Beers, Hens, and Irishmen (Warbler's Point Series)

by Meghan Quinn

  “Fiona, stop please look at me. This doesn’t change anything…”

  She threw her hands up in the air and cried out, “This changes everything! You lied to me, you told me your name was Booker Hall.”

  “It is. My full name is Booker James Hall. James is my middle name.”

  “Oh that makes me feel so much better.” She said in a sarcastic scream.

  “I never lied to you Fiona. I just didn’t go into detail about what I did for a living.”

  She looked at him as if he was crazy. “So you think you are going to get out of this on a technicality of avoiding detail? That’s bullshit Booker and you know it. I have tried asking you about your job and you have avoided the topic every time. You practically proposed last night to me. When were you exactly going to let me know that you were a famous movie director? When he were living together, watching our five kids frolic on the braided rug in front of our fire place?” She tried to push him aside but he didn’t move.”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Well please tell me what it was like because from where I’m standing it looks like you are doing research for one of your movies, see how far you can make a poor little bar maid think you are some regular guy. Well you fooled me Booker, congratulations.”

  “You really think I would do that to you?”

  “You already did!” she screamed. “How can I ever trust you again?”

  “You can. I just…”

  “Don’t Booker.” She stopped him with her hand. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She thought she actually found a man that she could trust and care about. Maybe she should have just stuck with Murphy, at least she could count him to never lie and deceive her. “I should never have gotten involved with you. It was too good to be true. I should have known then that there was something going on.”

  “It’s not too good to be true Fiona, what we have is real.”

  “No! What we have is a lie!” She stormed past him with all her might and got through. She took off to her car and turned around before she got into it. “If you know what’s good for you, I would stay the fuck away from me because once I leave here, every man in my life is going to know what you did and you can bet your sorry lying ass they won’t take it easy on you. I suggest you pack up and leave.”

  She got in her car and took off toward her apartment. When she finally parked behind the pub she threw the car in park and laid her head on the steering wheel and cried until she didn’t have any more tears to shed.

  ***

  Shit, was the only thing Booker could think to say. How did the paparazzi even find him? And what would they want to take picture of him with Fiona in Vermont for? Like he was running some kind of underground prostitution ring in Warblers Point or something? He would never understand the general public’s fascination with the lives of celebrities. Is a picture of him skiing with Fiona really headline news? Shouldn’t they be trying to catch some underage teen mom drinking and boozing at a party instead? That seemed more interesting than him skiing with the love of his life.

  He wanted to chase after her but he was nervous what would happen if her brothers found Fiona crying and Booker trying to beg for her forgiveness. He could only imagine it not going over well. He was able to hold his own with Liam that one morning but three O’Leary boys seemed like he would be outnumbered and asking for an early grave. Still, he needed to see Fiona, he needed to set the record straight.

  He was just about to leave when there was a hard knock on his door. Crap, did Fiona already inform her family of what happened? He tentatively opened the door with his fists curled ready to protect himself from any Irish knuckles. When he peaked past the door he saw Blaire, eyes rimmed in red and looking devastated. He ushered her in quickly and sat her on the couch.

  “What’s wrong sweetie?”

  “Finn and I are done.”

  Wow, what a day for the two California kids. He stroked her back gently while holding her and asked, “What happened?”

  “I don’t really know. We were getting ready to go to my cabin and we ran into Murphy in the back of the pub, he started saying stuff about you not being who you really are to Finn. I instantly panicked because I didn’t know what he knew and Finn took it as I was having some kind of fling with Murphy. I blew up at him and he blew up at me.” She wiped her nose with her sleeve. “I mean the nerve of that man to think that I am some kind of two timing girl. I would never do that. I know we never said we were exclusive but it was kind of an unsaid deal that we both understood. He didn’t even trust me, he just threw it in my face.”

  Booker felt his blood starting to boil. He wanted to drive right over to Finn’s apartment and straighten him out but Booker thought otherwise because most likely at this current moment Finn was thinking the same exact thing about him.

