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“Fuck. Look they’re kids…” I began.
“No, they’re not. Poppy knows better. She had an obligation here today. I support her going to college, and all I ask for is two days a year in return. St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve. She already skipped out on St. Patrick’s Day due to an assignment, but she’s supposed to be working in the bar to leave me free to prep for the dance tonight. And where is she? Taking Nick and Ryan on a pub crawl of Dublin.”
As my girl fumed, I pulled out my cell and rang Nick. When he answered his phone on the first ring, the rowdy noise in the background told me Poppy hadn’t taken heed of Daisy’s request for help.
“Sup?” he asked, sounding like he had no clue.
“Those girls will be at the bar in half an hour. You get me?” I warned. A smile creased my face despite the seriousness of the situation when I noted the three old regulars, Archie, Ronan and Seamus wearing the cowboy boots Daisy had given them for Christmas.
“Roger that,” he replied, sounding chirpy. I knew deep down he’d likely have called me all the names under the sun, but when I made an order, neither Ryan nor Nick defied my demand.
Without saying goodbye, I hung up and looked at Daisy’s stressed face. “They’ll be here in half an hour.”
“Who?” she asked. “Nick, Ryan and your sisters. I told you, it’ll be fine. I get they want to spend time together, so instead of just Poppy you’re going to have four extra pairs of hands.”
“Yeah? And how much work do you think we’ll get done with four pissed off people that want to be somewhere else.”
“Watch and learn, Daisy. My nephews may be a lot of things, but we brought them up to take responsibility. They’re both grafters when necessary. They’ll have the tables shifted and set up in no time. I’ll help restock the bar up there. Everything else is ready, so you can just concentrate on the trade down here, which I know will likely feel like St. Patrick’s Day all over again.”
Twenty-eight minutes later, Nick, Ryan, and the girls arrived at the pub.
“Where do you want us?” Nick asked, rubbing his hands together and flashing me a guilty look, because he knew he’d caused a ripple in my girl’s busy preparations.
Poppy looked defiant as Daisy fumed and almost dragged her behind the bar. The thunderous look on my girl’s face almost made me feel sorry for her younger sibling as she led her upstairs. From the comment Daisy had made about Poppy and college, I figured there was more to that story than I was aware of.
Instead of dwelling on her remark, I decided to leave her to call out her sister and put my two nephews and her youngest sister to work.
Cat came downstairs looking awkward and was obviously giving Daisy some space. Wanting to feel useful, she held out her hands.
“Can I do anything?” Terry, the charmer, immediately pounced.
Ten minutes after he’d taken her up to the function room, I looked in on the others, and saw Cat and the barman were standing close together, chatting and laughing like they were old friends. I noted Terry wasn’t the only one with a twinkle in his eye as my sister smiled up at him while they finished wrapping silverware in napkins and stacking up plates. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him practically hitting on Cat, knowing Terry was a bit of a player.
Distracted when the chef and two agency staff appeared, my thoughts turned to Daisy. I was about to go and find her when Poppy came into view, right before Daisy came in after her. I sensed an immediate change in her sister’s attitude. Behaving far more amenable and polite, Poppy slid behind the upstairs bar and took her orders from Terry.
“She had better keep her face straight. If I see her scowl once in my direction or toward my customers, I’m going to kick the shite out of her,” Daisy warned, nodding toward her meek looking sister. From the anger in her tone, I had no doubt that she would have, had Poppy stepped out of line again.
“Jesus, don’t do that. If she’s full of it like you said before, you’ll make a hell of a mess.” Daisy stared me down for a second while I held my breath, but her lips quirked upwards and she chuckled.
“You’re too much sometimes, you know this?”
“I believe you’ve told me that a time or two, but I usually have the pleasure of being balls deep inside you when you do.”
“You are one horny man,” she muttered, shaking her head as she began moving the platters about a half an inch each.
I noticed she’d blushed with my comment. “Oh, baby, did I make you wet? I’m sorry,” I teased in a whisper and hugged her from behind.
“You’re ridiculous,” she squeaked, looking at me over her shoulders, but a mixture of love and desire shone from her eyes.
“I’ve heard you say that one as well, but it’s normally followed by… you’re ridiculously big,” I muttered in her ear and she elbowed me in the ribs. Turning to face me, she slid her arms around my waist.
“You know I don’t think I’ll ever get over you being mine, acting like a normal boyfriend and giving me a hand in my pub.”
“The more time we spend together, the less weird it’ll feel. When all’s said and done, I am just an ordinary man.”
“Hm, never,” she mused, grinning at me like I’d hung the moon. I brushed my lips against hers and she pushed me away.
“Ah, well, hold that thought, I’ve got a party to start,” she stated, wriggled out of my hold and hurriedly walked away. I sighed, loving that she could put her work first, and hating that she worked at all, in equal measure.
