The Resilient Bride

by Lucy McConnell

  How cool is this? She squealed underwater, letting out a barrage of bubbles and diving for a breathing tube. Ariana was right: the fin acted as a propulsion device. Funny how moving like a mermaid didn’t take long to figure out. Perhaps this was her destiny! Laughing a faceful of bubbles, she delighted in the sense of transformation to the fanciful.

  Tapping on the glass got her attention, and she turned in that direction to see a pair of girls in pigtails waving. I’m the fish in the bowl. Swimming over, she waved back. They ducked their heads, shy and adorable. She tapped on the glass and they looked up. Smiling, she made a heart with her hands. They copied her gesture. Blowing them a kiss followed by a stream of bubbles, she used the air tube and swam along the glass until she came to a couple.

  They smiled and waved. She did the heart sign again and pointed to the two of them. They nodded and the guy kissed the woman’s cheek. Kiera put both hands over her heart and made a pumping motion. The couple laughed. She gathered the fingers of both hands and then touched them together as if they were kissing, then pointed at the couple. They laughed and kissed. Kiera gave them a thumbs-up and moved on, looking for Liam and David. She wasn’t sure which side of the tank she’d left them on and the curved glass distorted images.

  Up ahead, a hand pressed against the glass but the body leaned away. With the curve, she couldn’t see who the hand belonged to. Creeping along the bottom, she picked up the breathing tube that was near the hand. After taking a deep breath, she slid her hand along the glass, moving up, until her fin floated lazily beneath her.

  Smiling, she tapped to get the man’s attention. David lifted his head and Kiera laughed at the shocked expression on his face. He put his other hand up, and she did the same. His smile widened. He lifted his finger and made a circling motion, telling her to twirl. She did a flip. He shook his head and spun his hand again. Rolling her eyes, she did a backflip. Laughing, he shook his head and did the same motion. Using her arms, she twirled like a mermaid princess, showing off her scales. David clapped as she slipped to the bottom to retrieve the air hose. Once she was back in front of him, David kissed his hand and pressed it to the glass.

  Kiera paused, staring at his hand and taking in his smolder, so hot it could make the tank boil. Flirting with David was like sailing into a storm, but she was so caught up in the magic of the moment that Kiera pressed her hand against the wall, her heart booming so hard she could make waves.

  Ariana swam over and pointed at Kiera, then pointed up, telling her it was time to surface. Kiera made an exaggerated frowny face at David and pointed up. He shook his head, pressing his palm to the glass once more.

  David made a heart with his hands and put it over his chest. Kiera felt like a mermaid caught by a sailor’s net, knowing she needed to get away but unable to break free.

  Ariana took her elbow and pulled her towards the surface where the swing had been submerged, waiting for her to leave behind this underwater dream world. She didn’t want to go, but all good things must come to an end.

  Popping through the surface, Kiera took a deep breath and removed her goggles and nose plug. Feeling giddy, she giggled.

  “There’s my girl.” Liam squatted near the ledge.

  At the sight of him, warmth flooded Kiera. Liam, who had every right to be selfish with every minute, had given her dream priority. His goodness and love shined like a beacon. He was her husband, the type of husband that would make a woman happy forever. She wanted to be that woman. Kiera glided to the side of the pool and grabbed on. “Hi, hubby.”

  Liam brushed his fingers across her cheekbone. “You take to this mermaid thing like it’s in your blood. I believe a mermaid lurked inside of you all along.”

  Kiera held his hand against her cheek. “Thank you for helping me find my inner mermaid.” And for being a man that a woman can believe in, trust, and care for without reservation. Love? Quite possibly. Though not like the love she’d envisioned. There weren’t fireworks or sparks with Liam; nevertheless, something deep and abiding grew between them—or maybe it had been there all along and she was just uncovering it.

  “Did you know a kiss from a mermaid can protect a man from death?” Liam traced her cheek again.

