Beers, Hens, and Irishmen (Warbler's Point Series) Read online

  “Fiona, can I please see you again?”

  Uh, oh. This was exactly what she didn’t need right now. Things were already complicated with Murphy and the last thing she needed was to fall for some tourist who was going to leave in a couple of weeks because she could see herself falling for Booker, falling for him hard.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea Booker. You won’t be here very long.”

  “That’s not true, I’m here for a couple of months and I don’t know anyone. Please, just as friends. When do you get off tonight?”

  She thought about his offer. Just friends? She could do that, who didn’t want to be friends with an extremely attractive man? Something in the back of her mind was telling her to walk away but she turned that feeling off and agreed to meet up with him after her shift. That would give her time to prepare herself, pull herself together and be a good friend. A neighbor, a helpful hand to a new person in town, that’s all it was.

  ***

  Finn watched Fiona carefully from the bar when she was talking to the Sheila of the night. The guy looked like trouble and he didn’t like it. He was too good looking, like Hollywood good looking and he didn’t want his sister falling for a guy that would only be in town for a couple of weeks and then leave her with a broken heart. No he needed to make sure she concentrated on tying things together with Murphy.

  He went into the kitchen where Liam was slaving over a potato stew. The smells permeated his senses and made his stomach growl with need. Liam was always the better chef out of the two of them. He had their ma’s talents.

  “Damn, that smells good.”

  Startled, Liam turned around and said, “You scared me. Thanks.” Liam adjusted his apron and regained his composure. “How’s it going out there tonight?”

  “Things are winding down. Our sister made herself a friend.”

  Liam turned around wiping his hands on a dish towel and said, “What kind of friend?”

  “A male friend.”

  Liam quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t like the sounds of that. Who is he?” Liam poked his head out the swinging door trying to get a glimpse of the new guy.

  “He was the Sheila.”

  “No shit. Has our sister completely gone bollocks? What about Murphy?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t trust the guy. He’s too good looking.”

  Liam continued to check the man out and nodded in agreement. “He is defiantly too good looking. I mean we are good looking men, but he is like a model. We don’t get many of them in these parts.”

  “Aye. I think we need to keep an eye on him.”

  “Agreed, tell Bradon. With our luck, he will be staying at The Sleeping Potato.”

  “That would be convenient. Let’s not let Fiona know our feelings about him because she will just fight us tooth and nail. I say we keep our distance but do some background work. There just is something about him I don’t trust. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “I think it’s his clothes, fancy shit that lad is wearing.”

  “Too fancy.” Changing the subject Finn asked, “How’s Neala? Should I expect another sleepover tonight?”

  Liam shook his head. “No, we didn’t completely work out our problems but I can’t stay away from her for that long. I love her, we just had a disagreement .”

  “About what?”

  “She doesn’t want any more kids and I do.”

  “But she’s Irish catholic. How could she not want more kids?”

  “Beats the hell out of me. Something about being her own woman and wanting to be a writer. She said she needs time to herself to write, not chasing around kids and changing dirty diapers.”

  Finn tasted the stew Liam was slaving over put quickly put the spoon down because the moment the stew his mouth it burnt the hell out of his tongue. Liam chuckled and Finn continued their conversation. “Maybe let her pursue her writing for a while and then offer up the idea of kids again.”

  “I thought about that.” Liam pushed his hand through his hair. “But I’m not getting any younger. I don’t want to be sixty when my kids are graduating from high school, you know?”

  “Don’t you mean eighty. Your, what? Fifty now?” Finn enjoyed making fun of Liam’s age since he was the oldest out of the four of them. Mid thirties wasn’t old but Finn never let Liam forget he was the oldest.

  “Fuck off.” Liam said while flicking a towel at Finn’s leg. Finn grabbed the towel at the right time and returned the snap of the towel on Liam’s arm.

  “Son of a bitch.” Liam screamed. That did it, Liam ripped the towel from Finn’s hands and pulled him into a headlock while putting his leg behind Finn’s causing him to fall backward. Liam landed on top of Finn causing all of the air to exit his lungs. They wrestled around on the ground throwing in cheap shots to the ribs when they got a chance. They heard the swing of the kitchen door and the tapping of a foot on the floor.

  “You two are idiots.”

  Fiona stood above them with a disgusted look on her face and her arms folded across her body.

  “When you two are done being Neanderthals, you can close up? Our last patron left and I finished cleaning up the tables a few minutes ago. Finn, run up the register and Liam clean up the kitchen. I will see you two tomorrow.”

  Finn and Liam looked at each other confused. “Who put you in charge?” asked Liam.

  “Someone has to be while you two are acting like morons rolling around on the floor. Now I’m meeting someone, I will see you later.”

  With that announcement they both sprang off the floor and followed her out of the kitchen into the dining area where she grabbed her coat and scarf. There was a car outside the pub with its lights on, idling. Most likely the Sheila.

  “Where are you going?” Asked Finn.

  “None of your business. Get to work or you will be here all night.”

  “When will you be home.”

