She had her room at home as long as she wanted it. The companionship of family and friends. She’d leave the fussing with keeping a house and pleasing a husband to her sisters Maureen and Patty. Just as she’d leave office work and marking her time by a clock to Mary Kate.

All she needed to get by were her tools and her lorry.

And her wanting Shawn Gallagher brought her little but frustration and annoyance. She imagined that one day, eventually, it would pass.

Knowing Darcy well, Brenna made certain she cleaned up every spot of dirt. She left the little white sink gleaming and used her own rags to dry her hands and face rather than the frilly fingertip towels Darcy had on the rod. Which, to Brenna’s mind, were a complete waste of fabric, since no one who really needed to use them would dare.

Life would be simpler if everyone bought black towels. Then no one would shriek and curse when their fluffy white ones ended up grubby.

She spent a quiet few minutes replacing the broken outlet in the living area with the new box she’d brought along. She was just screwing on the cover when Darcy came in.

“I was hoping you’d get to that. It was irritating.” Darcy dumped her tip money in what she called her wish jar. “Oh, Aidan said to tell you that he and Jude want to have some work done in what will be the baby’s room. I’m going over to see Jude now, if you want to come along and see what she has in mind.”

“I’ve something to do first, but you can tell her I’ll come ’round in a bit.”

“Damn it, Brenna! You’ve left dirty boot prints all over the floor here.”

Brenna winced and hurried up with the screws. “Well, I’m sorry about that, Darcy, but I cleaned the sink.”

“Well, now you can clean the floor as well. I’m not scrubbing up behind you. Why the devil didn’t you use the loo in the pub? It’s Shawn’s week to clean up there.”

“I didn’t think of it. Stop bitching about it. I’ll see to it before I go, and you’re very welcome for the electrical work I’ve just done for you.”

“Thanks for that.” Darcy came back out, pulling on a leather jacket she’d splurged on as a Christmas gift for herself. “I’ll see you at Jude’s, then.”

“I suppose,” Brenna muttered, annoyed with the idea of washing the bathroom floor.

She muttered her way through the chore too, then cursed viciously when she noted she’d left little clumps of dirt and dried mud across the living room as well. Rather than risk Darcy’s wrath, she dragged out the vacuum and sucked it all up.

As a result, the pub was quiet when she came back down, and Shawn was nearly finished with the washing up.

“So, did Darcy hire you to clean her house as well?”

“I tracked mud in.” At home, she poured herself a cup of tea. “I didn’t mean to be so long. I don’t mean to keep you if you’ve something to do before you’re needed here again.”