Celtic Knot

by MacLeod, Shannon

  Lily rose and began rinsing the dishes. “You should probably check them out in case there’s something important, like your girlfriend calling,” she said, a teasing note slipping into her voice.

  “Girlfriend? Hmmm,” he said thoughtfully as if trying on the word. “Wouldn’t that be you? Besides,” he added, “she calls my cell.” He grinned, deftly catching the spongy missile aimed at his head. “I suppose I should clear them, won’t take a moment.”

  After a half dozen messages about art supplies and people selling whatnot, Meg came on, laughing so hard it was impossible to understand her. As near as they both could tell, she kept saying “I’m so sorry” over and over.

  Ah, damn, that can’t be good, Ian thought. As if in confirmation, the next message began and Ian knew at once what Meg had found so riotously funny.

  “Marcus. Ian. Kelly! Damn you and this infernal machine straight to hell. This is your mother speaking…” It was obvious Mrs. Kelly was deep in that special just wait until I get my hands on you kind of mother mad reserved only for her child’s most grievous crimes. Each staccato syllable was razor sharp. “…never taking five bloody minutes to pick up a phone. Even your wild as a hare little brother remembers to call his mother now and again just to make sure I’m getting on all right. Heather and Sean think you’ve fallen off the face of the earth. I’ve just gotten off the phone with Meghan–apparently you do favor her with your presence once in a while–and she’s been telling me what manner of tomfoolery you’re up to. You need to call me– at once, boyo–and tell me about this girl who’s caught your fancy...”

  “Bloody hell,” Ian muttered, reaching for the delete button to make his agony stop.

  Lily grabbed his hand and shook her head. “Not on your life, sugar,” she said, doubling over with silent laughter. “My God. How can she talk so fast without breathing?”

  “…and Meghan’s telling me you’ve gotten thin as a rail, so I hope for your sake this girl can cook. You know how you are when you don’t eat…and please tell me when you call–which had best be soon, my lad–you’ve gotten that mop of hair cut like you promised me you were going to do the last time I called. Love you, dear!” And the message ended.

  Ian groaned and smacked his hand over his face. “Sweet Jaysus. Lily, meet my mother, Moire Kelly,” he mumbled.

  “She sounds like a strong woman who loves you very much,” she said, struggling to keep a straight face. “I’ll just…ah…go get dressed now.”

  “Humph,” he snorted. Lily was out of the kitchen when the last message started. There was a burst of static then a male in a muffled voice whispered, “Hope you liked the pictures.”

  Ian’s blood froze. He picked up the phone to check the caller ID. Unavailable. Before he could stop himself, he snarled and slammed the receiver down hard enough to rip the phone from the wall.

  Lily ran back to the kitchen at the loud bang. “What happened?” She gasped, seeing the shattered remains on the counter.

  “I need to make a call,” he mumbled, storming past her to his office. He slammed the door closed behind him, punched a number on speed dial and waited.

  “Good morn–”

  “Dan Wilde, I swear before you and the baby Jesus I’m going to twist Lucas Bell’s head off and use it for a fucking hat rack. That sonofabitch had the unmitigated gall to call and leave a message asking if I liked those pictures. He better pray he’s got insurance for his own self, the–”

  “The first thing you need to do is calm the hell down,” Dan interrupted.

  “And how do you propose I do that?” Ian kicked a chair, which hit the wall with a reverberating bang. “I’m so goddamned mad I’ve gone fucking blind. I’m not going to sit idly by and be tormented by some culchie bastard that won’t give it up and face facts. She made her choice and he was not it!” he roared, kicking the other chair for good measure. It fell over with a muffled thump then the room went very still.

  “You still there?” Dan asked cautiously.

  “I’m here,” Ian sighed. “If he hurts so much as a single hair on her head, Danny, I’ll have to fucking kill him. No help for it. You and Megs can come see me in prison on visiting days, bring me a cake with a file in it.”

  Dan knew better than to laugh. “You’ve got to tell Lily,” he said.

