Anyway, as much as he loved his brother, Brady was the guy Owen wanted standing beside him, so it turned out perfectly. His mountain of a cousin had lived with Owen and Jeremy for a while, and he’d been the one who’d pushed him to talk about their future. To declare himself so the man he loved wouldn’t wonder if he’d change his mind when he got bored with experimenting. The Marine gave good advice. Plus Badass kind of missed having him around the house.
“Good beer, Seamus,” Solomon said gruffly beside them, looking out of place without his uniform. “Did the kids make the label for you?”
Seamus sent him a look. “Very funny. I’m still working out the kinks in my art department. Photoshop is a bitch. I do like the name for it though. Jeremy’s Porter. It seemed right for the occasion.”
“Owen’s Porter would have been better,” Owen mumbled, taking another drink. Jeremy was his after all.
“I like it,” Rory said licking his lips as he took a drink. “Now we can all say we’ve tasted Jeremy. And he was dark and delicious.”
Owen frowned when everyone groaned but still lifted their bottles to toast. “To Jeremy!”
“I told you there wouldn’t be strippers.” Wyatt’s voice was loud in the sudden quiet and it started another round of laughter. “What? Bachelor parties in this family are sausage fests. Someone had to point it out.”
Noah choked on his beer. “How about you stop pointing things out and practice that shut-the-hell-up we’ve been working on?”
Seamus slid Wyatt another bottle and shook his head. “This isn’t that kind of pub, boys. We’re a family place, it’s Christmas, and a senator as well as the chief of police are sitting right next to you.”
Solomon’s expressionless features were completely at odds with the twinkle in his eye. “He’s right, Wyatt. The place is too crowded as it is, since our cousin didn’t see fit to close down the bar for his younger brother’s only bachelor party.”
Owen looked around. It wasn’t that crowded. In fact, most of the tables were sparsely populated. All of them with people he knew. Owen narrowed his eyes. The women looked disturbingly familiar.
“I have kids to feed,” Seamus defended. “I can’t afford to close the bar every time something happens in a Finn’s love life. Which lately? Is every other Tuesday. Owen understands it’s just business.”
Stephen chuckled. “Way to sell it, brother.”
Owen frowned suspiciously at those words, glancing again at his men from Finn Construction and a few of James and Solomon’s buddies from the precinct. And those women… He could swear they were actively ignoring him and trying not to smile. “What’s going on here, Seamus? Who did you invite?” Because I’m pretty sure I’ve slept with that brunette.
Solomon stood and raised his bottle before Seamus could answer. “The city’s most notorious bachelor—”
“Hey!”
Everyone looked at Rory. “Fine,” Solomon growled in warning. “One of the city’s most notorious bachelors is getting married.”
Brady came to stand beside his older brother, grinning down at Owen. “Over the years, the star quarterback turned construction worker and business owner has made a lot of women happy—”
“Countless,” Noah offered helpfully.
Brady dipped his head. “Countless women happy for a very little while.” Very little? Several women at the tables chuckled or snapped pictures with their phones and Owen sighed, his suspicions confirmed. He’d dated them. And he was going to kill whoever invited them later. Brady continued, “After that excessive preparation, all he has to do now is make one man happy for the rest of his life. Let’s hope his shamrock collection brings him luck, because he’s going to need it.”
Owen returned his earlier gesture, but Brady just winked and motioned to Stephen, who held his bottle aloft as well. “I say this as a brother and not a politician. Owen was always a pain in the ass,” he started smoothly, causing snorts and guffaws. “He got away with murder and no matter what rule he broke or scrape he got into, he always ended up on top. Our mother’s golden child.”
“She did say I was special.” Owen shrugged. “You had to run for public office to become the favorite.” His smirk was teasing. If they were going to roast him, he could give as good as he got.
“True enough.” Stephen pursed his lips over laughing blue eyes. “But despite his flaws, he did have great taste in friends. Having Natasha and Jeremy around the house almost made up for his less attractive traits.”
“We all liked having Tasha around,” Seamus said with a knowing grin, making his twin scowl in his direction.
“Yes, my wife has that effect. But we aren’t talking about her.” Stephen raised his voice again. “The only time any of us could stand Owen’s company was when Jeremy was around. So I know I speak for all of us when we ask that he not screw it up. For everyone’s sake.”