  She scowled at both of them and then left the pub without saying a word. Damn.

  “She is with the Sheila.” Exclaimed Finn while thrusting his arm in the air.

  Liam chuckled and said, “We better watch out for her, I can see her getting herself into some trouble.”

  Finn and Liam finished cleaning up the pub and packed it up for the night. As he ran the register he was thankful for another successful night. Their business was really starting to boom and with the upcoming Halloween weekend, things were going to start to look even better. Maybe they would be able to hire someone else so he could take that much needed vacation. Possibly meet a gorgeous blonde on a beach somewhere and roll around naked in the sand. A man could dream.

  ***

  Booker waited in his car for a what seemed like hours. He started to get a little nervous that Fiona might have changed her mind until he saw her pop out of the pub door wearing a bright blue wool coat with attached hood, a yellow scarf and a cute yellow knitted hat that hung off the back of her head. He felt himself starting to lose control again and he needed to reign himself back in.

  He had the heater on blast so when she got in he watched her sink into the heat of the car.

  “It feels so good in here. Even though I have lived here all my life I will never get used to the cold. I can’t imagine how you’re fairing.”

  He looked into her eyes and said, “I’m fairing quite well right now actually.”

  He watched a blush creep over her face before she turned away to grab her seat belt. “Where to?” He asked.

  “Stop over at the gas station first and then I will tell you where to go.”

  Intrigued, he drove in the direction of the gas station, she got out and was back in a matter of minutes carrying a bag and two cups of hot liquid.

  “Alright lets go.”

  She lead him through some back roads until they came up to a parking area that looked over a pond, the pond that was the backyard to the cabin he was staying at. She got out of the car, so instinctively he followed her. There was an old picnic table right next to the p
ond that she sat on top of. When he sat down next to her she handed him a cup of what smelled like cider and then opened up the beg which carried two donuts.

  She handed him one and said, “Here, every person who comes to Vermont in the fall must have hot cider and cider donuts.”

  He smiled and took the donut. The cider was a little too hot still but the donut was delicious. They ate in silence as they watched the fog roll off the crest of the pond. The moon bounced off the ponds reflection producing enough light where he could see her facial features and beautiful eyes.

  She broke the silence. “This is one of my favorite places to go. My parents bed and breakfast is on the other side of the pond and when I was young I would walk over here to fish. I would get the most bites here. My da built this picnic table for me so I had somewhere to eat my lunch and put my tackle box.”

  The thought of a little bright eyed Fiona carrying a tackle box and fishing rod around the pond made his heart melt instantly. What a simple life she had. He was envious. She grew up in the country enjoying the land God created and he lived in a city full of smog and practically impossible standards to live up to.

  “I can see why this is your favorite place, it’s so beautiful and serene. I envy you. This was your backyard. I can see why you want to travel and capture such perfection in your lenses. How could you not, when your back yard looks like this. My backyard was the size of a hallway. Our neighbors were so close we could pretty much pass soap to each other through the window while we were showering?”

  She shoved him with her shoulder. “That’s not true.”

  “Pretty close to the truth. Look at this though” He spread his arms out gesturing to the landscape sitting in front of him. “God you were lucky.”

  “I guess so.” She said sheepishly while taking another sip of her cider.

  Silence passed between them. He wanted to know more about her, ask about her childhood, find out all her likes and dislikes but he didn’t want to press too hard. She barely agreed with seeing him tonight.

  She startled him when she asked, “Why are you here, Booker?”

  The million dollar question, he decided to be honest with her. “Running away.”

  “From what?”

  “Life.” He took another sip of his cider and sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “I’m a good listener.” She placed her glove covered hand on his.

  Looking down at her hand connecting with his and then back up at her eyes he had an urge to kiss her. It was a powerful urge that almost over took his body but he contained himself. No, he would not kiss her, he didn’t want to scare her away.

  “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

  She retracted her hand and said ok. Crap. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings by not confiding in her but he also didn’t want to give away who he was, not right now at least. He just got to Vermont, he just got away and he just met her. It was too early.

  “Sorry, I’m still trying to deal with everything but basically life wasn’t as cracked up as it was supposed to be in LA and I needed a break, I needed a change.”

  “I know what you mean.” She was sitting cross legged staring at her shoes, playing with her shoelaces. He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him.

  “What do you mean? It seems like you have such a nice life here.” He asked softly.

  “I might have a nice life, but I want more. I want to see more and experience more.”

  “Me too.” He said with a sigh.

  “I thought you have been to a bunch of different places.”

  “I have but not really for pleasure, always for work. I want to be that crazy tourist who carries around a camera taking pictures of everything, wearing a fanny pack and a Hawaiian shirt. I want to ask people to take my picture in front of some crazy huge ball of yarn or a statue of a beaver someone thought was necessary to place on the side of a road. I want to experience the world through different eyes.”

  When he looked up she was looking directly into his eyes and he felt his mouth go dry. She was so beautiful and charming it made him want to be a better man. She made him think about things and dream of things he never thought was possible for him to have. He lived in such a world where people used him that he forgot how genuine a human could be, oh lovely and intriguing a member of the opposite sex could be.