  Kiera let go of his hand and pulled herself further out of the water so she could rest her elbows on the ledge, water sloshing everywhere. “Are you trying to gain my favor, my husband?” Batting her eyelashes, Kiera hoped he’d play along.

  Liam laid himself on his stomach and rested his chin on his elbows so they were eye to eye. “A mermaid’s favor is a treasure beyond description. It cannot be stolen. It cannot be lost. And, it can be dangerous.”

  “How so?” Kiera bobbed forward, getting closer to hear Liam’s quiet teasing over the sound of the water echoing off the walls.

  “It is said that one kiss can enslave a man so fully that he would be at the mercy of his captor for the rest of his life.”

  “Would you be willing to risk such a fate?”

  All traces of teasing vanished. Liam searched Kiera’s face, his eyes caressing her lips, sweeping up her cheeks, and locking in her gaze. “Aye.”

  How he managed to sound like a pirate and sexy and all sorts of tempting in one word was beyond Kiera. Her soul tingled with the feeling that this was right and she was right where she was supposed to be. Liam was her husband, but he was so much more than that. Call it a revelation, call it a dawning of understanding, call it cosmic lightning, but somehow she understood the connection between them went beyond space and time.

  Caught up in the greatness of what they were when they were together, Kiera slid her hand behind his head and tugged him down. Liam cupped her head with one hand and put his other under her arm, holding her out of the water, his torso hanging over the tank. He pressed his lips to hers and waited, as if he expected her to pull away. But Kiera had a different idea of what a mermaid kiss should be—what a kiss between her and Liam should be. Kicking once with her tail, she surged up into his embrace, tipping her head to the side and taking the kiss from shallow to deep waters. Liam swam right along with her, his lips hungry, taking and taking, and then suddenly he was giving. Giving love and acceptance and courage and hope, pouring it into her until she overflowed, and then the tide turned once again, and Liam was asking for love, which was by now easy to return.

  Gasping, Liam pulled back, pressing his forehead to hers. “I think … I think I love you, Kiera.”

  Kiera grabbed his shirt in both hands. “I think I’ve always loved you.” Shocked by how easily the words had come out, Kiera dropped his shirt and fell back into the pool. Waving her arms, she was able to stay close but out of arm’s reach.

  Liam stared. “Kiera, please. I know that was a lot, and it’s all happening faster than it should. Please. Please don’t pull away from me. What we have is different. This is not new love. This is the kind of love people have after fifty years together.” He held out his hand. “Please don’t run away from it.”

  Kiera dropped her gaze. Movement from the fish and mermaids caused the surface of the water to bounce and sway. Nothing was clear, and yet everything was crystal clear. Liam was her mission, her destiny in this life. They were meant to find one another. She couldn’t turn her back on this any more than she could change the color of her eyes.

  “I don’t run,” she stated. “I swim.” She flipped her tail and took his hand.

  Liam pulled her halfway out of the tank, soaking himself and getting water all over the deck. “Swim with me, then.”

  Kiera placed her hand on his cheek. “Aye.”

  Laughing, Liam kissed her once and then again.

  “Where are we swimming to next?”

  Liam laughed. “I have no idea.”

  “I think I have one.”

  Liam lifted one eyebrow. “Take me away, my love.”

  18

  Since their kiss, Liam hadn’t been able to let Kiera out of his sight for longer than it took for her to change clothes. Knowing she loved him as
he loved her filled him up and topped him off with whipped cream and sprinkles. Her light touch to his arm or his chest stoked the fire inside and yet calmed his nerves.

  After a dinner of steak, because Kiera refused to eat lobster so soon after her stint as a mermaid, David took them all to see the Iron Stix play at Caesar’s Palace. The music was amazing, the lighting was incredible, and the whole thing overwhelmed his senses to the point that a blinding pain seared into the back of his cornea. He doubled over, pressing the heel of his hand against his eye.

  “Liam? Liam!” Kiera pulled his face into the space between her shoulder and cheek, which smelled like peonies. “David, we have to go, now.”

