Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“Here, here!” The crowd drank.
Owen bit his cheek to keep from smiling. Tasha had definitely loosened his brother up. “I’ll do my best.”
“One more.” Seamus now. “I’m not exactly an authority on the subject of love, but working here I’ve seen my fair share of the search for it. And I have the bartender’s curse of knowing it when I see it in other people. I see it in you Owen, when you look at Jeremy. I see it in him every time you’re in the room.” He looked into Owen’s eyes. “You two have the real thing. All the happiness in the world, baby brother. I couldn’t be prouder.” He opened a bottle for himself and tipped it toward Owen. “To love and marriage.”
The men at the bar joined him. “Love and marriage!”
Owen’s throat was tight. “Thanks, Seamus. You were always my favorite.”
Seamus and Stephen laughed together then glanced as one toward Solomon, who motioned to one of the tables. “Officer Wayne? We’re ready to give Owen Finn the send-off his legendary bachelor days deserve.”
A black man with heavy-lidded eyes and deep dimples nodded, getting to his feet. A friend of James, Owen thought, trying to remember where he’d met him before. Whoever he was, his knowing smile was alarming as he walked to the front door, glancing at Solomon once more before opening it with a flourish.
The band took that as their cue and began to play a raunchy song as a line of firemen and policewomen poured into the pub and headed straight for the new dance floor. Much to Wyatt and Rory’s delight, both men and women began to undress to the beat.
“My faith in you is restored.” Wyatt gave his older brother a thumbs up.
“Wait, so all I have to do to get a stripping coed flash mob is marry a guy?” Noah raised his voice to be heard over the sudden din. “What if I married two of those women at the same time? Would that earn me a naked parade?”
“Not cool,” Wyatt pointed at the costumes before rubbing his hands together. “You didn’t have to hire fake firemen. The real thing is right here.” They all watched as Wyatt tossed back his drink and joined the crowd on the dance floor, flinging his shirt over his head as the women who’d joined their party screamed their approval at his lean-muscled frame and shaggy dirty-blond hair.
“He took off his shirt again,” Noah sighed. “I’m starting to hate that calendar.”
Owen couldn’t stop laughing. He leaned over the bar and gripped his brother’s wrist. “This is insane, Seamus. Who came up with this?”
Stephen pressed in next to Owen and grinned. “Who do you think?”
It was easy enough to guess. “Tasha? You let Tasha plan my bachelor party and Jeremy’s? That’s too much power for one woman to have. Especially that woman.”
Seamus disagreed. “Are you willing to tell the bedridden senator’s wife carrying my nieces and/or nephews that she can’t have anything she wants? Because I’m not.”
“I’m definitely not,” Stephen spoke over the music, frowning as he looked down at his phone. “She said I’m not allowed home for another hour, but Jen’s been sending me text updates and I have Trick on standby in case she needs anything.”
Seamus frowned. “You should have invited him to the party, Stephen. Especially since Declan couldn’t come.”
“Shit.” Stephen paled. “You’re right.”
“Relax, Stephen.” Owen put his arm around Stephen’s shoulders and squeezed. “He knows you’re distracted. You can buy him a drink later, and before you know it you’ll be holding two new Finns in your arms and Tasha will be causing more trouble than you can handle.”
“I can’t wait.” If Owen hadn’t been staring at him he would have missed the words. Stephen was a mess. Since Tasha had been diagnosed with preeclampsia, he’d been doing everything in his power to keep her spirits up and her body in bed. Tasha was really going stir-crazy if this mob of strippers was any indication.
If she’d done this for him, what the hell was she doing for Jeremy?
“Owen! You’re missing the show,” Rory called, already grinding between two muscular men wearing little more than thongs and big yellow boots. From the surprised expressions on their faces, they’d been expecting women to be sliding bills into their pants. But neither one of them was moving away. They couldn’t take their eyes off his attractive cousin.
Rory had clearly picked his next victims.
Owen waved him away with his free hand, gave Stephen’s back a firm, comforting pat and excused himself. He needed a minute before he could go back in and be the smiling guest of honor they deserved.
He pulled out his own phone and his fingers were texting before he could stop himself.
A bar full of naked cops and firemen. Top that.
The response came less than thirty seconds later.