Having found love with Kieran, Cara couldn’t blame Sarah for wanting that too. Though their relationship hadn’t always been easy, it had definitely been worth pursuing. At first, she’d still been a little reluctant to talk about her father or let Kieran see her grief, but he hadn’t allowed her to hide.
Every other day or so, in the course of their conversation, he’d slip in a question about her parents. Whether it was just asking what their favorite colors had been or something more significant like a favorite memory she had from a particular summer. Whatever it had been, he’d encouraged her to respond.
She’d answered him as honestly as she could, understanding even as she did so, the toll it might take on him. Learning those humanizing things about a man he’d only ever viewed as a monster. Her love for him grew as she saw the strength it took for him to accept her view of her father. That, more than anything, revealed how much he loved her, and with that realization, she was able to let go of the last lingering bits of reserve she had about trusting him.
He’d held her when she cried on the first birthday she celebrated without her father, then he’d taken her to a performance of Beauty & the Beast performed by a ballet company in Seattle. It wasn’t the only time he’d held her as she cried, but those moments of sorrow had gradually lessened as the months passed.
In wanting to learn more about her father, Kieran had brought back the happier memories, easing the grip of her grief. And in the midst of it all, Rose had loved them both, offering her support without question. She had taken on the role of mother for Cara, and it had made her realize just how much she’d missed that connection.
And later that afternoon, they’d both be there for her as she carried out one of her father’s final wishes. It had taken her too long to get to this point, but she’d wanted Gio present as well, and he’d only just finished giving his testimony in the trial of his brothers.
“If I’m going to try again, I might have to resort to using a dating app.”
Cara wrinkled her nose. “Would you really want to do that?”
“Sure. Why not?” Sarah said with a shrug. “Lots of people use them nowadays.”
“I know, but they’re not always safe.” Cara thought back to the few dates she’d gone on with men from a dating app and wrinkled her nose. “And a lot of times, they don’t present themselves in an honest manner.”
“I’d take precautions, of course.” Sarah sighed. “But I probably won’t go that route. My mom would likely have a heart attack if I did.”
“Well, just promise me that you will tell me if you do decide to meet someone. Kieran and I can go to the same restaurant to keep an eye on you.”
Sarah laughed, a bit of her sadness lifting momentarily. “Having the police chief supervising my date might be the only way my mom would let me meet someone through a dating app.”
“Seriously, though, Sarah,” Cara began. “I’ll be praying that God will bring you the man He has for you, or that He’ll give you peace in your current situation.”
“Thank you. I know the Bible verses about being content, but I’m really struggling with contentment right now for some reason.”
“Rose always says that our struggles are just opportunities to learn to lean more fully on God. I know that sometimes that’s easier said than done.”
“Sometimes?” Sarah asked with an arched brow. “Feels like most the time.”
“Yes. I would have to agree with you there.”
When Cara’s phone chirped, she picked it up off the table and glanced at it.
Kieran: Just finished at the seminary.
Did it go well? That wasn’t really what she wanted to ask, but those questions would have to wait until she saw him later.
Kieran: I think so. He seemed to like what he saw.
She sent him back a thumbs up, then a kissy face and a heart. When he answered with a heart-eye emoji, she smiled.
“Kieran?” Sarah asked, then groaned. “Like I have to ask.”
“Yeah. He and Gio are finished at the seminary.”
“How long is he staying?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Cara said. He was staying at the same hotel he’d stayed at with Doug. She’d thought of having him stay at the lodge, but she hadn’t wanted the McNamaras to get caught in the crossfire if anything should happen. Plus, from what Sarah had said, they were booked solid. “If he’s decided to move here for school, he’ll probably want to take the time to look around.”
“Would you like it if he was closer?” Sarah asked. “Considering you didn’t meet him that long ago?”
Cara had thought about that question a lot over the past few months, but ever since he’d accepted her invitation to come out for that day, she found herself more open to having him live close by. They’d built a bit of a foundation for a relationship through sporadic calls and texts over the past six months, and it hadn’t been as difficult as she’d thought it might be.
Her main concern had been Kieran. It had been one thing to accept her father, considering he was no longer alive. It would be something else altogether to have a living, breathing Moretti in his life. In the end, however, it had been his suggestion to invite Gio out, and he’d offered to take him to the seminary on his own.
“I think I would like to have him a bit closer. To have the chance to get to know him.”
“Then I hope it works out for you,” Sarah said with a smile. “And on that note, I should probably head back to the lodge. I promised Mom that I’d be there to help with some cabin cleaning and then supper.”
“Thanks for keeping me company.”
“Anytime.” Sarah picked up her purse and phone. “Let me know how the visit goes.”
“I will.”
Cara didn’t linger at the table once Sarah had gone. She took care of her bill, then headed back to her apartment to wait for Kieran and Gio.