  Ian took a deep breath then sighed in resignation. “I know. ’Course, after all the commotion in here I reckon she’s run screaming by now.”

  “Better go check. I’ll see you later.”

  * * * *

  Lily perched on the couch with her arms and legs crossed and waited, packed bag at her side. Why won’t he trust me? I’ll be reasonable, she decided, but there will need to be an explanation for all this forthcoming.

  She jiggled her foot in nervous anticipation then jumped a full three inches when the office door suddenly banged open. He strode into the great room and stopped short when he spied her packed bag. Deciding to take the offensive, Lily rose and braced her feet apart to steady her shaking legs. “Who won?” she demanded.

  Ian frowned. “Won what?”

  “The battle,” she replied, “with whatever you were fighting in there.”

  “I’m sorry you heard that,” Ian muttered.

  “I think the whole building heard that,” Lily retorted. “Have you decided to tell me what’s wrong?” Ian opened his mouth to speak, but she wasn’t finished. “Let’s see now–you’re up in the middle of the night, staring off into space, beating up innocent electronics and making urgent private calls, but you’re not keeping any secrets.”

  Ian flinched at the unexpected attack. “Well–”

  Lily didn’t give him a chance to regroup. “I think the thought of me learning whatever it is you’re hiding scares you, so in lieu of telling me the truth you choose to scare me–and doing a damn good job of it, I might add–with behavior you won’t explain. So how’s that plan working out for you, sport?”

  “Sport, now, is it?” His dark green eyes glittered with anger. “Have you already condemned me then or do I get a chance to explain? Your bags already packed, I see.” Raw hurt flickered across his features before he hid it away.

  A sudden bolt of pain shattered her chest and she blurted out, “You’re married, aren’t you,” she said flatly. “That’s what all this is about. You son of a bitch.”

  To her relief, Ian’s face registered such shock she knew at once she was wrong. “Married…what th’hell? You wait right there.” Turning on his heel, he strode to his office, returning with the manila envelope. “This goes against my better judgment but Dan has by now told Meg and she’ll tell you if I don’t, so I’m fucked either way.” He caught himself, immediately contrite. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t speak to you that way.”

  Clamping his lips closed, he shoved the envelope at her and stood with arms folded across his chest while she peered inside.

  “What are these?” she asked, bewildered.

  He took a seat next to her. “This envelope was mailed to me at the Castle. We’ve been followed,” he said. “This picture was taken the day we drove down to Sarasota. This one was outside your apartment, this one too. Here’s one from the restaurant in Ybor. These are at the Castle. You can see the lights in the background.”

  She nodded, trying to follow along. “But why are they ripped up?”

  “In each of these pictures I was with you, and I’ve been torn out of every single one. I’m not in the picture anymore. Now,” he said, taking her hand, “this is what set me off today.” He led her into the kitchen and played back the message. “Did you recognize the voice?” She shook her head, her face pale.

  “That’s not Lucas?” Ian pressed again. “He’s got himself some help, then.” He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. “So now you know. Here’s what I want to know. How far is Lucas willing to go to get you back?”

  Lily was momentarily frozen in place, her heart pounding with sudden dizzying fear for them both. “You can’t possibly think that
Lucas has anything to do with this…”

  “I can and I do,” Ian said. “How far?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer, but turned and stalked out of the kitchen.

  She followed on his heels back to the great room where he stopped short and whirled to face her. “So, my sweetheart, here’s my dilemma. Someone–my money’s on Lucas–has a problem with our relationship. As far as I’m concerned, he’s already had his chance with you, and I’ve no intention of giving him another.” He paced in his agitation, looking at the floor, the ceiling–everywhere but at her. “So here are my choices–I continue to see you and when he realizes I won’t back down, he targets you instead. Or, I do the noble thing and step aside to spare you from that happening and I go to sleep every night knowing you’re with another man.”

  Lily moved to put her arms around him, but he raised his hand and sighed.

