He tightened his grip. “It was nothing.”
“Nope. Don’t say that. You’re not allowed to downplay the best gift you’ve ever given me.” I backed up a step and glared at him.
His smile crinkled his eyes. “Fine. You’re welcome.” He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “Anything for you.”
Wow. For a man who rarely spoke, he sure knew which words to use when it mattered.
I left that alone for now and turned to Declan, flinging my arms around him and almost dancing in place. I should be more careful considering we stood on the sidewalk in the middle of town, and in the middle of the day, but I was too excited to care. Declan caught me against his chest and held me close. “You’re welcome, honey.” His low, sultry voice tickled the back of my neck and put a delicious tingle in my belly.
“Hello, Bree.”
I released Declan and stepped back.
Tammy Whitaker stood ten feet away, her handbag tucked under one arm and her sharp gaze moving between me, Ronan, and Declan in a slow, deliberate sweep. Her expression and faithful attendance at the pub had become as familiar as the pub’s bar over the last few months. She warmed the place just by being there, and her mischief often preceded an outrageous conversation that left everyone roaring with laughter.
None of those emotions lived on her face today. She stood stoic, rigid, and wearing a tight frown I’d never seen before.
“Tammy.” I stepped further away from Declan, making sure we stood out of arms reach. “We were just celebrating. Ronan had my car fixed after it was vandalized.” I gestured at the hood, talking too fast but unable to stop. “Doesn’t it look incredible? I mean, it was never incredible, but you’d never know anything happened to it.”
Tammy glanced at the hood. “It’s lovely.” It came out flat and careful. She adjusted the handbag on her arm. “I heard about your car. Terrible business.”
So someone knew about the vandalism. I doubted Ronan, Declan, or Finn had mentioned it to anyone. “It really was. I was devastated when I found it. It’s Mom’s car, you know?” I shrugged. “I thought I’d never see it like this again.”
“Bree.” Tammy cut through my monologue as swift as a knife.
I stopped talking.
She gave me another long look, then turned her attention to Ronan and then Declan. Every second was an examination, and I couldn’t help feeling like I was the only one found wanting.
“Do yourself a favor.” She shook her head. “Pick one and stick with him instead of stringing them all along. That might work in Boston, but this is Clover Hill. People notice, and it’s not becoming.”
The air went out of me in a whooshing breath. Stars danced in my vision, followed by a darkening at the edges. Yep. I’d been found lacking. As always.
Tammy didn’t wait for a response. She turned on her heel and walked back the way she must have came, her sensible shoes making small, even sounds that matched the handbag smacking her hip with every stride. She didn’t look back.
The lump in my throat choked me. In all the ways I’d thought I would disappoint someone, getting what Nana Maeve called a dressing down by Tammy hurt more than I thought possible. She was right, though. This wasn’t Boston. People here judged based on family name and whatever gossip happened to crop up.
Declan stepped in front of me, cutting off the sight of Tammy walking away. “She’s worried about you, that’s all.”
“Worried about me?” I shook my head with a derisive snort. “No. She thinks I’m stringing you along, and she won’t ever understand the truth.” I focused on a button on Declan’s shirt, the top one closest to this throat. “She looked at me like–” A sob cut me off.
Ronan held my shoulder in one hand, the grip firm. “Tammy’s protective of people she cares about. Sometimes it comes out wrong, but she means well.”
“She was Nana’s best friend.” I sniffed back tears. I was better than this, better than the tears clogging my throat and the urge to run away. “She used to bring me sweets when I was little, andshe sat in the front row at Nana’s celebration of life and told me Nana talked about me all the time. She has never, ever looked at me like I am a disappointment.”
Neither of them said a word.
The shamrock keychain warmed in my palm when I tightened my grip on the metal. “I need to go upstairs.”
Declan reached for me. “Talk to us for a bit.”
“I’m fine.” I stepped back before he touched me, moving from beneath Ronan’s touch at the same time. Not because I didn’t want them to hold me and comfort me, but because if they did, I’d fall apart right here on the sidewalk with everyone watching. “Thank you. The car means more to me than I can say, and I know it took a lot of effort to make this happen.” I shoved the keys into my pocket. “I’ll never forget that.” The effort it took to look them in the eye almost broke me. “I need a few minutes alone.”
I walked into the pub before either of them answered.
The lunch crowd in the back corner were still working on their meal, and none of them even looked my way when I walked past them on my way to the stairs.
I kept one hand on the banister for balance and pretended I was a queen as I took each step with my chin up and eyes focused on the landing where I’d be safe.
