smiled softly and she recognized the envy in his distant gaze. “Sammy’s something special. She makes Colin a better man than any white collar ever could.”
“Were your parents upset?”
He sniggered. “No, but Braydon was. She was his girlfriend first.”
“Braydon, your brother?”
He tipped his beer, pointing the neck to the blond at the bar. “Yup. He’s over it, though.”
Her eye’s returned to Erin. She didn’t look pleased that her boyfriend was talking to her. “Maybe you should go back over there with your friends.”
He frowned. “They know where I am. If they want me they can come over here.” He eased back, making himself comfortable and stretching out in the booth.
The redhead picked up her beer and flitted over to them, a young guy with blond hair on her trail. “Who’s this?”
Finn shifted his legs, making room and she slid in beside him. “Sheilagh, this is Philly, a.k.a. Mallory Fenton. Mallory, this is my sister, Sheilagh, and my cousin, Patrick.”
“Hi.”
Sheilagh nodded, smiled kindly, and then turned to Finn. “What’s up Erin’s ass?”
He rolled his eyes. “I was late and she had to sit alone for twenty minutes.”
Sheilagh snorted. “Oh, the horror.”
Mallory wanted to point out Erin was only alone for about five minutes in reality, but it wasn’t her place. Patrick straddled a chair at the end of the table and they talked about people Mallory didn’t know.
After about twenty minutes of casual chit-chat, Finn’s sister finished her beer and stood. “Are we ready to kick this off? I want one picture of Braydon hugging the toilet before he goes.”
“You’re evil,” Finn commented, sliding out of the booth behind her.
“You love it.”
The three of them stood and Mallory had to bite back her panic that they were leaving her.
Finn turned. “You coming, Philly?”
She smiled, completely relieved, and slid out of the booth.
He briefly looked over her outfit and smiled. “You look nice.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
They went to the bar and Kelly gave a Cheshire grin as he lined up several shot glasses. Erin sidled up to Finn and hissed something in his ear. He frowned and shook his head, whispered something back and then she stomped off toward the ladies’ room.
Finn pasted on a smile, but Mallory saw through it. Shots were poured and there was a great sense of camaraderie that came with the weight of a shot being pressed into her palm.
“To our golden boy, Braydon. May his last year of school be the best he’s seen yet!” Luke toasted.
The others raised their glasses and shouted, “To Braydon!”
Braydon, who of all the McCulloughs was the fairest of skin and hair, grinned and tipped back his shot. “Solute!” he said, slamming the empty glass back on the bar.
Mallory’s eyes watered as her shot burned a path to her belly. She gasped and slipped the glass back on the bar with a shaky hand. “What was that?”
“’Tis the best Irish whiskey O’Malley’s has to offer,” Finn said.
“It tastes like shit,” she grumbled, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.
He laughed. “Only the first one tastes of shit. After that your taste buds burn away and it’s smooth sailing until morning.”
“How can you drink that?”
“I’m Irish. It’s expected.”
She laughed. “Nothing like proving a negative stereotype wrong.”
He nudged her with his hip. “We try.”
“Hey, I know you,” Luke said, coming to her side.
Finn tipped his head and said, “Yeah, I heard you two met at the market.”
“You thought I was Finn, didn’t you?”
“Sorry about that,” she said, her face heating as she recalled how much of an ass she made of herself that day.
“No problem. So, where’d you come from?”
She, again, explained about how she recently moved from the city and the same connection was made that she would be working with Samantha McCullough in a few days. She hoped the mysterious Samantha would get there soon so she could put a face to the name and maybe have a work ally before her first day.
Mallory finished her wine and excused herself to use the bathroom. She headed past the pool tables in the back and turned down a dark, narrow hall and came up short.
Erin stood, back to the wall and a smile on her face, as the man from earlier braced his arm on the wall above her head. There was no mistaking the intimate pose for anything else. Mallory flushed and pivoted, going back the way she’d come and nearly plowing into Finn as she turned the corner.
“Whoa, Philly. No runnin’ in the bar. Did you find the bathroom? That was fast.”
“Finnegan,” she said, enunciating his name louder than necessary. Hopefully Erin heard her and knocked off whatever she was doing.
He frowned. “You all right?”
