Whiskey Rebellion Read online

  Stunned, I lean into the bar as she looks just at me, a small little grin pulling at her lips. I didn’t even see the man behind her until she looked back, nodding and saying she’d be out soon. Biting her lip, she starts for me, her heels clicking on the hardwood as everyone watches her, their eyes wide and some of their mouths parted.

  Lena O’Callaghan wouldn’t be caught in this pub according to some, but here she is, proving everyone wrong.

  Moving behind the bar since I’m unsure what she is doing, I wrap the rag around my thumb as I hold her gaze. “Can I get you something?”

  Her lips quirk a bit as she sits up on the barstool, her eyes never leaving mine. “Cathmor on the rocks?”

  “Right away,” I say, and as I reach for the bottle of Cathmor, I notice everyone is still watching. I look to Fiona for some help, but she’s gawking too.

  What in the hell?

  After I take a glass and then the bottle to her, I set the highball on a napkin before filling it past the ice. “There you go.”

  “Thank you,” she said, taking a small sip, her glossed-up lips tormenting me. I am so mesmerized by her mouth that I don’t even notice Fiona coming toward her. Leaning her hip to the bar, Fiona smiles over at Lena.

  “Howya, Lena.”

  “Howya,” Lena says simply, putting the glass down. “It’s busy.”

  “It is,” Fiona says, her eyes still wide. “And yer here?”

  “I am.”

  “It’s past six.” Fiona looks at her like this means something, but Lena just shrugs.

  “And I wanted a drink.” They share a very long look, and when Lena looks away, taking her glass in her hand for a slow sip of her drink, Fiona looks utterly confused.

  Standing erect, Fiona whispers, “This better not come back on me.”

  “It won’t.” Lena doesn’t even look at Fiona; she’s looking right at me.

  Fiona stares at the side of Lena’s face for a moment longer and then throws her hands up. “Enough, all of ya! Go back to what ya were doing.”

  Soon the pub fills back up with chatter, almost like in a movie. I’m unsure what just happened, but I’m completely fascinated by it. I turn to go back to work, but Lena holds up her finger, beckoning to me.

  Because I’m an idiot, I go to her.

  “Wanna order something?”

  She makes a face. “No, I just sat through an awful dinner with my parents and Declan.” She sighs. “It’s nice to just sit here with a glass and some company.”

  “Oh. Me?”

  “You,” she says with a grin. “How’s yer day going?”

  “Busy,” I say as I look around, and of course, everyone is staring. They’re trying to act like they aren’t, but they are. “I’m dead on my feet.”

  “Yeah, me too.” She brings all her hair to the side and starts to braid it, but I’m too busy glaring at people to stop staring at me. “If ya ignore them, they’re not really here.” When my gaze snaps back to hers, she’s smiling. “It works.”

  I can’t help it, I grin back at her. “Really weird.”

  “It’s bullshite for sure,” she agrees, leaning on her elbow.

  “What’s all that stuff about it being after six?”

  “Ah, a lady O’Callaghan wouldn’t be caught dead in a pub after six o’clock. Only ladies with poor morals would do that.”

  I hear the laughter in her voice, and my lips quirk. “Is that right?”

  She nods, rolling her eyes. “I think I’ve broken almost every rule. It’s awesome.”

  I laugh. “You’re a rebel, eh?”

  “Aw, yer getting all Canadian with me.”

  That has us both laughing. “It seems to come out around you.”

  “I love it, so please don’t stop.”

  “All right,” I answer, leaning on the bar too, her eyes capturing me whole. “So, dinner didn’t go well.”

  Gone is her grin as her shoulders fall. Her fingers run along the rim of her glass as she looks up at me. “Ya know what’s going on, yeah?”

  “Your mom has cancer?” I ask, my voice dropping a bit.

  “Well, yeah. Tumor in her brain.”

  My heart aches for her. “I’m really sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, the surgery is set for next week, Wednesday. They don’t know what to expect.”

  “Fuck, that sucks.”

  She nods sadly. “It does suck.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” I ask, and she smiles.

  “No, I don’t even know what to do.”

  “Do you wanna go into the field and just scream?”

  “Does that work?”

  “Not really, but I bet the acoustics would be badass.”

  She grins. “We’ll have to try it, then.”

  We’ll. Okay. Ignore that and go on.

  “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  That wasn’t ignoring and going on, Jackson.

  I want to say more, I want to make her feel better, but before I can, Trip hollers to me, “Heya, Jackson. Mickey is here.”

  I look to my buddies to find that Mickey has, in fact, shown up. With a grin, I glance back to Lena, and she smiles. “Go on, then.”

  Biting my lip, I go on over to them, refilling their glasses as I tease Mickey. “Your lady is asleep?”

  Mickey’s grin is so large, I laugh. “Yeah, dead to the world, I tell ya.”

  I hand him the usual, but before I can run off, Ribby grabs my wrist, stopping me.

  “The princess, yeah?” He waggles his brows, and I look over at Lena. She’s drinking her drink, ignoring everything around her.

  God, she’s beautiful.

  “Wait, she’s a princess?”

  All three men holler out, and I just laugh as I walk away. I must have been louder than I thought, because Lena’s eyes cut to mine, her expression all kinds of playful. Leaning on the bar, my back to them, I gaze into her eyes. Her lashes are so long, and I can’t help but gawk at her. She is the girl in the painting that is not ten feet from her.

  “You look really gorgeous. Regal.”

  I know I shouldn’t have said that, but then, when do I control what I’m thinking when I’m around her?

  I think I’m zero for a billon.

  She shrugs. “That’s the plan, I guess.”

  “You don’t like it?”

  She smiles over at me. “I used to love it. So much. But waking up and not having to put this stuff on, throwing my hair up, and not giving two shites, is way better.”

  We share a laugh. “I happen to like all your looks. The many faces of Lena.” A blush creeps up her neck as she giggles. “As long as you have those eyes, everything else is just a bonus.”

  Looking down at her drink, she purses her lips. “I wasn’t sure where we stood.”

  She glances back up at me, and I hold my breath. “Oh?”

  “Yeah, it seems like sometimes yer into me, and sometimes yer not.”

  Don’t say anything, just agree with her.

  “Oh, I’m always into you.” Her lips curve, and yup, there goes any sane thought. “I want to be in you too,” I say in a whisper, and she blushes deep red.

  You. Are. An. Idiot.

  “Yer impossible.”

  “Among other things,” I decide, shaking my head. “Plus, you like it.”

  “I do,” she answers, her lashes kissing her cheeks. “Do you work tomorrow morning?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can we ride again?”

  Say no.

  “Absolutely.”

  She beams at me, a little wiggle to her shoulders, and I’m gone for her. Reaching into her pocketbook that I hadn’t even noticed she was carrying, she pulls out a little piece of paper. As she slides it across the bar to me, I take it. “It’s my number.”

  I read the numbers over and over again, as if I’m trying to memorize them. Tucking it into my jeans, I look over at her, the gloss of her lips spellbinding. “Can I take you out?”

  What in the hell are you doi