Bewildering the Barkeep by Sara Jolene

Author:Sara Jolene [Jolene , Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-31T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Paddy lifted a fist to knock on the parish door but halted as the door swung wide, stepping aside quickly as two young ladies came tumbling out, overcome with laughter. The sound made him smile. It was lovely to see people so happy. He’d not seen a lot of happiness lately. Caroline had completed her normal shift at the pub two days before, and he’d not seen her since. Benita had been coming in her place with zero explanation as to why Caroline wasn’t there. He wished it were as easy as saying he didn’t understand, but that wasn’t true. It was his fault completely. He’d kissed her, and she’d not wanted him to. His mouth ran dry at the thought.

It hadn’t felt like she hadn’t wanted to. She’d leaned against him, and he’d felt her relax in his arms. There was no other explanation for it, though. “Excuse us, Mr. McGlynn.” The two girls had their heads together only moments before, engrossed in their laughter, but had noticed him plastered against the side of the parish trying to stay out of their way.

“Good day, ladies.” He recognized them as the Brown sisters. The two of them were rarely seen apart. Blond haired with dark olive skin, the twin girls stuck out in crowds in a place like Creede. “Is the reverend available?”

Paddy hadn’t a clue what the girls’ names were; everyone in town just referred to them as the Brown Twins or the Brown Sisters. They nodded in unison. “Yes, sir. He’s just inside.”

The reverend must have heard their voices because before Paddy had a chance to go in, Callum was filling the doorway. “Well hello, Mr. McGlynn.”

“Afternoon, Reverend. I wonder if I might have a word?”

Callum nodded, looking at Paddy as if trying to dig into his head. He turned his attention back to the retreating twins. “Those two are going to be in trouble if their parents aren’t careful.”

Paddy watched as they got on their way. He nodded. “They do seem like unsettled beings.” Callum nodded once again before stepping back. “Come in. I’m just trying to work some things out for Celeste’s House.”

Paddy followed the reverend to a small room, where they each sat in opposite chairs, with a large wooden desk between them. “What can I do for you, Mr. McGlynn?”

Paddy was nervous. He wasn’t sure why. He’d decided the first morning Caroline hadn’t shown up for work that he had to do something to apologize. He’d gone straight to Benita for help. He knew the girl had a reputation, but he also knew how much she cared about her friend. Benita had told him it wasn’t an apology that Caroline needed. She’d tried not to say too much because she didn’t want to betray confidences. He’d talked with her several times since that first time, and each time he came closer to the realization that he didn’t want to apologize. He wanted Caroline, which had led him to Reverend Bing to do the thing he should have done in the first place.

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