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He clutched his heart, “Och, the inn in town? M’sister is stayin’ at the inn in town, nae in her father’s legacy, the fine upstandin’ Trailhead motel?”
“Ye showed me pictures, Wee’am, and I ken ye daena hae any staff!”
He shrugged. “Aye, tis all true, if ye like maid service and clean towels ye might prefer the inn.”
Lily and Em dug into the food, because I said, “No no, there’s plenty, really, go ahead, I’m so full actually.”
I watched as they ate my chocolate, and Em promised to cook his favorite dish for him because he must be starving with “nae one here tae cook for ye,” then she brought me into the conversation by talking about me, “I canna believe, Liam, that you’re making, um... remind me yer name?”
“Blakely.”
“I canna believe ye’re making Blakely bring her own food tae yer pub — where are ye from?”
“I’m from Los Angeles.”
She smiled wide as if she had just won a prize. “Och, Liam hates everything about Los Angeles.”
Liam’s brow drew down, “I daena ken if tis true, I like some things from Los Angeles, I like movies.”
“Ye like some movies, but ye daena like anything else about it.” She looked around the pub, “Liam, I wish ye would let me remodel yer pub, ye remember what I did with the salon, with the chrome and the mirror?” She got up to go to the bathroom and said, “If ye had mirrors all along here it would look twice the size, and ye could hae a piano, Liam! It could be a wine bar!”
As soon as she was gone, Lily said, “I’m sorry, Wee’am. Was I nae supposed tae bring her? I ken she broke yer heart, but she said ye were beggin’ her tae come.” Her eyes flitted to me. “I was trying tae help.”
“Nae, tis okay, Blakely and I are friends, and I was begging like a proper numpty when I left, Em inna wrong on it. I remember though when ye used tae call her: ‘She Who Must Not Be Named,’ why ye bringin’ her back tae the scene of the crime?”
“The scene of the crime...?”
“Me.”
She sighed, “I’m workin’ for her now at the salon.”
Liam scowled. “What about yer classes?”
“I couldna pay for the next semester, Wee’am, but daena worry, it’ll just be one semester—”
“Nae, ye canna take a semester off! Dinna mum hae the money set aside?”
“She needed it for bills, Wee’am, we talked on it, we ken ye needed tae take time off work so we’re paring down.”
“Och nae!” Liam stood and tossed down the bar towel and then sat back down on the stool with his hands on his hips. “The money was for ye tae go tae school, ye dinna hae tae stop, ye ken it—”
“Already done, ye canna argue, mum made the decision.” She turned tae me. “Sorry we’re draggin’ ye in on a family dispute, m’big brother thinks he can do everythin’ in the world but he’s just a bloke from Edinburgh that used tae play rugby.”
“Tis nae about me, tis about you, Lily! Ye were goin’ tae school! This fuckin’ pub has been the downfall of the family.”
“Ye are bein’ over-dramatic.”
Liam said, “Look around Lily, dad sank every quid he had intae this pub and now I hae tae continue his legacy, ye are quittin’ school ‘cause of it, mum’s worryin’—”
“He was my dad too, how come ye get tae be the only one who has tae be responsible? Tis nae fair tae act like he was only yer pain in the arse.”
Liam exhaled. “Yer right, he was a big enough arse tae be a pain for all of us. How’s Luke?”
“He’s good, he’s dealin’ by staying away.”
Em returned, talking loudly about the bathroom being, “Such a blight!” She sat down and said, “Are ye talking about me?” and launched into a ‘remember when we... Liam?’ conversation that only the two of them could be a part of.
Liam’s eyes met mine and Em noticed and turned her attention to me. “So ye hiked alone?”
