Page 40 of Beer & Broomsticks
“Could be, in part,” Bridget admitted with a short laugh. “I don’t know what to do about Ruairí. He holds a key place in my heart, but I’ve little faith he won’t hurt me again.” Honesty was important to her, and if Ruairí betrayed her again, it wasn’t going to end well. She might take her rolling pin to him like she’d planned to do to Moira.
“And you’re afraid to take him at his word?”
“Aye.”
“What if he does something you view as a betrayal but isn’t really? How do you plan to reconcile the two?”
“You don’t need to be posing the hard questions. I’ve enough shite running through my mind as it is.” Bridget smiled to soften the sting of her words.
“If it helps, I see a man in love. It’s not to say men in love don’t betray the women they commit to, because I’ve been there, and they absolutely do. But I can say I’d be gobsmacked if Ruairí was one of those.”
“He kissed another once,” she said, just to see Piper’s reaction. The indignation was gratifying, but she felt the need to clarify, so she explained the trick Ruairí had played when they were barely out of nappies.
“He did it to provoke your jealousy? What aneejit!”
There was something about Piper using the Irish version of the word that tickled Bridget’s funny bone, and she couldn’t prevent a giggle. When they made eye contact, they both laughed until they cried, wiped the tears of mirth away, then laughed some more.
“Sure, and I don’t know why we’re laughin’, do you?”
“No idea, but it’s funny, regardless.” Piper rose and stretched her back, which caused her protruding stomach to jut out farther. She groaned and rubbed her belly. “Nature calls. This one likes to sleep directly on my bladder.”
Bridget stood and began gathering the dishes. “After I pop home, I’ll send my brother to you.”
“No need. Take a night off and let him take care of the business for a while. You deserve a day to yourself, my friend.” Piper grinned and flared her eyes wide. “Besides, I’m going to soak in a hot bath and read smutty romance novels as I eat chocolate covered bonbons.”
“Go start your water. I’ll clean this up and fix you a bite for dinner.”
She removed the dishes from Bridget’s hands and placed them back on the coffee table. “What part of take a night off don’t you get, woman? Call that smoking hot admirer of yours, go out to dinner, or order in, and bump some nasties. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.” She laughed when Bridget rolled her eyes. “From what I saw on the front porch, the man knows his way around a female body. Not to mention you looked mighty invested in his expertise.”
“Go on with ya!” Bridget scolded with a laugh. “I need to message my ride home.”
With a kiss on the cheek, Piper narrowed her eyes and poked a finger in her direction. “Don’t eventhinkabout cleaning this up! I mean it.”
“Pfft. What is it you always say to Cian? ‘You’re not the boss of me.’”
The two shared a grin, and Bridget was left to her own devices. After shooting a quick text to Ruairí, she began gathering the cups and plates to put on the serving tray. Within a minute, he’d arrived and took the tray from her hands.
“Do you know the way to the kitchen?”
A woman could easily become spoiled by this man. From the day he began helping at Lucky’s, he wouldn’t let her lift anything heavy, and he was quick to jump in and assist with any chores that needed doing. And until this very moment, she’d been unappreciative of his attentiveness.
“Thank you, Ruairí. For everything. The pub, the protection, this.” She shrugged off his surprise, embarrassed by her previous lack of manners. “You deserve my gratitude and not my surly attitude.”
“Your surly attitude is part of your charm,mo ghrá. I’d not have you any other way.”
When she raised her brows in disbelief, he grinned.
“I’m tellin’ ya true, Bridg. When you give others shite for whatever they do to deserve your wrath, it heats my blood. You’ve a fire in you that calls to the one in me.”
“You’re a few pints short of a full keg,” she said with affection. “But I’d not have you any other way either.”
“It’s settled then. You don’t be throwing around gratitude all somber-like, and I won’t fall dead at your feet in shock, yeah?”
She laughed and led him to the kitchen.
* * *
As Bridget preparedthe evening meal, she ruminated over the day’s events. Adult Ruairí was impossible to resist when he turned on the charm. He’d been a fun-loving and flirty boy, but the man he’d become was someone she definitely wanted to know more about. He seemed to be someone who had used his life experiences to mold him into a trustworthy, caring man who looked out for his own. Who could be depended on when the chips were down and things got dicey.
