Whiskey Prince Read online

  Pressing my lips together, I glance back at my book but I watch her out the corner of my eye. She is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, not something she’d wear to go out in public, which means she is having a ‘lazy day’ as she calls it. Usually she’s so made up, every single detail so perfect that she looks like a Barbie doll. When I say that, she gets mad, but it’s the truth. It makes me nervous because I know that’s not her. She does it for my ma, for Micah, since his family expects her to look pristine at all times. She’s so young, but she already has so much on her shoulders. Sometimes I wonder if she is really doing what she wants or doing only what everyone expects of her. I refuse to do that but then, maybe I am because I’m doing exactly what my da wants of me. But that can’t be right because I’m not doing it for him; I’m doing it for the distillery. It’s my home, my business, and I won’t have another person run what’s mine. I’m what’s best for it, and I’ll do anything to keep it.

  Lena sits on the shoulder of my chair, leaning into me as she wraps her arm around my shoulder. “I know it’s something, Declan, or someone maybe?”

  I shake my head innocently. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Fiona Maclaster maybe?”

  I scoff. “No, Kane’s goin’ out with her.”

  That must have stunned her, which means that not too many people know about Amberlyn, but they will after tonight. Even though it has my skin breaking out in goose pimples and my heart beating out of control, I know that once I bring Amberlyn to Thornton’s, everyone will see us and report it as news when all it’s supposed to be is my first date with the most gorgeous girl in Ireland. But I try not to think about it. Instead, I’ll enjoy stumping my sister and my ma too, since I know she sent Lena in to spy. “Then who are you seeing at the Céad Míle Fáilte?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “No one.”

  “Oh ya liar!” she accuses as she smacks my forearm. “Fine, fine, keep it to yourself. Are you going to bring her to the White Ball?”

  I don’t want to answer but before my brain can tell my mouth that, I say, “If she’ll have me.”

  “Ha! I knew there was someone!”

  Fuckin’ hell. “Yeah, so?” I ask as I look up at her. Her eyes are dancing with laughter, her grin unstoppable, but when her eyes meet mine, her grin falls.

  “No, I’m happy,” she says with her palms up to me. “I want you to find your Mrs. O’Callaghan. This is awesome.”

  “Don’t go putting that thought in your head. It’s our first date; I could find her annoying after tonight.”

  I doubt that, but it could be true. Lena gives out a laugh as she shakes her head. “No way, not with the way she makes you smile.”

  Maybe so. Pushing into her playfully, I smile when she hugs me tightly. Pulling away, she leans back as she leans her head against mine. “Have you talked to Kane lately?”

  “Of course, saw him earlier today.”

  “So you know that he and Casey got into it?”

  I pause before moving my head out from beneath hers to look up at her. “Got into it? Way I heard it, Kane knocked him the hell out.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

  “Then yeah, I heard. Why? How did you?”

  “One of my friends said she was in the shop the other night and he was saying how our family has ruined him. He can’t even get a date with a fuckin’ American.”

  I shrug, my heart picking up in speed with anger. I hate that fuckin’ gobshite. “It isn’t our family, it’s him. It’s his fault he’s a fuckin’ wanker and maybe it’s the way he treats women that keeps him from getting a date.”

  She nods slowly as her eyes glaze over. I always hate when Casey’s name comes into the conversation. It always makes my beautiful sister look so hollow. I place my hand on hers. “Don’t let him bother you one bit.”

  “No, no, I’m not. It’s just I hate when he runs our names through the mud when really he has no right to. We don’t go around running his name.” She pauses as her eyes meet mine. “Well, at least I don’t, nor does Ma. It’s mainly you and Da.”

  “He’s a fuckin’ fucktard. I hate him.”

  “I know. I just wish we could all let it go. It happened so long ago,” she says sadly.

  “It was only three years ago,” I say, and I can feel my skin burning with anger. “You don’t care for him still, do you?”

  She shakes her head quickly. “Hell no, I just hate how it went down. I really don’t know what happened, and I don’t even know what has been said is true. All I know is that I left with him and I wake up cold, wet from the rain, and raped. It’s scary and still hurts me inside, you know? I love Micah, I do, but I don’t know. I just feel like a part of me is still missing. The part Casey took, and it scares me that I’ll never be the person I was.”

  I hold her hand in mine and nod. “You’ve grown, Lena. You’ve learned from your mistakes. It has made you a stronger person. You are still healing from it all, and you’re going to overcome all of it. I believe that because you’re amazing, Lena.”

  She lets out a long breath as she nods. “That’s what Micah says when I tell him this.”

  “Then believe him, because it’s the truth.”

  She smiles as she leans into me again. “I just think that hearing about him, talking about him, messes with me and makes it worse. I wish that he would just leave town. I told Da this at dinner because I’m so over him, but even Da agrees. If he hasn’t left yet, he won’t. Not with his ma here, God bless her soul. Such a wonderful woman, such a shitty fella.”

  “Yeah,” I agree as I shake my head. I would love nothing more than to never see him again but like my sister said, it won’t happen unless we leave. Casey’s ma is very sick, has been for years, and he is the only one that can take care of her.

  “So I asked Micah if we can skip town once we are married and he agreed. I haven’t told Ma and Da yet.”

  I nod as a grin pulls at my lips. “That’s good. I doubt they’ll mind. They’ll have to understand the reasoning behind it.”

  And I know I’m right. This is the first summer Lena has stayed home since it happened. Usually she goes off to Germany with her friends or family but since meeting Micah, I’ve slowly seen my sister come back to life. He may be dumb as a rock, but he treats my sister like a princess, so he is all right in my eyes.

  “Yeah, I hope. Oh well if they don’t! We are the rebels of the family, I think!”

  I laugh as I agree. “Maybe so, but I know I can’t leave.”

  “Then you better get married before I have to stay here and Micah runs the business.”

  I scoff as I shut my book. “I’d turn over in my grave before I’d let that happen.”

  “I know. You love it too much.”

  “I do.”

  She looks down at my book, reaching for it and flipping carelessly through the pages. I want to ask her to be careful but before I can, she says, “I don’t think Da will give it to Micah.”

  I shrug, reaching for the book to keep it safe. “I’m not sure one way or another, but I don’t plan to find out. I am doing what they want. Let’s hope it works out.”

  “With the girl from the pub?” she asks with a wink.

  A smile pulls at my mouth as I shrug but reality sets in because I may want that to be true at this moment, but all it is right now is attraction. I don’t know her deepest, darkest secrets, I don’t know what makes her tick, and I don’t know what her wants are for the future. We could want two totally different things and as much as I hope that doesn’t happen, I can’t help but think about it. It scares me but at the same time, I try to push those thoughts away because I want to enjoy her. I want to live in the now.

  With her.

  So looking back at my sister, I grin as I slowly shrug. “Maybe.”

  When I pull up to the Maclaster’s house, I park behind Fiona’s little bug and turn my car off. I run my hand through my thick, curly hair, knocking my beanie off. I consider leaving it off, but