The Best Part of Me by Jamie Hollins Page A

now. Ewan clenched his jaw, trying not to look as aggravated as he felt.
    The four men taking their seats were trouble. He hadn’t seen them in well over six years. Well, actually, that wasn’t true. He’d seen the fat fucker on the end just last week. Remy shifted his flabby frame on top of the stool. He was lucky the stool hadn’t collapsed under all his weight. Remy looked up and met Ewan’s hard stare and grinned.
    But it wasn’t Remy that Ewan was worried about.
    If he could put his fist through anyone’s face, he’d start with the man sitting on the closest stool—Keith Hardy. And after he got finished with Hardy, he’d proceed to the next asshole until all of them were writhing in pain at his feet.
    â€œAh, look who it is, boys. Our good friend Ewan,” Hardy yelled down the bar. “Where ya been, Ewan? We haven’t seen ya in a while.”
    Keith Hardy was one of the most ruthless bastards he’d ever met. And what made him ruthless wasn’t his cunning or intelligence. Rather it was a lack of intelligence that made him unpredictable and downright unscrupulous. He ran with a crowd just as insane as he was. Apparently he was in some position of authority now, and the asshats sitting beside him likely followed after him like ducklings trailing their mother.
    Ewan had no idea why Hardy was gracing them with his presence, but he had no doubt it was in response to Remy’s visit last week. Whatever it was, Ewan wanted none of it.
    He walked calmly down the length of the bar and stopped in front of Hardy, looking him in his beady, pinched eyes. “Get out of my pub,” Ewan demanded quietly.
    â€œWe just came in to have a pint or two,” Keith said. “We’re not causing any trouble.”
    â€œGet out of my pub.”
    Only the patrons sitting closest to where they were noticed anything was amiss. Little by little, the immediate area started to clear out.
    â€œCome now, we’ll be on our merry way after finishing a pint.” Hardy smirked, glancing toward Sean.
    His cousin stood alert beside him. In demeanor, Sean wasn’t quite as threatening as Ewan, but he was still tall and sturdy and wasn’t the type of guy anyone would want to mess with. In a fair fight, Ewan knew they could easily take on all four. And they would if it came down to it. But any fight had casualties, and most of the time it was the pub that suffered.
    â€œWhatever you came here for, the answer is no.” Ewan put as much steel and malice into his voice as he could without raising it.
    Hardy pulled his head back like he’d been slapped. “Is this how you treat all your patrons? It’s a wonder anyone comes into this place.”
    Ewan didn’t reply. He just stared back at the fucker.
    Hardy let out an exaggerated sigh. “Ewan, if you want me to air your dirty laundry here in front of all these fine people, that’s up to you. I was hoping we might reconnect over a pint and head outside for a quick chat.”
    â€œGet. The. Fuck. Out.” Ewan’s temper was rising, and there wasn’t much he could do about it. His heart thundered in his chest and he felt his fingers curl into a fist.
    Hardy shook his head as if he were greatly saddened by what he was about to say. “Wrong answer, McKenna.”
    ###
    â€œSo let me get this straight. You just work outside in the garden all day?”
    Quinn nodded at Erin’s friend, Lisbeth, as she took a sip of her Merlot.
    â€œYou make it sound like she’s playing in a mud pit, Lisbeth,” Rory retorted. “She’s helping my mom, for Christ’s sake.”
    Lisbeth put her hands up in defense. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it. I just don’t see how you aren’t pulling your hair out in boredom.”
    â€œSame reason you don’t pull your hair out in boredom when you take two hours to paint your nails with pink unicorns