Finnegan began to cough and Keelin motioned for a bucket. The rest he could vomit out. Finnegan retched into the bucket over and over. Keelin's brother stood back, unsure of what to do. Keelin wiped Finnegan's brow as he shuddered over the bucket. Slowly, he raised his head and smiled at her. Keelin trembled as gratitude rushed through her. It was over. She ran her hands over his body but could feel no lingering sickness. Finnegan's tired eyes met hers and a flush filled his cheeks.
"Can I see the puppy now?" Keelin laughed and kissed his brow. Finnegan's mother rushed to his side, weeping as she rocked him. Keelin straightened and turned to face her brother.
"I'm sorry. I'm, I just. He's all I have." Colin brushed past Keelin and hugged Finnegan.
A wave of exhaustion hit her and she steadied herself on the table. She looked to see Fiona dozing in her chair. There was no way that Fiona would be able to drive home. Keelin wasn't certain she would be able to either.
"We need to go. Can you drive us home?" Keelin asked Colin. He broke away from Finnegan.
"Of course. I'm indebted to you," Colin said stiffly. They gathered their herbs and gently led Fiona to the car. She promptly fell asleep in the back seat and Keelin looked at her with worry.
"I, um, think she'll be okay. I've heard this happens after a serious healing," Colin said.
Keelin was surprised that he knew about Fiona but then figured she shouldn't be. It seemed to be common knowledge in the village, yet was something that wasn't openly discussed.
"Thanks for the ride; we can come get our cars in the morning," Keelin said as she rested her head against the window.
"If you give me the keys, I can have them driven out for you," Colin said stiffly.
Keelin nodded, too tired to speak.
"Thank you. I don't know what it is you do but thank you for saving my son. Your nephew. God, your nephew. I'm sorry that I haven't come to see you. I should have. I should have reached out to you. I knew you didn't know about me. I just, I've always hated you," Colin said. He kept his eyes carefully on the road.
Startled, Keelin raised her head. "Hated me? Why? What did I do?"
"I guess it wasn't you. It was the thought of you. The whole village knew that your mum was Dad's one true love. He never quite got over her and though he loved my mother, it wasn't the same. I always knew that you came first even though he never spoke of you. Aislinn and I spent our whole lives trying to live up to you. And now, here you are."
Keelin was shocked. This was too much to handle. She started to laugh. Hysterical giggles built up and she couldn't keep them quiet. Soon she was sputtering in her seat.
Colin's mouth quirked. He eyed her from the driver's seat.
"You think that's funny?"
"I, no, I, well, yes. Yes, I do. God. Oh, so stupid." Keelin wiped tears from her face. "My whole life I've always wanted a brother or sister. Anything. Siblings. And here I had them all along and they hated me! Just like normal siblings do."
Colin burst out laughing.
"Yes, I suppose you could call it a sibling rivalry of sorts. And since you saved my son, I'm likely to turn a corner and start anew. Will you come for dinner sometime this week?"
Keelin recognized an olive branch when she saw it. Eager for the connection, and the family, she reached out and touched his arm.
"Of course; I have to bring Ronan to meet Finnegan."
Colin smiled. They had reached the cottage and they woke up a gently snoring Fiona and brought her to her bed.
"It's okay, I can take it from here." Colin nodded and, giving her an awkward hug, said he would call her this week.
Keelin stripped Fiona down and tucked her in. She ran her hands over Fiona's forehead and down to her chest. Closing her eyes, she felt for the sickness. She sensed an exhaustion that mirrored her own but nothing so serious that it would harm Fiona for long. Satisfied, Keelin pulled the sheets over her and left her a pitcher of water and some brown bread by the table.
Keelin was exhausted, and starving. She rustled around in the kitchen and procured a rasher of cold bacon and a blueberry scone. She wrapped it in a towel and went outside to sit by the side of the house. She needed to sit in the sun and reenergize. She leaned her back against the warm stones of the house and faced the cove. Her necklace pulsed. Keelin was too tired to think about what it meant but she looked down and could swear the sun hit the crystal at just the right angle to make it shine with a hint of blue. Blue lights everywhere, she thought, slightly delirious. Keelin polished off her food and leaned back, letting the warmth slide over her skin. She quickly dropped into sleep.
