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She leaned over the bar, giving him a perfect view of those handfuls pushing against the bodice of her outfit. “So if I would ring this old sailor’s bell above my head, you’d pay for those drinks too?” She smiled like the cat that got the cream.
He wasn’t one to go back on his word, but fuck. It would seriously hurt to give the whole pub a round during a full house on Halloween. Errin crooked her finger for him to lean in from his side of the bar.
“I’m just messing with you, Brennan Mills. Thanks for the drinks,” she said and smacked a kiss on his cheek. She winked and left him leaning over the bar, eyes following her lithe body as she maneuvered through the throng of people, a tray of shots held high above her head. He traced her kiss on his cheek with his thumb.
Ed signaled for another dark ale.
“Yeah, yeah… I’ll get you another.”
The night passed quickly and hours later, after he’d set the last of the glasses in the two industrial sized dishwashers in the kitchen, he reentered the pub.
Errin still sat with Pops at his table, head resting on top of her arms, draped over the table top.. Yes, his grandfather has his own table and when he’d entered the place, they expected people to move from his spot. The former owner of Lucky and patriarch of the Mills family sure had his perks.
Brennan stepped behind the bar to work on the numbers and stats from the cash register. He couldn’t concentrate with those two sitting nearby. Pops said he’d liked the Irish fire coming from Errin and because the two of them never beat around any bush, they just clicked.
Pops patted her messy braided hair, leaned in and said, “Dear lass. Nothin’ bad about workin’ at a dog kennel. Even if ye hate dogs. Do ye think I always knew what I was doin’ with me life?” He chuckled as he nudged her shoulder with his knuckles.
She groaned.
“Ye are the worst drunk I’ve ever seen in me life. Ha! And I’ve run an Irish Pub throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties.”
Errin giggled and snorted. “I don’t believe you, old man. No way I’m the worst.”
Brennan raised his brows. Nobody from his family would ever dare to call Pops an old man, but Pops let her get away with almost anything.
“Who ye callin’ an old man? Anyway, I ain’t listenin’ to nobody who’s named after a rodent.”
Errin lifted her head from her hands and glowered at him. “Who are you calling a rodent?”
“Well, ain’t people callin’ ye Bunny?”
Errin busted out in laughter and even drowned out Pop’s bellowing laugh. When Brennan joined them, Errin and Pops looked up.
Errin stabbed some tears from her cheeks. Were those tears of joy or had she been emotional because she couldn’t hold her liquor?
Errin could get drunk from sniffing a stale beer bottle. He’d been on the front-row seat of her drunken laughter one too many times. And sheneverlistened to him when he would try to cut her off after three drinks.
Yep, it took two drinks for Errin to slur.Shit.How was she getting home tonight? Her brothers left with Kayla for an after party at her and Duncan’s house, leaving her the last Walsh. Brennan often let Pops stay in his spare room upstairs whenever he would be the last one to leave—like tonight. But what was he going to do with Errin?
As his eyes met Pops’, he stood and patted Errin’s hair.
“Imma goin’ crash in ye spare room tonight, boyo.” Brennan nodded at Pops. “Lass, let me boyo take care of ye, okay? And don’t give ‘em any lip, ye hear?”
Errin snorted and her eyes drifted over from Pops to lock with Brennan’s. “He would love to have a nibble, but he isn’t getting my lips, Pops. I promise.” She pouted those big puffy lips in a fake kiss and winked at Brennan, the wench.
“Irish fire, I’ll tell ye. Brennan, me boy, watch out for me dear lass. Just when ye think ye safe, she’s gonna fire it all up. Bringin’ ye walls down.”
“Pops…”
But Pops was already walking through the backdoor and heading up to Brennan’s apartment. And now it was just the two of them.
Brennan had already stopped the music and flicked on the lights. He’d swept and cleaned most of the tables. One last table to go.
He closed the register and picked up his towel, a sponge, and cleaning solution. The checkout had to wait till tomorrow. He strode to Pops’ table where Errin still sat.
Errin eyed him with mascara trails running down her cheeks like she was seeing him for the very first time.Oh, hell no.She had to stop giving him the look.
The look that said she was game for the night. The look that said she wanted to forget whatever’s been bothering her, and he was the number one solution to make her forget. She wasn’t the first woman who’d eyed him like this at closing time in Lucky.
