Ryan's Place Read Online Free PDF Page B

so. Why is it that Father Francis never thinks of me when a beauty like that comes along?” Rory lamented.
    “Perhaps because he’s well aware of your tendency to break the heart of any woman you go out with,” Ryan told him. “You’ve earned a bit of a reputation in your time among us, Rory, me lad.”
    “Undeserved, every word of it,” Rory insisted.
    “Then why do I have a steady stream of women at the bar crying into their beers over you?”
    “I can’t help it if I’m a babe magnet,” the cook said with a perfectly straight face.
    The irony was that despite his round shape and fiery temperament, forty-year-old Rory attracted more than his share of women. Ryan suspected it had something to do with his clever way with words and his genuine appreciation of the fair sex. Rory’s problem was that he appreciated a few too many females at one time. The drama of the breakups frequently spilled from the kitchen into the pub. Oddly enough, even after the blowups, the women kept coming around. Rory treated each and every one of them with the same cheerful affection.
    “I can hardly wait for you to fall head-over-heels in love,” Ryan told him. “I truly hope the woman makes you jump through hoops, so I can sit on the sidelines and enjoy the entertainment.”
    “I feel the same where you’re concerned,” Rory responded. He regarded Ryan with a speculative look. “So, has this redheaded angel of Father Francis’s well and truly caught your eye? Or am I free to pursue her next time she stops in?”
    “Stay away from Maggie,” Ryan retorted, unable to keep a fiercely possessive note out of his voice. He swore to himself that he was only thinking of Maggie’s heart, not his own.
    Rory grinned. “So, that’s the way of it? Father Francis will be pleased to know that his clever machinations have worked at last. Can it be that our Ryan has finally found a woman who can hold his interest beyond a one-night stand?”
    Ryan scowled at him. “Don’t be ridiculous. I barely know the woman.”
    “Has there ever been an Irishman born who doesn’t believethat a lightning bolt can strike at any time? Love doesn’t always require years of nurturing to blossom, you know.”
    “Thanks for the unsolicited lesson,” Ryan said dryly.
    “I have much more wisdom I could impart,” Rory claimed cheerfully. “But why should I waste it on a man who’s determined to go through life alone?”
    “You know, if you don’t learn to watch your tongue, I could fire you.”
    “But you won’t,” Rory said confidently. “Who would cook your authentic Irish cuisine?”
    “Maybe I’ll change the menu,” Ryan said, thinking of the newest addition to his staff.
    “Not bloody likely,” Rory said.
    “I don’t know. I’ve got someone coming by tomorrow. Father Francis thinks she’ll do rather well.”
    Rory frowned. “Another cook?”
    “Yes.”
    “And would this be the angelic Maggie, by any chance?” Rory inquired hopefully.
    “Absolutely not.”
    “Is she from Ireland, at least?”
    “No.”
    “Well, there you go. How good can she be?”
    “I’ve heard only raves,” Ryan said honestly. “She’s supposed to be excellent, so of course I hired her sight unseen.”
    “She’s not coming for an interview? You’ve already hired a woman you’ve never even met for my kitchen?” Rory demanded, clearly horrified. “I can’t have some stranger—and a woman at that—underfoot all day.”
    “Why not? Will she be a distraction? Surely you can rise above your need to make a play for anything wearing skirts,especially since this one’s married. And just in case you’re tempted, you should know that her husband will be working in front.” He gave Rory a steady look. “I don’t think it will be a problem, do you? There are some lines not even you will cross.”
    Rory groaned. “These are more of Father Francis’s strays, aren’t they? I suppose we will find them at the shelter today, am I right?”
    Ryan saw