Straight Up Irish

by Magan Vernon

  “Oh. It’s okay, ma’am. They were just joking about my butt. Nothing too crass,” I stammered.

  Connor laughed, getting into the driver’s seat. “Fanny isn’t your bum. Other side. I think it was a compliment, saying you must have magic down there.”

  “Oh,” I muttered, my entire face now on fire.

  Connor laughed again, putting on his seat belt. “Aunt Colleen, James, John, this is my girl, Fallon. Fallon, Aunt Colleen and the twins.” He hitched his thumb toward the back seat.

  Aunt Colleen nodded, not even batting an eye at his words. “It’s nice to meet you, girl. Even if me boys have a bit of a mouth on them. But hanging with the Murphys, you aren’t no stranger to that.”

  This family outing was already turning into more than I bargained for, and it had only just begun.

  …

  When we got to the stadium, Connor went right to valet parking. We walked from the lot into a sea of people in green shirts, holding Irish flags.

  “We used to sit in the suites, but you don’t get the full experience when you do that,” Connor said, putting his hand on my lower back, guiding me toward the stands. My body instantly warmed from his touch.

  “You think they’re gonna shag in the stands?” John or James asked his brother, which garnered a glare from Aunt Colleen.

  “Do they do this to every girl you bring around?” I whispered, glancing at Connor out of the corner of my eye.

  Before he could respond, Aunt Colleen shuffled to my other side. “Whataya mean, girl? There haven’t been any other ladies. You’re the only one he’s brought to meet the family. Maybe now that my brother met his maker, it’s got my nephew ready to settle down. Or you’ve got that special something.” She nudged me with her elbow.

  I kept my head down and stayed silent as we made our way through the crowd to the stands. Jack was seated next to an older woman who could have been Colleen’s twin. On the other side of her was a middle-aged man with a long beard, and two redheaded college-aged girls were next to him.

  “Connor. Didn’t think you were going to show up. I believe the team was waiting to start the anthem until you came,” Jack said briskly, shaking Connor’s hand.

  “Had to pick up Aunt Colleen and the boys,” Connor said, hitching his thumb behind us as Colleen shuffled in with the boys on her tail, begging for every snack and souvenir.

  “Ah, Colleen’s slower than a heifer in heat,” the woman next to Jack said.

  Colleen waved her hand, sitting on the opposite side of me.

  “You try and keep up with these two,” Colleen yelled.

  “I did, when the girls were wee bits. Now it’s your turn,” the woman said.

  “Do you two need to nag when my American assistant is here?” Jack huffed between the two women, looking like the pristine beast, as always, with his gelled hair and permanent scowl.

  Colleen’s eyes widened, looking between the two men before she locked her gaze on Connor. “You’re shagging your brother’s assistant?”

  “They’re pals,” Jack growled.

  “Ah, the fanny full of gold. Pleased to meet you. I’m Aunt Isla, and this is my husband, Robert. The ones taking all the selfies are my girls Kelly and Kyla,” Isla said, stretching her arm across Jack and Connor.

  “Fallon,” I said. If my face wasn’t already as red as Isla and Colleen’s hair, it had to be close, since my entire body was now uncomfortably hot.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get us a few Guinness during the game, so it’ll make it easier,” Connor said, leaning so his lips grazed my ear when he whispered.

  I shivered. This was not the time to get turned on. Not that any time was right.

  The men in their green jerseys stood in a line on the field with their arms over each other’s shoulders. Connor pulled me to my feet, and he and Aunt Colleen both wrapped their arms around my shoulders.

  “What’s going on? Is this how you guys do the Irish national anthem?” I whispered, looking between Connor and Colleen.

  “It’s the Irish rugby song,” Connor replied, squeezing my shoulder.

  The entire stadium erupted into song, swaying to the beat of the music that streamed in.

  I’d never seen anything like it, even watching games on TV. Every single person mouthed or sang the words, swaying to the music in one big, unified movement.

