Beers, Hens, and Irishmen (Warbler's Point Series)

Beers, Hens and Irishmen

Book One of the Warbles Point Series

Meghan Quinn

Chapter 1

             
Fiona woke up to a muscular arm draped across her stomach and an obnoxious pounding in her head. Flashes of the previous night swam around in her head as she tried to cope with what caused her such pain this morning. The grip around her back tightened as a giant man pulled her in closer. At that moment she realized she was in bed with her ex, Murphy Ryan.              

Groaning from the pain radiating through her brain, she tried to sit up to comprehend exactly what happened. She lifted Murph’s arm off of her
body as she attempted to sit up. She looked around her room and tried to focus on one solid thing, but the task at hand was proving to be difficult. Everything was blurry and it felt like the room was spinning one hundred miles per hour. Giving up on her investigation of last night she laid her head back down on her pillow and let the unfortunately gorgeous man envelope her into his embrace again.

The last thing she needed
in her life right now was to be hooking up with Murphy once again. She blamed it on the booze…and her weak heart. The man was impossible to say no to. All he had to do was lay on his thick Irish brogue and she was putty in his hands. They ended their relationship a year ago due to the fact that they had absolutely nothing in common besides their Irish heritage, well and sex. Their entire two year relationship was just pure sex. They never really talked or got too intimate with each other on an emotional level. No they just had sex, whenever they could, wherever they could. Even though the sex was amazing, she wanted more in her life. She wanted to get out of her small Vermont town, she wanted to get away from her over-bearing family and she wanted to explore the world through the lens of her camera.

Leaving Warblers Point was pretty much an impossible feat. Her parents controlled every aspect of their children’s life and there was no way they would allow their children to live out of a twenty mile radius
of their little town. She grew up in Warblers Point, population one thousand. Mostly known for its ski resort, Warblers Peak, Fiona lived in a one season town populated by tourists during the winter and deserted by humans during the off-season.

It was difficult to maintain a love life in such a small to
wn because everyone was in each other’s business. The dating pool was reduced to limited pickings since the only new people who came around stayed for a couple of weeks and then returned to their more lavish habitats. That was why she was lying in bed, once again with Murph, naked and with a pounding headache.

Images of the night before flashed through her head. Lots and lots of beer was consumed by her, followed by a game of darts against Murph where they placed a bet. That’s right, she lost and she was the prize. Why did she play him? She lost every time, the man could play with his eyes closed and still win.

She looked over at the man who consumed her life for two years. He was pretty much anything a girl could ask for: Irish accent, tall, muscular, brown hair and dark green eyes that penetrated your soul. Even though he was the epitome of any man her over-bearing mother could dream up for Fiona to marry, she just couldn’t let herself commit to a man she had no emotional connection with. The physical stuff was great, but how long could that really last? Two years…and then some, apparently.

She rolled to her side and reached for her robe. She felt the bed move on the other side. She looke
d over and saw the gorgeous man stretching, sheets nowhere to be found as her gaze zeroed in on his massive erection. Groaning again she wrapped the robe around her and got out of bed.

His voice startled her when he asked, “Where ya goin’ lassie?” Patting the bed he said, “Why don’t ya lay back down with me and participate in a wee bit of mornin’ lovin’.”

Rolling her eyes she responded, “Last night was a mistake Murph. You know we shouldn’t have done that.”

“Aw come on lassie, how much longer are ya goin’ to put off what’s goin’ on between us? We got something good.”

“Yea, and all it is, is sex.”

“Nothin’ wrong with that” he said with a sly grin. “Are ya going to let me wang down? It’s lookin’ for round five.”

              Round five? Ugh, she couldn’t believe she had sex with Murph four times last night. Was she some kind of sex-crazed animal? No, she just couldn’t behave herself around him, that was all. He was too tempting. She picked up his jeans and threw them at him.

             
“Get dressed, I’ll go brew some coffee.”

             
“You’re breakin’ me heart old girl.” He said, while cupping his chest with his hands.

             
Striding out of her room as fast as she could before her body threw itself at him again, she shut the door and leaned against it. She hated that she was so affected by the guy. She wiped the stray hair that fell across her face and put it behind her ear. She synched her robe tighter and walked to her kitchen where she ran head on into another masculine chest.

             
“Watch where ya going there lass.”

             
Her body went instantly still as she came face to face, well face to chest with her second oldest brother Finn. All her brothers picked up their parents Irish charm, fitting in their own kind of Irish brogue when they got a chance. They always said it helped with the ladies. She agreed when she thought about Murph’s accent. She shook off those thoughts and brought her attention back to Finn. If he knew Murph was here he would never let her live it down. She needed to get him out of her apartment and fast.

             
What was he doing here in the first place? Fiona and her three brothers owned an Irish pub, O’Leary’s, and above it were two apartments. Fiona lived in one and Finn lived in the other. Her oldest brother Liam lived with his wife and daughter Catherine, in a cottage not too far from their parents. Bradon, her third oldest brother, took up residence in one of the cabins on the property of their parents’ bed and breakfast, The Sleeping Potato.

             
She looked up at her brother’s scruffy face and asked, “What are you doing here, Finn? Don’t you have a place of your own?”

             
“Yes, I do but your oldest brother decided to occupy it last night, kicking me out of me own place.”

             
“You know, there are no girls around here to pick up, you can drop the brogue.”

             
“You’re just jealous you lack an Irish charm.”