  “How did it end?” He asked, trying to mask his anger.

  “I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore and that it was for the best since we live so far apart. Nothing would really come from our relationship anyway, we wouldn’t be able to work it out.”

  “If you think that then why are you so upset?” He knew it was a stupid question, anyone could tell his sister had fallen for Finn but he wasn’t sure if his sister knew it yet.

  “I don’t know.” She started crying. “God, Booker I think I fell in love with the idiot.”

  Ah, she did know. At least she knew where her feelings were and he didn’t need to spend an afternoon helping her realize that in fact she was in love with Finn.

  “So what are you going to do about it?”

  She didn’t even skip a beat when she answered him, “Go home.”

  “Go home? Wait what about Finn, you love him. Don’t you want to fight for that?”

  “No, he doesn’t trust me and it would be too hard. It wouldn’t work, I don’t want to live here and he can’t leave his pub, it’s just not in the cards for us.”

  “You don’t know that. Warblers Point is a nice place…”

  “No Booker. It won’t work. I packed my stuff up and I’m catching a flight out today.” She looked at her watch. “Actually I have to go. I wanted to come over and thank you for the mini vacation. Even though my vacation is ending like this, I really did have a nice time and I hope you enjoy the rest of your time out here with Fiona.” Booker cringed at the mention of Fiona’s name which caused Blaire to study him. “Wait a second, where is Fiona?” She looked around his cabin. “Shouldn’t you two be skiing right now?”

  “We were until the paparazzi found us and started taking pictures. I freaked out and brought her back here as quickly as possible and that’s when she found out who I was. She finally put the two together. She wants nothing to do with me now.”

  Blaire clasped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, Booker I’m so sorry. Did you explain to her that you needed to get away and that it was nothing against her?”

  “I tried but she wouldn’t let me talk. The crushed look on her face is something I will never forget.” He ran his hand through his hair and paced the room. “I don’t know what to do. I want to go over there and talk some sense into her but I know if I step foot near that pub I’m going to have to face three O’Leary men and I know I will lose.”

  “Maybe you can call her?” Even Blaire knew that was a pointless suggestion because they both knew Fiona wasn’t going to answer the phone. “Whatever you do, you need to fight for her. Don’t let this little hiccup stop you. I have never seen you so happy before.”

  “I could say the same about you.” Booker countered.

  She waved her hand at him as a dismissal. “It would never work out. Do I care for him? Yes of course but we are two different people who got wrapped up in a little bit of romance. It’s best if we just leave it.” She got up and patted his face. “Thank you for everything Booker. I’m heading out. I will call you later. Please don’t give up.”

  “I won’t.” He gave her a long hug, he didn’t want to let go. She was like a safety b
lanket for him and right now he needed her more than ever but he understood her reasoning for needing to leave immediately. “Take care, kiddo.”

  After she left Booker sat on his couch contemplating how he was going to fix things between him and Fiona. Maybe if he let things simmer it wouldn’t be too bad. Not that that wasn’t a good idea. He needed to contact her so she knew he cared. He decided to call her, even though he knew it was pointless.

  ***

  Fiona was on her couch surrounded by her fuming brothers. Finn looked like a wreck due to his breakup with Blaire but he didn’t even want to acknowledge it so they didn’t. Fiona knew that once she told the boys about Booker they would be furious but Finn was even more angry because Booker promised he wouldn’t hurt Fiona on two separate occasions and Blaire lied to him as well about Booker. If Finn knew, he could have warned Fiona, that’s what he kept muttering.

  “I just called da, he is going to let ma know.”

  Fiona looked at Bradon in shock. “Why the hell did you tell them?”

  “They kind of need to know.”

  “That’s none of their business. I hate that I even had to tell you three. And don’t forget you all promised you wouldn’t do anything about it and I swear if you try to hurt him I will make sure every woman you ever try to take home finds out you have some kind of dick disease.”

