Wild Chance (Wilder Irish #13) - Mari Carr Page 0,47

Paddy had already wiped. The issue of the last wing was solved. No offer necessary.”

“If we’d been even or you’d had fewer wings, I might be able to support that, Finn, but the fact is we were all owed a rhetorical offer.”

Finn rolled his eyes and fake-sneezed the word “bullshit.”

“It’s simple wing etiquette,” Lochlan insisted while Padraig and Oliver cracked up. Battles like these were a dime a dozen in their family, and there were times Padraig was sorry his cousin Fiona wasn’t around more often. A sitcom writer in Hollywood, she would have loved the wing argument, and he didn’t doubt she would have written it into a scene on her show, Wild Winters. He’d have to remember to call her later to repeat it.

They were still laughing when the bell over the front door rang and Emmy walked in.

She smiled at him and his cousins as she approached them. “Looks like this is a happy happy hour,” she said.

Finn jerked his thumb toward Lochlan. “It was until this one started making up rules for the wings.”

Emmy took in the empty platter, then looked at Padraig. “Do I want to know?”

He laughed. “I’ll tell you later. Probably best you get the rundown so you don’t screw up in the future.”

She rolled her eyes, amused. “So what’s the occasion?”

“Drinking a Guinness in honor of the new father, Fergus.”

“That’s so nice of you guys.” Emmy lifted a small bag in her hand. “I actually just popped into that little boutique across the street, the one with all the adorable baby clothes.” She pulled out a cute little pink dress and held it up. “How sweet is this?” she asked. “I thought we could get a congratulations card, Paddy, and run it by the hospital to them in the morning.”

“That sounds great. Thanks so much for thinking of it,” Padraig said, touched by Emmy’s thoughtfulness and grateful that she loved his family as much as he did. He also liked the idea of them buying gifts that were from both of them.

“Well,” Lochlan said, rising after downing the last of his beer. “That’s it for me. Promised May I’d hit the mall with the family before dinner. Jenny and Chloe need new winter coats. Those girls are growing like weeds.”

May had assumed custody of her nieces after her brother and his wife were killed in a car accident. Since then, she and Lochlan had officially adopted both of the girls.

Everyone said their goodbyes and he left.

“Want to see the progress Justin and Killian have made on the apartment, Finn?” Oliver asked. “Don’t think you’ve seen it since the fire.”

“I’d love to.” Finn and Oliver rose as well, heading for the staircase at the back of the pub that led to the Collins Dorm. Oliver, Erin, and Gavin hoped to be able to move back into the apartment soon, planning to make it their forever home, raising their family there just as Pop Pop and Sunday had before them.

“How was the doctor?” Padraig asked Emmy when they were alone.

She shrugged. “Fine.”

“Just fine?”

“I don’t think any woman is going to rave about how much fun she had getting a pap smear.”

Padraig feigned a horrified face at her use of the words pap smear. “Glass of wine?”

“Well, I have been sitting here all of three minutes…” she teased, reaching into her bag to retrieve her laptop case.

“How’s the book coming along?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “Need to do any more research?”

Emmy laughed. “I think it’s safe to say you and I have done enough research for the next twenty books.”

“Is that all? Damn. We better get busy.” Padraig poured her wine and slid it across the counter to her. “I should warn you. Aunt Riley has been on the lookout for you. She and Bubbles have decided they want to have a book club meeting or party or something, with you as their featured guest author.”

“Oh my God. Did you have to tell every single member of your family my pen name?” Her grin let him know she wasn’t as annoyed as she pretended.

“Couldn’t exactly claim the betting pool money without the proof. And it was a big pot. Kelli is trying to say I had an unfair advantage, but that’s just because she’s a sore loser.”

“Guess I know what book Bubbles and Riley want to talk about at their book club meeting.”

Padraig chuckled. “The Vegas one.”

Emmy glanced toward Sunday’s Side and the kitchen. “I hope your aunt wasn’t too upset by that