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“Yeah. Your family is ridiculously intimidating.”
She laughs and then nods as she looks around the room. “I can see that. I’ve had a long time to get used to who my family marries and who we bring into the fold. It’s a lot. But, behind the public personas, they’re just regular people. I promise.”
“There’s no way Leo Nash is regular people,” I reply. “Is there any chance he’ll take his shirt off?”
“I mean, we could spill something on him, on accident of course, and then he’ll have to take it off.”
We’re giggling when Maeve, Maggie, and Lexi join us.
“What are you laughing at?” Lexi asks. Anastasia happily shares the story, much to my horror.
“I’m just kidding,” I insist.
“I’m not,” Stasia counters.
“You have to meet him.” Maggie takes my hand and leads me to the other side of the room where Leo is chatting with four other men, all of whom could rival the O’Callaghans in the looks department.
And that’s saying a lot.
“Hey, guys, I want to introduce you to Izzy. She’s new here. Izzy, this is Caleb, Matt, Isaac, Nate, and Leo.”
All of the guys smile at me. Three of them are definitely brothers. The one named Nate is sexy in a way I’ve only ever read about in romance novels.
And then there’s Leo.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, he’s even hotter up close.
“Nice to meet you,” Leo says and offers me his hand.
He wants to touch me.
“I’m going to be brutally honest here,” I say, rather than accept his hand. “I’m about to embarrass myself really bad.”
“How so?” Leo asks, his head cocked with interest.
“I’m a big fan.” I swallow hard, shocked that any sound came out at all. “I’ve seen every tour. I love your music. In fact, it’s what got me through some really rough patches in my life. Including the day I walked out on my wedding and drove all the way here from central Oregon. But now I’m just babbling.”
“Not mad about this babble,” he says.
“Big fan,” I repeat.
“She wants you to take your shirt off.”
My eyes feel like they’re going to pop out of my sockets as I elbow Maggie in the stomach.
“Ignore her.”
“No, she really does.”
Leo laughs, and then, with a slight shrug, he just reaches over his shoulder and peels his black t-shirt over his head like it’s no big thing at all.
“Sweet baby Jesus,” I breathe. “Sorry. That was completely inappropriate. It’s the tattoos. Those stars on your hips—”
“Are delicious,” a petite blonde says as she joins us with a smile. She wraps her arm around Leo’s waist. “Trust me, I agree.”
“This is Samantha, Leo’s wife.” Maggie introduces us.
“Well, now I’ve gone and done it. I am so embarrassed. Please know I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“It’s okay. The tattoos are something to write home about,” Samantha replies. “Did I hear that you walked out on your own wedding?”
“Yeah.” I sigh as Leo slips his shirt back over his head. Which is good. Because if he kept it off, I wouldn’t be able to think. “It’s a long story.”
“I have a feeling this is going to be a long party.”
* * *
The past month has felt like something out of a rom-com movie. Between how it all began, finding this pub, meeting these people, and the party a few days ago, more has transpired in the past four weeks than in the past four years of my life.
There’s never a dull moment.
Samantha Nash ended up giving me her number so we could have lunch together sometime. Leo ended up teasing me the rest of the day about taking his shirt off. The whole atmosphere was easy and laid-back as everyone laughed and ate, and then we watched as Stasia unwrapped gifts and cried from gratitude and hormones.
It was a day I won’t soon forget.
“How are you feeling, Izzy?” Fiona asks when I come into the kitchen to place an order for one of my tables.
“Oh, I’m doing very well, thank you. And you?”
“I’m fit as a fiddle,” Fiona replies. Since they’ve been in town, she and Tom have worked at the pub almost every day, Tom pulling taps and Fiona in the kitchen. They said it’s like old times. “What can I get you?”
I read her the order, then clip the paper to the little metal stand so she can reference it if she needs to before turning to leave.
But then I turn back to her. “Fiona?”
“Yes, dear.”
I want to ask some questions about Keegan. I want to ask what he was like as a child and so much more.
But at the end of the day, it’s none of my business.
So, I shake my head. “It’s nothing. I’ll be back in a few.”
Fiona waves me off, and I return to the bar. I’ve just approached a table to take their order, when I hear my name being called from across the room.
