Scarlet was in the kitchen at McGinty's. Doc had closed down the bar so everyone could celebrate in style. Scarlet had disappeared for a few hours before she came back to the bar. Connor and Murphy were playing pool and Romeo was sitting at the bar talking with Doc. She had slipped past them all with her groceries and had practically barricaded herself in the kitchen. She would occasionally look out the window and see what everyone was doing before she went back to cooking.
"What is she doing in there?" asked Romeo.
"Cooking," said Doc. "It's what she d-d-does b-b-best."
"It smells good," said Eunice.
"Aye," said Murphy and Connor looking up for their game.
"I'm getting hungry just smelling the food," said Murphy. "Tell her to hurry up."
Eunice chuckled as she walked over to the door. She knocked lightly as she walked in. "Scarlet?"
"Huh?" she said from the counter.
"They are getting restless. They want to try some of this good smelling food," said Eunice.
"Oh. Okay," said Scarlet. "It's done. I was trying to fix dessert."
"That can wait till later," said Eunice.
"Okay. Grab that bowl, please," said Scarlet grabbing a tray and heading towards the door.
Scarlet set the tray down on the bar and walked back into the kitchen. Eunice set the bowl down and took the lid off. It was pasta noodles. Scarlet was backing her way out of the kitchen with another bowl.
"There is one more bowl in there. Can you grab it, please?" she said to no one in particular.
"Give me that," said Connor taking the bowl from her before she dropped it.
Scarlet smiled as she followed him over to the bar. She uncovered the tray and stepped aside. "Dig in."
She was no sooner out of the way when the boys attacked the food. Scarlet slipped back into the kitchen and started cleaning up her mess.
"Where'd she go?" asked Romeo looking up.
"Um…she was just here," said Eunice looking around the room.
"She's in th-th-the back," said Doc.
Connor stood up and walked into the kitchen. He could hear her clanking around and followed the sound. Scarlet was washing dishes. Connor came up behind her and pulled her arms out of the water.
"What are ye doin?" he asked.
"I'm dancing," she said smiling. "Can't you tell?"
"Oh, aye. I can," he said stepping back. "Why don't you come eat? Yer part of this celebration."
"No I'm not," she said.
"Oh, really? And how is that?" he asked.
"You all have known each other for years, some maybe not as long, but you've spent time together," she said. "I'm just a girl who works in a bar."
Scarlet turned around and went back to washing dishes. Connor walked over and leaned on the sink beside her.
"If you were just a girl who worked in a bar you wouldn't have helped break three known murderers out of a maximum security prison," said Connor. "You wouldn't have cook and amazing dinner for a celebration party. Now would you?"
"That's different. I would cook for any party, it doesn't matter who it's for," said Scarlet.
"Right. And the breaking us out of prison?" he asked.
"That…well…it wasn't my idea," she said focusing on the dishes.
"Okay, but you still helped," he said.
"I wasn't supposed to be there. I was supposed to stay here," she said.
"So you weren't supposed to help, but you did when they needed you to," said Connor. "That says a lot about a person."
"Like what? I am potentially throwing my life away by helping convicted felons escape from jail?" she said.
"That hurt a bit," said Connor.
"I didn't mean it like that," said Scarlet.
"Then what did you mean?" asked Connor.
"It's just…" she sighed. "When I agreed to be a pen-pal for the prison I never thought I would actually get one of the saints. This is why I didn't want to know who I was talking to and vice versa. I didn't need them stalking me if they got out," she said.
"This might be an easier question," said Connor nodding. "Why did you kiss me?"
"Not easier," said Scarlet.
"But there's a reason," said Connor.
"I didn't say there wasn't, I just said it wasn't easier to answer," said Scarlet.
Scarlet turned away from him as she started to put the pots and pans away. Connor watched her for a few minutes. When the dinner pans were put away she pulled out a few more and started working on something else. It was a cake.
"Do you cook for the bar, too?" he asked.
"Occasionally," she said. "It's calming for me. I'm better at baking than actual cooking."
"I'll be the judge of that," chuckled Connor as he watched her. "Well?"
"Well, what?" asked Scarlet.
"You never answered my questions," said Connor. "Why did you kiss me, and the pen-pal thing?"
Scarlet sighed and laid her hands flat on the counter. "I became a pen-pal because I wanted someone to talk to. All of my friends are either in Nantucket or in Tennessee. I have very few friends here. I never thought that the person I was talking to was someone I admired," she said. "As for kissing you. I felt like it."
"Admire?" said Connor with a frown.
Scarlet was fixing to answer when Smecker burst into the kitchen. "You, missy, have some explaining to do."
"What's going on?" asked Connor looking between the two.
"Her father isn't off on holiday," said Smecker. "He's dead."
"What?" said Connor turning to look at Scarlet.
Scarlet just looked at her feet.