  “Real mature.” Bradon muttered.

  “You’re just nervous because you know it’s true with you.” Liam said to Bradon.

  “I don’t have a dick disease!” Bradon protested “I always wrap my little man up. He is important to me, got to keep him clean.”

  “You both are disgusting.” Fiona said.

  Finn sat in the corner away from everyone, he looked like he was going to ram his fist through a wall. She knew he wasn’t taking the news very easily since he always prided himself in protecting Fiona but she didn’t think he would be this angry. She was nervous to even speak to him. She wondered maybe if Blaire’s deceit had anything to do with it. If Booker didn’t tell Fiona something about Blaire that could have possibly hurt Blaire’s relationship with Finn, Fiona would be just as mad. Her family stuck together.

  Fiona got up from the sofa and started to approach him. “Hey Finn…”

  He slammed his hand against the wall and took off for the door. “This is bullshit. I hate this godforsaken town and everyone in it. The only other people we meet are stupid tourists that play around with your heart. I am fucking sick of it.” Finn threw the door open and slammed it shut when he was gone.

  “Well, he seems to be in a chipper mood.” Bradon joked. Liam threw a pillow at him, knocking him square in the head.

  “Lay off.” Liam said. “He just got his heart broken. Apparently he is just as good as me at hiding his emotions.”

  They all chuckled a little knowing Liam had the worst time of hiding his emotions.

  “What can we do for you sweetie?” Liam asked.

  “Yea, I can go dent his rental or something. Not that it would actually matter, the guy is like what a billionaire?” Bradon asked.

  Ugh, was he that rich? Fiona didn’t even want to know. When she knew he was mysteriously rich it didn’t seem like that big of a deal but knowing that he is a famous billionaire changed the game. What she needed right now was to be alone.

  “Thanks you guys but I just think I’m going to take a bath.” Her phone rang and she knew who it was so she didn’t answer. “I appreciate your concern though.”

  “You know you don’t have to be so tough all the time.” Liam said.

  “I’m not, when you leave I will cry my eyes out, believe me. I just don’t want to do it in front of you two idiots.” She tacked on a smile to let them know she was joking.

  They both got up and headed toward the door. Bradon gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, “Well if you need anything please let us know. I would be more than happy to have Booker’s face meet my fist. I think they would get along quite well.”

  Fiona raised her finger and pointed at him. “Stay out of this. You promised.”

  Bradon raised his hands in defense. “I know, I know. Don’t be afraid to ring if you need anything. Love you Fiona.”

  “Love you too.”

  As she shut the door and headed for the bathroom she grabbed her phone that had a voicemail on it. Might as well listen and get it over with. She typed in her password and ran the bathtub as she listened to the man she fell in love with plead over the phone.

  “Hey babe, it’s me. I know you don’t want to hear from me right now but I have to talk to you. It’s important. I’m not going to give up on us. There are some things you need to know and why I handled what happened so terribly. Please call me back. I love you…Please Fiona.”

  Fiona tossed her phone on her towel in the bathroom and buried her head in her hands and cried while the tub continued to fill up.

  ***

  Finn sat at the pub’s bar with a shot glass in one hand and Irish whiskey in the other. Across from him he could see what a pathetic mess he was in the mirror’s that lined the bar walls where they had the liquor stored. He looked like a defeated, used up man. He didn’t even recognize himself. His hair was disheveled, his face was covered in way too long stubble from not shaving and his eyes were rimmed with red. Pathetic, he thought as he shook his head and then chased it with another shot.

  Not only did he get his heart broken but he allowed some blonde haired douche bag to break his sister’s heart as well. Finn should have realized Booker was the famous director. Finn even called Booker out on his resemblance the morning they built the fence at The Sleeping Potato. Finn was a fucking fool. If he pulled his head out of his ass for a few seconds instead of worrying about the fact that he hadn’t had a good fuck in a while then he might have been able to figure out the fact that Booker was a lying piece of shit and spare Fiona’s heart.

