Free Wild Irish Heart (The Mystic Cove Series Book 1) by Tricia O'Malley

how many Gallagher's Pubs would there be in this village?
    Keelin walked into the pub and scanned the room. Booths were crammed with families, and people of all ages laughed and jostled each other as they clapped along with the band that was tucked into a small booth in front. The walls were cluttered with family photos, the path was clear to the bar, and the lighting was just right to complement the females of the place. Keelin followed Fiona as she wove her way to the bar, and noticed some people quickly step out of her way and cross themselves. Others greeted Fiona with a shout.
    "Two Bulmers, please." Fiona ordered for her. "You'll love the local cider. Crisp and refreshing after a day like today."
    Keelin nodded. She preferred dark beer, but a cider did sound refreshing. Her neck tingled. She turned her head and saw the flash of blue eyes that seemed to follow her. Flynn sat in the middle of the booth and strummed a cheerful tune on his banjo, matching his deep baritone to the lilting soprano in the group. His large hands caressed the banjo lovingly and Keelin found herself mesmerized by the way he stroked the instrument. His fingers played lightly across the strings and she imagined his hands on her. Cursing herself, she flushed as his eyes met hers and he cracked a smile. Damn that man. Of course he played an instrument too. Was there anything he couldn't do?
    Keelin gulped down half of her cider and followed her grandmother to a small table. Keelin was introduced to a few of the locals. She scanned the room and hoped to see Cait.
    "Hello."
    Keelin turned and saw a blond man standing by her table. He was tall and lanky and was just saved from boyishness by a stubborn jut to his jaw. His brown eyes were nice, yet his smile didn't fully reach his eyes.
    "I'm Shane MacAuliffe. You must be Fiona's granddaughter, Keelin." He held out his hand.
    "Yes, hello. Nice to meet you." Keelin held out her hand. Shane held it a beat longer than was polite and Keelin saw healthy male admiration in his eyes. She allowed her smile to deepen. What a perfect distraction this could be from the surly male tucked in the front booth.
    "Join us, please." Keelin patted a spot on the bench next to her. She noticed Fiona didn't address Shane, but she was engaged in conversation with people to her right.
    "I'd love to, thank you." Shane sat close to Keelin and began to quiz her about the States. He spoke longingly of the freedom of big towns and Keelin wondered if he yearned for more than what Grace's Cove offered to him. His brown eyes took on a sense of anticipation as he hung on Keelin's words about Boston.
    On her second round of cider, Keelin laughed at Shane. "Enough about me! Tell me about yourself." Keelin had noticed that not many people in the pub had spoken with Shane, though he had waved at many. Something was off here. A flash of bitterness crossed his face and then his features smoothed.
    "I work here in town. I'm in commercial real estate and own many of the business properties downtown. As a landlord, I guess you could say that I’m not the most popular guy in a town that struggles to make rent." He produced a sheepish grin with the statement and looked at her from under his eyebrows.
    Keelin was charmed. Her mother would love Shane. Which meant Keelin could never date him. No harm making friends though, she thought. Shane proceeded to point people out around the bar and regale her with local lore. She found herself laughing and enjoying his company. He wasn't such a bad guy. Risking a look, she glanced towards the musicians in the front booth. The smug smile gone, Flynn met her eyes directly. Not my problem, she thought. She wanted nothing to do with him. She lifted her chin and looked away.
    "Keelin!" Cait waved to her from behind the bar. The band was on break and Keelin excused herself to go say hello to Cait. Cait looked petite behind the bar but managed to keep conversations going as she topped off three glasses of Guinness