That was better than him driving me back. At least this way there would be no awkward goodbye in front of my bedroom door … again. “I guess I can live with that,” I supplied. “What kind of food are we talking about?”
“Typical bar fare. Burgers. Fish and chips. Stuff like that.”
“Actually, that sounds really good. I haven’t had good fish and chips in quite a while.”
“Then I think we have a plan.” He held out a hand. “Shall we?”
I sighed as I watched his wiggling fingers. He seemed to be having a good time at my expense. The problem was his charms were getting harder to resist.
“Definitely.” I sucked up every ounce of strength I had and bypassed his hand as I strolled toward the door. “Who doesn’t love fish and chips?”
“I’m a big fan.”
“That makes two of us.”
WOODY’S BAR WAS WITHIN walking distance of Grimlock Manor. The second I entered I felt as if I’d stepped into a familiar watering hole. Sure, the bars in New Orleans were fancier — and usually came with a theme — but Woody’s was a welcome respite after a long day.
“This place is great,” I announced.
Braden bobbed is head as he waved to an older man behind the counter. “We’ve been coming here for years. Heck, we came here before it was legal for us to come here.”
“Really? Did you get served?”
“Nope. Woody and my father go way back. He thought it was funny whenever we tried. We would wait until he had a new bartender in place and then come sauntering in with our fake IDs. It never worked.”
“And that’s Woody?” I inclined my chin toward the grinning man Braden had waved at.
“That’s him.”
Braden led us to an intimate circular booth. It was far too big for just the two of us, but he snagged it anyway. Because of its design, there was no reason we couldn’t sit reasonably close to one another. In a regular booth it looked idiotic for people to sit next to one another if there were only two bodies at the table. This booth erased that problem.
“Cozy,” I muttered, grabbing a menu from the display at the center of the table.
Braden’s lips quirked. “It is cozy,” he agreed. “This is my family’s regular booth. Oh, and look. Here comes the man of the hour right now.” He straightened his shoulders as the owner approached. “Woody, it’s good to see you.”
“And you, Braden.” Woody’s eyes were on me as he shook Braden’s hand. “Who is your friend?”
“This is Izzy. She’s new to the area.”
“And you fell in with this reprobate?” He made a tsking sound with his tongue. “Just let me know if he gets fresh. I’ll be more than happy to send security over here to sort him out.”
I smiled at the good-natured offer. Woody was clearly a friendly guy who had a long past with the Grimlocks. Braden didn’t look worried in the least that he would make good on his threat.
“I’ll let you know ... I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“You look the sort who can take care of herself,” Woody agreed. “Deep-fried mushrooms are on special for appetizers tonight. I ordered a round the second I saw you come through the door because I know they’re a favorite for Braden and Aisling.”
Braden slid his eyes to me. “Do you like mushrooms?”
“I do. That sounds good.” I smiled at Woody. “I think I’m going for the fish and chips, too.”
“That’s what I’m having,” Braden agreed. He hadn’t even opened a menu, which told me he ate at Woody’s often. “I’ll have a Jack and Coke to drink, too.”
“How about you?” Woody asked me. “Do you want something heavy or light with your dinner?”
The last thing I wanted was to lose my head now that I was alone with Braden. If I had something alcoholic to drink, I was more likely to let my defenses down ... which was probably a very bad idea given the circumstances. “I’ll have an iced tea.”
“Sweetened or unsweetened?”
I was surprised by the question. “I thought all the tea up here was unsweetened.”
“Mostly, but Woody likes to cater to an eclectic clientele,” Braden teased.
“I serve your family,” Woody shot back. “It doesn’t get more eclectic than that.”
“Sweet tea,” I announced to Woody’s nod.
“No problem. Speaking of your family, how is your sister? I haven’t seen her in a really long time.”
“She’s good.” Braden’s lips curved. “She had a baby a couple of weeks ago. Lily Taylor. She looks like Aisling.”
“Oh, that means she’s cute.” Woody beamed. “Hopefully, once she’s settled, she’ll come back to see me.”
“I guarantee that will happen,” Braden said. “I don’t think it’s imminent, because Lily is loud and demanding, but once she’s in a routine, I’m positive Aisling will be back.”
“Good enough.” Woody left with our orders, leaving Braden and me to keep up the conversation on our own. I didn’t want to turn to romantic subjects, so I grappled for issues that we could talk about that would quench the spark that continuously seemed to be igniting whenever we were close.
“So ... how long do you think you’ll be living with your father?”
Braden barked out a laugh at the brazen question. “I don’t know. I haven’t given it much thought.”
“That came out a lot more judgmental than I thought it would,” I admitted, mortified. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“No, it’s fine. I haven’t decided how long I’m going to stay at Grimlock Manor. I know I’m not leaving anytime soon.”
“Because you like having servants wait on you?”
“Honestly? That’s only part of the draw. The house is big enough that we can all live together without stumbling over one another or feeling penned in. My father has never been one to ask us about our every move. And except when it came to Aisling, he never complained about overnight guests.”
“Your father didn’t like it when Jerry spent the night?” That surprised me. “I thought he loved Jerry.”
