“Tammy. Vicky. Rose.” Bree nodded to each of them in turn. “It’s good to see you.” Her smile never faltered, and she motioned at their table, welcoming them without hesitation.
All three women looked around, their gazes darting. Tammy took a step forward, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder. They took in the whole room before Tammy spoke. “Ronan does good work. Maeve would have loved to see the pub’s facelift.”
Bree’s head tilted to the side. “Yes, he does excellent work. Nana Maeve would love the changes he made.” That was it. No condemnation, no demands for an apology. Bree let Tammy’s underhanded comment slide with a smile and more grace than I possessed.
Bree backtracked to the counter. “Coffee?” She filled four mugs almost before Tammy bothered to respond with a quiet yes.
They took their usual table, each one sliding in and scooting around while continuing to check out the updated pub.
I pressed my lips together to keep from saying a word and focused on my job.
Bree carried the coffee over, pulled out a chair, and sat. The move startled Tammy enough that she hesitated in reaching for her coffee, her hand poised halfway then coming back to rest in front of her. Bree nudged the coffee closer, taking the extra one she’d poured for herself and wrapping both hands around it. “I really am glad to see you today. Things were a little strained last time we spoke, and I’d like to settle this whole thing. What have I done that offends you? I’d rather you tell me to my face than skulk around town avoiding me.”
I almost cheered for her.
All three women looked at each other, mouths falling open enough to flash their dentures. Rose sipped her coffee and nudged Tammy. “Go on, then. You wanted to come here. Might as well give the girl what she asked for.”
I started out from behind the bar.
Bree didn’t even look at me, but when she dropped her hand by her side and waved it back and forth, I stopped.
Tammy squared her shoulders, the set of her jaw reminding me of Maeve when she had something important but uncomfortable to say. “Fine. You’re right. I’ve been avoiding this, and it’s high time you hear the truth. I think you’ve been playing games with men who don’t deserve it. Finn, Declan, and Ronan have built lives in this town. They’re good, honest men. They deserve better than to be flirted with and led along by someone who made it clear on day one that Clover Hill would never be home.”
She took a breath, and I waited for Bree to defend herself. Instead, she rolled her wrist in a ‘keep going’ motion that Tammy must have taken as a challenge.
Cheeks red and hands trembling, Tammy stared Bree down. “I think you’ve been playing those three men against each other. You’re stirring up trouble, is what you’re doing. And I want to know when you’re leaving. Now that the renovations are done, which is the only reason you’re here, when will you go back to where you belong?”
Silence.
Absolute. Utter silence. I’d never heard O’Sullivan’s so quiet.
Bree sat there, either in shock or despair, I couldn’t tell.
The door opened with a merry jingle, and I very nearly ripped the shamrock off the fucking thing and tossed it in the trash.
Every head in the room turned toward the sound.
Bethany.
Jesus Christ almighty. Could one single fucking thing go right today?
Bethany grinned so wide and sharp she reminded me of a shark. All teeth. No soul. Triumph shone in her eyes as she swayed over the threshold, the door closing quietly behind her. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” She almost purred the words, and I knew she’d been standing outside, waiting for this moment. It was something a woman like her did, preying on others. She looked at me, then Bree. “I’ll say what everyone else is too polite to.” A turn of her heel brought her around to face Bree. “You came into this town, shoving your ungodly amount of cleavage at any man who looked twice. I’m sure plenty of them looked. How could they miss it? You looked for anyone who would fall into bed with you.” Bethany shifted her expression when she turned again, this time to address the room.
I ground my teeth, halfway across the room to throw her out on her ass, when Bree stopped me with a look. Why? None of this was true.
Bree shook her head in a tiny motion no one else would notice.
“We don’t want a woman like that around here, stirring up trouble. We don’t need someone like her ruining our town’s community spirit. I, for one, think the world would be a better place without sluts like her sowing conflict.” She snorted. “I bet she’s given all three of them and STD.”
Enough. I didn’t care what Bree was up to. No one spoke like that and got away with it.
Bree pushed up from the chair in one slow movement that yanked every eye her way just as Bethany did when she came in.
My breath caught at the cold, glorious fury in her eyes. Hell, I hoped she punched the shit out of Bethany. If it was a man saying those things, he’d already be flat of his back.
Bree tugged her sweater sleeves down and picked a piece of lint off her shoulder. “I’m so glad you got that off your chest. I’m sure you feel better. Now it’s my turn.”
The righteous, triumphant smile on Bethany’s face dimmed.