  As soon as the music stopped and the game started, I still had no idea what the hell was going on. I stared blankly from my seat at the men running around.

  “See my brother, Sean? He’s the one with the beard in the center. Number nine,” Connor said, pointing toward the field as if he could read my mind.

  “Okay, I see him,” I said, looking at the group of guys in a circle, packed tightly together with their heads down. It was hard, with them all moving, but I could at least get a glimpse of Sean’s tattooed arms.

  “While they’re in the scrum like that, trying to get possession of the ball, it’s his job to hook it with his feet. That’s why he’s the hooker,” Connor said.

  “There’s more than one reason he’s the hooker,” Colleen said with a snort.

  Sean kicked the ball out from the circle then picked it up. He tossed it behind him to another guy before being tackled. The guys didn’t wear any sort of padding like in football, so I hoped he had some other protection or he probably would never have children.

  “This is more like football than I thought,” I said with a wince as Sean got to his feet and ran in the direction of the ball.

  “It’s sort of like your American football and our football, or what you call soccer. But less time for fannying about,” Connor bragged, sliding his arm around my waist. My mind raced, wondering if this was all still for show, or what he was thinking. Maybe he was just palling around as usual. I tried to concentrate on the game instead of the quivering sensation building in me.

  “Oh, what’s happening now?” I asked, staring at the guys tossing the ball behind them. They alternated between long steps and kicking as the team in red went after them.

  Everyone around us got up to their feet, so Connor and I did, too. He leaned in closer, shouting over the crowd.

  “They’re going in for a try, which is five points. He has to get it between the goal line there and the dead-ball line.” He moved his outstretched hand to point between the two areas.

  “Oh! He’s close!” I yelled, my heart racing from a mixture of excitement for the game and the closeness of Connor. His side flush against mine and every little touch had me hyperaware of just how close he was. “What do I yell?”

  He laughed, a low rumble that vibrated against me. “I think ‘go’ will do.”

  “Go! Go!” I yelled, jumping to my tiptoes as Sean got the ball. He avoided a tackle and took three long strides before throwing the ball down as the crowd roared.

  “Did he score five points? Is that a try?” I asked, turning to face Connor.

  “Yes. He couldn’t have done it without you cheering.” He laughed, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off the ground.

  I laughed with him, holding onto his strong shoulders while we cheered. My body trembled with elation, and once he set me down, I couldn’t erase the permanent smile on my face.

  “Told you—fanny full of gold,” Colleen said to Isla, but I didn’t care.

  I should have defended myself. But with Connor’s arm still around me, and both of us grinning, I felt normal for the first time since I’d been in Ireland. I felt like I wasn’t going to marry this guy for money, or he marry me to get his company.

  I was just a girl watching a rugby match in Dublin.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Connor

  Holding Fallon in my arms after each try almost made me forget we were in a crowd of thousands of people, and all I could think about was her touch.

  I took every chance I had to put my arm around her, squeeze her hand, or bump her shoulder. And she didn’t push me away. I was slowly crossing a line that I knew was dangerous, and w
ould soon need to pull back.

  If we were going to go through with this fake marriage, might as well have some fun with it. Maybe this was something we could discuss, like our arrangement. If we both agreed that it wouldn’t affect anything else, then we could take her “no sex” stipulation off the table. I just had to ignore the other notion that gripped my chest when I thought about getting closer to her. As long as we had an understanding, then neither of us would get hurt. Or so I tried to tell myself.

  “So, what do you say we head to one of our pubs near the stadium? Grab some fish and chips and a pint or two before going home?” I asked, putting my arm around Fallon’s shoulders.

  “I forgot there’s a Murphy’s nearby. We’re in.” Aunt Colleen pushed her way beside me.

  “I thought you were getting a ride home with Aunt Isla,” I said, trying to think of the nicest way to tell her to fuck off.

  “I’m sure Isla won’t mind a stop for a bite,” Aunt Colleen said, looking over her shoulder. “Isla? Robert? You and the girls fancy a pint at Murphy’s?”