An hour later, she heard the security beeps to let her know that someone had entered the building. Kieran had his own key for the front door, so she went to open the apartment door for them. This visit was a world away from Gio’s previous visit when she’d barely been able to handle him being in her building, let alone her home.
When he walked into the apartment, Kieran drew her into a tight hug. Cara let out a sigh of contentment at having him back in her arms. He lightly pressed his lips to hers then let her go, moving aside so she could greet Gio.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Gio said as he bent and kissed her cheek. “You’re looking well.”
“I wish I could say the same for you,” Cara said, her brow furrowing as she took in his drawn and gaunt appearance. “You look exhausted.”
He dragged a hand down his face. “Yeah. I haven’t been sleeping all that well, but I hope that will change now that the trial is over.”
“You should probably spend a couple of days just eating and sleeping.”
One corner of his mouth tipped up in a half-hearted smile. “I might just do that.”
“Did you want anything before we head to the cemetery?” Cara asked. “Something to eat or drink?”
“I’m good,” Gio said. “We grabbed something on the way to the seminary.”
Within minutes, they were on their way again, heading for the small cemetery outside of town where, with the help of Pastor Evans, she’d made arrangements to have her parents’ ashes interred. He and Rose would be meeting them there for a short service.
The early July day was warm, though the sun was currently playing peekaboo through the clouds. It was a day both of her parents would have enjoyed. Cara was just glad it wasn’t raining.
When they got to the cemetery, Pastor Evans was already there with Rose and the cemetery caretaker. After they joined them at the plot that had been prepared, Kieran made the introductions. Pastor Evans shook Gio’s hand while Rose hugged him. Gio seemed surprised then a little emotional as he stepped back from the embrace.
Cara looked at the headstone she had chosen. In death, her
parents would share what they hadn’t in life. A last name. It had required Doug’s help once again plus a change of urn for her mom’s ashes since the original one had her real last name on it. After a few conversations with Doug, they’d decided to use their middle names along with the last name that Cara now used. The one that Gio had also decided to share.
It felt, in some ways, as if she was wiping them from existence. No one would ever find them under their birth names. But she and Gio would always know who they were, regardless of the names that were engraved on the headstone.
Pastor Evans led them in a very short service, and as she stood there with Kieran’s arm around her, Cara allowed her tears to flow unchecked. She hadn’t expected to feel such emotion, but when it came, she didn’t bother to hide it.
When Kieran handed her two roses to lay on the container that held the urns, Cara leaned against him for a moment before stepping forward to place them on top. Gio also had a rose that he laid alongside the two Cara had put there.
Even though she’d now been without her papa for almost nine months and her mom for much longer, this somehow felt like the final goodbye. And yet, she knew it wasn’t. Pastor Evan’s words at the graveside had reminded her that given their professions of faith, she would see them again.
The family she’d had for most of her life was gone, but she was building a new one. She and Kieran had talked about a future together and what that would look like. And now she had a brother, as unlikely as the possibility of that relationship had seemed when he’d first come to see her. Even Pastor Evans had come to play an important role in her life, that of spiritual mentor…almost a father of sorts.
Once the service at the graveside was done, Cara took a final look at the headstone before she allowed Kieran to lead her to where the cars were parked.
“Gio, why don’t you come with me?” Pastor Evans suggested. “Kieran mentioned you are interested in going into the ministry. I’d love to chat with you about that.”
“Sure,” Gio said with a nod. “That would be great.”
“I’ll drop Rose off, then we can go for a coffee and some pie.”
“Thank you,” Cara said, appreciating that the man understood that she and Kieran needed some time alone together. She looked at Gio. “We’ll see you a bit later.”
“I look forward to it.” Though he still looked tired, his smile appeared genuine.
Once they left the cemetery, Kieran turned the Jeep in the opposite direction of the town. Cara didn’t question where he was going since she trusted him to know what she needed right then. It wasn’t long before he was pulling into the small parking lot at the river spot where they liked to come when they had the time, and the weather was nice.
Since it was the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week, it wasn’t busy. Kieran led her to a table near the water, and Cara let out a long breath as she sank down on the bench facing the river.
“Thank you,” she said as Kieran sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“You don’t ever have to thank me for taking care of you,” he said softly. “It makes me happy to be able to do this for you.”
She tilted her head back so she could look up at him. “I love you.”
He turned toward her and took her hands in his, turning them palm up and lightly brushing his thumbs across the insides of her wrists. Though she usually wore foundation to cover the tattoos there, she’d left them visible for that day, given what it held.
Not long after they’d gotten back together again, she’d told Kieran about them and what they meant to her. In that same conversation, he’d confessed to having watched her dance by accident. Neither revelation had been a negative thing, and in fact, they had brought them closer together.
“I love you too,” Kieran murmured before he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
It may have been a tough day for her emotionally but sitting there with Kieran felt a little bit like perfection.
~*~
Kieran shifted in his seat, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. His mom reached over and patted his hand, drawing his attention briefly from the road.
“I don’t know why you’re nervous,” she said. “It’s not as if there’s any chance she’s going to say no.”