  David’s arm went around Liam’s back, and the other supported his arm as they made their way to the lobby. With the decrease in noise, Liam was able to stand up.

  “Where are your meds?” Kiera patted his pockets.

  “At the hotel.”

  “You didn’t bring them?” David asked.

  Liam shook his head.

  “Did you take them today?” prodded Kiera.

  Liam made a weak effort at a smile. “I was busy.” He brushed his fingers across her cheekbone.

  “David, call for the car. We’re going back.” Kiera lifted Liam’s arm across her shoulders and did her best to support his weight. David did the same on the other side. They paused their steps, and Kiera’s arm moved down so that it no longer touched David’s.

  Strange, that with all the pain, Liam noticed the shift. Bothered, but unsure why, he chanced opening his eyes to find David staring at Kiera with a longing that pierced his understanding. Closing his eyes again, Liam couldn’t get them open to see if Kiera returned David’s adoring look.

  Liam wondered if he wasn’t sick, would David would back off? Probably, his brother would respect the rings they wore. He could imagine the torture this was for David, and yet he couldn’t stop himself from enjoying Kiera’s attention. If Liam wasn’t sick, David would leave.

  The valet arrived with their car, and they were soon on their way back to the hotel. Kiera insisted Liam rest his head on her lap, and she ran her fingers through his hair over and over again. She murmured sweet words of encouragement and peppered his cheek and head with kisses.

  Once they’d made it to the hotel room, Kiera sought out his prescriptions and made sure he took the proper doses while he lay across the bed, his button-up shirt, pants, and shoes still on. David sat in a chair, staying out of the way but not leaving.

  “What are you writing?” David asked her, his voice as low as the dimmed lights.

  “I’m starting a chart for him.”

  “A chart?”

  “Each prescription has to be taken at the right time and at regular intervals. I’m going to take that in hand and make sure he gets what he needs when he needs it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if he takes them regularly, we might be able to prevent these attacks. And because I—I think it’s part of what I’m supposed to do.” She cleared her throat.

  “Good.” The chair spring popped as if it had lost its load. “I’m going to change. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Kiera,” Liam managed.

  She was next to him before he finished saying her name. Daring to crack his eyes open, he was relieved to find that the light in the room came from the adjoining bathroom and not the glaring lamps.

  “Yes?” Kiera hovered above him, her long black hair trailing along the pillow and tempting him like a siren. He managed to tangle his fingers loosely in her tresses, allowing it to slide through his fingers like fine silk.

  “Breathtaking,” he whispered.

  Kiera allowed her forehead to touch his ever so lightly, as if she were afraid she’d hurt him. What she didn’t understand was that having her here, having a wife to share his burden, having someone to love, gave him strength of heart. Straining, he brushed his lips against hers.

  “Liam,” she whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “Sleep, my love.”

  19

  Kiera didn’t sleep well. Besides waking Liam every four hours to take his medication, she fretted over the different feelings she had for the two brothers.

  Liam was her soul mate. He was the sunshine in her world, and had she met him when she was five, she would have spent her life by his side.

  David stoked the fire in her soul. Like a forge master, he could induce heat, sparks, and slow simmers. He was exciting and solid, terrifying and secure, attractive and off limits, desire and storm.

  The battling emotions were as equal in intensity as they were different in form. While her love for Liam was formed along with the foundation of the world, her feelings for David were new, tender, and crushable—though not by her. She lacked the power to trample them underfoot; damage like that would have to come from David.

  He needed to be the jerk. He needed to break her heart. He needed to treat her as naught. Try as she might, Kiera couldn’t picture David intentionally causing her pain, emotionally or physically. The best plan she could come up with was to be one hundred percent devoted to Liam, to turn her attention, her mind, her training, and her focus to his care.

  She’d worked with many cancer patients, seen some of them healed and some of them gone. Keeping track was never an option. Working that close, caring about people, she couldn’t reduce them to numbers, and she didn’t want to know the odds, didn’t want to keep a tally like a gunslinger or like some of the doctors did. For her, it was about being in the moment with that patient.

