Faith shook her head as she stepped into the shower. Truth be told, she was feeling a sense of anticipation as well. She hadn’t seen much of Kieran all week, except for the few minutes at the end of the day when she picked up Matt. He always greeted her with a friendly word and that devastatingly handsome grin, leaving her feeling a touch giddy inside as she drove home.
It was silly, she knew. Kieran had no interest in her like that, nor did she have any in him (or so she kept reminding herself). He was simply one of the first friends she had made in Pine Ridge, a kind, generous, and thoughtful man. Thanks to her job and the amount of work they were putting into their home, she hadn’t had much opportunity to make others. It was only natural that she was looking forward to seeing him again.
Plus Lacie would be there with Shane, too, according to Matt. Matt said the Fair was the site of the annual Callaghan family reunion. That was three friendly faces, more than enough to rationalize an appearance.
She washed her hair, treating herself to a conditioning rinse. After a slight hesitation, she also opted for the moisturizing, scented body wash instead of her traditional (and much less expensive) bar soap. Donning jean shorts and a forest green tank, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and regarded herself in the mirror. She wouldn’t win any beauty contests, she mused, but then reminded herself that she was not trying to impress anyone.
Matt was waiting for her downstairs, shifting his weight eagerly from one foot to the other and back again. “Ready?”
“Yes,” she answered, laughing at his youthful exuberance. “Let’s do this.”
“Will you stop texting already?” Faith said, standing in line with Matt before the Toxic Hammer. The ride consisted of two bullet-shaped, caged vehicles that spun in a vertical circle while revolving laterally. With their similarly-colored hair and eyes, and the fact that Matt towered over her, they looked more like brother and sister than mother and son. Both were receiving more than their fair share of appreciative glances from the late teen – early twenties crowd.
Matt grinned and pocketed his cell as their turn came and they climbed into the cage.
The ride was brief but violent, and Faith was exceptionally glad that they had refrained from indulging in any of the succulent treats they’d passed beforehand. She stumbled slightly as she stepped out of the cage, leaning on Matt for support. It was another hand – a much larger one – that reached out to steady her.
Still trying to get her bearings, she found herself staring at a muscular chest shrink-wrapped in a plain men’s black t-shirt. Tilting her head up, she found Kieran’s smiling face about the same time she heard him. “Steady,” he said, grinning.
“Stop laughing at me,” she grumbled good-naturedly, directing the comment more toward Matt, who seemed to find her lack of balance hilarious. He looked at Kieran and stopped laughing long enough to snicker, “I told her she shouldn’t ride that. She didn’t quite meet the height requirement.”
The corner of Kieran’s mouth quirked.
“I can still put you over my knee,” Faith threatened, though the amusement glinting in her eyes took much of the heat out of the threat.
“Matt,” Kieran said, his voice suddenly deep and commanding. “Do not disrespect your mother.”
Matt’s smile faded immediately, and Faith looked up at Kieran in surprise. “At least not until you’re sure you’re faster than she is,” he added with a wink.
Matt and Faith insisted on riding nearly every ride, dragging Kieran along with them. Matt was less than subtle in his attempts to pair Kieran and Faith together on the two-person cars.
Afterwards, when they’d had their fill of thrill rides, Kieran was more than happy to guide them through some of the tasty delicacies NEPA (Northeastern Pennsylvania) had to offer. On Kieran’s suggestions, they had sampled handmade pierogies, potato pancakes, kielbasa, sausage and pepper sandwiches, splurging on waffles & ice cream and funnel cakes until they couldn’t eat another bite.
“Why don’t you come back to the pavilion with me?” Kieran coaxed again when they had run out of rides and food stands. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked. Each time, Faith managed to find another excuse.
The heavy mixture of deep-fried and spicy foods rolled uncomfortably in Faith’s stomach. After hearing a couple of Lacie’s and Matt’s stories of some of the yet-unmet Callaghan clan, she was quite sure that Kieran, Shane, and Lacie were about all the family she could handle at any given time.