Flynn found her there, propped up against the cottage, a small smile on her face as she slept. He watched her breasts rise gently under the t-shirt she wore and the way the sun shone in the hair that curled over her shoulder. Ronan squirmed in his arms. Flynn had an irresistible urge to pick her up and carry her home with him. He wanted her in his bed. He wanted her in his home. He wanted to protect her and challenge her at the same time. He had never met someone who had so infuriated him yet enticed him at the same time. He put Ronan on the ground and let the puppy run to her, and watched as he climbed in her lap and licked her awake with kisses.
Keelin awoke with a laugh as Ronan covered her face with happy kisses.
"Hi, buddy, I was going to come get you." She shaded her eyes as a shadow fell over her and she looked up at Flynn.
"Hey, thanks for bringing him back."
"No problem. I was somewhat concerned when I saw him racing over the hills with Teagan. Thanks for tying a note to his collar. How is the little boy?"
Flynn stretched out next to her, leaned against the cottage, and bumped shoulders with her. It was comfortable, sitting here in the sun with him. She wondered how comfortable he would be if he knew just what she was. She let out a half laugh. She didn't even know what she was. But, she was learning.
"Rough morning?" Flynn asked.
"Yes, I met my brother." Keelin decided to skip over the healing stuff. She was too raw from seeing the disease zip out of Finnegan and snap a branch off the tree. Her mind couldn't wrap itself around the how and why of it and that made her nervous. She liked things that added up neatly and made sense. A secret part of her thrilled to the knowledge that she held this power. Not that it went to her head, but it was tremendously rewarding to know she could really make a difference.
"How'd that go? Um, I've heard, well. Things." Flynn cleared his throat.
"Let me guess, you've heard that he hates me? Yeah, he told me."
"He did? Wow, he's grown even surlier than he used to be."
"It's okay. I get it. Kind of. We muddled our way through it. I'm going to dinner at his house this week and maybe we can get to know each other a little. I need to go meet my sister. She's avoided me."
"Ah, Aislinn. She's an artistic soul. Quiet. Her head is in the clouds most days but her art is beautiful. I think you'll find a better reception there."
Keelin nodded. She didn't know what to say. Here she was sitting in the sun with a man that made her want to do things that were probably illegal in this country and she spoke of family that she had never known she had. Not to mention the absurdity of her morning in flexing her healing powers. She needed to go inside and take a nap before she did something stupid. Like curl up in Flynn's lap and nuzzle into his neck.
Opting for safety, Keelin stretched and stood.
"Thank you for bringing Ronan back. I really need to go lie down for a small nap and check on Fiona."
Flynn smiled up at her disarmingly. His dimples flashed and he looked almost boyish.
"Don't forget about Saturday. I'm holding you to it." Flynn stood up and stepped close, invading her space. Keelin took an involuntary step backwards. Flynn brushed her cheek with his hand and whistled to Teagan. Together, they strode across the hill, looking like an Irish painting. The way he moved was very "Lord of the Manor."
Keelin watched him go with a small sigh. She'd think about Saturday another time.
For now, she needed to rest and then wanted to head into the village and talk to Cait. She hoped Colin would bring her car back soon.
Chapter Fifteen
The sound of pans clattering in the sink woke her and Keelin stretched. The light shone warm through the windows and she checked her phone. It was mid-afternoon, yet the early morning seemed like days ago. Keelin rose and followed the noises into the kitchen.
Fiona stood at the sink, carefully washing the healing dishes that she had used earlier that day. A cup of tea steamed at her side and color had returned to her cheeks. She turned and smiled at Keelin.
"I'm so proud of you. You did good by Finnegan." Fiona walked over to embrace Keelin. Keelin smiled down into the old woman's hair and let her hold her for a moment longer.
