Hollie
I stared into Lucas’s caramel eyes as he repeated for the fourth time, “A baby?”
Laughing, I nodded. “Can you only say that one word?”
Lucas blinked several times and then shook his head. “We’re having a baby?”
“Okay, you added on a few words that time,” I deadpanned.
“How?”
I raised my brows and gave him a look.
“No, I know how. I thought you were on the pill.”
“I am, but nothing is one hundred percent. I’ve never missed any and I wasn’t on any medicine that would affect it, so I guess it’s just part of our plan.” I drew my lower lip between my teeth before I asked, “Are you upset?”
“Upset?” he asked, surprised by my question. “Hell no, I’m not upset. Hollie, this is amazing. Are you okay with it? I know we never really got around to talking about when we wanted kids.”
“Or when we wanted to get married. Which—I think I’d like that to be sooner rather than later. Maybe even here in Ireland! Oh, or Scotland! I’ve always wanted to go there.”
Lucas took my hand in his and kissed the back of it, sending shivers through my entire body. “We can go and do whatever you want while we’re over here. And I’ll marry you anywhere you want, anytime you want.”
I felt my cheeks heat and had to bite the inside of my cheek so I wouldn’t say: Let’s run off and get married. Today. Instead, I replied, “I know you’re working, so I don’t expect you to take me all over the place.”
He smiled. “With what we keep finding, I might be here longer than I thought. I was going to talk to you about it.”
“Well, from what I’ve seen on the drive in from the airport, I think I’m going to love it here.” I spread my arms, taking in the room around us. “I love this little flat! And the town is adorable. It feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere, but Dublin isn’t that far away. Have you been to the pub across the street yet? It’s a real Irish pub, Lucas!”
“I know,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been there plenty of times. A guy by the name of Benny O’Brien owns it. It was his father’s pub, and his before that, and his before that. It’s been in the family for a long time. Wait until you eat there. His mother, Sarah, is an amazing cook. Just remember that when they talk they don’t make the TH sound.”
A bubble of excitement burst in my chest as I said, “Same name as my sister! And I’m starving. Do you think we can grab something to eat there now?”
“Of course. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Benny and his family.”
Lucas took hold of my hand and helped me off the bed. “You’re not too tired? I could run over and get us some food to go.”
With a shake of my head, I replied, “I’m tired, but I really want to see the pub, even if it means I can’t drink. Let me brush my teeth and change my clothes.”
We headed out and started for the pub across the street. It was in a beautiful, old, three-story building with the name O’Brien’s on a sign out front. It was sandwiched between two other buildings, which both looked to be as old as the pub—though the one on the right was most likely the oldest.
Lucas nodded toward the building. “Benny was raised in the flat above the pub, and now he lives there with his mom and his sister.”
“It’s so cute. I love the yellow building and the red trim around the windows and doors.” I looked up at the numerous plant holders. “They must plant flowers there in the spring.”
“They do,” Lucas said as he reached for the door to open it. “It’s supposed to be beautiful in the spring with all the flowers. There’s a story behind it; I’ll tell you later.”
I smiled, and Lucas opened the door and I stepped inside. My eyes widened as I took in the old pub. Large stone floors made way to the most beautiful wooden bar I’d ever seen. The walls were covered with memorabilia and pictures, as well as some odd items that I was sure held special meaning for the O’Brien family. I glanced up and saw a boot hanging down from the ceiling. I’d loved to know the meaning behind that one. Old photos were scattered behind the bar and throughout the large space. The woodwork was unbelievable. My eyes caught on a beautiful stained-glass window to the left that looked into a small room.
“It’s so beautiful,” I whispered as we walked farther into the mostly-empty bar. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting, but I did assume it would be more crowded—especially since it was close to noon.
“Where is everyone?” I whispered.
Lucas sighed. “Folks haven’t been coming in much lately. A lot of people have been hit hard in the community and money is tight. Benny’s worried he may have to close the pub if things keep going the way they are.”
“Oh no! That’s terrible. It looks like it’s been around for a long time.”
“Yeah, it sucks for him and his family,” Lucas said with a nod. “It’s been open since the late eighteen-hundreds.”
A handsome guy in his late 20s or early 30s glanced up from whatever he was reading. He had blondish red hair and eyes so blue I could see them from where we were standing.
“How’s it going, Benny?” Lucas asked.
A wide smile grew across his face, and I swore his eyes lit up, especially when he looked at me.
“Grand!”
A younger woman with the same smile as Benny walked out from a back area. It must be his sister Kelley Lucas had mentioned. She looked at Lucas and grinned, but her smile faltered slightly when she saw me. Our eyes met and she quickly grinned again. It was all so fast that if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have missed it.
“Hey, Kelley. How are you today?” Lucas asked.
“I’m suckin’ diesel.”
My smile faltered and I turned to give Lucas a questioning look. He laughed and said, “Yeah, that one took me a while to figure out. It basically means she’s doing good. Or grand. At least, I think that’s what it means.”
Giggling, I slipped onto a barstool as Lucas introduced me. “Benny, Kelley, this is my fiancée, Hollie Craft.”
Benny reached for my hand, his smile growing into a full-on grin. “It’s nice to finally meet ya, Hollie. Lucas here has been talking about ya non-stop.”
I returned his gesture with a smile of my own. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”
Kelley shook my hand and asked, “Did ya just arrive?”
Nodding, I replied, “I did and I’m starving. Lucas said you have the best food in town.”
Kelley and Benny both beamed. “That we do,” Kelley said. “Only because it’s me ma who’s doing the cooking.”
Benny helped his sister into her coat as he said, “We’ve got Irish stew and bangers and mash.”
“Irish stew for me,” Lucas quickly said.
“Bangers and Mash?” I asked, one brow raised. “That sounds…interesting and oddly sexual.”
Kelley let out a bark of laughter while Benny pointed to me and looked over at Lucas. “I like her.”
“So do I,” Lucas stated, kissing me on the cheek.