“See ya around,Nathair Bheag.” He brushed the back of his finger down my chin and smiled softly, walking away and leaving me utterly speechless for several minutes afterwards. I heard the van outside crank and leave. I stood there fighting every part of my unruly fucking body that was screaming to run after him. Once I finally had the nerve, I went to the domestic part of the house and found Dad in the kitchen, both the girls squabbling in the dining room over whose turn it was with the pink crayon.
He scrubbed dishes from their lunch and turned his chin over his shoulder to look at me. “Heyyyy, Little Bean. You—” It must have still been written all over my face. He shut the water off and grabbed the towel as he turned around to face me. “What’s wrong?”
“Tell me you didn’t know who was delivering that casket. Are you part of this?”
He looked puzzled. I know my dad. I already have my answer, but I almost can’t believe that Greg found him and set this all up. “Part of what? Who is it?” He studied me for a minute while I thought up a whole lot morenothing, and smirked a little. “It’s the Batmobile guy, isn’t it?”
“Can people change, Dad?Reallychange? Even if the best parts of them stay the same?” Dad took my hands and squeezed.
“If we’re lucky…we always change for the better, Beans.”
Lucky…
We’ve had so much of that in some of that time together. So little of it in others.
“…But me never got so lucky, as the day I called ‘ye mine…”
I looked past him out the kitchen window, my heart flopping around when I spotted the van…parked at Desiree’s. And I know exactly why he’s there. “I’ll be back, Dad.” He followed my line of sight, smiling when he saw it, and nodded to himself.
“I’ll order an extra pizza.”
CHAPTER 29
The… Execu–um…The Delivery Guy
Okay, so maybe I’m a pussy after all…but Ididwalk through that door today. I told her I’d kept my word, and I left her alone. It’s the absolute truth…sort of. There was the one time that I snuck in while she wasn’t home and found the Girthmaster in her rubbish bin. Mr. Floppy doesnotbelong there. I’m not sure if she knows it was cleaned and stuffed back into her naughty drawer. I’m not quite sure that she wouldn’t have put it back there herself at some point anyway. And there was that one phone call that she got from Kensley Financial that pissed her off real good, but it was obvious she had absolutely no idea that it was me, calling from Simon’s work line. Not a single bit of her ‘uncollected debt’ was true, and she was hell-bent on making sure I knew it—but I just wanted to hear her voice. I came up with just about anything I could think of to keep her on the phone that day. Simon, the man of little words and large spirit, nearly beat my Irish ass for it.
But that penny is still around her neck.
And it’s the only reason I have, to hold out hope that she’ll spot this van and walk through that door. If she doesn’t…then the damn penny is about as lucky as me. I talked Des up when I got here, and she fixed me the sexiest strawberry milkshake I’ve had to date. My fingertips drummed on the table in impatience and nerves. I’m trying not to keep looking at the door.
“So, I’ve known the Greys for a really long time.” I’m getting really bad about keeping an eye on my fucking surroundings. Desiree leaned on the wood that connected the back of my seat to the other booth and crossed her arms over her chest. I turned in my seat to look up at her. “My folks are close with theirs. Seven’s dad gave mine a funeral service fit for a king. They’re really good people, just incredibly misunderstood.”
One wouldn’t think I was a socially awkward imbecile, but sometimes…sometimes I fucking am. Am I supposed to say,“Sorry for your loss?”or“No shit, you kind soul that makes an orgasm of a dairy treat?”I sat there like a fuckstick that just got in trouble for chewing gum in class.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, but there for a bit…I didn’t see much of her without you. She was different. Happier. More grounded and secure about herself. Past couple months she’s been the opposite, if not worse than before you started gracing me with your dimples.”
Well, now I just feel like fuckin’ shite…
“I—I’m sorry, I can just…” I started to scoot out of the booth, about to say screw it and make my run of shame before anybody could finish proving that my nuts are non-existent, but Desiree blocked me with her whole ass leg. I eased back into the seat.
“Are you stupid?”I mean…obviously.“She’s in love with you. I know men do tend to need a little help when it comes to common sense, so I’m telling you…wait. She looks around this place every time she walks through the door. She didn’t do that before you. She’s been waiting for you. It couldn’t be more obvious. So, whatever it is you did? Say you’re sorry and tell her you love her too.”
“I did that, Des. It was her choice. I don’t wanna push her.”
“Look, you can trust this…because it’s coming from a woman. You’re not pushing her. Whatever the reason was? Is old news. If what you’re saying is true…then she regrets it. She’s been lost as hell without you. So, get comfortable, slick.” She strutted off and I can safely say I feel like I just got my ass kicked. I’m suddenly less than ready for whatever Viper is gonna—
Oh, fuck…she’s here…and she looks…pissed? How did I fuck this up already?
Desiree smirked as Sev walked with that blazing sass that always makes my dick hard. I think she could rip ass right in front of me and it’d still turn me on. God, she’s fucking beautiful. I’ve missed her so mu—
“See ya around?!”Her eyes looked like molten silver, and I choked on a bit of my milkshake. “Almost three months and that’s all you’re gonna say?!” A few heads turned, and I felt my face turn five shades of red.
“You’re—you’re takin’ apish, right?” Probably the wrong thing to say. I glanced over at Des, and she shook her head, palming her face. Too late. I’m owning it. I love it when she fights me. “I just spent the past three months flippin’ meownlife around, as my penance for fuckin’ up yours, in the hopes that you might change your mind. I spent countless nights with aHobbit, tryin’ to ‘figger out what else I can do to win ya back without breakin’ my word, Sev! I finally caught a break, and let you beat mearse, run me through, and I’mstillsittin’ in Castine, prayin’ to God that you’ll do it again.”
She leaned over the end of the table and the penny hung over the wood, catching my attention again. “How’d you get the job…really. Who was the reference?”
“I wasn’t given a name. Swear it. Luck of theIrish, I reckon.”