"Thank you. I truly had no idea what I was doing." Keelin grabbed a second cup and poured herself some black tea. She blew on the cup as she settled at the table.
"Oh, I think you know more than you realize. You did a wonderful job of redirecting the illness."
"What was it? All I could see was this black twisty shape. It seemed to be invading his system."
"They think that he got into some of the poison they use to kill the rodents in the stables. It is quick acting and the chemist in town had nothing to reverse it. He had already vomited profusely but I believe that it had moved past that and was attacking his nervous system." Fiona shook her head at how close Finn had been to death.
"How do you know? How do you know what is the right thing to do? I was so scared," Keelin admitted.
"It is scary. Terrifying. You never know if you can do it or not. You have to tell people that too. All you can say is that you will try to help. There is never a guarantee. On anything, really." Fiona lifted her shoulders and let them fall. "I wish that I could give you a more definitive answer."
"What happened when I directed it out of the house? How could it have hit the tree? How could it, um, I don't know, become physical like that? What if I had hit someone outside?"
Fiona sighed. She moved to the table and sat down, looking into Keelin's face.
"I wish that I could truly tell you the science behind it, yet there is nothing that supports this. Trust me, I've looked. The old ways will tell you that as long as you direct it towards an inanimate object and your intentions are to dissolve it – not to harm another – it should be okay. I've had a few humdingers when I've directed it outside of windows, but I've yet to hit another person with it. You can tell it where to go, you know. If you have little to no place to direct it – send it up the chimney and out. Things like that. You can read through one of my books later on and learn a bit more about it."
"You realize that this is like, bat-shit crazy, right? I just can't get over this," Keelin blurted out.
"Keelin O'Brien. Do not use such language." Fiona eyed her. "And yes, it is crazy. Crazy beautiful though. This is the best gift. And the worst. You'll walk a fine line with this your whole life. Not all will be able to accept you. Be careful with whom you share your secrets. There is a difference between "dotty old woman who mixes up some healing tinctures" and "lay your hands upon someone and heal them." Know that. Understand that. This is nothing to mess with and you can easily be persecuted if the wrong group of people decide to judge you."
Fiona's words worried her. And she was absolutely right. Keelin tried to imagine performing a healing in Boston. They would carry her off and check her into the next loony bin.
"You'll want to increase your readings. I've pulled several books for you. No lessons for a few days. I think you had one of your biggest this morning. You'll need some time to absorb it all." Fiona motioned to a stack of books by the chairs in the small alcove.
"Okay, thanks. I want to head into town and talk to Cait; I think she is mad at me."
"Well, you shouldn't have kissed Shane," Fiona said dryly as she put away her teacup.
Shocked, Keelin whirled and looked at Fiona. A blush crept up her face and stained her cheeks.
"How did you know that? You weren't even home!"
"Word travels, my dear. As I told you, and you would do well to remember."
"Well, for one – he kissed me thankyouverymuch. And two, I told him that I just wanted to be friends and he tried anyway." Keelin felt righteously pissed off.
"Just friends, but you were wearing that little sundress on the date?"
"Hey, that was a perfectly acceptable dress for a dinner out." Though it may have shown a little more cleavage than attire for "just friends," Keelin thought. "Irrespective, it's nothing. We're nothing. And that's that."
"Mmhmm. You were doing it to get at Flynn. How'd that work out for you?"
Keelin sighed. She slumped back in her seat and began braiding her hair.
"He got mad at me. Then we fought. Now he is taking me out on his boat on Saturday. Which I haven't even agreed to go on yet."
"Ah, just like a man. Demanding. I bet he'll be a fine lover."
"Grandma! Oh my God."
"What? I've got eyes in my head don't I? That is one tall drink of water." Fiona laughed at her and the age dropped away from her face a little. Keelin could see that she had once been very beautiful.
"Was Grandpa a hottie?" Keelin asked.
