Conor nodded. ‘Just thinking.’
Finn poured himself a whiskey and sat at the bar next to his brother. ‘Would have been a lot easier if she looked like shit these days.’
Conor felt his breath catch in his throat. ‘Howdoesshe look?’
Finn swallowed. ‘Fecking beautiful. Jaw-length hair — more honey-colored than last time we saw her. The same sparkling green eyes, obviously… But it’s like, she’s grown into herself, you know? She’s all woman. But still with that cute, playful side she used to have.’
Conor felt a deep longing in the pit of his stomach. ‘I need to see her.’
‘No, you don’t,’ said a voice by the door.
‘Shay,’ said Conor. ‘How long have you been standing there?’
‘Long enough to know you two are getting hard-ons over the new doctor. Well, you’d better keep your dicks in your pants. Fucking your own doctor is immoral. Not that she’d be interested anyway.’
Conor stood up, slightly wobbly on his feet after too many drinks. ‘And how the hell doyouknow what she’s interested in, Shay?’
Shay scowled. He stared at his brothers for a long time. ‘Because we abandoned her.’
‘Well, she was never really interested,’ said Finn. ‘No point raking up the past.’
Shay stared at the floor. ‘There’s something I need to tell you both.’
Conor stepped toward him. He had a bad feeling about this. He might have had a special connection with Finn, but he knew Shay well enough too. Shay felt guilty about something.
‘What did you do, Shay?’ asked Conor, a darkness in his voice.
‘I lied,’ Shay replied, his voice trembling.
‘Lied about what?’ asked Finn, standing up beside Conor.
‘Do you remember the last time we saw Tammy? What I told you when we left her place?’
‘You mean that she didn’t think either of us were good enough for her?’ asked Conor, quick as a whip.
‘Of course we fecking remember it,’ said Finn.
‘We couldn’t get it out of our heads for months afterward,’ said Conor.
‘Maybe longer,’ added Finn.
Finn was right. Tammy’s words had stained his heart indelibly. They hurt him even now.
‘She… never said those things,’ said Shay quietly.
‘Shewhat?’ Conor shook his head. ‘What are you on about, Shay?’
‘She never said that stuff about you.’
Finn took a step closer to Shay. ‘So why did you tell us that she did?’
Shay’s expression clouded over. ‘Because… I’m a dick. And I didn’t want you both to have her.’
Conor’s blood was boiling. ‘You made it all up?’
‘Yeah,’ said Shay, spreading his palms wide. ‘I’m sorry. But what I said still stands. You can’t go after her because she’s our doctor. Oh, and she’s definitely a Little, by the way. In case you were wondering.’
Conor had to admit that the thought had crossed his mind. Knowing that shewasa Little made this even harder. His perfect feckin’ woman, and he wasn’t allowed anywhere near her.