Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Close enough. I do. Do ye want some? I only ask because they probably don’t have enough bourbon or whiskey in this house to give ye the needed buzz. If ye’re too sober, ye might lose yer patience and brain one of these idiots. I also have the basajaunak brew, but that might be a little too strong right out of the gate.”
“This might be a stupid question, but are you never concerned about your liver?” he asked.
“That is a stupid question, yes, given I am magical and heal quickly, and also given my magical breed. I’m a creature who likes the oul gargles.” She tipped her head back and imitated pouring a drink into her mouth so he’d get the gist. “But if ye want to hope they have good bourbon in this mediocre house that cost too much, by all means…”
“Let’s try the Irish moonshine.”
“There ya go. Schure, ye might as well.”
He led them into the dining room, where he set the cooler down by the wall and picked up two crystal glasses from the breakfast bar along the side. Austin met them there, still within hearing distance of Lottie and Jessie, who stood just beyond them, near the entrance to the kitchen.
“Gonna be a long day,” Broken Sue murmured to Austin.
“Looks like it,” Austin replied, barely moving his lips as he poured himself a generous helping of whiskey from the breakfast bar. Aurora grabbed a plate and headed to the other side, where a table holding various metal buffet warmers had been set up, all steaming, with a caterer checking the level of the contents. “This is about how it went the other night, though Lottie seems a little more obviously salty than her son. Quite the family.”
“Quite the family,” Broken Sue muttered, returning to Niamh and holding up the glasses to be filled.
“Lovely to see you again, Jacinta,” Lottie said to Jessie, gesturing for a server to come over. “What would you like to drink? Or have you quit? I remember you used to indulge a little too heavily in years past. Matt tried and tried to get you to slow down, but maybe now you’ve seen the light?”
The last was said flippantly, accompanied with a little laugh, as though it was some sort of joke.
Aurora turned slowly from the line for food, looking at the pair of them. Broken Sue glanced at Austin for his take.
“It’ll get worse,” Austin murmured softly. “Let her get her bearings. She’ll push back. After she does, we’ll dominate this party.”
“Matt didn’t like my drinking at all, so a glass of wine after dinner was too heavy for his taste.” Jessie paused when the server stopped behind them. She smiled. “Do you have sparkling wine?” He answered in the affirmative. “Great, I’ll have that.” She turned back to Lottie. “What can I do for you, Lottie?”
The other woman smiled without humor, spreading her hands a little. “Not a thing. I just wanted to check in and catch up. It’s been an age! How are your parents? Are they okay? I really was sorry to hear they weren’t coming this year. And here I was finally ready to break down and try those deviled eggs she always brings”—she reduced her voice to a murmur—“to a catered party.”
Jessie’s expression said she was not amused, but she kept her tone polite. Somehow.
“We had a big gathering yesterday. Family only,” she said poignantly. “It was a late night for them. Since I was bringing more people to this party than originally planned, I figured letting them off the hook would be better for your numbers. I remembered that you gave very specific numbers to your caterers and didn’t like any deviations, not even to allow me one special friend I never got to see because of Matt’s jealousy and mistrust of me having friends at all.” She laughed lightly, totally forced and not trying to hide that fact. “I didn’t want to put you out.”
Both Aurora’s and Broken Sue’s eyebrows lifted slowly. Austin grinned a little, and Niamh was in pure rapture. Imagine all this hostility without it tipping over into a brawl. Fascinating. Very good self-control.
“Oh yes. Diana, right?” Lottie nodded sagely. “I do remember her. Always meddling, from what I remember.”
“You mean telling me I had a right to—”
“And I heard that you’ve moved away.” Lottie gestured for the server to hurry up and hand Jessie her drink. “It’s so…quaint…that you’ve settled into a rural sort of life. Big cities are hard to navigate. I remember you always had trouble. But now you can live a quiet life with your…new person and his…eclectic family. You were very quick to find someone new. But then, I suppose you’ve always been used to a certain lifestyle and needed to find someone to provide that for you…”