She rolled her eyes. “I know. He’ll probably want to get a rolling stool that he can sit on and roll back and forth behind the bar.”
Everyone around chuckled, and Bob watched as more money went into the jar sitting on the bar. An older man came by and snagged the jar, glancing over toward the pretty woman. “I’m going to take this into the back and lock it up. Here’s a new jar to keep collecting.”
“Thanks, Gramps.”
It hit Bob that not only was the pretty woman related to the man who got hurt but that this man was their grandfather. His own brother had been hiding out in his apartment and had now hit the road, and Pops was drunk at home, now pissed that the news was not focused on their cause, and these people were working and collecting money to help others.
“How’s Torin going to get in and out of his place?”
The pretty woman finished pulling the beer and looked at the man who asked the question. “We can get him upstairs, and I’m hoping we can keep him there. I don’t want him to try to come down the stairs to constantly check on this place.” She walked over and handed the beer to Bob, smiling. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
He nodded and reached into his pocket to pull out a little bit of cash. He hadn’t meant to order anything when he came in, but even though Pop had slipped out numerous times from bars without paying, the thought of her brother being in the hospital because of his actions didn’t sit well. He slapped the money onto the bar, drank the beer down as quickly as he could, and headed back out into the night. The idea of going home to Pops held no appeal, but he didn’t have Marty’s sofa to sleep on anymore. Sighing, unable to think of anywhere else to go, he headed home.
25
“Oh, my God, I didn’t expect such a welcoming committee.” Erin had just parked outside the pub with Torin in the back seat, his leg extended and elevated. She needn’t have worried about how to get him up the stairs and into his apartment because looking out the window, she spied her mom and Hannah, both holding casserole dishes, her dad, and Torin’s grandparents.
“Fuckin’ hell,” he groaned from the back seat. “I pissed before I left the hospital, and I feel like I need to piss again. I was dreading having to get up the steps to do that, but now we're going to have an audience.”
A giggle slipped out, and she twisted around to look at him. “I’m sure they’ll just help you get in, but nobody will follow you into the bathroom to watch you piss.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Not even you?”
“As much as I want to get you naked and have my way with you, I think we both need to heal a little bit first.” By the time she climbed out of her car and walked around to his door, her dad and Fergus were standing nearby. Opening the door, her dad called out to Torin. “We’re just here to help any way we can. If you want to try this on your own, that’s up to you.”
“Hell, boy,” Fergus shouted. “Take all the help you can get!”
Erin turned around, now making big eyes toward Torin, who simply shook his head.
“I think maybe I’ll get out of the car first, get the crutches up under me, and then we’ll see what we’re doing.”
With assistance, Torin got out of the car, and Erin tried not to hover as he wobbled slightly, getting the crutches in place. Wanting to give Fergus something to do, she said, “Mr. Flanigan, can you get his bag from the back, please?” Glad that Torin’s grandfather jumped to the task, she continued to hover nearby as they made their way to the door leading up to his apartment. Unlocking it, she turned to her mom. “Mom, Hannah, why don’t you go with Mrs. Flanigan and take your dishes up to the kitchen? That way he doesn’t feel like he has so many people behind him as he’s trying to get up the stairs.”
Her mom nodded and winked. “Good idea.” The three women moved upstairs, and with the amount of food in their hands, Erin had no doubt that she and Torin would eat well for the next couple of weeks.
Between her, the crutches, and holding onto the railing,