Running Back (New York Leopards 2)

People had asked me that before—mostly because I’d inherited my mother’s height, cheekbones, and famous gray eyes—but I always hated the question. “Definitely not. I’m an archaeologist.”

“Seriously?”

I closed my book and slid over on the bench. “I study Irish history, from about two thousand years ago. I’m interested in the contact between Ireland and Rome, and your family’s farmland might cover an archaeological site that would give more information on that.”

Her jaw dropped open, and she fell onto the bench. “Seriously? Kilkarten? The farm? Are you going to, like, dig it up? That’s awesome.”

Something twinged in my chest, but I ignored it. “I don’t think so. I’m mostly going to be looking at old local records. Sometimes in these rural villages, papers don’t get digitized, so.”

Her brow scrunched up. “Well, why don’t you dig it up? Isn’t that easier?”

“Um.” I glanced back at the inn. So Mike hadn’t talked to his family about the excavation. “It’s complicated.” I shook the thoughts from my head and smiled at Anna. “So, how about you? You’re here to...” Oops. I’d just walked into depressing territory. “Because of your uncle?”

She shrugged and scowled. “Yeah, I guess. But seriously, who the fuck goes to Ireland because of some dude they never met?” She cut me a measured look, as though waiting for a reprimand, but I didn’t bite. She could curse her tongue off if she wanted.

“Did you have plans this summer?”

She snorted. “Obviously. I was going to work in Derek’s sister’s tattoo parlor.” She swung her foot impatiently. “But then they made me come here, so he broke up with me.”

I looked at her. “Because you weren’t going to work at his sister’s tattoo parlor.”

She shrugged. Her foot kept swinging. “Well. And I wouldn’t sleep with him.”

Shocking.

“I mean, I was going to.” She scowled. “Who wants to be a fucking virgin their senior year of high school?”

Fucking virgin was my new favorite phrase.

“Now he’s dating Kaitlyn Taylor.”

“On the other hand, Kaitlyn Taylor is stuck back home, and you get to explore all of Ireland.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I leaned my head back, so I could admire the morning sky, and lowered my voice confidentially. “So my best friend and I came up with a plan before I came here. You want in on it?”

She seemed aware that she was too cool for plans, but still couldn’t resist asking, “What is it?”

“Operation: Irish Boyfriend.”

She threw a startled glance at me. “Wait, you want an Irish boyfriend? But what about—” She stopped abruptly.

My mouth twitched. “There’s nothing going on between me and your brother.”

“Why not?” She sounded almost defensive.

I jumped up from the bench. “I’m hungry. Let’s get some breakfast.”

And I headed back inside before Anna could press the issue.

The rest of the O’Connors joined us not much later, and when the three women moved to go to Cork for the day, Mike excused himself. “Natalie and I are going to head into the village.”

Kate agreed with such alacrity I suspected she still hoped Mike would be introducing me as his girlfriend shortly. Anna shot me a pointed look.

I turned to Mike after they’d left. “I feel like your entire family has some sort of agenda.”

“They usually do.” He stood and I followed. “Come on, let’s ask Eileen how to get into Dundoran.”