  “That’s not necessary. It’s gonna be rowdy after the match. Not a place for a family,” I said, trying to put on my best convincing “aw, shucks, just trying to help you” face.

  “What are you talking about, brother?” Jack clapped my shoulder. “You’re gonna give Fallon a bad impression of the sport and our pubs. Rugby’s a family game, and Murphy’s is a grand place for us to go for a bite. I’ll text Sean to meet us.”

  I glared at Jack, thinking how the hell I was going to get the cock-blocker back.

  Murphy’s was jam-packed with people piling into booths, and some waiting outside for a seat. The smiling brunette hostess in a Murphy’s jersey grinned broadly, fluttering her long eyelashes. “Connor. Jack. In for a pint after the game?”

  I slightly recognized her and was pretty sure I might have shagged the woman at some point, but that was a long list that tended to blend together.

  The Connor who would do that seemed like a different person. One who wasn’t going to be a married man soon.

  “Penny. Nice to see you, girl. We’re here with the family, and Sean’s meeting us, so we’ll need a table in the back for eleven. That includes Connor and my assistant, Fallon, so try not to dump anything on my eejit brother, yeah?” Jack raised his eyebrows.

  Penny glanced at Jack, then her gaze went from me to my arm, her eyes trailing over Fallon.

  Bloody hell. Penny remembered me and not too favorably. I had to make sure to check my pint and chips for spit.

  “Another one of your groupies?” Fallon whispered as we walked to our table.

  “I don’t have groupies, pinky. Just my American bird,” I said, squeezing her shoulder.

  She squinted her eyes like she wanted to say something else, but nodded, taking her seat next to me. The rest of the family gathered around the large table, yelling their orders to Penny.

  “Jack. Connor. My second and third favorite Murphys.” A middle-aged man with long red hair in a plait stood at the edge of our table.

  Jack stood up, shaking the man’s hand. “Eddie. Wouldn’t be a game day without visiting my second or third favorite Murphy’s location.”

  Eddie laughed, and I stood up, following my brother’s lead and shaking the man’s hand. “Hey, it’s more like my fourth or fifth, but if the pints are cold today, I could move it up to third.”

  Eddie grinned, his grip on me tight like on oxen. But his gaze flicked to Fallon then back to me.

  His primal glare soured my mouth, and I put my hand on Fallon’s shoulder, letting the grizzly owner know she wasn’t up for the taking. She might not have agreed with that fact, but another man didn’t need to be gawking at her, either.

  “So, you headin’ to Galway next weekend for their pub’s anniversary celebration? I just got the invite, but with it being game season, I don’t think I can make the trip,” Eddie said, his eyes drifting to Jack. Good, he got the hint.

  “We haven’t delegated anyone to head that way yet,” Jack said, taking his pint from the waitress who offered him a coy smile.

  “That’d be a good trip for me to take, but I’ll need to borrow your assistant,” I said, shooting a wink in Fallon’s direction.

  “You want to bring my assistant with you on a work trip?” Jack asked with his eyebrows raised. He already knew the answer to that one, but I obliged anyway.

  “Your assistant, my girlfriend. Same difference. You’ve been working her so hard that she hasn’t gotten out of Dublin. It’d be nice for her to see some of the sites.” I clasped his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll have her back to you on Monday.”

  In my head, I figured a weekend away with Fallon would get everyone talking, and it wouldn’t be too much of a leap to say a romantic weekend turned into a proposal. I just had to ignore the other shifting feeling in my heart about what the time away could bring.

  “I’ll let you two discuss that, and I’ll send a waitress over.” Eddie nodded before he headed to another table.

  “Connor. Join me at the bar for a shot.” Jack’s lips pressed into a tight line.

  I glanced at Fallon. “You mind if I leave you with my family to go deal with my brother?”

  “If you tell me about this trip to Galway that you didn’t ask me about. What if I had plans?” She sat up straighter and tilted her chin. I loved that feistiness about her.