  Liam’s acceptance of his diagnosis was rare. Some people had an elongated perspective; they saw beyond death and into eternal life. She admired him for that, because all she could see at the moment was the end of her husband.

  And it ticked her off.

  Going into the bathroom and shutting the door, she pulled out her phone and dialed BMB.

  “This is Tina, how may I help you?”

  “Hi, Tina. This is Kiera. Is Pamela available?” Kiera worked to keep herself calm. It was midmorning in Vegas, and the penthouse was still quiet.

  “I’ll check; please hold.”

  She plucked at the hem of her shirt while she listened to “Who You’d Be Today,” her anger growing in tiger-length leaps and bounds.

  “This is Pamela Jones.”

  Kiera sat up straight. “Hi, Pamela.”

  “Hello, Kiera.” Pamela hesitated. “Is everything all right?”

  Kiera let out a hollow laugh. “That’s a loaded question.”

  “Is it?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Pamela. You knew Liam was dying, and you set me up.” Her voice was harsh against the tile.

  “I knew he was sick. He told me that much when we met. That’s why it had to be you. Don’t you see? He needs a wife, but he also needs a nurse who understands cancer.” Her voice grew soft. “You’ve seen it from both sides, Kiera. First with your mom and then with the cancer institute. No one who can do for him what you can.”

  Kiera leaned her head back against the shower door. She’d already come to that conclusion. “I hate it when you sound like you could maybe, in a small way, be right.” She sighed. “But ya know what?”

  “What?”

  “I never signed on to be a widow. In fact, I think I could sue you for breach of contract, misrepresentation, or, or …” Kiera waved her hand, unable to come up with a third horrible deed she could drop in Pamela’s lap.

  “Kiera.” Even through the phone, Pamela’s voice had a magical quality that could stop the wind billowing through Kiera’s anger. “I had, and still have, a good feeling about this.”

  Kiera grabbed onto the towel bar, feeling as if she were back on the plane and it had dipped right. She shook her head, trying to regain her sense of equilibrium. “Be that as it may, you owe me one—no, two—no, several favors.”

  Pamela’s laugh tinkled over the line.

  Kiera continued, “Grab a pen, I’ve got a list.” She may not b
e able to cure cancer, but she was going to make darn sure she and Liam made some memories. “Who do you know in major league baseball?”

  “I have a few contacts. Where are you now?”

  “We’re in Vegas.”

  “Perfect, you’re just a hop away from a good friend of mine. What do you have in mind?”

  Kiera told her of her plans.

  “Is that all?” asked Pamela, as if Kiera had asked her to set up a massage appointment.

  “For now.” Kiera wasn’t about to let Pamela off the hook.

  “I will have Tina call you with the details and instructions. We’ll do all we can to help.”

  “You know, it’s hard to hate you when you’re this nice.”

  Pamela laughed. “Kiera, you are a jewel. Believe it or not, I care about you quite a bit. I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for what happened with Jack. Please, call again anytime.”

  “I will.”

  Kiera stood up and dusted off her backside. She checked the time. Liam was due for another round of meds in half an hour, so she decided to order room service for the three of them.

  When it arrived, she signed the bill and shut the door behind the server. David stumbled out of his room, his hair in disarray and his chin scruffy. Kiera sucked in a breath. There was no need for a man to look that good. Really, what was the point of handing one person all that … that … hmmm.

  He gave her a cocky grin. “Morning.”

  She turned her back to him and busied herself with checking under plate covers. “I ordered you a pancake breakfast.”

  David was suddenly behind her, much too close to ignore. She didn’t dare turn around. He placed his right hand on her hip as he leaned around her left side to pick up his plate. “Smells delicious.”

  Kiera’s eyes dropped shut. “Yes, you do.”

  David chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest.

  “I mean, the food smells good.”

  Giving her hip a squeeze, he backed away.