Page 51 of Steadfast

“Hi, I’m Ronan,” Ronan said to Patrick, reaching out to shake his hand.

Will chuckled. “Hey, Tommy,” he called over his shoulder. “Come give me a hand.”

“Why me?” another biker called back as he pulled a leg over his motorcycle. “It’s always me.”

“Good to meet ya, Ronan,” Patrick said.

“You’re Irish!”

“I am.”

Aisling came over and wrapped her arms around my waist.

“Me too!” Ronan exclaimed happily. “Sort of.”

“Half,” I corrected. “We’re half.”

“The best half,” Patrick said conspiratorially.

“That’s my sister Saoirse,” Ronan said, pointing. “And that’s Aisling.”

Patrick nodded at both the girls, then closed his eyes and tilted his face to the sun for a moment.

“You wanna watch so you can do it next time?” Tommy asked Cian. He was much smaller than the guy named Will but still pretty scary. Aisling tightened her arms at my waist.

“Whoa,” Saoirse muttered from my other side. Her gaze was caught on one of the bikers, but I couldn’t see who.

“What?” I asked. She just shook her head, her cheeks growing even rosier.

We took a few steps to the side so Cian and the men could jack up my car, and all three of us watched as they showed him how to change the tire, letting him do most of it.

“Thank you,” Cian said, throwing my old tire into the trunk when they were done.

“You coulda figured it out,” biker Tommy said, slapping him on the back. “You ever need a job—”

Will laughed.

“What?” Cian looked back and forth between them.

“Got a garage in Eugene,” Will said, still smiling. “You wanna be a mechanic, come find us.”

“I will,” Cian said, wide-eyed with hero worship.

I tried not to scowl. Cian going to find those bikers was a worry for a different day. I didn’t care how nice they were, I’d murder him if he tried to ride a motorcycle.

“See ya later,” Will said to me as he walked away.

“Thank you,” I called back.

Tommy waved.

“It was very nice to meet you all,” Patrick said, his eyes roaming over our group. “Aoife, Saoirse, Aisling, Ronan, Cian.”

My eyes watered as he turned and walked back to his motorcycle.

“He said our names right,” Saoirse whispered hoarsely as I led the girls back to the car. “He said them perfectly.”

“I know,” I muttered, wiping my nose on my sleeve.

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