Skin (McCullough Mountain 2) (7 page)

She smiled, completely relieved, and slid
out of the booth.

He briefly looked over her outfit and
smiled. “You look nice.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

They went to the bar and Kelly gave a
Cheshire grin as he lined up several shot glasses. Erin sidled up
to Finn and hissed something in his ear. He frowned and shook his
head, whispered something back and then she stomped off toward the
ladies’ room.

Finn pasted on a smile, but Mallory saw
through it. Shots were poured and there was a great sense of
camaraderie that came with the weight of a shot being pressed into
her palm.

“To our golden boy, Braydon. May his last
year of school be the best he’s seen yet!” Luke toasted.

The others raised their glasses and shouted,
“To Braydon!”

Braydon, who of all the McCulloughs was the
fairest of skin and hair, grinned and tipped back his shot.
“Solute!” he said, slamming the empty glass back on the bar.

Mallory’s eyes watered as her shot burned a
path to her belly. She gasped and slipped the glass back on the bar
with a shaky hand. “What was that?”

“’Tis the best Irish whiskey O’Malley’s has
to offer,” Finn said.

“It tastes like shit,” she grumbled, wiping
her lips with the back of her hand.

He laughed. “Only the first one tastes of
shit. After that your taste buds burn away and it’s smooth sailing
until morning.”

“How can you drink that?”

“I’m Irish. It’s expected.”

She laughed. “Nothing like proving a
negative stereotype wrong.”

He nudged her with his hip. “We try.”

“Hey, I know you,” Luke said, coming to her
side.

Finn tipped his head and said, “Yeah, I
heard you two met at the market.”

“You thought I was Finn, didn’t you?”

“Sorry about that,” she said, her face
heating as she recalled how much of an ass she made of herself that
day.

“No problem. So, where’d you come from?”

She, again, explained about how she recently
moved from the city and the same connection was made that she would
be working with Samantha McCullough in a few days. She hoped the
mysterious Samantha would get there soon so she could put a face to
the name and maybe have a work ally before her first day.

Mallory finished her wine and excused
herself to use the bathroom. She headed past the pool tables in the
back and turned down a dark, narrow hall and came up short.

Erin stood, back to the wall and a smile on
her face, as the man from earlier braced his arm on the wall above
her head. There was no mistaking the intimate pose for anything
else. Mallory flushed and pivoted, going back the way she’d come
and nearly plowing into Finn as she turned the corner.

“Whoa, Philly. No runnin’ in the bar. Did
you find the bathroom? That was fast.”

“Finnegan,” she said, enunciating his name
louder than necessary. Hopefully Erin heard her and knocked off
whatever she was doing.

He frowned. “You all right?”

“Uh, yeah. That shot must’ve gone to my
head.”

“’Excuse me.” She turned as the man who had
been practically groping Erin in the hall came out looking
innocent.

“What’s up, Tim?” Finn said.

The man, Tim, nodded. “Hey, Finn.” He kept
walking.
Great. They know each other.

Finn turned to her. “Did you see Erin in
there?”

Lie or no lie?
Thankfully she didn’t
have to answer. Erin came around the corner that very moment. She,
too, took on an air of innocence that quickly turned to disapproval
when she spotted Mallory. She had some nerve!

Finn smiled and took her hand. Mallory had
to look away. She also had to pee since she never made it to the
bathroom. “I think I left something in the bathroom,” she mumbled
and fled.

When she returned to the bar, the McCullough
clan had acquired a large, round table. Erin perched on Finn’s lap,
her posture and touch affectionate. Mallory turned away and saw a
woman she didn’t recognize.

“Sit here,” Sheilagh called to her, and
Mallory settled in to a seat.

Colin turned and his face lifted in
surprise. “Ms. Fenton. How are you?”

The formality was awkward and she wondered
if it was in bad taste to drink with the man who’d hired her. “I’m
good. How are you?” She couldn’t bring herself to call him Mr.
McCullough.

Sheilagh shoved him. “Don’t be all formal.
Mallory’s a friend.”

Colin looked contrite. “I wasn’t being
formal. I was being polite.”