“I know that. I’m just wondering if the timing is right. Today might not be the best day to do this.
“Oh honey, I think today is the perfect day. What better way to take a day of sadness and turn it into one of joy?”
Kieran considered her words then said, “You don’t think it’s too soon, do you?”
“Maybe if you were both younger and hadn’t gone through what you have, I might agree with you. Might.” His mom hesitated. “You both chose to rekindle your relationship, knowing that it wasn’t going to be easy. Knowing that you had difficulties to overcome. You knew that and still chose to be with each other. You wouldn’t have done that if you weren’t committed to a future together.”
Kieran knew she was right. Of course she was. He could also acknowledge that part of his nervousness was because he still remembered how well things had started out with Toni, only for them to go so horribly wrong in the end. This did feel different, though. The connection he felt with Cara was deeper and more tightly woven between them. Certainly they had a stronger spiritual foundation than he’d had with Toni.
“You’re right. I want to be with her, and I truly believe God wants us to be together. I’ve definitely felt His hand at work through all of this.”
“Then trust yourself,” his mom said. “And trust Cara.”
Kieran loosened his grip on the steering wheel as he pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of Cara’s building. He got out and headed for the front door of the studio. He’d barely stepped inside when Cara appeared. She wore a light blue sundress with wide straps, a fitted bodice, and a skirt that floated around her as she moved gracefully toward him.
“You look beautiful as always,” he said as she approached him.
She smiled and lifted her face for his kiss. “And you look very handsome.”
“Why, thank you.” He’d chosen a pair of black slacks and a gray short-sleeve button-up shirt, wanting to make more of an effort for this special dinner than his usual out-of-uniform outfit of jeans and a T-shirt. “Are you ready to go?”
At her nod, he took her hand, and together, they left the building. As they neared the vehicle, he could see that in the time he’d been inside, his mom had moved into the back seat. He opened the door for Cara then closed it once she was seated. She and his mom chatted as Kieran backed out of the parking spot and headed for the hotel where Gio was staying.
Seven months ago, he would never have imagined he’d willingly be sharing a ride with one of Marco Moretti’s sons. But God had definitely done a work in his heart, as much as He’d done in Marco’s and Gio’s. He could now look at Gio—who looked an awful lot like his father—without feeling a wave of rage rising up within him. It hadn’t been easy getting to that point, but he knew without a doubt it had been worth the effort.
He hadn’t just had ups and downs in his personal life during the past half-year, there had been plenty in his professional life as well. They’d finally received an identification on the body found in the woods, and now one family had an answer to what had happened to their daughter. Well, sort of an answer. They still didn’t know who had killed their child, but at least they could lay her to rest.
The lack of answers with regards to Sheila’s disappearance was aggravating for all involved in the case. He continued to pray that they would find answers for Pete and Coral. It wasn’t his case, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t invested in it. Since it impacted members of his town, there was no way he couldn’t be worried about it.
Thankfully, the case that had brought him and Cara together originally, had had a decent—if not happily-ever-after—at least a temporarily happy resolution. When one of his guys ha
d shared about the underage cat burglar and her motives with his family, they’d stepped up and offered to foster the younger girl.
Mary and Cara had gone to court on the older girl’s behalf, and Adam had read a letter from Drake, all asking the judge to be lenient on her. When the judge had let her off with community service, the foster parents had taken her in as well. It wasn’t the perfect solution, but it would at least get the girls off the street while they figured out what to do next.
“I texted Gio, so he should be waiting out front,” Cara said. “Where are we going, by the way?”
“To a restaurant down at Port Gardner Bay. I asked for an outside table.”
“Oh, that will be lovely,” Cara said. “Maybe we’ll see the sunset.”
“I figure this might help Gio decide to move out here if he’s still on the fence with that decision.”
When he felt Cara’s hand on his arm as he slowed for a red light, he looked over at her. She gave him a soft smile, her love for him shining bright in her eyes. “Thank you.”
He covered her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Anything for you, love.”
It didn’t take them long to get to the hotel, and as promised, Gio was waiting for them. As he climbed into the back, he greeted Kieran’s mom. From the hotel, it took another half an hour to get through the traffic to the restaurant.
They were seated at a round table that looked out over the marina, giving them a great view of the islands and the water surrounding them. The evening was balmy, and though there were a few clouds in the sky, there wasn’t any rain forecast.
The restaurant wasn’t one that Gio or Cara had been to before since it was only located in the Pacific Northwest. They all ended up ordering seafood and spent the evening talking about pretty much everything except for the trial. As time passed, the nerves Kieran had been fighting earlier gave way to excitement.
Though he had debated doing this with just the two of them, he’d decided not to. Given that their families had shrunk so much, Kieran had felt it was important that they all be together for this important occasion. Once they’d finished with their desserts, he glanced over at his mom, and she gave him an encouraging smile.
Because of Him: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 2) Page 32