“You look too young to have a kid who’s going to be fifteen.”
“Thank you. You’re now my favorite person in the whole world.”
Gavin winked. “I need to head out. Got a few things to do before tonight. See you at the bar later?”
“Yeah,” Mick said. “Thanks, Gavin.”
“Anytime. Thanks for coming to the game.”
“WHO’S THE CHICKLET? ANOTHER MOVIE STAR?”
Mick laughed and leaned over the bar to press a kiss on his sister’s cheek. “Not at all. She’s an event planner, not an actress, not a model.”
Jenna gasped. “You mean she’s a normal, everyday person like you and me? Well, like me. You’re a bona fide stud and star. I’m the nobody of the family.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re the star of Riley’s, pumpkin.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I always dreamed of being when I was a little girl.”
“Well, with those tattoos and ear piercings, I’m thinking rock star, but since you haven’t yet stood in line for American Idol, I have no idea what you’re dreaming of.”
She tapped her finger on his nose and winked at him. “I’m just totally fulfilled being the head bartender at my family’s restaurant.”
He snorted. “Yeah, I’ll bet.”
Jenna was gorgeous, and she really did look like a rock star with her short black hair spiked up all over the place and dyed at the ends with—purple, he supposed. She had a wild array of tattoos on various parts of her body and probably other parts that as a brother he just flat-out didn’t want to know about. Her left ear was pierced within an inch of its life, and she had a tiny little diamond pierced at the side of her nose that even he thought was kind of cute. But he really had no idea what Jenna was about or what she wanted out of life, since she seemed content enough to run the bar at Riley’s. Then again, at twenty-three, maybe she just hadn’t figured it out yet.
“And she has a kid, too?”
Mick’s gaze traveled to where Tara and Nathan hung out with his dad over at the video games.
“Yeah. Nathan is fourteen. Almost fifteen.”
“Ready-made family. How utterly unlike you, Mick. What’s up with that?”
He leaned against the bar. “I have no idea.”
“So, will I like her?”
He turned to Jenna. “Yeah. I think you will.”
TARA HAD ALREADY HAD A WONDERFUL DAY, AND SO HAD Nathan. Mick’s brother was amazing. They looked very similar, though Gavin was more slender and his eyes were an emerald green like Kathleen’s.
Nathan had been in heaven after the game and the tour, and getting the jersey was the icing on the cake. And now the bar tonight.
She didn’t know what she had expected when she’d been told the Rileys had a family bar, but it wasn’t this. Riley’s was an incredible upscale sports bar and restaurant.
Tara thought she was going to be tense tonight, but so far it was going well, even if she had lost sight of Mick. But at least Nathan was in heaven. He was in an actual bar, for one thing, and it was noisy and atmospheric. There were vintage video games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, and he and Mick’s dad had bonded in a major way. Nathan having no grandparents had been something Tara regretted, but there was nothing she could do about that. She’d cut off all contact with her parents long ago, and not a thing had changed between her and them after all these years, so there was no point in exposing Nathan to their style of parenting. Or lack thereof.
Being around Kathleen and Jimmy was good for Nathan. They were warm and nurturing, and Nathan naturally gravitated toward an older couple that offered unconditional love with no expectations.
“You going to hide against this pillar all night?”
She lifted her gaze to Mick. “Just making sure Nathan is settled.”
“My mom and dad will see he’s taken care of. And if not them, I have a lot of uncles and aunts and cousins you haven’t even met yet. Once Nathan’s introduced to them, the kid won’t stand a chance of being alone for even a second. He’ll be watched like a hawk. My mother will make sure of it, since he’s a minor in their bar.”
She believed him. She pushed off the wooden pillar to face him. “You have a big family?”
“Just my brother and sister, but yeah, lots of extended family. You’ll meet a bunch of them tonight.”
She looked around the bar, which was already filling up with people waving to and hugging each other. Riley’s was warm and inviting, with polished wood floors and paneling, tables and booths set up near all the TVs—and there sure were a lot of those spread throughout the place—as well as a couple pool tables and video games and a very long bar where a stunning young woman was pouring beer.
“Is that Jenna?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“She is, but don’t tell her that. She already has an overinflated ego.”
Mick took her hand and led her to the bar, where Jenna was setting up glasses and pouring drafts of beer.
“Jenna, this is Tara.”
Jenna leaned across the bar and held out her hand, her smile genuine. “Nice to meet you, Tara. Welcome to the insanity that is Riley’s Bar and the Riley family.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Jenna. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, but thanks for offering. You’re obviously nicer than my brother.”
“Hey, you don’t offer to play football for me.”
Jenna snorted. “I could probably throw better than you.”
Mick arched a brow. “Is that a challenge?”
“Maybe. You know I’ve got an arm.”
“In your dreams, pumpkin.”
“Wuss. You’re just afraid I’ll show you up because I’m a star with the long pass and you’re an old man now.”
“You and me. Backyard. Tomorrow.”
Jenna grinned and nodded. “You’re on. Now go away so I can get some work done. Tara, great meeting you.”
“You, too, Jenna. I’ll be there to see you kick his butt.”
Jenna looked up at Mick. “Oh, I like this woman.”
Mick flicked his gaze to Tara. “I can’t believe you’d root against me.”
Tara shrugged. “Girl power, you know.”