An Unlikely Setup
by Margaret Watson

CHAPTER 1

     Fate sure had a way of biting you in the butt.

     Of all the places she could have gone to lick her wounds and regroup, why did it have to be Otter Tail, Wisconsin?  The town was the symbol of everything she’d hated about her life.  As a young teen, forced to spend the summers here with her godfather David, she’d felt like a failure.  A freak.  An outsider.  When she was sixteen, she’d vowed never to return.

     Yet here she was, fifteen years later, the weight of failure again heavy on her shoulders, steeling herself to drive into this depressing excuse for a town.

     Fate was no doubt laughing her ass off right now.

     Maddie Johnson slipped on her sunglasses, tightened her grip on the steering wheel and accelerated her small SUV around the final curve into Otter Tail.  Moments later she screeched to a halt.

     When she’d last seen the town, it had been a tired place, its fortunes sagging as much as the porches on its old Victorians.  Now those Victorians on Main Street were all repaired and freshly painted in rainbow colors.  Bright blue, green and yellow banners fluttered from the lightposts in the downtown area, touting Otter Tail as Door County’s newest vacation paradise.  Large white boats, fishing rods sticking up like bristles on a brush, bobbed gently in the water of the Otter River.

     Even the old pier had been refurbished.  The rusting sheet metal that used to line the concrete walls guiding the river into Lake Michigan had been replaced with a painted mural of leaping fish and happy fishermen.  The orange, pink and gold glowed in the setting sun.

     Maddie paused on the bridge, staring at the sight.  What had happened in Otter Tail?

     She put the car back in gear and crept across the bridge, looking for the first of the two pieces of property she now owned.  At least the old bar wouldn’t have changed, she told herself.  David hadn’t had the time or the energy to renovate The Office.  There would be one familiar building in town.

     But when she reached the building at the edge of town, she barely recognized it.  It wasn’t called The Office anymore.  And it was far from rundown and shabby.

     The hand-painted sign that hung over the door said ‘The Harp and Halo, An Irish Pub’.  It looked nothing like the old Office.

     Instead, it looked like…a pub in Ireland.  The windows were leaded glass.  The peeling, faded wooden siding had been removed and replaced with dark, sturdy boards.  The door was wood and glass, and the building looked warm and welcoming.

     And busy.  The parking lot was almost full, and there were more cars parked on the street.  She could see a crowd of people through the front window.

     What had happened to The Office?  And why hadn’t David told her about it?

     Maddie parked in the last space in the lot and walked in.  The bar was a long sweep of dark green marble and polished oak.  More oak paneled the walls, which held Guinness posters and pictures of green fields and misty mountains.  It was hard to see the décor through the crowds of people filling the tables and standing two deep at the bar.  And there were just as many women in the pub as men – that wouldn’t have happened at the old Office.  That dark, dreary place had been strictly male territory.

     The bartender straightened and Maddie figured out one reason there were so many women in the pub.  He was tall, broad-shouldered and solid, and his wavy black hair was just a little too long.  His black polo shirt showed off ropy biceps and stretched across a taut, muscular chest.  When he glanced her way, his eyes were bright blue.

     She froze.  She knew those eyes.

     “What can I get you?” he asked, his voice low and intimate in the crowded room.

     Caught.  Now she’d have to spend a few of her closely-hoarded dollars for the privilege of checking out the business she owned.

     And the man who worked behind the bar.  “Guinness,” she answered, annoyed to find her voice breathless.

     His gaze narrowed and he studied her for a moment too long.  Then he nodded.  “Coming right up.”

     A few minutes later he set a perfectly built glass of the dark stout in front of her, a shamrock drawn in the foam.  “You want to run a tab?”

     Who would have thought Quinn Murphy capable of the whimsy of shamrocks in Guinness?  “I won’t be here that long,” she answered, uneasy as the focus of his attention.  Quinn Murphy wouldn’t remember her, she assured herself.

     Would he?

     “Five bucks,” he said.

     She counted out six singles and slid them across the bar as she studied him covertly.  Mad Dog Murphy.  That’s who eighteen-year-old Quinn had been.  With no mother at home and a father who drank, he’d run wild, revving his motorcycle as he roared down Main Street, raising havoc in the sleepy fishing town. 

     Shy, pudgy Maddie, known as Linnie back then, had secretly yearned to ride on the back of that motorcycle of his.  He’d been a couple of years older and, other than that one disastrous night, he’d never noticed the awkward kid she’d been.  But even at sixteen, the sound of his motorcycle rumbling down the street had made her quiver in all the right places.