  “I’m sorry, Lily, but I’m not noble,” he said. “I’m selfish and I’m spoiled and I want you all to myself.” His eyes flickered briefly as he tilted his head toward the bedroom to listen. “It’ll be Meg and that’s not a conversation I’m ready to have,” he said with a shudder. A moment later his muffled cell phone chimed but he made no move to answer it. “It was never my intent to lie to you. I just didn’t want to worry you.” He collapsed onto the couch, laid his head back and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know what to do, mo chuisle, but I do know I don’t want to lose you.”

  Unable to speak, Lily brushed her fingers across his cheek. He caught her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm, then pulled her into an embrace so tight it was difficult to tell where one stopped and the other began.

  The doorbell rang once, startling them both and before either could react, it rang twice more and the fierce pounding began. Ian groaned after looking through the peep hole and when he opened the door, Meg charged in, hair flying and temper ablaze. Without preamble, she ripped into Ian in a rapid Irish tirade, jabbing her finger at his chest for punctuation.

  “Dun do bheal.” Ian pointed in the general direction of the hallway. Clamping her mouth shut, Meg tilted her nose up and stalked past him. Ian offered Lily a wry smile then followed his sister down the hall, closing the office door behind them.

  “Morning, Lily.” She jumped; she hadn’t noticed Dan coming in on Meg’s heels. He gestured toward the archway Ian and Meg had disappeared under. “She’s a force unto herself when she gets her Irish up,” he said genially, and sniffed the air. “Is that fresh coffee I smell?”

  She invited him into the kitchen and poured two cups. “The storms are fierce, but they don’t last,” he explained, settling in at the nook table. “Meghan’s very protective of her brother. She’s a bit…ah…put out that he kept this from her. You wouldn’t know it sometimes, but they really do adore each other.”

  Lily took the opposite seat, shuddering at the raised voices and occasional crash coming from the office. “If that’s the case, I’d sure hate to hear them fight.”

  “Where we come from the Kelly temper is legendary,” Dan said. “They’re a passionate people, right down to the last one. Whether they’re fighting or loving, they do it with everything they’ve got.”

  She listened for a moment then shook her head. “Do you speak Gaelic, too? What are they saying?”

  “I understand enough to know not go anywhere near that little discussion they’re having.” He studied Lily for a long moment and taking a sip of coffee changed the subject. “You know, you’ve gone where no woman has gone before with Ian.”

  Her eyebrows raised in question. “Where’s that?”

  “His heart. He’s fallen quite in love with you.”

  Lily ducked her head with a smile. “I love him too.”

  He nodded his approval. “He’s very worried about this picture business,” he confided, cradling the mug in his big hands.

  “I just can’t imagine Lucas is behind this, he’s just so…I guess shallow is the right word. He wouldn’t put himself out for anything having to do with a relationship, unless it was one he could profit from. His biggest concern has always been money and what is the least amount of effort he can expend to make more of it.” Lily took a long drink of her coffee and sighed. “He is vindictive, though and he might be thinking of this as some sort of payback for breaking up with him. I can just hear him–nobody does this to me,” she mimicked. “I’m sorry Ian is getting dragged into it and now you and Meg too.”

  Knowing tears were imminent, she blinked to regain her composure. “Ian’s such a free spirit, I think that’s one of the reasons I love him so much. He’s warm and spontaneous and passionate and all the things Lucas could never be. My family didn’t like Lucas at all, you know.”

  “Are they here in–” They both jumped at the sound of shattering glass filtering down the hall. “Bloody hell, but they’re going at it hammer and tongs,” Dan said, leaning toward the hallway entrance to listen. “They’re still yelling, so everything must be all right. They’ll stop if someone starts bleeding.” He shrugged, unconcerned. “You were telling me about your folks,” he prompted.

  “My parents live in North Tampa. My dad’s a doctor, and my mom runs his office,” she said.

  “Have you told them about Ian?” he asked.

  She brightened at once. “Yes, they’re very excited to meet him. I haven’t told Ian yet, I didn’t want to scare him with the whole meet my parents thing.” She blushed and lowered her eyes.

