Once they’d finished their meal, they headed back to New Hope. Even though he hadn’t hurried to get back, Kieran still felt that he was pulling up at Cara’s garage door far too soon. After he came to a stop behind her building, he put the Jeep in park and reached out to take her hand.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
She squeezed his fingers. “I’ll be fine. I’m already feeling so much better now that I’m back and have spent some time with you.”
“Do you feel like spending more time together?” he asked. “Tomorrow, perhaps?”
“Of course. What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. What would you like to do?”
“How about another escape room?”
Kieran laughed. “You’re determined to torture me.”
Cara chuckled softly in return. “No. Not at all. It just feels like our thing, and to be honest, I need that to feel normal right now.”
“In that case, sweetheart, we will definitely do an escape room tomorrow night.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed his hand again. “I know that you wanted me to call you this week, and I’m sorry I couldn’t do that. There were things I needed to focus on, and if I’d heard your voice, I would have wanted to abandon everything and just come home. Now, though, I’ve dealt with it all, and I can be home without thinking of what I left undone.”
“You’re right. I wanted to be able to talk to you, but all that matters now is that you’re back.” Kieran lifted her hand and kissed it. “But I want you to know you can depend on me. If you need to talk, or you need a shoulder to cry on. Anything. I want you to know I’m here for you.”
Cara shifted in her seat, leaning toward him. She lifted her hand to rest it on his cheek. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve someone like you, but I’m so grateful for you. Having someone to lean on is new to me, so have some patience if I forget.”
Kieran covered her hand with his, capturing it against his cheek. He leaned closer so that he could kiss her again. “And I’m so grateful for you.”
When they finally got out of the Jeep, Kieran retrieved her suitcase from the back while she got her laptop bag. “Do you need help carrying it upstairs?”
She appeared to hesitate for a moment then said, “If you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Kieran knew he couldn’t stay long because he wasn’t legally parked in the back, but he was curious to get his first glimpse of her home.
After he came into the garage with her, she closed the door behind him. She glanced over at him as she walked over to the wall and leaned close, stepping back as a panel slid open. He watched in a bit of amazement as she pressed her palm to the screen. Before that moment, he’d thought her security was just alarms and cameras. He hadn’t realized it went way beyond that.
He didn’t say a word though, just waited for her to open the door and lead the way up to her apartment, though after having seen the authorization necessary to get into the building, he certainly had more questions than ever. At the top of the stairs, she pressed her palm against the wall again, then opened the door and walked in, pausing to hold it open for Kieran.
Though he didn’t want to invade her privacy, he couldn’t help but glance around. He felt like seeing her home would give him more insights into who Cara was. From where he stood in the entryway, he could see the kitchen straight ahead and a table and chairs beyond that in front of a set of large windows. At the front of the building, was the living room. He couldn’t see anything through any of the large windows, and it took him a minute to realize that they were covered by blinds. And they didn’t look like the cheap blinds he had covering his windows at home.
Though the apartment had high ceilings, it still had a cozy feel to it. The furniture in the living room was large and comfortable looking, and lamps cast warm light throughout the room. If he had to guess, the lamps and the soft music that played were on timers, or possibly she controlled them from her phone.
“I’ll be right back,” Cara said as she took the handle of her suitcase then headed through a doorway to the left of the kitchen.
Kieran moved a little further into the room, spotting a fireplace on the wall between the two sets of floor to ceiling windows. It faced the open area where the living and dining areas were situated. He noticed some photos on the mantel and shifted a little closer to look at them. There were a couple framed photos of Cara in ballet poses, but there were also a few photographs of her with other people. One showed Cara with a woman that he assumed was her mother. The resemblance was quite stunning.
The other photo showed Cara standing between a couple that Kieran figured were her parents. He couldn’t see them as clearly because they were both in profile as they looked at her while she smiled with so much joy and happiness that Kieran couldn’t help but smile as well. The only other thing on the mantel was a brushed nickel vase with elegant etchings around the top and bottom of it.
There appeared to be some writing on it, so Kieran leaned closer to read it.
Unable are the Loved to die
For Love is Immortality
Elizabeth Jameson
Kieran stepped back, returning to where he’d been standing earlier. He felt like he’d just intruded on something, even though they had already spoken about her mother’s passing.
He didn’t find it strange to see the urn there since his mom had a similar one in her home for his dad. For some reason, she hadn’t been able to do anything else with his remains, and Kieran wasn’t about to force her to do something she wasn’t ready for. Although it had been five years since his father had been killed.
He pulled his phone out and stared at it as he waited for Cara to reappear. He wasn’t sure if she wanted him to stay, but he knew that he couldn’t hang around too long. Her exhaustion was very evident, and he had a feeling that being home would be the best thing for her. He hoped that she’d take time before going back to work, but he knew that getting back to work had been what had helped him keep his sanity after his father’s death.
