“Pretty sure he’s used to that.”
I turn to leave and run right into a brick wall.
I look up to find Keegan smiling down at me, his hands on my shoulders to steady me. And just like that, my body heats, my heart pounds, and I realize this visceral reaction to Keegan’s nearness is much more intense than the reaction I had to seeing my teenage crush.
“Are you okay, then, Izzy?”
“Sure.” I swallow hard. “I mean, yeah.”
“She has a mild—and by mild I mean huge—crush on Leo.”
Keegan’s eyes narrow on my face, and I feel my cheeks flush.
“I used to,” I correct her.
“Sure, that’s why your face went white, and you just volunteered to have his babies.”
The muscle in Keegan’s jaw tics. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s mad. Or jealous.
But that’s just wishful thinking.
“You guys didn’t warn me until right now that I’d be meeting celebrities. People that I’ve watched and admired for years. On top of that, it’s a family party, and I do not belong here.”
“Come with me.”
Keegan takes my hand and leads me out of the main bar area, past the kitchen door, and into his office. He shuts the door behind us and turns to me.
“Take a deep breath.”
I do as instructed, and while it does help me feel a little better, my pulse is still off the charts.
Though it has nothing to do with Leo Nash.
“Let’s get something straight right now, Izzy. Wait, what is Izzy short for?”
I blink quickly, surprised by the sudden change in conversation. “I’m sorry, what?”
“What is your name short for? Elizabeth?”
“Isabella,” I reply and watch as Keegan clenches his fists and then slides his hands into his pockets. “Why?”
“Because I’ve wondered since the day I met you.” His voice is calmer now. “You belong here because my family invited you to join us. Because we enjoy your company. It’s that simple, Isabella. If you’re uncomfortable being here, I understand, and I can take you home. But I hope you’ll stay and enjoy the day with us. There’s nothing to fear here, and nothing to be uncomfortable about. The O’Callaghans and the Montgomerys are both welcoming, and I promise that in less than thirty minutes, you’ll be completely at ease. It’s your choice.”
“No one calls me Isabella,” I mutter, still stuck on the way my name sounded coming from his lips.
“If you don’t like it, I won’t either.”
“No, I like it.”
He waits for my answer. “I’ll stay.”
I follow Keegan out of the office in time to see Luke Williams, the star from so many movies and shows when I was young, walk into the pub with none other than Starla, an amazing pop star that I’m more than obsessed with. I round on Keegan. “Really?”
“That’s the last one,” he says with a laugh.
The next thing I know, I’m standing next to Anastasia, and she leans in to whisper to me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Your family is ridiculously intimidating.”
She laughs and then nods as she looks around the room. “I can see that. I’ve had a long time to get used to who my family marries and who we bring into the fold. It’s a lot. But, behind the public personas, they’re just regular people. I promise.”
“There’s no way Leo Nash is regular people,” I reply. “Is there any chance he’ll take his shirt off?”
“I mean, we could spill something on him, on accident of course, and then he’ll have to take it off.”
We’re giggling when Maeve, Maggie, and Lexi join us.
“What are you laughing at?” Lexi asks. Anastasia happily shares the story, much to my horror.
“I’m just kidding,” I insist.
“I’m not,” Stasia counters.
“You have to meet him.” Maggie takes my hand and leads me to the other side of the room where Leo is chatting with four other men, all of whom could rival the O’Callaghans in the looks department.
And that’s saying a lot.
“Hey, guys, I want to introduce you to Izzy. She’s new here. Izzy, this is Caleb, Matt, Isaac, Nate, and Leo.”
All of the guys smile at me. Three of them are definitely brothers. The one named Nate is sexy in a way I’ve only ever read about in romance novels.
And then there’s Leo.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, he’s even hotter up close.
“Nice to meet you,” Leo says and offers me his hand.
He wants to touch me.
“I’m going to be brutally honest here,” I say, rather than accept his hand. “I’m about to embarrass myself really bad.”
“How so?” Leo asks, his head cocked with interest.
“I’m a big fan.” I swallow hard, shocked that any sound came out at all. “I’ve seen every tour. I love your music. In fact, it’s what got me through some really rough patches in my life. Including the day I walked out on my wedding and drove all the way here from central Oregon. But now I’m just babbling.”
“Not mad about this babble,” he says.
“Big fan,” I repeat.
“She wants you to take your shirt off.”
My eyes feel like they’re going to pop out of my sockets as I elbow Maggie in the stomach.
“Ignore her.”
“No, she really does.”
Leo laughs, and then, with a slight shrug, he just reaches over his shoulder and peels his black t-shirt over his head like it’s no big thing at all.
“Sweet baby Jesus,” I breathe. “Sorry. That was completely inappropriate. It’s the tattoos. Those stars on your hips—”
“Are delicious,” a petite blonde says as she joins us with a smile. She wraps her arm around Leo’s waist. “Trust me, I agree.”
“This is Samantha, Leo’s wife.” Maggie introduces us.
“Well, now I’ve gone and done it. I am so embarrassed. Please know I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“It’s okay. The tattoos are something to write home about,” Samantha replies. “Did I hear that you walked out on your own wedding?”
“Yeah.” I sigh as Leo slips his shirt back over his head. Which is good. Because if he kept it off, I wouldn’t be able to think. “It’s a long story.”
“I have a feeling this is going to be a long party.”
The past month has felt like something out of a rom-com movie. Between how it all began, finding this pub, meeting these people, and the party a few days ago, more has transpired in the past four weeks than in the past four years of my life.
There’s never a dull moment.
Samantha Nash ended up giving me her number so we could have lunch together sometime. Leo ended up teasing me the rest of the day about taking his shirt off. The whole atmosphere was easy and laid-back as everyone laughed and ate, and then we watched as Stasia unwrapped gifts and cried from gratitude and hormones.
It was a day I won’t soon forget.
“How are you feeling, Izzy?” Fiona asks when I come into the kitchen to place an order for one of my tables.