"Yes, you do and yes, he did. Keys are in the front seat."
"Okay, I'll be back later. Do you need anything?"
Fiona waved her out.
"No, go on. Ronan and I are going to have a nice cup of tea and read a romance novel." Fiona laughed up at her and Keelin left for the village, shaking her head at this funny, lovely woman who had come into her life. Ireland was turning into a whole new adventure for her.
She parked close to Gallagher's pub and hoped that the early hour would offer up a relatively empty pub. She needed to set a few things straight with Cait.
Keelin entered the cheerful building and squinted into the warm light, letting her eyes adjust as she scanned the room. A few tables held some older men playing cards and talking sports. Cait stood behind the worn bar, drying glasses. Not much taller than the bar, her slender build seemed dwarfed by it. Catching sight of Keelin, she narrowed her eyes at her and turned to go into the kitchen.
"Cait, wait. Please."
Cait stopped, huffed out a breath, and turned back to the bar. She put on a polite smile.
"Can I get you something to drink?"
"Sure, I'll have a Bulmers." Keelin eased herself onto a stool at the empty bar and watched the slim brunette carefully pour her a cider. She wanted to make sure Cait didn't spit in it.
"Listen, Cait, I didn’t know. Honestly. I just got to town. I thought I may have seen interest the other night but neither of you said a word to me. And I'm not interested in Shane. He's a nice guy but he isn't for me." Keelin rushed the words out.
Cait huffed out a breath. Never one to hold a temper for long, she smiled at Keelin.
"Okay, thanks. I don't even know why I lose my head over that man. Not that he even pays me that much attention. And when he does it certainly isn't by taking me out to nice seafood dinners or kissing me in the car." Cait looked at Keelin sideways as she stocked glasses.
"Does everyone know about the kiss?" Keelin threw up her hands in exasperation.
"Liam told Sarah who told me." Cait laughed at her.
"I don't even know these people. This is just ridiculous." She took a big gulp of her drink and let the cider cool her throat.
"Oh, you get used to it if you live here. Everyone is in everyone else's business. Why don't you like Shane?" Cait blurted out.
"Oh, I do. I really do. I think he gets a bad reputation or tries to portray himself as something that he isn't. But I think he's lonely, to be honest. Either way, there's no chemistry. At least not with him." Keelin stopped herself. She mentally kicked herself and reminded herself of the town's need to gossip.
"Ah, does a certain dark-haired neighbor with the best shoulders in the county have you a little more interested?" Cait said intuitively.
"No, of course not." Keelin looked down at her drink.
"Bullshit."
"Damn it. Okay, but you can't say anything. Swear to it, Cait. If we are to be friends – real girlfriends – you can't say a word. Promise." Keelin needed someone to talk to.Her grandma was a sweetheart but she didn’t think she could get down to the nitty gritty with her.
"Only if you promise never to kiss Shane again."
"Done."
"Okay, so tell me, is he as good in bed as he looks?" Cait leaned eagerly over the bar, crossing her arms on the bar rail.
"What! No, we haven't. I mean, not that." Keelin blushed. "We've messed around a little, but we haven't had sex."
"And why not? Are you blind? I want to lap that man up like a bucket of cream." Cait made yummy-sounding noises.
"Oh, he's gorgeous. And infuriating. He always sees me at my worst and I feel like such a klutz around him." Keelin filled Cait in on all the times that Flynn had come to her rescue. Cait's eyes went dreamy and she heaved a big sigh. She fluttered her hand at her breasts.
"Ah, a big strong man coming to my rescue all the time? Sign me up! Maybe that is my problem with Shane. I need to be more helpless around him." Cait sighed.
"It wasn't intentional. And it just pissed me off. You know, back in Boston, I am a relatively capable individual. This has just been a series of incidents since I've gotten here and that man has witnessed every last one," Keelin fumed into her cider.