     Every other girl in Otter Tail had noticed Quinn, too.

     And he’d noticed them right back.

     Maddie leaned against the wall and tried to banish the memories as Quinn worked the bar.  He was in constant motion, pouring drinks and chatting with his customers, never lingering too long with any one of them.  When he turned toward her end of the bar, nerves twisted in her stomach.  Would he remember her?

     One woman leaned farther over the bar than necessary when she gave Quinn her order, allowing a prime view of her cleavage.  He ignored it.

     Lots of things had apparently changed in Otter Tail.

     Maybe he was married.  Or involved.

     The thought of a domesticated Quinn made her take a quick drink of her beer.  What kind of woman could tame him?

     Stupid thought.  She wasn’t here to do any taming.  Of Quinn or anyone else.

     Ignoring the cleavage-baring woman’s blatant invitation, Quinn reached for a rag and wiped down the marble bar.  An older man with bushy gray hair, wearing suspenders over his less-than-flat belly pushed a glass toward him, signaling for a refill.  When Quinn took the glass, the man said, “A condo developer contacted me today, Quinn.  He was looking for property in Otter Tail.”

     “Is that so?”  Quinn yanked the beer tapper forward.

     “He’s not looking at the land the Harp is on,” the older man assured him.  “It’s not close enough to the water.”

     “Good thing, isn’t it, Gordon?” Quinn answered.  “Because as far as I know, it’s not for sale.”

     “You haven’t heard from the new owner?”  Gordon set his elbows on the bar and watched Quinn carefully.

     “Not yet.”

     Maddie’s hand tightened on her glass.  If she was smart, she’d set her beer down and walk out the door.  But she wanted to hear the rest of the conversation.

     “Maybe she’s already sold the place.”  Gordon looked around, as if assessing the pub’s value.  “This is a prime piece of property.  Could be real commercial.”

     Quinn froze, then shoved the tap back in place as he set the beer on the counter.  “Last time I checked, this place was commercial, Mayor Crawford.”

     “You know what I mean,” the other man said impatiently.  “Piece of property this size, we could get a big national retailer in here.  Really put Otter Tail on the map.  If the new owner is smart, she’ll sell the place.  She’d make a bucket of money.”

     “And so would you,” Quinn said.  “It’s killing you that you can’t get in touch with her, isn’t it?  I bet you’re dying to sign her up with your real estate office.”

     “I just want to do what’s best for the town,” Gordon protested.

     Another man, thin and wiry with dark blond hair brushing his collar, turned and scowled at Gordon.  “Give me a break, you old windbag.  You want to make a bucket of money on a commission.”

     On her property.  Maddie took another drink as Gordon shrugged, apparently not offended.  “I’m trying to take care of my town, Paul,” he said.  “If I can earn a living at the same time, so much the better.”

     Quinn slid a beer to another customer.  “Give it up, Gordon.  No one wants to hear your campaign speech.  We know all we need to know about you.”

     “And we know all we need to know about you.” Gordon retorted, all the joviality gone from his expression.  “Temple didn’t think enough of you to keep his word about selling you this place.”

     Quinn’s knuckles whitened, then he busied himself filling the bowls of pretzels on the bar.  “Careful, Gordon,” he said quietly.  “People might realize you’re not Mr. Nice Guy.  And then where would you be?”

     Without waiting for an answer, Quinn moved away, talking to customers and refilling drinks.  The conversation with the mayor was clearly over.

     Maddie leaned against the bar, suddenly dizzy.  David had promised to sell the pub to Quinn?  She’d be negotiating with him?  The knot in her stomach tightened.

     It didn’t matter who she negotiated with.  She had to sell this place, and fast.  Her friend Hollis couldn’t afford to lose the money she’d given Maddie, and the contractors were waiting to be paid.  If she didn’t give them all some money soon, there would be liens on the houses she was trying to sell.

     Making them that much harder to sell.    

     As Quinn poured drinks, Gordon stared at him for a moment, then moved away.  The man they’d called Paul watched him go as he sipped his beer.

     Her gaze followed Quinn to the other end of the bar, where he said something to one of the customers, then turned away, smiling.  She’d need to talk to him.  But this wasn’t the time or place, she realized with a coward’s relief.  She’d wait until they could talk privately.

     Before she could set her beer down and leave, a rough voice said into her ear, “Hey, there, beautiful.  Can I buy you a beer?”

