Then everyone else stands, too.
I’m immediately thrown off, because I was told there was one girlfriend, but there are definitely two women smiling at me.
“I’m Caitlin,” a blonde woman with carefully curled hair says.“Rían’s girlfriend.”She giggles, then, and maybe that’s making her seem younger, but I’m guessing she’s all of twenty years old.
“That’s strange to hear, Rían’sgirlfriend,” the other girl says.“I may need to hear it a dozen more times.”When she giggles, I realize they both seem to be close to twenty.Good heavens.
“That’s Shannon,” the tall man says.“And I’m Seán.”He smiles.“So glad we finally talked Jack into bringing you out of hiding.”
“We don’t bite,” Shannon says, giggling again.
“Speak for yourself.”Rían tucks Caitlin under his arm and snaps at the air beside her.
Oh, boy.
Jack glances my way, clearly bemused, and we both start laughing.
“I’m nothing like those idiots,” a short man with a blue scarf says.“I’m Daniel, and when I bring a girl to dinner, she’ll be classy, like you.”He smiles like he’s serious.
“When?”Jack asks.“Don’t you meanif?”That gets quite a few laughs.
“It’s not bloody likely.”Seán shoves Daniel then, and everyone laughs at that.Boys always think shoving and poking is funny.
Another man stands, interrupting the merriment.“I’m Oliver, and I work with Jack at TQS.”He pushes his glasses up his nose, and I can’t help wondering whether Samantha might be right.It sure looks like Seán’s the bully or the jock, and I bet Daniel’s the joker.I think that makes Oliver the nerd.There’s no punching bag though, thank goodness.
“Is Lorcán coming?”Jack asks.“Or did he beg off?”
“Lorcán’s right behind ye,” a man’s voice says.
Jack and I spin around, and there’s a very good-looking man behind us.He’s not dressed the best—there’s a hole in the shoulder of his sweater—but his smile’s broad and his teeth are shockingly white and straight for Ireland.Jack claps a hand on his shoulder, not seeming to care about his ripped sweater.“How goes saving the world?”
“World’s a shambles.”Lorcán shrugs.“Same as ever.”
“Ever since he was a wee lad, Lorcán’s been obsessed with saving every little critter he meets,” Seán says.“He likes dogs more than people.”
“Dogs don’t hurt others for no reason, whereas humans do that for fun,” Lorcán says.“Sorry I’m late.”
“Yer always late,” Shannon says.“And we can’t ever be raw about it, because you’re saving all them wee little pitiful critters.”
But Jack circles the table, pulls a chair up to the end, and squeezes onto the bench himself.He pats the chair.“Looks like someone already ordered a round.”He hands me a Guinness.“We better catch up.”
I don’t intend to keep up with all these young people, but I sip my beer slowly and obviously so hopefully no one will notice that I’m barely drinking.The others all settle in, with Lorcán taking a chair at the other end.That puts Shannon right next to me on the bench across from Jack.
“So how did you get our sad-sack Jack to finally cheer up?”Shannon winks at him.“You’ll have to spill your secret.All the ladies of Lismore have been trying, but none have had a bit of luck until now.”
“Sad sack?Jack?”I lift one eyebrow.“I never met him.”
“It’s effortless for her.”Jack’s smiling.“She’s just always happy, and seeing it makes me happy, too.”
“That’s definitely not true,” I say.“In fact, if you ask my boys, they might say just the opposite.”
“You have kids.”Shannon sits back, her eyebrows shooting upward.“So that’s it, then?”
“That’s what?”I can’t help my frown.
“You must’ve bonded over the kids?”Shannon asks.“Is that how you met?”
“Jack’s been working with both her boys at hurling,” Rián says, “and they’re actually pretty good at it, especially for Americans.”