  She licked her lips gently and that was all the invitation he needed. He caressed her cheek with his thumb and ran his hand down her neck till he cupped her nape. He urged her closer and she showed no resistance. He looked into her eyes searching for some kind of warning to tell him to back off but when she looked down at his lips, he knew she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He brought her in all the way and lightly kissed her lips with his.

  Her hand slipped up his arm and buried itself into his hair. Her gloved hand felt funny but comforting at the same time. He continued to deliver light kisses across her lips until she pulled him closer and parted her lips for him. Waves of pleasure rolled through his body and he felt his jeans starting to get tighter. His tongue met hers and they danced in each other’s mouths. A low moan released from the back of her throat as he pulled her even closer to his body.

  He needed to be closer, he needed to feel her skin on his but their jackets, gloves and scarfs were in the way. Damn this cold weather. His body temperature kept rising as she pushed herself closer toward him closing the gap even farther till there was nothing between them besides clothes. He never thought a kiss could be so erotic. When she kissed, she kissed with her soul. She touched him in places he had never been touched before and he felt the cold blackness that surrounded his heart slowly start to melt away.

  He placed his hand on her thigh and slowly moved it up her leg. She froze and pulled away. He instantly felt cold creep over him again. She rubbed her lips with her hand and looked at him with a shocked expression. Please don’t say it, he thought.

  “Oh my God, I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry that was a mistake.

  Damn, not what he wanted to hear. She got off the table, gathered their trash and headed for his car. She waited on her side for him to unlock the door. Instead of unlocking it he went over to her and pressed her against the car. He towered over her, lifting her chin up he made her look at him.

  “That was not a mistake, at least not for me. That was one of the best kisses I have ever experienced.” He cupped her face and stroked her face with his thumbs. “You turn me on, Fiona. More than any other woman and you are wearing more clothes than the normally skimpy clad women that throw themselves at me.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to lead you into thinking something was going to happen tonight.”

  He put a finger over her lips to quiet her. “I just wanted to hang out with you and get to know you better. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way by kissing you.”

  Shaking her head she said, “You weren’t the only person who was kissing and I wasn’t uncomfortable, I was the exact opposite.”

  Her confession brightened his whole outlook for the evening. Confident with himself again he kissed her forehead and opened her car door for her. He helped her in and snapped in her seat belt for her. On his way back up he caressed her cheek again and placed a very gentle kiss on her lips. She tasted so sweet he couldn’t help himself and she didn’t pull away so that was a plus for him.

  As he drove her back to her place he thought about how in just one day he met what seemed like the girl of his dreams and already was starting to find some inner peace he hadn’t had in quite some time. Things were looking up for him.

  Chapter 4

  What was Fiona thinking last night? She chastised herself the entire night after Booker dropped her off at her apartment. When she started to get out of his car, he stopped her and pulled her in close. He gave her a light kiss on the lips as a good bye but her raging hormones turned it into a five minute make-out session. What was wrong with her?

  Yes he was extremely attractive, even
with the Sheila bonnet on. He had one of the sexiest smiles she had ever seen with little dimples she wanted to dig her fingers into. Last night, while trying to get some sleep she thought about how Booker’s best friend must be a dentist because who honestly had a smile that good, teeth polar white and perfectly even? Why was a simple smile turning her into a teenage girl with no boundaries?

  It wasn’t just the smile. It was his aspirations. They shared the same desire to explore the world and she could see herself in him. His eyes read the same story hers did. Trapped in a life that was not quite meant for her but dealing with it to appease other people. Last night she felt their souls connecting, something she never experienced with a man, definitely not Murphy. The only thing connecting between her and Murphy were their private parts.

  She shook her head thinking of Murphy, what a nightmare. Her family was on the Murphy train, destination wedding bells for Fiona. She liked Murphy and good God was he hot but that was pretty much it. She found him extremely sexy and his brogue was to die for but it wasn’t enough for her. She wanted more. She needed more. She wasn’t going to settle, like she had settled the rest of her life.

  She had to stop by his shop to pick up her costume he got for her, Lord knows it would be something skimpy. What would Booker think if he saw them together at the party? Would he try to take out Murphy and defend her honor? Would he try to claim her as his? Wishful thinking. Anyway, he wouldn’t be attending the Halloween party because they ran out of tickets at the pub yesterday so hopefully he didn’t get one. Not that is should matter if he was there or not or if either one of them saw her with a different man. She hadn’t made any commitment to either man.

  She slipped out of her apartment as quietly as possible. There was no way she wanted to face her brothers this morning and answer their questions about her outing with the Sheila. Booker would never live that name down, that is if they ever became involved. If they became involved? She needed to slow her thinking down, there was no way they could become involved, unless she wanted her heart to be broken. Rule number one about living in a tourist town: Don’t get involved with the tourists, they will leave eventually. Maybe she should give Murphy a better chance, he at least is a local, a sexy local.