“Sorry about that,” Cara said when she reappeared. “Thank you for helping me up with the bag. I’m so beat I probably would have just left it downstairs until tomorrow.”
“You’re welcome, and I’m going to head off so you can relax.”
She smiled. “I can relax when I’m with you, but I do think I’m going to crash.”
“Do you have classes tomorrow?” he asked.
“No. I’ve told everyone that the classes won’t start back up until Monday.”
“I’m glad you’re taking a few days before you get back to it.”
Cara nodded. “Yeah. I think I need the time.” Her smile faltered, and she blinked rapidly. “I love…loved him so much. It was hard to say goodbye. My loss hits me at the strangest times, so I’m hoping a couple of extra days will help me get a handle on it.”
“I think people would understand,” Kieran said. “Will you give me a call tomorrow to let me know how you’re doing?”
“I will.” She came closer to him and reached out to wrap her fingers around his wrist as she went up on her toes to kiss him then she tucked her face against his neck. “I’m so glad to be home.”
Kieran slid his free hand around her waist and held her close. She relaxed against him, their fingers interlacing as they stood there for a couple of minutes. He felt her take a deep breath before lifting her head. They kissed one more time—apparently making up for the kisses they’d missed while she was away—then moved apart.
“I pray you sleep well tonight,” Kieran said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Together they walked down the stairs where she opened the garage door once again for him. He climbed behind the wheel of the Jeep but waited until the door was closed before he drove away. As he headed home, he felt a wealth of relief in knowing that Cara was once again just a few minutes away from him. It felt like all was right in his world once more.
He hurt for her as
she grieved the loss of her father. It was clear from everything she said that he had meant a lot to her and that they’d been close. He hadn’t been that close to his own dad, but the loss had still been intense. He could only imagine how much harder it was to lose a parent with whom one had a close relationship.
Even though he didn’t completely understand the depth of her grief, he knew how he’d feel if he lost his mom, so he would use that as a reference point in offering his support. And hopefully she’d let him know if there was something specific he could do for her.
~*~
Cara woke to the sound of her phone ringing, and she lay there for a moment, trying to figure out if she was really home, or if she was just wishing she were.
The phone stopped ringing but then rang again a couple of minutes later. Concerned it was Kieran trying to get hold of her—after all, she wouldn’t be receiving calls relating to her papa any longer—she rolled over and picked her phone up from the nightstand where she’d set it the night before.
She stared at the name on her screen for a moment, trying to decide if there was any reason she should answer it. After all, with the death of her father, that chapter of her life was closed. The person who had been her contact for the past few years was no longer needed.
Finally, curiosity won out, and she tapped the screen.
“Hello, Cara. How are you doing?” Doug said when she answered.
“As well as can be expected, I would imagine.”
“You have my condolences again on the passing of your father.”
“Thank you.” She waited for a beat then said, “What can I do for you?”
“I need to see you,” he said without hesitation.
“Why? I mean, my father’s gone now.”
“That’s precisely why I need to see you. He gave me some things with the instruction to give them to you when he passed.”
“What things?” Doug had only been able to stay in Texas until the day after her father’s death, but he could have still given them to her when he’d seen her there. He’d had to return to New York, though he’d kept in contact with her while she was in Texas.
“A letter and a USB drive.”
She hated the idea of leaving again so soon after she’d just gotten home. “Where do you want to meet?”
“I’m coming to you,” he said.
Cara shot up into a sitting position. “Uh. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“It’s fine, Cara. You can trust me.”
Could she? Her father had trusted the man implicitly, but he was gone now. Would the loyalty Doug had had for her father transfer to her?
“Your father wanted me to continue to check in on you to make sure that you never needed anything.”
Cara slid out of bed and left her darkened room. The apartment was still in darkness as well because usually by this time, she’d opened the blinds to let the daylight in. She hit the button to raise the blinds then made her way to the kitchen, all the while listening as Doug Anders shared about one of the last conversations he’d had with her dad.
She started the coffee, trying to figure out what her gut was saying. All she could hear was her father’s voice telling her that she could trust this man.
“When did you want to come?”
“I’ll be there early next week,” he said. “I look forward to seeing you again.”
His voice seemed so sincere, but Cara just wasn’t one hundred percent sold on trusting anyone completely. Except maybe Kieran.
After the call ended, she took a mug from the wrought-iron mug tree next to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. After adding some milk and sugar, she wandered back into the living room. A glance at the clock on the wall told her it was almost noon. She wasn’t surprised that she’d slept that long, only waking once to use the bathroom before stumbling back to bed.
She settled into the chair by the window, thinking of her journal as she did so. It had been one of the last things she’d grabbed before heading out, and she’d filled pages of it during her time in Texas. Though her father had never regained consciousness while she’d been there, she’d spent those final hours at his bedside, reading to him from the entries in the journal.