     Maddie jumped, sloshing some of her beer onto the floor, and turned to find a tall, beefy man standing too close.  His blond hair bristled in a buzz cut and his thick neck topped a body that had once been athletic but was now running to fat.  She stepped away.  She remembered J.D. Stroger, too.

     “No thanks,” she said.  “I’m fine.”

     “Then how about a dance?”  He leaned closer and his beery breath washed over her.

     “Not interested.”  She turned and moved away.

     “I can make you interested,” he said as he followed her, slurring his words.  “Pretty girl like you shouldn’t be alone on a Thursday night.  It’s Thirsty Thursday, you know.”  He swayed a little as he loomed over her.

     Great.  Not only did she have to deal with J.D., but he was drunk.  She glanced over her shoulder.  “I like being alone.  I don’t want a beer, I don’t want to dance with you, and I don’t want to get to know you.”

     J.D.’s smile twisted into an ugly sneer.  “Now that’s downright unfriendly, city girl.  Why don’t I should you how things are done in the country?”

     “Go away.”  Maddie tried to step past him but he clamped a hand on her shoulder.

     “I’m not done talking to you,” he said.  The people standing close turned to look at them.

     “Too bad.  I’m done talking to you.”  Maddie shoved his hand off her shoulder.  “Don’t touch me again.”

     The crowd went silent.  A man called, “Back off, J.D.  Don’t give her the wrong idea about Otter Tail.”

     J.D.’s face got red and he grabbed her wrist.  “You’re gonna dance with me.”

     Maddie turned her arm and jerked it upward, breaking J.D.’s hold on her.  She stepped out of his reach as he stumbled backwards.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Murphy step out from behind the bar and hurry toward them.  Two men behind J.D. tried to grab his arms, but he shook them off as he lunged toward her with a roar of anger.

     She sidestepped him easily.  “Now that’s just plain pitiful,” she said as he lurched into the wall.  “Go home and sleep it off, J.D.  No one likes a man who can’t hold his liquor.”

     As she set the glass on the bar, Murphy grabbed J.D. from behind.  The bartender glanced over his shoulder and said, “Rusty?  Willis?  Get him out of here.”

     Without waiting to see what happened, Maddie walked out the door.  She’d almost made it to her car when she heard footsteps behind her.  “Hold on,” Quinn Murphy said.

     She turned around slowly, trying to gather her composure.  Yes?”

     “Are you all right?” he asked.

     “I’m fine.”  Some of the tension drained out of her shoulders.  “But thanks for stepping in.”

     “Sorry I had to.”  He turned to watch as two men half-carried J.D. from the bar.  “You want to press charges?”

     “For what?”

     “He grabbed you.  More than once.”  They watched as J.D.’s friends helped him stagger toward a pick-up.  “Want me to call the sheriff?”  One side of Quinn’s mouth turned up and Maddie’s pulse jumped.  “It wouldn’t be the first time J.D. spent the night as a guest of the county.”

     “No, thanks.”  The two men stuffed J.D. into the passenger seat of the truck, and he sprawled on the bench seat, his eyes closed, listing toward the window.  “He didn’t hurt me.”

     “Your call,” Quinn said, frowning at the truck.  Then he returned to studying her face.  “You look familiar.  Have we met before?”

     They had, but she wasn’t about to remind him.  “I’m from Chicago,” she said.  “I doubt it.”

     He crossed his arms over his chest without taking his eyes off her face.  “You just passing through, or are you staying in Otter Tail?”

     “I’m staying here.  For a while, anyway.”

     “On vacation?”

     “A combination of business and vacation.”  She hesitated.  This wasn’t the time to do business.  He had people waiting for him inside.  “I’m a…writer.”  She would be, if she could find another newspaper job.  “I’m working on a story.”  It was called ‘How to dig yourself out of a huge hole’.

     “Yeah?”  He gave her another of those mouth-watering grins.  “What do you write?  I’m a big reader.”

     Quinn Murphy a reader?  That was unexpected – and intriguing.  “Non-fiction,” she said.  “I’m trying to get published.”

     It seemed like forever since she’d been laid off from her job as an investigative reporter for the Chicago Herald and started buying houses to rehab. In reality, it had been less than a year.  Who knew you could get into so much trouble with real estate in such a short time?

     “Can I buy you another beer to make up for J.D., Ms…?”  He stuck his hand out and waited expectantly.

     “Maddie,” she said.

