by Knox, Abby
I don’t dare turn my head to look at them. I can see all their eyes on this chick right now, out of the corner of my eye.
“…So, what I’m telling you is, nobody named O’Leary or Sullivan or even remotely Irish actually started the Great Chicago Fire. You have zero blood relation to anyone at all responsible for it. Isn’t that great news?”
Everyone is staring at Iona. And not because she’s cute. Well, she is definitely cute. I know it. My blood knows it. And my dick… yes, he knows it too.
I grit my teeth so I don’t yell at her and scare her away. “Bud, handle things for a minute.”
Now she’s the one looking confused. Still smiling that thousand-watt smile, but confused.
“Let’s go outside and talk,” I say.
“Is … this not welcome news?” she asks.
I grab my coat from behind the bar and pull it on. Before I can think about how it’s probably not appropriate to touch her, I place my hand on the small of her back as I escort her outside. I’m not about to have this conversation in front of my bar patrons or Bud. And sure as fuck not in front of the Beckys.
Once outside, I ask her, “Do you not recognize me?”
She studies my face. There’s a hint of a smile. “Should I?” The way she turns her head slightly to the right and narrows her eyes at me with a grin… my god, she’s a perky little thing.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly because the oxygen in my blood is not going to my brain right now. My breath puffs out in a cloud of steam. I can’t believe it’s still so fucking freezing in March. Why does anybody still live here?
“Iona Kelly,” I say. “Of the Kellys who used to live on 35th Street?”
I add in the name of the cross streets, just to be specific as possible.
The pink in her cheeks gets more pink and she looks excited. “Yes! That’s me! Who are you?”
“I’m Emmett O’Leary. I used to rent the basement of your house. The O’Leary who … was given your house by your grandmother.”
Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. “Great-grandmother,” she says.
“OK. Yeah. Her.”
She takes a beat to process her memories and this news. “Wait. You’re Scary O’Leary?”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s what us kids used to call you.”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t scary.”
She laughs. In fact, she leans back dramatically and laughs loudly at the sky. That’s how funny this is to her.
When she recovers she informs me that yes, in fact, I was scary.
“Everyone was terrified of you. You never came out of that basement. You were like Boo Radley before any of us were old enough to know who Boo Radley was.”
There is so much to unpack right now, so much to be annoyed about. But her laughter has me in a trance. It’s like she’s sprinkled a disaster of fairy dust on me and has no concept of how badly she’s complicated everything.
“Fuck this day. Let’s go get some coffee and catch up.”
Before she can respond, I whip out my phone to text Bud that I’ll be gone for the rest of the day. That slack ass can handle pouring shitty beer to the local alcoholics for once, instead of playing pool with the Beckys.
“Let’s go,” I say, putting my hand on the small of her back again, knowing I have been given no signal that I’m allowed to touch her.
She doesn’t jerk away from my touch, and I’m glad. As we walk up the street together, I think she’s actually inching closer.
Well isn’t this day just chock full of what-the-fuck-is-happening?
About the Author
Abby Knox lives a dual life. Fantasy Abby would love to live on a farm with goats, bees, chickens, donkeys and alpaca, making her own soap, yarn, honey and cheese. Reality Abby has no desire to do actual farm work. So, the ever-pragmatic Reality Abby keeps Fantasy Abby happy by putting her into adorable little works of romantic fiction with her pretend hobbies. Both Abbies hope you enjoy her sweet, sexy — sometimes a little over the top and weird — storytelling.
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Also by Abby Knox
Sweet Jane
(An amnesia story about being lost, and then found.)
The Christmas Pickup (a stand-alone holiday short read!)
Saved for Me
(a special Holidays with Alexa Riley story)
The Windy City Holiday Duet
Pumpkin and Spice
Comfort and Joy
From the Small-Town Bachelor Series
(each can be read as a stand-alone, but if you want to read in order … this is the order)
Take Me Home
Game Face
Written in the Stars, a special Christmas edition
Walk With Me
Stay the Night
Off-Season Stud (stand-alone)
His Vinyl Vixen (stand alone)
The Sisters of Enchantment series
Some Basic Witch
Witch, Please!
Her Big Easy Wedding (a quirky, smutty, five book shifter bundle!)