“Whatever. I’m getting a drink. You want
another glass of wine, Philly?”

She handed Sheilagh some cash and thanked
her. Colin scooted back. “Mallory, this is Sammy, my wife. She
teaches AP English at the high school.”

Mallory extended her hand and said, “It’s
nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“All good I hope,” Sammy said. She was an
all-natural beauty with dusty lashes and freckles. “Don’t judge me.
Tonight’s my last night to let loose before I’m overwhelmed with
grading papers.”

Mallory smiled. “Not judging. I plan on
doing the same, since I start a new job on Monday.”

* * * *

Finn watched Mallory chat with his sisters
and admired how easily she smiled and laughed. Erin was being
awfully lovey and he wasn’t sure what changed. Sometimes she was
like dealing with a bipolar patient off their meds.

Her breath coasted over his ear, but it
didn’t have the same effect such affection normally did. On the
contrary, it annoyed him. Tonight was all about hanging out with
his siblings before Braydon left for school. He had the sense she
was trying to get him to leave early, which would turn into an
argument about him picking his family over her.

“You smell extra good tonight,” she
whispered, her breath soft and warm on his neck.

He shifted in his seat and gave her hip a
squeeze, not seeing the need to comment.

She sat up, pressing her breasts into his
chest. “We should sneak out to your truck for a bit.”

He frowned, pulling his gaze from Mallory
who was laughing heartily at something Braydon said. He looked down
at Erin. She never—
never—
made offers to screw around in
public places. It wasn’t her style. He, on the other hand, didn’t
have a style when it came to sex.

“You’re in rare form tonight,” he teased and
she bristled.

“So? Maybe I just want to have some fun for
a change.”

She made the comment as if nothing they ever
did was fun. “I’m having fun here.”

She groaned and pulled back, her breasts no
longer flirtatiously close. “It’s the same shit every
Saturday.”

He gave her a warning glance. “It’s
Braydon’s last night.”

“And last week was Kelly’s birthday and next
will be Sheilagh’s and then your parents’ anniversary and then some
other lame reason to come here.”

He stared, unsure how to respond to such
clear contempt for his family. “If you don’t want to be here you
can go.”

She scowled at him. “Why, so you can cozy up
with your new friend? Where did she even come from?”

He drew back and grimaced. His eyes
flickered over to Mallory who caught his glance and gave him a
questioning look. She couldn’t have heard Erin’s comment. He nudged
Erin off his lap. “Come with me.”

He led her out of the bar and into the
parking lot, turning her back against the brick siding. “What’s the
problem, Erin?”

She snatched her hand away and glared at him
with nothing more than contempt. “What do you think? Every time I
turn around you’re talking to that girl.”

“So? She’s my friend.”

“Since when, Finn? You have a girlfriend.
She can go find another guy to pester.”

He drew back. “You’re jealous.”

That seemed to outrage her. “
Of her?”
She scoffed. “Hardly.”

“Well, maybe you should be. She’s a nice
person.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? That I’m not?
If she’s so damn nice, Finn, why don’t you go out with her?”

“It’s not like that!” He turned and shoved
his fingers through his hair. “God, why are we always
fighting?”

“Probably because you can’t be on time for
anything and when you finally do show up, you spend your time
talking to everyone
but
me!”

“I talk to you all the time!”

“It’s not the same, Finn. You laugh with you
brothers and sisters. You don’t laugh with me like that. And now
you’re laughing with some girl I’ve never seen before who hangs on
your every word.”

“That’s not true,” he argued, but his mind
called him a liar. He did laugh with his siblings. He also laughed
with Mallory. He couldn’t recall the last time he and Erin actually
had fun and laughed together, just the two of them.

He sighed. “Maybe I’ve been a little
preoccupied with family stuff lately. My dad hasn’t been feeling
real well and my mom’s overwhelmed with my grandmother. I’m sorry I
can’t always be there when you want me to be, but I can’t just
ignore my responsibilities.”

“You have six siblings. Why don’t your
parents ask one of them for a change?”

It was the same argument they always had.
“Colin’s busy with his own family. Sheilagh helps out and Bray is
leaving soon.”

“What about Kelly?” she demanded.

