to home since sheâs done with university. I expect sheâll find work that suits her better in Dublin or Waterford City before much longer. My chicks are all flying the coop.â
âIâm still roosting. And youâll have Alice Mae for years yet.â
âAh, but I miss the days when my five girls went tripping over me every time I turned around. Hereâs Maureen a married woman, and Patty going for a bride come spring. Donât know what Iâll do, darling, when you hitch yourself to a man and leave me.â
âYouâre well stuck with me, Dad.â She crossed her booted feet as she finished off her stew. âMen donât lose their heads or their hearts over women like me.â
âThe right one will.â
It took all her effort not to let her gaze wander toward the kitchen. âI wonât be holding my breath. Besides, weâre partners, arenât we, now?â She looked up and grinned at him. âSo man or no man, itâs always OâToole and OâToole.â
Which, Brenna thought as she used Darcyâs bathroom to wash away the rest of the soot, was just the way she wanted it. She had work that pleased her, and the freedom to come and go that no woman could manage with a man attached to her.
She had her room at home as long as she wanted it. The companionship of family and friends. Sheâd leave the fussing with keeping a house and pleasing a husband to her sisters Maureen and Patty. Just as sheâd leave office work and marking her time by a clock to Mary Kate.
All she needed to get by were her tools and her lorry.
And her wanting Shawn Gallagher brought her little but frustration and annoyance. She imagined that one day, eventually, it would pass.
Knowing Darcy well, Brenna made certain she cleaned up every spot of dirt. She left the little white sink gleaming and used her own rags to dry her hands and face rather than the frilly fingertip towels Darcy had on the rod. Which, to Brennaâs mind, were a complete waste of fabric, since no one who really needed to use them would dare.
Life would be simpler if everyone bought black towels. Then no one would shriek and curse when their fluffy white ones ended up grubby.
She spent a quiet few minutes replacing the broken outlet in the living area with the new box sheâd brought along. She was just screwing on the cover when Darcy came in.
âI was hoping youâd get to that. It was irritating.â Darcy dumped her tip money in what she called her wish jar. âOh, Aidan said to tell you that he and Jude want to have some work done in what will be the babyâs room. Iâm going over to see Jude now, if you want to come along and see what she has in mind.â
âIâve something to do first, but you can tell her Iâll come âround in a bit.â
âDamn it, Brenna! Youâve left dirty boot prints all over the floor here.â
Brenna winced and hurried up with the screws. âWell, Iâm sorry about that, Darcy, but I cleaned the sink.â
âWell, now you can clean the floor as well. Iâm not scrubbing up behind you. Why the devil didnât you use the loo in the pub? Itâs Shawnâs week to clean up there.â
âI didnât think of it. Stop bitching about it. Iâll see to it before I go, and youâre very welcome for the electrical work Iâve just done for you.â
âThanks for that.â Darcy came back out, pulling on a leather jacket sheâd splurged on as a Christmas gift for herself. âIâll see you at Judeâs, then.â
âI suppose,â Brenna muttered, annoyed with the idea of washing the bathroom floor.
She muttered her way through the chore too, then cursed viciously when she noted sheâd left little clumps of dirt and dried mud across the living room as well. Rather than risk Darcyâs wrath, she dragged out the vacuum and sucked it all up.
As a
Jonathan Green - (ebook by Undead)