“Uh, yeah. That shot must’ve gone to my head.”
“’Excuse me.” She turned as the man who had been practically groping Erin in the hall came out looking innocent.
“What’s up, Tim?” Finn said.
The man, Tim, nodded. “Hey, Finn.” He kept walking. Great. They know each other.
Finn turned to her. “Did you see Erin in there?”
Lie or no lie? Thankfully she didn’t have to answer. Erin came around the corner that very moment. She, too, took on an air of innocence that quickly turned to disapproval when she spotted Mallory. She had some nerve!
Finn smiled and took her hand. Mallory had to look away. She also had to pee since she never made it to the bathroom. “I think I left something in the bathroom,” she mumbled and fled.
When she returned to the bar, the McCullough clan had acquired a large, round table. Erin perched on Finn’s lap, her posture and touch affectionate. Mallory turned away and saw a woman she didn’t recognize.
“Sit here,” Sheilagh called to her, and Mallory settled in to a seat.
Colin turned and his face lifted in surprise. “Ms. Fenton. How are you?”
The formality was awkward and she wondered if it was in bad taste to drink with the man who’d hired her. “I’m good. How are you?” She couldn’t bring herself to call him Mr. McCullough.
Sheilagh shoved him. “Don’t be all formal. Mallory’s a friend.”
Colin looked contrite. “I wasn’t being formal. I was being polite.”
“Whatever. I’m getting a drink. You want another glass of wine, Philly?”
She handed Sheilagh some cash and thanked her. Colin scooted back. “Mallory, this is Sammy, my wife. She teaches AP English at the high school.”
Mallory extended her hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good I hope,” Sammy said. She was an all-natural beauty with dusty lashes and freckles. “Don’t judge me. Tonight’s my last night to let loose before I’m overwhelmed with grading papers.”
Mallory smiled. “Not judging. I plan on doing the same, since I start a new job on Monday.”
* * * *
Finn watched Mallory chat with his sisters and admired how easily she smiled and laughed. Erin was being awfully lovey and he wasn’t sure what changed. Sometimes she was like dealing with a bipolar patient off their meds.
Her breath coasted over his ear, but it didn’t have the same effect such affection normally did. On the contrary, it annoyed him. Tonight was all about hanging out with his siblings before Braydon left for school. He had the sense she was trying to get him to leave early, which would turn into an argument about him picking
his family over her.
“You smell extra good tonight,” she whispered, her breath soft and warm on his neck.
He shifted in his seat and gave her hip a squeeze, not seeing the need to comment.
She sat up, pressing her breasts into his chest. “We should sneak out to your truck for a bit.”
He frowned, pulling his gaze from Mallory who was laughing heartily at something Braydon said. He looked down at Erin. She never—never—made offers to screw around in public places. It wasn’t her style. He, on the other hand, didn’t have a style when it came to sex.
“You’re in rare form tonight,” he teased and she bristled.
“So? Maybe I just want to have some fun for a change.”
She made the comment as if nothing they ever did was fun. “I’m having fun here.”
She groaned and pulled back, her breasts no longer flirtatiously close. “It’s the same shit every Saturday.”
He gave her a warning glance. “It’s Braydon’s last night.”
“And last week was Kelly’s birthday and next will be Sheilagh’s and then your parents’ anniversary and then some other lame reason to come here.”
He stared, unsure how to respond to such clear contempt for his family. “If you don’t want to be here you can go.”
She scowled at him. “Why, so you can cozy up with your new friend? Where did she even come from?”
He drew back and grimaced. His eyes flickered over to Mallory who caught his glance and gave him a questioning look. She couldn’t have heard Erin’s comment. He nudged Erin off his lap. “Come with me.”
He led her out of the bar and into the parking lot, turning her back against the brick siding. “What’s the problem, Erin?”
She snatched her hand away and glared at him with nothing more than contempt. “What do you think? Every time I turn around you’re talking to that girl.”
“So? She’s my friend.”
“Since when, Finn? You have a girlfriend. She can go find another guy to pester.”
He drew back. “You’re jealous.”
That seemed to outrage her. “Of her?” She scoffed. “Hardly.”
“Well, maybe you should be. She’s a nice person.”