“It’s a family reunion, Kieran,” she reasoned. “We wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The more the merrier. Plus everyone’s dying to meet you.”
His words only served to reinforce her belief that this was not a good idea. If they were as close-knit as Lacie made them out to be, she was sure they would have heard about her and Matt. No doubt they wanted the chance to see for themselves the woman and boy occupying so much of Kieran’s free time. She didn’t blame them, really. They were just looking out for their own. She’d probably be doing the same thing – if she still had a family.
Yet she had no desire to be a part of it. Even without meeting them, they intimidated her. The Callaghans, she’d learned soon enough, were a powerful family in the valley and surrounding areas. The thought of being subjected to their close scrutiny made her uncomfortable. She was getting used to Kieran and Lacie, but if she was truthful, even the soft-spoken Shane scared her a little. Sometimes, when he looked at her, she had the feeling he was seeing a lot more than she wanted him to.
And, really, there was no reason why she should feel obligated to meet them. Most of them already knew Matt, and it wasn’t like she was important or anything. She and Kieran were just friends, after all. There was nothing romantic between them (she immediately quashed the pesky pang of despair at that thought), and so they needn’t worry unnecessarily.
It would just be awkward and uncomfortable all around. She and Matt were still outsiders, after all, and she hated drawing the kind of curious attention a huge family gathering would bring. Pine Ridge wasn’t that big; eventually, she’d run into them, but hopefully it would be in small and infrequent doses rather than all at once.
“Please, Faith,” Kieran said, entwining his fingers with hers as he tugged her toward the pavilion. As she looked into his big blue eyes and felt the pleasant hum reverberate through her body at the simple contact, all of her perfectly reasonable and logical rationalizations flew right out the window. Faith could not come up with a single reasonable excuse not to accompany him to the pavilion, not without hurting Kieran’s feelings.
“All right. But just for a little while.” Kieran’s face split into a grin so wide she had to smile. As he tugged her excitedly toward the massive pavilion at the heart of the annual Callaghan/Connelly family reunion, her much shorter legs struggling to keep up with his and Matt’s longer-legged pace, she shored herself up with the protective shields she’d developed over the years, hoping she wouldn’t need them, dreading that she would.
* * *
“Who’s that with Kieran?” Lexi asked, spotting him as they neared the pavilion.
A few sets of eyes followed her gaze. “Oh, that’s Faith,” said Lacie, the smile evident in her voice. “She’s really nice. You’ll like her.”
“What is she, nineteen?” Taryn asked, narrowing her eyes to get a better look as her protective instincts flared. Kieran was such a sweetheart, she and her sisters-in-law often took it upon themselves to ensure he wasn’t taken advantage of. “A bit young for him, isn’t she?”
Lacie laughed. “No. She’s the same age as he is, but she does look young, I admit.”
“And who’s that with her?” Nicki asked, her agent’s eye immediately picking up the similar, unusual hair color. “Her brother?”
“No,” Lacie said, her voice quieter. “That’s her son, Matt.”
Several pairs of shocked eyes turned toward Lacie. “You’re joking, right?” Taryn said.
Lacie shook her head, b
ut was unable to say anymore before they were within hearing range.
* * *
The familiar sense of unease around large crowds hit with the force of a tsunami when Faith realized just how many Callaghans and Connellys there were. Even Matt, having already met several of them, seemed a little overwhelmed. The two of them stayed close together as Kieran introduced them, rattling off names faster than she could process them.
Faith tried to keep track, she really did. Six brothers, all older than Kieran but bearing the same blue-black hair and trademark Callaghan eyes. Six wives (she considered Lacie was close enough to being married to include her), one for each of the brothers. The patriarch of the family, Jack Callaghan. Three cousins – the Connelly branch – with their spouses, plus the shared grandfather to both sides, Conlan O’Leary. Children were everywhere, ranging in age from around seven years to only a few weeks old.