  Finn knew Fiona told him to stay out of her business but like hell if he was going to ever going to listen to her and the one time he actually lets his guard down when it comes to his sister, she gets hurt. Finn took another shot of whiskey to wash down the painful look Fiona had on her face when she came back from Booker’s. The picture of her in his head, crying, was engrained in his brain. He knew her break up with Booker was way worse than with Steve and there was nothing Finn could do about it.

  If Finn had any say in it he would march right on over to Booker’s cabin, beat the living shit out of him and then torch his cabin while Booker was still in it and that would be getting off easy Finn thought. Lucky bastard.

  Finn took another shot and realized that he couldn’t feel the burn of the liquid anymore, his entire body had gone numb now. His elbows were resting on the bar in front of him and his head was in his hands. He felt like pulling all his hair out but refrained from doing so since he was going to need to hook up with some random woman soon to get the thought of Blaire out of his mind.

  Blaire.

  What was he going to do about her? He thought about it and knew there was nothing he could do, not only because she wouldn’t even reason with him but all because she was associated with Booker’s lie. He felt betrayed. How could Blaire let Booker hurt Fiona like that? How could she do that to Finn?

  He was about to take another shot when his two obnoxious brothers walked through the door of the pub.

  “There he is.” Bradon spoke. “Didn’t I tell you he would be drowning his sorrows in a bottle of booze? Typical Finn.”

  Liam tossed a twenty at Bradon and said, “Damn, you’re right. I thought he would be over at Blaire’s begging for one last fuck.”

  Finn glared at both of them through the mirror against the wall but did nothing. He was not in the mood to be in the company of his brothers, especially if they were going to be annoying as hell.

  Bradon and Liam both sat next to him at the bar and grabbed a beer from the cooler. Bradon leaned over the bar and grabbed a couple of napkins then tossed them at Finn.

  “For your tea
rs…pussy.”

  Finn swung around on his stool and punched Bradon square in the chest knocking the air out of him. Liam grabbed Finn and held him back. “What the fuck Finn?” Bradon said while rubbing his chest.

  “Back the fuck off Bradon or the next one will be in the pretty boy face of yours.”

  “Jesus. When did you start getting your period?” Bradon asked while taking a sip of his beer and still rubbing his chest. Finn went to go attack him again but Liam held him back.

  “You need to calm the fuck down.” Liam said. “Bradon is not the one you are mad at.”

  “If he keeps talking shit then yea, I will be mad at him.”

  “He’s just ragging on you like we always do.”

  Finn leapt out of his chair and shrugged Liam off. “Would it be too much to ask for you two asshats to have a little bit of compassion? Did I go around pulling on your ass hairs when Neala divorced your pathetic ass? No!”

  “God, that would hurt.” Bradon said while rubbing his butt. “Pulling on ass hairs is not my idea of fun.” Liam chuckled and sipped his beer.

  “Unbelievable.” Finn felt like he was going to have a heart attack from the fury that was raging through his body. The last thing he wanted was to get into another brawl with his brother’s but he was one snarky comment away from attacking the both of them.

  Liam patted the bar stool and poured another shot for Finn. “Calm down Finn and just sit down and take another shot.” Finn did as he was told and lost himself in the amber liquid. “Now tell us why your panties are all twisted.” Liam and Bradon both chuckled. That was all it took.

  Finn grabbed the bottle of whiskey and chucked it against the bar breaking the bottle and a couple of others. Both his brothers backed off their chairs and stared at him in disbelief.

  “Holy hell.” Bradon said. “What the hell Finn?”

  “You think this is some kind of joke, don’t you? Well it’s not!” Finn felt out of control and one wrong move from either of his brothers and they were going down. “The girl I thought I loved not only broke my heart but lied to me which led to my sister’s heart breaking.”