She moaned in response and let the fingers from her other hand play with his black, wavy strands behind his ear.
“Bunny…”
She giggled, and he smiled against her lips.
“We have to stop kissing, baby girl. I don’t want to go back on my word, and I always do as I promise. Let me take care of you, okay?” He pulled back and locked eyes with her.
“I’ve got some tea and cookies. You stay here in bed and let me pamper you, okay? Just… stay here and rest.”
She bit her lip and smiled. Fuckin’ cutest smile he’d ever seen. He’d figured she already gavethe smilein the park earlier, butthiswas the smile he’d wanted from her all along, without a doubt.
“Bunny lass, where are ye girl?”
Errin smiled at Pops’ booming voice from the hallway.
“I’m here, Pops. You can come in.” She was dressed in Brennan’s T-shirt and even stole his boxer briefs and sweatpants when he flew downstairs to open the bar at eleven. Her swollen ankle rested on top of a couple pillows.
“Ah, there ye are. I couldn’t believe me own ears when me boyo told me. Stayin’ the night again, eh?” he said while shuffling into the bedroom with a scrubby stool in his hand. He placed it beside the bed and parked his sizable frame on it.
His signature boisterous cough made her jump a little.
“You ever seen a doctor for that?” she asked.
“For what?” He shifted his colossal frame to catch her eye.
“For that sound you normally hear at SeaWorld.” She smirked.
“Dunno ye talkin’ ‘bout?” he said.
“You know…” she said before she stretched her arms in front of her body, with her hands down and smacking her hands together while producing deafening short barks, “Oem, oem, oem.”
His massive belly moved along as he shook with laughter.
“Aye, ye make a good seal. Can ye do any other animals? How bout doin’ a turkey? Thanksgivin’ is comin’ up?”
She giggled and loved the fact he could one up her any time. She didn’t put him off by her stupid jokes. No, he rather enjoyed them.
“What do turkeys do, then? Can you show me?” she said, smiling deviously.
Pops narrowed his green eyes mockingly at her and said, “Ha! I wasn’t born yesterday, lass. I’m not goin’ to gobble any time soon, ye hear?”
“Gobble?” she said.
“Yeah, gobble.”
“What—”
“Not a chance in hell ye gettin’ any gobbles outta me, lass.” He then tilted his head as if it reminded him of something and added, “Unless… me boyo and Bunny lass are goin’ to be wed. Then, and only on that day, Imma gobble the loudest gobble ye ever heard.”
She shook her head laughing and eyed her foot propped up on the pillows. Pops cleared his throat.
“Ye know… I think yous a match made in Irish heaven. Yer like a filly, gallopin’ the fresh green fields and he’s the experienced stallion, showin’ ye the way around the lands. Both can do with a bit from the other.”
She’d never looked at it that way. Pops made it sound so simple, so natural even to be with his grandson. But what Brennan triggered inside of her was anythingbutsimple.
He was out of her grasp, not easily manipulated by her usual means of distraction. He was tenacious, wanting to experience thereal Errin.
And she did everything in her power to never let the real Errin out. She had no desire to show all her cards and bare her soul to him. This, whatever this was, wasn’t leading up to anything. They couldn’t differ any more. With him being the eleven years older, strong and silent type, and her, the loud and fickle type. He would run for the hills. So, why set herself up for heartbreak?