             
“I’m really not.” She said while blowing by him to the coffee machine. She was in desperate need for a pick me up as well as a massive amount of ibuprofen. She added, “Why did Liam kick you out?”

             
Pulling up a stool at her kitchen bar he said, “He’s having problems with Neala. Apparently they have been fighting for quite some time and she kicked him out last night. He was on the phone all night talking to her and since he didn’t want me to hear their conversation he made me leave.”

             
Fiona took in the information Finn delivered to her while she was making coffee and then stopped in mid scoop. How long had her brother been in her apartment? Did he hear her and Murph?  A wave of heat soared through her body at the thought of Finn hearing her have sex with Murph. She felt her temples begin to sweat. She poured the rest of the grounds in the machine and turned the machine on.

             
She turned around to see her brother grinning. In an instant she knew, he knew. Murph decided on that moment to come strolling out of her bedroom wearing only his jeans, unbuttoned and a gigantic smile on his face.

             
“Finn! What are ya doin’ here this fine mornin’?” Murph said while shaking Finn’s hand.

             
“Murph, it’s good to see you. Always fancy running into you…especially at my sister’s place.”

             
Fiona buried her head in the fridge to cool off her embarrassment. She hated how well her brothers and Murph got along. It was annoying actually. When her brothers first met Murph they instantly clicked and started planning out a wedding between Fiona and Murphy, so did her ma. Her brothers still try to drop hints to her about starting things back up with Murph but she never considered them... until last night apparently. Damn beer!

             
She felt strong hands grasp her waist and pull her out of the fridge. Murph wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in tight. She tried to free herself from his embrace but his grasp was so tight her attempt of freedom was pretty much impossible.

             
“Tis little lady asked me to come on over for a wee bit of re-kindlin’ last night” Murph said while nuzzling his nose in her hair.

             
She whacked his head away and tore herself from his grasp. “That is not what happened. I lost a bet and I never retract on my bets.”

             
“Say what ya want Fiona me love but we both know I wasn’t pullin ye leg to come home with ya last night.”

             
Finn was still sitting at the kitchen bar, shaking his head and laughing at her expense. Fiona walked by her brother and punched his arm sending him the message that she was not happy with his humor. She went to go into her bathroom to straighten herself up and get away from the testosterone in the room when Liam, her oldest brother barged through her apartment.

             
All her brothers looked the same, tall with dark hair and scruffy faces. They all had a muscular build like their father. Liam and Bradon shared the same eye color as their da, a piercing ice blue color and her and Finn shared whiskey colored eyes, the same as their ma’s. Although, Finn deciphered himself from the group by wearing thick black rimmed glasses. Finn and Fiona were extremely close whereas Liam and Bradon shared a special bond, being the oldes and youngest of the family.

             
Liam was the most responsible out of all of them, kind and extremely loyal so when he walked in her apartment and saw Murph, topless in her kitchen drinking coffee, his brotherly defenses went up.

             
“What’s he doing here?” Liam asked while pointing at Murphy.

             
Finn unfortunately answered for her. “Murph was just cashing in on a bet he made with our dear little sister last night.” Finn wiggled his eyebrows.

             
Embarrassment crept through Finoa’s body. Why was her family so nosey and why were they in her apartment right now? Out of all mornings they decided to bombard her place, they had to choose the morning after she had sex with Murph to make themselves at home in her place. Giving up, she flopped herself on her couch.

             
“Is that true Fiona? You willingly had Murphy over?”

             
Fiona watched her brother Liam try to process the information as if it was the equation that cured cancer. He was a standup guy and she knew he was trying to be protective since breaking up with Murph wasn’t the easiest thing she ever did. She just nodded to his question and she saw him relax.

             
“Well, then how are you Murph?” Liam asked patting the man Finoa was starting to really despise, on the back.

             
“Great now” Murph said with a wink toward her direction. Finoa just rolled her eyes and pouted on the couch while her brothers joked around with Murphy, as if her and Murphy never broke up.

             
“How’s the ski business fairing Murph? You getting ready for the season?” Finn asked.

             
Murphy owned a ski shop on the main strip in Warblers point. He offered ski lessons and gear at a more discounted rate than the ski mountain, Warblers Peak. He made a very decent amount of money during the peak season as well as met a lot of woman to keep him warm on those cold winter nights which was another reason why Fiona broke off their relationship. She couldn’t stand the constant questioning if he was being loyal to her or not. Too many woman flaunted themselves at him and she couldn’t blame them, he was one unbearably sexy man.

             
“Fairin’ just fine, thanks chap. Already have some lessons booked up for the season. It’s lookin’ promisin’. Are ya gearin’ up for the tourists?”

             
“Of course, we just stocked up on the necessities…Guinness and Whiskey.”

             
Laughing Murph said, “That’s all ya will find in me fridge.”

             
The guys continued to laugh and tell stories about recent drunks they have seen around town when Bradon came barging in her apartment looking like he had one rough night. He was the ladies’ man of her three brothers and occasionally got himself into a bit of trouble when he was plastered. He was wearing sweat pants that were rolled to his knees, sandals, a plain white t-shirt and aviators. To Fiona he looked absolutely ridiculous but most likely to every other girl in town he was drop dead gorgeous.

             
He spotted Murphy in the kitchen, screamed his name and flung his body into Murph’s arms. Murph and Bradon were always so overly affectionate with each other. Out of all her brothers, Bradon took her breakup with Murphy the hardest. Murphy and Bradon formed a bit of a bro-mance that frankly was scary sometimes.