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Surprisingly, he doesn’t shrink into hie of Womankind He crosses his arain in his pocket With a muffled curse, he answers "What is it, Orla? Have you set the place on fire now?"

I raise an eyebrow at hiinning to pace I’d been planning on sneaking out a different entrance, but he’s just made it even easier I owe you one, Orla As soon as his back is turned, I wheel my suitcase out the front entrance and slip effortlessly into a cab

Chapter Two

While I’ain in a o was volatile, but volatile doesn’t begin to describe the Irish weather One h the sunshine, the next clouds are darkening the sky, turning it to nighttime in the middle of the day

We wind down narrow cobblestone streets, slick from the intermittent downpours and pull to a stop outside the Clayhtly off the beaten path, away fro, four stories high Windows are painted a crisp white, flower boxes containing cheerful pink flowers attached at their base A trio of Irish flags, white, orange, and green wave from the roof The bottom floor has a dark wooden facade, a draold lettering extends fro, the driver waiting for me to pay

But the wallet is frozen in ainst the outside of the pub, is Shane Soed to avoid all traffic on the way He’s watching me with an expression I can’t decipher It’s a mixture of relief and pure, undiluted pissed-off-ness I want to study that expression later So I do what co and snap a quick picture And I rong He hadn’t been pissed off before

No, he’s good and pissed

I step out of the cab and thank the driver, who has liftedsure to school er toward Shane A truly dope swagger is a little trick I picked up froh she probably wasn’t even aware she’d passed it on Your walk cantoward know just what the hell they’re in for Although my little vamoose at the airport has probably already tipped hi for me to ask how he made it back so quickly So I don’t "The weather in this country sucks ass," I remark instead on my way into the pub

He catches the door and follows et you into trouble, tough girl," he whispers gruffly inthe shiver his voice sends downit on"

With a snort, he leavesbehind the bar, joining a redheaded girl who looks flat-out panicked at the a at her expectantly from the other side the bar I can’t hear her over thethe roo so her, he takes a drink order and begins to pull pints of beer from a white handle

Determinedly, I push Shane Claymore and his Hulk-sized attitude to the back of s Claymore’s is small, clearly ancient, but immaculate And popular Every polished, wooden table is full with custolasses

I knohat a tourist looks like In Chicago, they’re everywhere, slowing you down by crowding the sidewalks as they try to decipher oversize h n that says outsider Unlike the Teht, this is definitely where the locals come to eat lunch Men dressed s over their salads At the bar, older gentle horse races on overhead televisions Regulars, Ginger would call thelances that I return steadily

Laughter, clinking silverware, chairs scraping, the bell dinging in the kitchen…all are unfamiliar sounds toInstinctively, I know this isn’t the type of establishe sixteen The ones that sent her ho side of Nashville sarette smoke and despair There is an air of acceptance here, as if anyone walking through the door could seaht into the tapestry of color and sound

My thoughts surprise ative aspect of so first and ask questions…never But I don’t have ti, hundred-watt s My first instinct is to hold up a cross to ward her off, but I’ed, what I really -o-death doesn’t e to knockmy senses will finish the job Just when I’ve finally recovered froer beats rapher herself, then I’ off ue leaves the words hanging in their air as she pulls rab hold of ed forward "What do you fancy? There’s cod and chips on the specials o with that since it’s the freshest"

"I’ry" Which isn’t entirely true I could probably choke down a Clydesdale right now if pressed, but I need to getquestions at ers at me from behind the bar For someone who obviously doesn’t wanttabs "Maybe later"

"Ahs and even I have to adenuine a the contest winner to be a girl so close to , Willa? I’ll just bet you’re fascinating"

"Nope Duller than dirt"

"Ah, go on" She laughs again, eyes sparkling They’re a touch lighter than Shane’s, yet infinitely different because of the innocence behind the innocent about Shane Faith is pretty in a way that hasn’t fully h, with her fair skin and dimples, she’ll likely be blessed with youthful looks forever Or cursed, depending on who you’re talking to "Will you at least have tea?"

"Not unless by tea, you hs "That’s so Ae cup full of the stuff? I bet you look like a movie star"

"Only if the ly"