  His laughter rolled through the kitchen. “You’ve already got him running scared, sweetheart. A little thing like meeting your parents isn’t going to make it any worse.” He lowered his voice and said, “You don’t need to repeat this, of course, but Meg and I think you’re the best thing to ever happen to him.”

  “More coffee?” Lily asked suddenly, rising to refill their cups. As soon as she sat down again, both noticed the yelling had stopped and right on cue, the two siblings walked arm and arm into the kitchen.

  “Told you,” Dan said, “Fierce, but short.” They clinked their mugs together in a toast, smiling conspiratorially.

  Ian and Meg looked at each other in mock horror. “They’ve been talking about us, I do believe,” said Meg in a loud stage whisper.

  “Talking about you, more like. You were the one doing all the yelling.” Ian snorted. “And you owe me a lamp, harpy.”

  Ignoring her brother, Meg asked, “Can I talk you out of a cup of coffee, Lily?”

  Lily jumped up but Ian intercepted her. “Let me help you with that,” he said, moving close and retrieving the cup easily within her reach. He poured one for Meg and handed it to her, then turned his attention to Lily. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Think you could find it in your heart to forgive me for not sharing this with you right away?” He held out his arms, awaiting her answer.

  “Of course I can,” she said, moving into the comforting shelter of his waiting embrace and he laid his head upon hers. Meg grabbed Dan’s hand and with a smile they tiptoed from the room.

  19

  Lily spent over an hour on the phone that night with Beth, telling her all that had transpired. Beth, of course, was full of questions. “What did Ian say?”

  “Ian was all for a full on ass kickin’,” Lily said, her voice taking on his light brogue, “but got voted down. We all talked about it and decided we’re not going to acknowledge it yet. In the meantime, I’m going to make sure Lucas gets it in his head that we’re over. If worse comes to worse, I’ll look for a new job. It’s getting pretty uncomfortable there, anyway.”

  “Can’t say I blame you there,” Beth agreed. “Speaking of bad endings–a fisherman found another woman today, same area. That’s four now. They think whoever is doing it might be picking them up from the mall.”

  “It’s scary considering how much time we spend there,” said Lily. “Ian’s worried about my safety.”

  Beth had a ready solution for that little problem. “So move in with the Prince so he can protect you,” she said.

  Li
ly burst into laughter. “Honestly, you’re no help at all, and stop calling him that.”

  Moving on to other matters they chatted for a little bit longer before Beth said suddenly, “I gotta go. I’ve got another call coming in, it’s Renaud.”

  “What?” shrieked Lily, but the line was already dead.

  She and Bella had been in bed less than a minute when the phone rang. She rolled over and answered it, a warm glow spreading over her at the sound of Ian’s voice. “Hello, handsome man.”

  “Naw, ’tis only me, beautiful lady,” Ian teased. “I just called to say I miss you and to thank you for an amazing weekend. You spoil me, sweetheart.” There was a beat of awkward silence. “I’m sorry for all the commotion this morning.”

  “It’s my fault too,” said Lily, “I guess I jumped to a whole bunch of wrong conclusions.”

  Ian sighed with relief. “You have nothing to apologize for, sweet, but I’m can see I’m going to have to watch my step in the future so you don’t yell at me again. By Christ, what a temper you’ve got for such a wee thing.” She laughed out loud at that, and after a moment he did too. “Promise me you’ll call tomorrow if you need me. Or if you don’t,” he added quickly.

  “You have my word, mo chuisle. You have nothing to worry about,” she assured him. “I promise I am yours for as long as you want me.”

  There was a long silence. “That could be a very long time,” he warned, “so be careful what you agree to. A promise is a serious thing, my beauty, and I take yours to heart.”

  “Mmm. You speak so beautifully, all courtly and chivalrous. Are you sure you’re from this century?”

  “I am whatever you wish me to be,” he said grandly, and she caught the humor in his voice. “Besides, I think you like it.”

  She snickered. “You’re a devil. I do like it though, very much,” she admitted.

  “It is late, so I shall wish you the sweetest of dreams and leave you with the sad and piteous vision of poor me all alone in this big, cold bed.”