An O'Brien Family Christmas by Sherryl Woods Page A

of empty seats, squeezed through the throng to order two pints of ale, then wove his way back to find Laila laughing with a couple of young Irishmen at the next table. His heart stumbled at the sight, but he managed to keep his own smile in place as he joined her.
    “These handsome brothers claim to be O’Briens, as well,” Laila told him. “Should I believe them?”
    Matthew regarded them skeptically. “Sounds a bit convenient to me, though few men would make such a claim without proof.”
    “And we have it right here,” one said, drawing out a photo ID, which, sure enough, was for Sean O’Brien.
    The other did the same, and his name was Liam O’Brien. “Could it be we’re distantly related?” he asked Matthew. “I’ve been wanting to go to the States. Having a few relatives to take me in would prove handy.”
    “You’ve been wanting to go to California to be in films, Liam,” his brother reminded him. “These folks are from the other side of the country. Obviously those geography classes we took in school were wasted, if you don’t know the difference. Not that it matters, because you’ll not be going and you’ll not be in films. Your skill’s with numbers and keeping books, not acting.”
    Laila regarded the unfortunate Liam with sympathy. “I’d like to do something wildly creative myself, but my skill, too, is with numbers. I’m an accountant, as well.”
    “Now, what are the odds of such a thing?” Liam asked, obviously delighted by the coincidence. “It’s bloody boring, isn’t it?”
    “Bloody boring,” Laila confirmed.
    “Laila, however, is anything but boring,” Matthew felt compelled to state.
    “Goes without saying,” Liam said sagely. His brother, Sean, nodded agreement.
    “Thank you,” Laila said.
    “Will we see you again, beautiful Laila?” Sean inquired.
    “Not bloody likely,” Matthew murmured under his breath, not sure why he was so annoyed by their harmless flirting. Maybe it was because Laila seemed so pleased with it. Maybe it hadn’t been wise to encourage her reckless side, if this was how she intended to behave.
    “You should come by the hotel and meet Nell,” she said. “That’s Matthew’s grandmother. She’d know if your families are linked. We’ll introduce you, won’t we, Matthew?”
    He bit back a groan. “I’m sure Gram would be happy to meet you both,” he said with undisguised reluctance.
    They made arrangements to stop by at the end of the day, then left. When they were gone, Matthew turned to Laila. “What was that about? I leave the table for five minutes and you pick up two men?”
    “I didn’t pick up anyone,” she said, frowning. “They were just being friendly. Then we discovered the coincidence of their being O’Briens.”
    “For all we know they have a dozen different photo IDs to suit the name of any American tourist anxious to explore their Irish roots. They could be practiced con men.”
    Laila gave him a chiding look. “You sound as cynical as Mick. You heard him go on and on at dinner the other night about Nell’s old friend, as if Dillon O’Malley were out to steal her blind.”
    “Well, Uncle Mick has a point. You can’t be too careful these days,” Matthew grumbled, knowing he was starting to sound ridiculously paranoid. Better that, though, than have her see his behavior for what it was, pure jealousy.
    Laila studied him intently. “You’re not worried those two charming rogues are going to take advantage of the O’Briens,” she accused. “You’re jealous.”
    He winced at the direct hit. “I was hoping you wouldn’t pick up on that,” he admitted.
    She grinned. “How about that? Another first in my life. I’ve actually made a man jealous.”
    “You don’t have to sound so darn proud of yourself.”
    Laila chuckled. “Actually, I do. I’m beginning to think if I stick with you, I could discover all sorts of fascinating new sides of myself. Perhaps I was too hasty in cutting you entirely out of my