She’d told him all about Kieran as well as what had been going on in the town. At one point, the chaplain for the hospice had come in to see if there was anything he could do for her. Though it hadn’t been her intention to have a long drawn out conversation with the man, it seemed he sensed that she had questions. He'd offered her answers that had allowed her to finally feel at peace with her papa’s passing. Unfortunately, it hadn’t lessened the intense grief she’d felt once he’d died. She may have had the assurance of seeing him again in Heaven, but that didn’t stop her from feeling the impact of his absence from her earthly life.
Staring out the window at the town that had become her home, she rubbed at the intense ache in her chest. She wondered how long it would be before the ache faded to just a dull pain. It had seemed to take forever with her mom, but she knew that was probably partly because the death had been so shocking, plus she’d lost her whole life at the same time. She’d already been grieving her father’s passing, starting from the moment he’d told her that he wasn’t going to be pursuing any further treatment when the first round did nothing to help him.
Soon she’d have another urn, and once it arrived, she would bury them both together in a nearby cemetery. It was what her father had requested when he’d made the arrangements for her mother’s cremation. So she’d kept her mother’s ashes, not knowing how long it would be before she could put them both to rest. Even though she’d known it was a possibility that someone might manage to track her father down and kill him in prison, she’d hoped that she would still have many years left with him.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. She needed things to get back to normal, and she knew that her papa would have wanted that for her too. Everything he’d done for her had been so that she could live a full and happy life. To do anything less would be a disservice to his memory.
Setting her mug down on the table, she tapped out a message on her phone.
Good morning!
Uncertain if Kieran would be too busy to respond right away, Cara picked her mug up and took a sip. Relishing the warmth of the coffee, she took a few more sips. Part of her wished she’d told the class members that she’d be doing classes that day, but she knew she needed a couple more days to get her emotions back on an even keel.
Kieran: Good morning, babe! You just squeaked that in under the wire.
I know, right? How’s your day going?
Kieran: A whole lot better now that I’ve heard from you. Are you up for some lunch?
A late lunch, maybe? I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee.
Kieran: That would work for me. Or an early dinner, if that would be better for you. I kind of forgot that I have to be at the church tonight for a men’s meeting, so the escape room will have to wait for another day. I hope that’s alright.
Cara was a bit disappointed, but she was glad that they were still going to be able to spend some time together.
Kieran: I’m sorry, babe. But I did book us for tomorrow night, if that’s okay.
That’s perfect!
Kieran: I’d still love to see you at some point this afternoon though.
After a few more back and forth texts, they finally agreed on an early dinner at four. That meant that she had a few hours to unpack, do some laundry, and get herself cleaned up. She’d hated going to bed without a shower the night before, but she’d been so exhausted.
First up, though, was grabbing a small bite to eat since her stomach was reminding her just how many hours she’d been without food. She was so glad to be back in her own home, and already she could feel herself unwinding, the tension of the past few days easing out of her body. And even though dealing with her past still appeared to be necessary, it didn’t stop her from feeling like she was where she was su
pposed to be.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Rather than go to a restaurant yet again, Kieran had invited her over to his place. The day had been surprisingly warm, and he’d said his back deck would be the perfect place to spend some time together. When she’d offered to make something, he’d said he’d take care of everything.
Cara couldn’t arrive emptyhanded, though, so before heading to the address he’d given her, she stopped at the bakery and picked up an assortment of sweets. She’d had basically no appetite at all while in Texas, so she figured a few extra-sugary treats weren’t going to negatively impact her.
When she pulled up in front of the address Kieran had given her, she was a little surprised at how quaint the house looked. The lawn was well-manicured, and his flowerbeds were full of autumn colored flowers. She walked up the steps to his front porch and rang the bell.
Kieran opened it with a smile and pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
Cara glanced around as he motioned her into the house and closed the door behind her. “It’s nice, Kieran. Very you.”
“Funny. I thought the same thing about your place.”
“That it was very you?”
Kieran chuckled. “Yes, exactly that.”
It was very apparent from the dark colors and masculine décor that this was a man’s domain, but it also looked very comfortable. “Have you lived here long?”
“Ever since I moved back. I needed a place that was close to town, but I didn’t want to be right in the thick of things. Being on the edge of town has worked out well.” He motioned toward the kitchen. “I was just going to start barbecuing.”
She followed him into the small kitchen where she set the bakery box down on the counter, he picked up what he needed to start barbecuing, then she followed him out onto the back deck. The deck was larger than the kitchen and looked out over a medium-size yard. The nicest thing about it was that the yard was surrounded by trees, so they had privacy even though they were outside.
Because of Him: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 2) Page 19