When they reached the pub, he knew how lucky he’d been to get that cancellation. People stood around the door, pagers in hand as they waited for tables. He made a path to the door for them and got her inside. “I’ll let them know we’re here, but we’re a little early. You want to find us a spot at the bar?”
She nodded. “What do you want to drink?”
“Guinness.”
“Of course you do.” With a smile, she headed deeper into the crowd as he went in the opposite direction to the hostess stand and gave his name.
Once he’d checked in and gotten a pager, he worked his way to the bar to find her. He stopped a few feet away as soon as he saw who Annabelle was sitting next to.
Piper.
Getting a seat at the bar had been pure chance, a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Delaney focused on getting the bartender’s attention, finally snagging him so she could place her order: a Guinness for Hugh and a white wine for her. She knew from her restaurant days that Guinness wasn’t a quick pour, so she twisted in her seat to watch the crowd and put the back end of the bar behind her.
The people who came to Nocturne Falls clearly loved the whole Halloween vibe. A few of them wore masks, just the little Zorro kind that covered their eyes. Some of the women had their faces painted. Actually, so did some of the guys. One of them wore an eye patch and a pirate hat. It was impossible not to grin surrounded by such festivity.
She spotted Hugh on the other side of the pirate. She waved her hand. “Hugh,” she shouted above the din. “Over here.”
He stood there, looking like he smelled a barrel of week-old fish. Finally, he moved forward, coming around to her side. “We should go wait by the door.”
“Our drinks aren’t ready.”
The woman behind Delaney leaned in. “Isn’t this cozy?”
Delaney realized the barrel of week-old fish was the Barbie doll sitting next to her. And that Barbie doll was Piper. What a craptastic coincidence. Accompanying Piper was her friend Skipper, or whatever the other chick’s name was. Apparently, it was girls’ night out in Nocturne Falls.
If this town got any smaller, it would be the social equivalent of wearing Spanx.
Wine glazed Piper’s gaze. “I see he hasn’t broken up with you yet.”
“Out with a friend?” Delaney’s attempt to steer the conversation in a new direction was ignored.
“Piper, you made your point the first time we met. Enough.” Hugh positioned himself between Delaney and Piper.
“Oh, you like telling women when stuff is over, don’t you?” Piper gestured with her wine glass at Delaney, almost sloshing the wine over the rim. “He will break up with you, you know. It’s only a matter of time.”
“So you said, but your history isn’t my future,” Delaney answered quietly. “And you really need to stop blaming Hugh for you not being the right woman for him. The more you shriek about it, the more people are going to see his side of things.”
Piper’s jaw dropped. She started to get off her bar stool, but her girlfriend grabbed her arm and whispered something in her ear.
Having no desire to create more of a ruckus than they already had, Delaney slid off the bar stool and hooked her arm through Hugh’s. Through a miracle of the karma fairy, the bartender delivered their drinks and check at that exact moment.
She turned to Hugh. “Take care of the bill, will you, sweetheart? I’d like to go somewhere else.”
She smiled at Piper, who was still muttering, while Hugh gave a nod to the bartender and threw some bills down on the drinks they were abandoning. “You sure you want to go?”
“Yes. Now.”
“You got it.” Hugh grabbed her hand tight and started through the crowd.
“Bye, Annabelle,” Piper called out over the crowd.
When they were out the door, she dropped the smile and took a breath. “Your ex is a real winner. It took you five months to figure out she wasn’t the one?”
“I knew well before then, but she was pleasant enough. To me. I’m sorry about all that back there.” Hugh’s mouth curved into an appreciative smile. “That was quite the performance, sweetheart.”
“Did I overstep? I’m sorry if I—”
“No, not at all.” His gaze grew thoughtful. Then he leaned in and, right there on the street, kissed her on the mouth.
The kiss was over almost before it started, but it was still long enough to make her heart stutter in her chest. Wow, he smelled good. Masculine in a dark, earthy way. “What was that for?”
“We’re supposed to be a couple, aren’t we?” He winked at her. “Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever had a woman stick up for me like that. You’ve done it twice now.”
Delaney hiked the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder. “Maybe women don’t stick up for you because what she said is true.”
His smile dimmed a bit. “I realize that.”
She inclined her head and smiled a little. “It might have been a tiny bit fun. I don’t go in for confrontation much, but something got into me.”
A curious twinkle lit his eyes. “Maybe tea with my grandmother? That woman is enough to push anyone to their breaking point.”
“Maybe.” That tea had given her a lot to think about. Like how close the dream of owning her own shop was, and how it was never going to happen. Because it couldn’t without her doing things she’d regret later, but it was fun to dream. Her stomach rumbled. “Okay, despite asking to leave, I am really hungry.”