     “Quinn Murphy,” he said, engulfing her hand in his much larger one.  Maddie was not a small woman, but she felt dwarfed by Quinn.  He was a head taller than her and solidly built.  “Welcome to Otter Tail.”  He held onto her a heartbeat longer than necessary.

     “Thank you, Mr. Murphy,” she said, tugging slightly.

     “Call me Quinn.”  He smiled as he slid his fingers away from hers.  Too slowly.

     Her skin tingled, and she swallowed.  This wasn’t the way she’d wanted to spend her first evening in town.

     “Coming back in, Maddie?” he asked.  “You look like you’re wound a little tight.  I’d hate to have you leave the Harp with a bad impression.”

     Wound tight.  Yeah, she was that.  On the drive up from Chicago, she’d felt like a spring, ready to bounce through the roof.  “I don’t know.  One beer is my limit.”

     “Be reckless tonight,” he said, his eyes twinkling.  “Let me buy you another one.”

     His gaze held hers, and suddenly, ignoring her better judgment, she wanted to be reckless.  She wanted to see Murphy smile again.  “All right.  I guess one more won’t hurt.”  Maybe it would let her relax enough to sleep.

     “Great.”  He touched her lower back, steering her toward the door, and her skin burned beneath the thin sweater she wore.  “When things slow down a little, you can tell me about your book.”

     Smooth line.  But then, Quinn had always been smooth.  The boys had all wanted to be Quinn.  The girls had all just wanted him.  “Looks like you do a good business here.”

     “I do okay,” he said as he opened the door for her. The sound of voices rolled over her.  “It’d be easier if I had more help.”

     “I saw your sign.”  She nodded at the ‘waitress wanted’ sign in the window.  “Are you that tough to work for?”

     “I’m the easiest boss in the world, as long as you show up on time and do your work.”  His gaze sharpened.  “You interested in the job?”

     “Of course not.  I’m not going to be here very long.”  She hoped.

     He shrugged.  “If that story gives you writer’s block, let me know.  I’d hire you even if you’re only going to be here a week or two.”

     “How do you know I’d be any good as a waitress?” she demanded, although she was.  She’d waitressed to work her way through college.  “I could be the biggest klutz in the world.”

     “I saw you handle J.D.,” he said as he stepped behind the bar.  “You’re no klutz.”  He pulled her a glass of Guinness and set it on the counter.  “Sam, get off that stool and give it to the lady,” he said to a young man staring into his beer.

     The kid jerked to attention.  His fair complexion turned beet red and he stumbled as he scrambled to his feet.  “Sorry, Ma’am,” he muttered.  “I didn’t see you.”

     “Thanks.  That’s very sweet of you,” Maddie said with a smile.

     His face became darker red.  “I was going to play some darts anyway,” Sam muttered as he edged away from the bar.

     “You scared him off,” Maddie said to Quinn.  “That wasn’t nice.”

     “I’m not a nice man.”  Something dark swirled in the depths of his eyes for a moment, then was gone.  He wiped a rag over the bar to mop up some spilled liquid.  “Besides, Sam was feeling sorry for himself, and self-pity and beer is a bad combination.  He needed to get off his rear.”

     As Quinn filled an order farther down the bar, Maddie eased herself onto the stool, took a sip of Guinness and looked around.  Quinn’s pub was a popular place.   Why hadn’t David told her about it?  Especially if he’d promised to sell it to Quinn.

     Guilt slid through her.  She should have spent more time with David.  She should have visited him while he was sick.  But he hadn’t told her how serious his illness was.

     She’d give Quinn the chance to buy the pub from her.  She didn’t care who bought the place.  All she wanted was enough money to pay her creditors and return the money she’d borrowed from her friend Hollis. 

     She snuck a look at Quinn and saw him talking to an older man in a sports coat and tie who sat at the far end of the bar.  The muscles beneath Quinn’s polo shirt bunched as he reached for a bowl of pretzels and put it in front of the guy, and Maddie couldn’t look away.  Why did it have to be Quinn Murphy who managed the bar she had to sell?

     Taking a drink of the heavy, bitter beer, she forced herself to ignore Quinn.  She was as bad as all the other women in here tonight, she told herself with disgust.  Intoxicated with the sight of a good-looking man.  She wasn’t desperate enough to chase after Quinn Murphy.

     She caught a glimpse of Sam standing at the dart board, throwing darts halfheartedly at the black circle on the wall, and made an impulsive decision.  Neither Quinn nor J.D. had recognized her.  Surely that meant her identity was safe for tonight.  Sliding off the stool, she wove through the people standing behind the bar, heading toward the dartboard.

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