Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Drinking for my birthday is fun but drinking with those I love is what really makes it amazing.
“Yeah, I’ve never really traveled,” Harper replies to my uncle’s question. “I mean I went to college not too far from where I was raised. I moved here to the mitten for work, which also isn’t that far from where I grew up. And my job has me travel all over the state as well as on the occasion bordering states, but like for fun? Not really. I’ve never been anywhere I’d like. My ex would occasionally book us lavish beach or ski vacations, but it was just expensive resort shit with rich people pissing contests. I don’t actually think anyone there had fun.”
Unexpected envy over her ex being brought up has me swinging my arm back around her shoulder in a wordless, claiming fashion.
I’m not jealous of Daniel.
I look better.
Sound better.
Love better.
Fuck better.
Harper gushes about how I’m the best she’s ever had in the sack all the time.
Like I said I’m not jealous of Daniel.
I’m jealous of what Daniel could financially give to her that I can’t yet.
That the tiniest part of me fears I never will be able to.
He’s a bloody surgeon with a career going upward, and I’m a server at an expensive restaurant that isn’t even sure the one thing he may be interested in doing someday is the right thing for him.
“We’ll show you a good time when you come to Dublin,” Colin warmly promises, glazed over gaze indicating how pissed he already is.
“Free of charge,” Uncle Rory playfully adds after chugging back the last of his Guinness.
“We are not going before I have put a ring on this bloody finger,” I lovingly proclaim while lifting the appropriate one. “Promise ring. Or an engagement ring. Or marriage ring.” My rambling is slightly slurred, and I blame the three shots of Irish Flag. “They all scare the single O’Clerys the same.”
She giggles and the sweet sound has me placing a kiss where the jewelry will go.
Maybe tomorrow?
I wanted to save a little longer, but the way I swear Uncle Rory keeps looking at her is making me antsy.
“And just how many of you are there?” Harper curiously inquires as she reaches for an onion ring. “Draw me a family tree.”
“You draw us your family tree,” Uncle Rory playfully pokes back prior to motioning to Bryan for another round for the table.
“I guess Rosa will be picking our arses up after her girl’s night with Cora and a couple of women from work,” Dad murmurs in preparation of more beer.
“Strip club?” Uncle Rory juvenilely jabs.
“Drinks – though she probably won’t even have one knowing we were hitting a pub – and euchre.”
Uncle Rory makes a dramatic yawning motion.
“You know I can drive you home,” Harper swiftly volunteers. “There’s plenty of room in my SUV for all of you.”
“Why do you have one of those things?” my uncle offhandedly asks. “Is it like an American thing, or do you come from a big family?”
She struggles not to let her smile drop. “No. Only child. Deceased parents. Raised by grandparents who are now also deceased.”
His cringe is damn near immediate. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“You didn’t,” she promptly reassures on a shrug. “It is what it is. I didn’t come from a big family but the family I had was full of love.”
“And so are we,” Dad states an unspoken promise to give her that with us.
“Probably too much love, honestly,” Colin says in an effort to lighten the mood back up.
“Definitely,” I concur, my thumb gently caressing her arm in a way that has her leaning into me.
Against me.
Luring my mind to the other places she loves for the digit to go.
“Grandad and Gran had six kids,” Colin begins to explain with exaggerated hand motions, most likely to keep the attention of our waiter who has been shamelessly staring his direction all evening. “Uncle Raff-”
“Who has seven kids of his own with the same woman he married,” Dad inserts. “Six boys, one girl, and his first grandson on the way.”
“Uncle Reagan-”
“Who has four kids, all boys,” Uncle Rory informs. “Two from one woman, two from another. Unmarried.”
“Uncle Ronan,” Colin motions to my father.
“That thought I was perfect so need to keep having them.”
My tease causes him to chuckle, lift his glass, and tip it towards me in a cheers like nature.
“Uncle Riley,” my cousin proceeds.
“Five kids – four boys, one girl – by three women – two of which who were once best mates and possibly has another on the way with a young female fresh out of Uni,” Uncle Rory explains on a roll of the eyes.
“Uncle Rían, Dad’s twin, that he is extremely jealous of for marrying a Clara’s Culotte underwear model-”
“I saw her first!”
We laugh at his expense as I grab my new pint. “They have three children. Part Irish, part Brazilian, part Black.”