“Oh, my father loves Jerry to distraction. Jerry is like another child where my father is concerned. He’s allowed to spend the night whenever he wants. I meant overnight guests of a romantic sort.”
“Oh.” My cheeks burned as realization washed over me. “Like Griffin.”
“Yes. The first time Griffin spent the night, my father walked the halls with a baseball bat grumbling to himself the entire evening. He swore up and down he was going to make us hide a body.”
I laughed because I could picture it. “Wow. Poor Griffin.”
“Griffin was afraid of my father at the start, but it didn’t last long. Now my father dreams of the days when Griffin was terrified of him.”
“Your father obviously loves Griffin.”
“He does. More importantly, my father recognizes that Griffin loves my sister ... and would die for her. I’m not sure Aisling could’ve found a better husband.”
The words were simple, and yet they warmed me. “They seemed better tonight. I mean ... I’m not imagining that, am I?”
“They seemed loads better. I’m guessing that means you talked to Aisling at the spa.”
“Maybe a little,” I hedged. “I just let her know that she was on edge and the baby was picking up on it. She seemed surprised, and I wasn’t even sure she was listening until we got back and she made a concerted effort to hold the baby and relax at the same time.”
“Was this before or after the ghosts attacked?”
“Before. After, all we could talk about was Jerry’s bitter disappointment in Aisling’s insistence on a communal wedding party so she could be there for both him and Aidan.”
Braden snorted. “That sounds just like him.”
“Yeah, well ... .” I didn’t want to circle back in the conversation because I was afraid of how it would make me look, but I couldn’t stop myself. “So ... how many women are we talki
ng about?”
He furrowed his brow, confusion evident. “What do you mean? In Jerry’s wedding party? Just Aisling.”
“Not in the wedding party. As overnight guests. You said your father only had a problem when Aisling tried to have overnight guests. I’m curious how many women you’ve had stay the night in your father’s house.”
“Oh.” Braden pressed his lips together as his cheeks flooded with color. “Um ... I don’t think that’s important.”
“No? It must be quite a few to garner that sort of reaction from you.”
“I didn’t say that. I ... not a lot. Only a few. And it was a very long time ago.”
“I don’t think I believe you. In fact, I’m almost positive you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying.” He turned serious. “I brought a few girls home after high school. We weren’t allowed to bring anyone in who was underage, and my mother had strict rules about overnight guests. My father was the one who relaxed them after her death.
“I guess, in the first few years after she passed, I might’ve been sowing my oats a bit,” he admitted. “In recent years I haven’t brought anyone home.”
“Why?”
“We had wraiths attacking at every turn and my mother came back from the dead. I guess dating took a backseat. Plus, well, I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk my heart given what my father was going through. He was gutted when my mother came back. He’d finally started dating a woman from the office and he actually brought her around. All that ended when my mother decided she wanted to reclaim her family.”
I’d never heard this part of the story, so I was understandably curious. “What happened to the woman he was dating?”
“She took a step back because she thought we needed time as a family to deal with things. She was nice enough, though I’m not sure she revved my father’s motors, so to speak. I’ve come to the conclusion that my mother — my real mother — was the only one for him.”
“It’s still sad that he’s alone,” I offered. “Is that another reason you haven’t moved out?”
He nodded without hesitation. “The house is big. It’s just Redmond, Dad and me now. We’re not tripping over each other.”
“You don’t want to leave your father alone.”
“I don’t want to be alone either.” He was earnest as he met my gaze. “Cillian was in the house until he and Maya decided it was time to strike out on their own. The same with Aidan. He left when it was time to move in with Jerry.
“Aisling left much earlier, but I’m pretty sure that’s because my father had a different set of rules for her,” he continued. “She and Jerry moved into the townhouse together and ate meals at Grimlock Manor several times a week. It’s not as if they weren’t around.”
“Your father had five children. He’s used to noise ... and people. You don’t want to leave him. I find that commendable.”
Braden’s smile was easy. “I’m a commendable guy. In fact ... .” He didn’t get a chance to finish what he was saying because a whirlwind of motion plowed into the booth at his left and momentarily left him breathless. When he realized the figure taking up space in his world wasn’t of the dangerous or paranormal variety, he frowned ... and then he outright glared.
“Hello, Angelina,” he gritted out as the pretty brunette tilted her head and smiled. “What a lovely surprise.”
He didn’t mean it, but I was intrigued. Here was the woman who played into our mystery, even though she didn’t yet know it. Cormack said he didn’t want to seek her out, but she’d just fallen into our laps. I could hardly let the opportunity slide.
Fifteen
“Are you the only ones here?” Angelina, who appeared tipsy, couldn’t hide her disappointment as she glanced around. “No one else but you?”
“There are plenty of people here,” Braden countered. “Look over there. There’s, like, ten people over there. You should bother them.”
I put my hand on his wrist to still him, earning an incredulous look.
“She’s fine,” I supplied. “In fact, I’m happy to see her.”
A drink clutched firmly in her hand, Angelina slanted her eyes in my direction. “I recognize you,” she said after a bit. “But I can’t exactly remember why I recognize you. You’re not Griffin’s sister. I know that ... harlot.”