  “If you had plans, I’d sweetly ask you to break them so we could have some fun. When I get back to the table we can talk about it,” I said, kissing her cheek and taking in the lingering fruity scent that made my chest tighten.

  When I reached the bar, Jack stood with his back to me, leaning against the old wooden bar top. The bartender placed two shots of whiskey in front of him before stopping by any other patron.

  “You here to lecture me about taking your assistant to Galway?” I asked, grabbing my shot and tossing it back.

  He kept his hands on the shot glass and eyes on the bar. “You know, at first, I thought you just wanted to ruffle my feathers by shagging my assistant. Then, for a brief moment, I thought maybe you were going to make some deal with her. An arranged marriage so you could get your inheritance and the company.”

  I froze, thinking of how I could respond to that other than lying and saying that was a ludicrous idea.

  He tipped back his shot then placed the empty glass on the bar top. Then he turned around slowly, his brow furrowed. “But now I see that you love the girl.”

  I was never at a loss for words, but Jack’s sentiment had me sputtering before I just laughed. I wasn’t sure what else to say. Love? That was something I’d never felt for a woman in my entire life. I didn’t even know what it would be like.

  He nodded with a tight-lipped smile, putting his hand on my arm. “Treat her grand, okay? I can’t lose the best assistant I’ve ever had.”

  With that, Jack went back to the table, leaving me to get my bearings straight.

  My gaze trailed to the beautiful blonde, laughing with my aunts as if this was a regular Saturday thing.

  Briefly, my thoughts flitted to the idea of Fallon sitting here with us during every home game. Her at my side as we cheered on my bother and laughing alongside my family afterward. I tried to shake those thoughts out of my head and focus on the timeline we had.

  After the trip to Galway, everything would fall into place. We’d be married, and then we could move on with our lives.

  That’s what I wanted, right?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Fallon

  The more time I spent with Connor, the more guilt ached inside of me.

  I couldn’t hide the fact that I was falling hard for this guy and wanted us to be more than friends or a business arrangement.

  If I told him, the worst-case scenario was that he’d say he didn’t feel that way. Best case was that he would say he felt the same way and could keep our agreement financially and emotionally.

  But even as I imagined all of the possibilities,
my stomach twisted at the idea of how everything could go wrong for the company, Nana, and me. This guy was a player, that was evident by every waitress we met at a restaurant, who I always wondered if he slept with or not. There was no forever with a guy like that.

  I tried to focus on packing my suitcase for our trip to Galway. Since Connor was working late, I figured keeping my mind busy was the best option.

  Every minute I was there without him made my longing almost painful, like a part of me was missing.

  After unpacking and repacking the same pair of jeans, I decided to give up on my suitcase for a while.

  Since it was a little after lunchtime in Chicago, I thought I’d see if Nana was in her room.

  I went to the fridge and poured myself a glass of mead before taking a seat at my desk and staring at my computer. I took a big gulp of the honey wine and hit ignore again on a video message request from Ray. The boy still wasn’t getting the hint.

  Then I clicked onto Nana’s name and dialed for a video chat. I let out a big sigh of relief when her smiling face popped on the screen. I was grateful all over again that Connor bought her the tablet and Leah taught her how to use it.

  “Honey, what are you doing calling me this early?” Nana’s brows furrowed in confusion.

  “It’s six in the evening here,” I said with a small smile.

  She laughed. “Oh yes. I always forget you’re six hours ahead instead of behind. But if it’s dinnertime, where is that hunk of an Irish fella of yours? Shouldn’t you two be off at a pub or something?”

  “If you’re talking about Connor, he’s not really my fella, per se, and he’s working late. He had a conference call with some franchise owners in Boston,” I said, smiling to myself as I thought of grumpy Jack and smart-ass Connor conducting a phone meeting together.

  “I know that look,” Nana said, pointing a crooked finger at the screen.

  I blinked quickly. “What look? Do I have something on my face?”

  She tilted her chin. “That’s the look that you’re thinking about that fella. You’re smitten with him.”