Out of this initial introduction to the Callaghans and their kinsmen, several things became blatantly clear. One, they were every bit as close as Lacie made them out to be. Two, they were loud and boisterous. And three, they were a prolific bunch.
Everyone seemed nice enough, offering smiles and welcomes. No one grilled her beyond asking how she was settling in and what she thought of the area so far, but Faith sensed their curiosity. Kieran remained in close proximity, his hand lightly behind her shoulder or lower back, and she drew a lot of strength from that. Lacie seemed to pick up on her discomfort and stayed relatively near as well.
“Hang around for a bit?” Kieran asked Faith hopefully when the men started gathering for their annual football game.
“We really should be going,” Faith said, aware of the curious glances being cast her way, no doubt wondering exactly what her relationship was with Kieran. He had been very considerate in his introductions, though even she had been a bit surprised by the constant contact, thankful though she was for it. It was making them wonder, too, and she was sure that it had to do with the fact that of this huge clan, Kieran was the youngest, and only single, male. Any woman in which he showed even the slightest interest was fair game for analysis and inspection.
“Please?” he asked, his face so hopeful that she found herself nodding. She chastised herself vehemently – and silently – as she watched him walk away with that devastating half-smile plastered on his face. If she had any hope of retaining her sanity, she was going to have to work on developing an immunity to such things.
A few minutes later, she found herself wandering over to watch as ten men took to the field, seven Callaghans and three Connellys, five on each team. Around the perimeter of the field, Faith noticed that others were gathering to watch as well. It was no surprise, really. When you had that many gorgeous, muscular men concentrated in one small area, it was bound to draw some attention. She had to admit, she was enjoying the show herself.
She kept a close eye on Kieran, inwardly cheering whenever he managed to break free of a tackle or take someone down. He was one of the biggest of the bunch. There were two or three that were about his size – a golden-haired blonde and his brother from the Connelly side, and the one she thought might have been called Jake – but only one that was bigger. Kane. She had no trouble remembering his name; that man was intensity personified. When introduced to him earlier, she’d had the odd sensation of standing next to a thunderstorm.
Regardless, they all moved with a fluid, masculine grace that was mesmerizing to watch.
At one point Kieran looked over at her and waved. The next moment he was hit so hard the gathered crowd moaned for him en masse. Faith flinched and winced as he went down. Within seconds, though, Kieran was back on his feet and shouting back at Kane.
“Be ready, old man!” he taunted, earning himself several chuckles and head shakes from the others. Kane smiled and beckoned him with two fingers. “Give it your best shot, pup.”
“Boys,” laughed the woman called Rebecca. Faith had a hard time imagining how such a small, soft-spoken, gentle woman could end up with a force of nature like Kane. Several other women joined her in knowing nods.
One of the men not participating in the game – Lacie had introduced him as her brother Brian – was talking with Matt. At least her son seemed at ease, she thought with some comfort. It wasn’t that they weren’t nice – she couldn’t imagine a nicer group of people. Faith just couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t really belong here. The sense that she was being discreetly inspected didn’t help, either.
The men returned from their game, sweaty and dirty but grinning like idiots as they allowed their wives to tend to their various scrapes and bruises.
“This is their favorite part,” confided Maggie to Faith with a smirk. “Tough guys, all of them, but they love for us to pamper them.” She winked. “Almost as much as we love doing it.”
Faith watched as the men made their way to their wives. All except Kieran. He walked over to one of the many water coolers, grabbed a wet rag and attempted to clean himself off. Faith wasn’t sure if she should offer to help him or not, but the sight of him trying to reach a spot in the middle of his back made up her mind.
“Come here,” she commanded, taking pity on him. Faith swung her leg up and over, balancing on the railing of the pavilion so she could reach between his shoulder blades. Kieran grinned and handed her the wet cloth.
“Thanks,” he said, gratefully.
Faith suddenly became aware of the interested looks of his family. She blushed dark red and handed the cloth hurriedly back to Kieran before leaping from the railing. “You’re welcome.”
She shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jean shorts, cursing the fact that they still tingled from where she had run her hands across his back. Talk about awkward.
Matt chose that moment to approach her. “Mom! Ian says I can help with the fireworks, but only if you say yes. Can I?”
Fireworks? “Oh, Matt, I don’t know about that,” she hedged, biting her lip. She didn’t want to embarrass her son in front of everyone. “What do you know about fireworks?”
“We won’t let him do anything too dangerous,” Ian said, joining them. He had a mischievous glint to his eyes and Faith instinctively knew he was the smooth-talking trouble-maker. Every family had one.
Faith raised a doubtful eyebrow, giving him her full-fledged mother glare that let Ian know that she knew he was full of shit. His response was to grin even wider. Maybe it didn’t work as well on grown men who towered a foot or so over her and had families of their own. Go figure.
“I won’t let anything happen to him, Faith,” Kieran promised quietly. “You have my word.”
Against her better judgment (she seemed sorely lacking in the willpower department today), Faith nodded.
“Don’t worry, Faith,” Ian said, sharing a fist bump with Matt. “We’ll bring him back with all of his parts.”
“And if we don’t,” the one called Sean added over his shoulder, “Mick can reattach them.”
Faith paled, despite the fact that she knew they were teasing. “He really will be alright, you know,” assured Lacie. Nicki laughed, and Faith was almost hypnotized by her super light silvery eyes. “You know men. Explosive incendiaries are like a rite of passage. A male bonding ritual, if you will.”
Unable to watch, Faith excused herself to visit one of the fairground’s restrooms. The port-o-potties would have been closer, but she welcomed the chance to walk for a bit and stretch her legs. It felt good to be swallowed up by the crowd, just another anonymous face. The intense scrutiny at the pavilion was starting to wear her down.
It was clear to see that they were very protective of Kieran, and she couldn’t blame them. Lacie had already warned her how desirable Kieran was, and Faith had seen enough with her own eyes to substantiate that claim. What none of them seemed to understand, however, was that she was not trying to “catch” Kieran. She was simply his friend, and wanted nothing more from him.
Liar, her conscience scolded as she slowly made her way back to t
he pavilion, keeping to the shadows as a force of habit. She did want more. Just as she wanted a lot of things she knew she could never have. It didn’t make a difference, though. She’d made her bed a long time ago, and now she had to lie in it, as her father had so often said.
A pang of disappointment went through her, but she stifled it immediately. She had no cause for self-pity. She was blessed with a wonderful son, a steady job with good benefits, and a roof over their heads. They were healthy and happy, adjusting to their new life and making new friends. She should be grateful for all of the gifts she had been given, instead of longing for those she hadn’t.
Chapter Nine
“Kieran said she works for the Goddess,” Taryn said to Lexi, looking out toward the walkway where Faith had disappeared into the crowd. “Do you know her?”
“No,” Lexi said, sipping her tea as her baby daughter Kate snuggled in her lap. “But then I wouldn’t unless she was part of the kitchen staff. Aidan?”
Lexi’s longtime friend and business partner, Aidan Harrison was the owner and CEO of the Celtic Goddess chain. “I hadn’t met her personally before tonight, no,” he answered carefully.
Lexi looked at him, her surprise evident. Aidan made it his personal business to meet with everyone who worked for him. “Why not?”
He shrugged. “Marco’s been handling it. She’s a transfer from our Georgia location.”
“Marco?” Lexi mused, trying to put a face with the familiar name. “Head of Environmental?”
Aidan nodded. Lexi frowned. Something didn’t sound right. “Kieran thought she was hired as an interior design consultant or something like that.”
“No.”
“Then what does she do, exactly?” Nicki asked.
“Environmental handles upkeep and maintenance.”
“You mean she’s a maid?” Taryn blurted out. Aidan, looking slightly uneasy, nodded.
Having Faith: Callaghan Brothers, Book 7 Page 9