Page 106 of Hash

Delaney studies me as she sucks on her straw. “You and Aisling didn’t date?”

I shake my head. “Nope. I’ve never even taken her out to dinner. Everything just kind of had a way of falling into place with us.”

“Hash!” Delaney exclaims. “You have to take her out on a date!”

“Someday.” Maybe if all this shit ever blows over and I kill the motherfucker who dared to touch what’s mine.

“Go home, Hash.”

Yeah.

I down the last of my drink as I pull my wallet out of my back pocket and lay money on the bar for my tab.

“You’ll find him someday,” I tell Delaney. “Any man who makes you wait isn’t worth your time.”

“Someday.” She gives me a small smile. “Bye, Hash. I look forward to meeting your girl.”

I nod my head as I walk out of the bar and head home to my girl and kid.

Trick is standing in front of the stairs, blocking my way to Aisling.

“Move,” I growl, not wanting to see his fucking face.

“How’s Aisling?” he asks, ignoring me.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your fucking business after the way you talked to her the other night.” Trick’s face might be my next punching bag.

“Yeah, about that.” Trick’s arm raises as he rubs the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have come at her like that. It wasn’t my place.”

“No shit. You don’t ever get in her face like that. If you have a problem, you come to me.” I point at myself. “What the fuck was your problem? She hadn’t even met you.”

Trick solemnly hangs his head. “I just have some shit to work through. It won’t happen again. She seems like a nice girl. The old ladies love her.”

I sigh, annoyed that I’m even having this conversation. “We all know you have shit to work through. I won’t say I’m not still pissed because I am. You need to apologize to Aisling.”

Trick nods. “I will. Are we good?”

“You’re my brother. Just because I’m pissed at you doesn’t mean we aren’t good,” I tell him, bringing him in for a one-armed hug as I slap him on the back.

“Let me know if she needs anything,” Trick says as he steps out of my way.

I nod a silent thanks as I climb the stairs, anxious to get back.

I slowly open my bedroom door, not wanting to make any noise in case they were both sleeping.

I slip inside, quietly shutting the door as I take in the scene in front of me.

Cormac is passed out, sleeping on his stomach with his little butt up in the air. How he can sleep like that is beyond me. It looks uncomfortable as fuck. Aisling is passed out on my side with the good side of her face shoved in my pillow. A melted ice pack is resting in the palm of her hand, about to fall off the bed.

God, she’s fucking gorgeous.

Delaney’s right.

She can do better than me, but I’ll die proving to her that I deserve to be right where I am because I can’t imagine a life without this woman in it.

I take my boots off, not wanting the clunking of walking on the floor to wake them up before I make my way over to the bed and take the ice pack out of Aisling’s hand.

She stirs, her nose wrinkling up as she moves around. Her eyes crack open.