Braden shot her a quelling look. “Maya is a good woman. You’re just jealous because she and Cillian are living together.”
Angelina couldn’t hide her surprise — or the brief moment of sadness that washed over her features — although she managed to cover relatively quickly. She was a good actress when she wanted to be, and apparently she was in the mood to put on a show. “I didn’t know Cillian had moved out of Grimlock Manor.”
“Is that why you drive by twice a day?” Braden’s tone was biting. I got it. He didn’t like Angelina. There was a lot of history between her and his family, most of it bad. Now was not the time for him to rehash it, though.
“I happen to live around the corner from you guys,” Angelina snapped. “Your house is on my way to work. Should I go out of my way so I don’t drive by your house?”
“That would be nice.”
“Ignore him,” I said hurriedly, drawing Angelina’s attention. “He’s in a bad mood. You’ll have to forgive him.”
“He’s always in a bad mood,” Angelina grumbled. “He’s the head sourpuss in the Grimlock clan. You should know that if you plan to date him.
“Redmond is the friendliest, but he’ll sleep with just about anyone,” she continued. “Everyone knows he’s not ready to settle down. He likes playing the field.”
“He won’t sleep with you,” Braden muttered.
Angelina ignored him. “Cillian is the smartest ... and the most charming. We dated.”
“I heard.” I searched for the right words. “I’m sorry that didn’t work out.”
“I screwed it up. I wasn’t ready. You know ... afraid and stuff.” She looked morose.
“And a total whore,” Braden added.
It took everything I had not to wrap my fingers around his neck and start squeezing until he stopped talking. I thought Aisling was the one who picked the absolute worst time to talk. Apparently she wasn’t the only one in the family with that particular gift.
“Braden is crabby like Aisling,” Angelina continued, apparently lost in her own world. “They’re two peas in a pod. They’re both jerks, so if you’re thinking of dating him you should start running now. Look how badly things worked out for that poor Griffin guy. He fell for Aisling — I still don’t know how that happened — and she ruined his life.”
Braden opened his mouth to spew something that I was certain was hateful and would end up ruining everything. I slapped my hand over his mouth to quiet him, earning a dark look for my efforts.
“I think Griffin and Aisling are very happy. They’re tired right now because they have a newborn baby, but when I saw them a few hours ago they were sharing a blanket next to the fire and holding their little girl. I think that makes for a happy family.”
Angelina rolled her eyes so hard I thought she might fall out of the booth. “Please. He only pretends to be happy because he’s afraid of Cormack and all of Aisling’s brothers. They’ll kill him if he tries to leave her.”
“She’s not wrong,” Braden admitted, pushing my hand away. “But Griffin doesn’t want to leave. He loves my sister. I’ve often struggled with why they mesh so well together, but Griffin loves her.”
“See.” Angelina extended a knowing finger toward Braden. “He understands. His sister is the devil. Of course, he’s the devil, too.”
“How much have you had to drink?” Braden challenged. “I’m guessing quite a bit.”
“I like coming here,” Angelina replied. “I can walk.”
“Yes, we’re all happy you’re not getting behind the wheel.”
I squeezed Braden’s wrist as hard as I could. “You know what’s weird, Angelina? We were just talking about you earlier,�
�� I offered. “You were the star in a Grimlock family conversation.”
Angelina snorted and took a huge gulp of her drink. “I can imagine the sort of things that were said.”
“They were all complimentary,” I lied.
“Oh, puh-leez! I guarantee the word ‘pimp’ was said. I know, because you already told me Aisling was there.”
“Yes, well, motherhood has softened Aisling,” I offered.
“Yes, she’s a total marshmallow now,” Braden drawled. “Kind of like that huge one that wanted to eat New York in Ghostbusters.”
I continued as if I hadn’t heard him. “The reason your name came up was because of your grandfather. Ryan Carroll was your grandfather, right?”
She nodded, seemingly disinterested. “My great-grandfather, not my grandfather. Although ... both of them were kind of jerks.”
“Great-grandfather,” I corrected. “We were talking about him.”
“I don’t know why.” Angelina was almost slurring now. “He left my great-grandmother not long after my grandmother was born. Then, my grandfather left my grandmother not long after my mother was born. My grandmother was abandoned twice.
“I didn’t know either of them very well. There are a lot of stories about my great-grandfather,” she continued. “My mother said he was nuttier than a Baby Ruth candy bar.” She laughed at her own joke, which was beyond annoying.
“Did you know him?”
“Me? No. He died before I was born.”
Braden shifted in his seat, finally engaged in the conversation. “Do you know how he died? There’s no record of it in any of the files we found.”
“Files? What files?” Her forehead wrinkled as she swirled her straw in her glass. “Why would you be looking at files on my great-grandfather?”
“He worked in the same office as our grandfather,” Braden replied.
“You mean he was one of you?” Angelina’s disdain was evident. “That is ... all kinds of depressing. You guys are freaks. I don’t want to be descended from freaks. Of course, that could explain why I’m alone ... if I’m descended from freaks, I mean.
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