"Oh my, child, he was delicious. Strong, broad shouldered, with hair that curled a bit in the rain. He was shy too, which I loved. I could always make him blush. Yet, in the bedroom, he was the one who made me blush."
Keelin choked on her tea. Fiona thumped her on the back as she struggled to breathe.
"He was the love of my life. For me there will be no other. Though I do so love having you here as well as that little pup. I had forgotten how nice it was to have an animal in the house." Fiona smiled fondly down at Ronan.
"It is nice. I've always wanted a dog. I've always wanted a brother or sister, in fact. Today was weird meeting Colin. He told me that he hated me!" Keelin said.
"I know, Keelin, I'm sorry. Though your dad loved Colin's mom, I don't think he ever truly got over losing you and Margaret. Kids are perceptive. He was a good dad but Colin and Aislinn always felt like they never quite lived up to the image they had of you. You'll have to break through that if you plan to have a relationship with them."
"How is that even fair? I was the one that got the short end. I had no brothers or sisters, no dad, and never even had a puppy." Keelin pouted. She had no idea how to deal with familial relations and she felt like she'd been unfairly judged.
"Who said it was fair? That's life. You're the one with more powers. Use them. You can heal in other ways, you know," Fiona said, and raised her eyebrows at Keelin.
It struck Keelin that she was right. She had taken "healing" to only be for physical ailments. She had never considered the potential for healing emotional rifts. Thinking back, she realized that she had always been the peacekeeper between her friends and the first phone call for those going through heartbreak. It was starting to make sense to her, this proclivity towards helping others.
"Did Colin bring the cars back? I need to go make things right with Cait."
"Yes, you do and yes, he did. Keys are in the front seat."
"Okay, I'll be back later. Do you need anything?"
Fiona waved her out.
"No, go on. Ronan and I are going to have a nice cup of tea and read a romance novel." Fiona laughed up at her and Keelin left for the village, shaking her head at this funny, lovely woman who had come into her life. Ireland was turning into a whole new adventure for her.
She parked close to Gallagher's pub and hoped that the early hour would offer up a relatively empty pub. She needed to set a few things straight with Cait.
Keelin entered the cheerful building and squinted into the warm light, letting her eyes adjust as she scanned the room. A few tables held some older men playing cards and talking sports. Cait stood behind the worn bar, drying glasses. Not much taller than the bar, her slender build seemed dwarfed by it. Catching sight of Keelin, she narrowed her eyes at
her and turned to go into the kitchen.
"Cait, wait. Please."
Cait stopped, huffed out a breath, and turned back to the bar. She put on a polite smile.
"Can I get you something to drink?"
"Sure, I'll have a Bulmers." Keelin eased herself onto a stool at the empty bar and watched the slim brunette carefully pour her a cider. She wanted to make sure Cait didn't spit in it.
"Listen, Cait, I didn’t know. Honestly. I just got to town. I thought I may have seen interest the other night but neither of you said a word to me. And I'm not interested in Shane. He's a nice guy but he isn't for me." Keelin rushed the words out.
Cait huffed out a breath. Never one to hold a temper for long, she smiled at Keelin.
"Okay, thanks. I don't even know why I lose my head over that man. Not that he even pays me that much attention. And when he does it certainly isn't by taking me out to nice seafood dinners or kissing me in the car." Cait looked at Keelin sideways as she stocked glasses.
"Does everyone know about the kiss?" Keelin threw up her hands in exasperation.
"Liam told Sarah who told me." Cait laughed at her.
"I don't even know these people. This is just ridiculous." She took a big gulp of her drink and let the cider cool her throat.
"Oh, get used to it if you live here. Everyone is in everyone else's business. Why don't you like Shane?" Cait blurted out.
"Oh, I do. I really do. I think he gets a bad reputation or tries to portray himself as something that he isn't. But I think he's lonely, to be honest. Either way, there's no chemistry. At least not with him." Keelin stopped herself. She mentally kicked herself and reminded herself of the town's need to gossip.
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