Page 47 of Hot Irish Halloween

Still serious, still sorrowing for her, maybe for his own lost glory, Jack swallowed and nodded. “We’ll leave it all behind. I promise you, Penny.” She burrowed into his arms, seeking and finding his heat and his caring. It was all there waiting for her as he rubbed her back soothingly. “I promise, angel.”

16

ONLY YOU

PENNY

For the remainder of that night, Penny did her best to forget about the fight with the bodyguard and the conversation with Jack about Brendan. Slowly, her mood improved, and Jack’s did too.

They enjoyed the performances at the festival, avoiding Carter Stillwell’s set, instead laughing at the comedians on a different stage and sampling the snacks on sale. That night, after dinner in town, they listened to two bands play in the bar of their hotel, clapping along and having the best time. Upstairs in the room, they took another look at the bed and shook their heads with laughter.

“This ain’t gonna work,” Penny said ruefully. “Let’s make a pallet. We always used to do that when the cousins went to my great-grandparent’s house for sleepovers.”

Quickly, they gathered all the pillows, sheets, and blankets they could find in the room and arranged them on the carpetedfloor. It wasn’t going to be the comfiest thing ever, but it would do.

In the morning, they met up with Squeeze and his new bandmates for breakfast, then hit the road. Jack offered to drop her off at home, but she was suddenly reluctant.

“I want to meet Trixie,” Penny said, feeling almost shy to ask.

“Yeah, sure.”

Penny waited in the car while Jack went into the kennel to retrieve Trixie. She was right next to the car when he came out with the little cutie trotting pertly on her leash. Trixie spotted Penny and lunged, making a beeline for her, barking and dancing. Utterly charmed, Penny dropped down to her knee, sidewalk be damned, and commenced to fawn over the pretty little dog.

Trixie lapped up the attention like the little diva she was. A smile tugged at Jack’s lips while he watched them interact. Penny didn’t care if she embarrassed herself by baby-talking. Trixie hung on every word.

“Alright, alright, I hate to break up this love fest, but we need to get this one back home,” Jack finally said. This time he was the one who seemed hesitant. “Want to come with us while I get her settled?”

No shame. Penny wanted to go home with Jack and continue their own love fest. “Yes.”

When they reached Jack’s house, she was impressed. It was remarkable how they were literally around the corner from her rowhouse, but he was in a big beautiful, detached home. Inside was even prettier than the slate-blue exterior. The front door had a window that let in a ton of light. Jack took her on a tour after Trixie ran inside to reacquaint herself with the furniture she’d apparently missed chewing on. There were oak ceiling beams and softer blue-gray walls.

“I love your place,” she said, indicating the comfortable brown leather couches, the colorful, although torn, area rug, and the abstract paintings of old-school boxers on the living room walls. “You’ve got great taste. Surprising.”

“Thank my mother for finding this gaff and renovating it. Dierdre started doing it professionally after she and Bran got married.”

“I think that’s awesome.”

“Yeah. It makes her happy. But I thought this was a bit much for me alone. Aside from having the kitchen and the gym I wanted, I’d have been grand with a box to eat, sleep and piss in.”

“A box to eat, sleep and piss in. That’s something they should put on one of those wood panels at the home décor store,” Penny commented.

“It’s got four bedrooms, three baths. Plenty of space left over for a banjo and a guitar.” Jack stared at her while a flush crept up her cheeks. “And I almost never use the office. Might be a good place to write. If a writer were living here.”

“A writer might need to visit a few times first. You know, get the lay of the land.”

“A writer should spend the night and see how it feels,” Jack said. After a series of long, slow kisses that melted her into soft, buttery goo in his big hands, he whispered against her lips, “Stay tonight. We’ll make dinner and have a very boring night on the couch. No Druids, no strangely aggressive bodyguards. Sound good?”

“Sounds better than good.”

After Trixie was in her crate, the dinner eaten, and the movie watched, Penny was in Jack’s bedroom getting ready for bed. He was perusing his emails on his phone, wearing those reading glasses that made her want to tear his clothes off and forbid him ever to wear anything but those glasses and a grin again. While she pondered how she could go about asking, he happened tolook up at her. His appraisal of her face must have given him a clue about what she was thinking.

“Are ya thinkin’ dirty thoughts about me, love?” he asked in an exaggeratedly thicker accent.

Fanning herself with her hand, she drawled, “If I wasn’t before, I am now. Whew!”

He chuckled. “All in good time, love, all in good time. Dierdre and Bran sent me more pictures. Looks like they’re having a grand time in Mallorca. I’m starting to get worried they’re never coming back.”

“And leave you with Trixie forever? Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing,” Penny said with a shrug.

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