her business, he pulled a slip of paper from his coat pocket. He’d gone online and looked up O’Brien bars in Boston, coming up with several. Moby had no doubt at least one of them was owned by someone in Sean’s family.
Before he could decide what to do with the information, Jilly ran back to the door. “Cold out here, isn’t it, girl?”
He stopped Jilly just inside the door and wiped her feet on an old towel, making sure to get at the snow packed between her toes before letting her go. Jilly shook the melted snow from her fur, sending a spray of water droplets onto the kitchen floor.
“Now you’re just trying to get me into trouble.” Moby knelt on the floor to mop up the mess before his mom saw it. He heard his mom come into the room just as he finished. Looking up he was amused to see the slight grin on his mom’s face.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one she does that to,”
Virginia
said before turning to walk out of the room.
Moby shook his head as he got to his feet. If he hadn’t already been riding high from the previous evening with Sean, his mom’s acceptance of Jilly would have done it.
They left Jilly sleeping in her bed beside the heating vent and drove to the local Walmart . Moby couldn’t get over the number of cars in the parking lot. It had been a few years since he’d cared enough about someone to brave the crowds to buy a gift. He pulled up in front and let his mom out of the car before finding a parking spot towards the back of the lot.
By the time he reached the automatic sliding doors, his mom already had a cart with her large purse nestled safely in the front of the basket. They slowly worked their way through the crowd. Moby stopped at the jewellery section and picked up a pair of fun but inexpensive earrings for Kitty.
“I don’t suppose you’re buying these for a girl you’re sweet on, are you?”
Virginia
asked.
“Nope,” Moby answered. “I think we both know that’ll never happen. Kitty’s just a friend.”
“Do I have the right to ask who you spent the night with?”
Moby hadn’t brought it up because he didn’t want to make his mom uncomfortable, but since she’d asked. “Sean O’Brien.”
“O’Brien?”
Virginia
’s head tilted to the side. “Does he own the pub?”
“Yep. And, yes, before you ask, he’s Irish through and through.” He waited for his mom to respond. Bigotry had run rampant in his house growing up.
“Well I would assume so with a name like that,”
Virginia
said. She glanced around. “I want you to look at some sweaters.”
“I don’t wear sweaters,” Moby reminded her.
“Well of course not. You don’t have any.” Without another word, she pushed the cart towards the men’s section.
By the time Moby caught up to her, she had a bulky, cable-knit sweater in her hand. Just looking at it made Moby sweat. It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to sway her in her decision of a Christmas gift, so Moby quickly looked around for a suitable alternative.
He found a dark green V-neck in a soft material. “I like this one,” he announced.
Virginia
glanced over her shoulder before eventually turning around. “It doesn’t look very warm.”
“Yeah, but it’ll be thin enough for me to wear to work.” He held the sweater in front of his chest. “Besides, it’ll bring out the colour in my eyes.”
Virginia
smiled. “Yes, it does do that.”
Moby placed the sweater into the cart. “I love it, Mom.” He kissed her cheek, surprised by the blush that crept up her neck.
“I think Jilly could use some kind of coat.” As soon as she said it, his mom tried to hide her caring for the large pet. “I can’t have her ruining my house with wet hair when she comes inside.”
Trying to cover a grin, Moby nodded. “Okay. But first there are a couple of things I need to pick up.” After their shared shower, Moby had given Sean a hard time about not having a bathrobe. Sean had explained he didn’t have time to linger in a robe
Before he could decide what to do with the information, Jilly ran back to the door. “Cold out here, isn’t it, girl?”
He stopped Jilly just inside the door and wiped her feet on an old towel, making sure to get at the snow packed between her toes before letting her go. Jilly shook the melted snow from her fur, sending a spray of water droplets onto the kitchen floor.
“Now you’re just trying to get me into trouble.” Moby knelt on the floor to mop up the mess before his mom saw it. He heard his mom come into the room just as he finished. Looking up he was amused to see the slight grin on his mom’s face.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one she does that to,”
Virginia
said before turning to walk out of the room.
Moby shook his head as he got to his feet. If he hadn’t already been riding high from the previous evening with Sean, his mom’s acceptance of Jilly would have done it.
They left Jilly sleeping in her bed beside the heating vent and drove to the local Walmart . Moby couldn’t get over the number of cars in the parking lot. It had been a few years since he’d cared enough about someone to brave the crowds to buy a gift. He pulled up in front and let his mom out of the car before finding a parking spot towards the back of the lot.
By the time he reached the automatic sliding doors, his mom already had a cart with her large purse nestled safely in the front of the basket. They slowly worked their way through the crowd. Moby stopped at the jewellery section and picked up a pair of fun but inexpensive earrings for Kitty.
“I don’t suppose you’re buying these for a girl you’re sweet on, are you?”
Virginia
asked.
“Nope,” Moby answered. “I think we both know that’ll never happen. Kitty’s just a friend.”
“Do I have the right to ask who you spent the night with?”
Moby hadn’t brought it up because he didn’t want to make his mom uncomfortable, but since she’d asked. “Sean O’Brien.”
“O’Brien?”
Virginia
’s head tilted to the side. “Does he own the pub?”
“Yep. And, yes, before you ask, he’s Irish through and through.” He waited for his mom to respond. Bigotry had run rampant in his house growing up.
“Well I would assume so with a name like that,”
Virginia
said. She glanced around. “I want you to look at some sweaters.”
“I don’t wear sweaters,” Moby reminded her.
“Well of course not. You don’t have any.” Without another word, she pushed the cart towards the men’s section.
By the time Moby caught up to her, she had a bulky, cable-knit sweater in her hand. Just looking at it made Moby sweat. It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to sway her in her decision of a Christmas gift, so Moby quickly looked around for a suitable alternative.
He found a dark green V-neck in a soft material. “I like this one,” he announced.
Virginia
glanced over her shoulder before eventually turning around. “It doesn’t look very warm.”
“Yeah, but it’ll be thin enough for me to wear to work.” He held the sweater in front of his chest. “Besides, it’ll bring out the colour in my eyes.”
Virginia
smiled. “Yes, it does do that.”
Moby placed the sweater into the cart. “I love it, Mom.” He kissed her cheek, surprised by the blush that crept up her neck.
“I think Jilly could use some kind of coat.” As soon as she said it, his mom tried to hide her caring for the large pet. “I can’t have her ruining my house with wet hair when she comes inside.”
Trying to cover a grin, Moby nodded. “Okay. But first there are a couple of things I need to pick up.” After their shared shower, Moby had given Sean a hard time about not having a bathrobe. Sean had explained he didn’t have time to linger in a robe
Similar Books