“He’s always working.”

“They don’t bother Luke, because he had the
sense to move out, but you won’t!”

“I’ll move out when I’m ready to buy my own
house.”

She rolled her eyes. “When will that be,
Finn? You’ve been making the same excuses for years. You’re
twenty-eight years old. I wish you would for once act like it.”

He drew back as if she slapped him. “Is that
what you think, that I don’t act my age? What do you do, Erin? You
work at the same place you did in high school and you wait around
for me to come and entertain you. Why is it always me? When do I
ever judge you as harshly as you judge me? You’re right, I won’t
move out right now for the same reasons I wouldn’t move out last
year. My parents need my help with my grandmother. It falls on
them, because my aunt and uncles are busy and have their own
relatives to tend to. That’s what family does.”

“So I have to wait for your grandmother to
pass away for you to make a move?”

He stilled. In a hushed voice, he said, “You
don’t have to wait for anything. Go buy a house if you want one so
badly. I’m not stopping you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe I will.”

He’d like to see her try on her salary.
There were times Erin came off as such an entitled princess it blew
his mind. He sighed. “Why do we always fight?”

Her gaze drifted away for a moment. “Maybe
we should consider seeing other people.”

He jerked his gaze back to hers. “Where the
fuck did that come from?” They’d broken up in the past over dumb
shit, but never had either of them ever made mention of seeing—or
wanting to see—other people.

“I’m just saying maybe this isn’t
working.”

“You want to see someone else?” he
demanded.

“Finnegan, don’t act like you aren’t
checking out other girls.”

He scoffed. “I have eyes like everyone else,
but I’ve never been disloyal to you.”

“Really? Where were you this afternoon? I
called you five times.”

His gut clenched. “I was with friends.”

“What friends?” When he didn’t answer, she
snapped. “You were with that girl! Oh my God!”

“We’re just friends!”

“Okay, well, I’m going to go make some new
friends and you tell me how you like it.”

She turned to leave and he caught her arm.
“Don’t. I’m not playing games.”

“Neither am I,” she sneered and tugged her
arm away.

As she stormed off to the bar, he yelled,
“So that’s it?” He wished he had something better to say, but that
was all he could come up with in that moment.

“Until you’re ready to grow up and give me
as much—if not more—of your free time than you give your
friends
then yes, that’s it. This isn’t fun anymore and I’m
sick of begging for your attention.”

She disappeared into the bar. Music
interrupted the silent night as the door opened and closed. He
growled and pressed off the brick wall. If it weren’t Bray’s last
night in town, he’d leave.

A door at the back of the bar opened and the
sound of trash being thrown in the dumpster rattled in the silence.
He turned and found Kelly brushing off his palms.

“Hey, Finn. Whatch’ya doin’ out here?”

His head shook. “Erin and I had a
fight.”

“What else is new?” His brother must have
seen something in his face that told him it wasn’t a joke. “Sorry.
You okay?”

He shrugged. “I’m so sick of being told I’m
not doing enough.”

“Does anyone ever do enough for Erin? She
isn’t exactly easy to please.”

That was true. “Do you think I’m
irresponsible?” he asked his younger brother.

Kelly laughed. “Finn, you’re the most
responsible McCullough I know next to Colin or Dad. Don’t listen to
anyone who says otherwise.”

“Thanks.”

Kelly eyed the back door of the bar. “I
gotta get back in there. You should too. You’re little friend’s no
longer tasting the whiskey, if you know what I mean.”

He laughed and headed back inside. Music
belted from the speakers and his family overran the middle table.
Bray looked like he’d gone through the ringer over the past thirty
minutes. Sammy was slurring her words and petting his brother in a
way the rest of them were still not used to seeing Colin touched.
Colin didn’t seem to mind in the least.

His gaze snagged on Mallory. She was
laughing hysterically, her hair kinking under the heat of the bar
and her skin glossy. She looked…nice.

He turned and scanned the bar for Erin. When
he found her she was standing in the corner whispering to Tim. He
frowned. Since when did they talk? He debated pulling her aside and
apologizing, but the sound of his family laughing and enjoying
themselves tugged at his attention.