Unmasking the Maverick

by Teresa Southwick

  After years together they were still close.

  Brendan had never seen this before. He felt like a fish out of water and couldn’t imagine why Fiona had invited him here. She could do so much better than him. The problem was, the idea of her with another man made him crazy. What the hell was he supposed to do?

  * * *

  Fiona stared Brendan down without blinking. She was calling his bluff. “I’ll see your ten orange candies and raise you another ten.”

  He glanced at his cards and shook his head before tossing them on the kitchen table. “A sugar high I can’t afford.”

  “Did you have anything, son?” Paddy asked Brendan.

  “No.”

  “I didn’t, either,” Fiona said.

  “Then it was a good bluff.” The older man gave her an approving nod.

  Her brothers had left after dinner and they were playing poker with her parents using Halloween candy corn as currency. She was on a roll.

  “I like winning,” Fiona gloated, raking in her winnings. “Whose deal is it now?”

  Paddy stood and stretched. “Not mine. I’m out. I have to get up early in the morning.”

  Apparently Brendan took that as a sign and got up, too. “I should be going.”

  Fiona sighed inside. Obviously he had to leave at some point but she wasn’t ready for that time to be now. It had been such a fun evening. Her family, even her dork brothers, had warmed to him and he’d loosened up after a while. He seemed to have a good time and the evening went way too fast.

  “I’ll walk you out,” she said.

  “Good night, Mrs.—Maureen.” He caught himself. Sometime during dinner her parents had given him permission to drop the formality and use their first names. “That was a really good meal.”

  “You’re very welcome, Brendan.” Her mom hugged him goodbye. “I hope you’ll come back again soon.”

  “I appreciate that.” It wasn’t a yes or no and he had a sort of wistful expression on his face. “Thanks again.”

  He held out his hand to her father. “Paddy. Thank you for having me.”

  “My pleasure, son.”

  Brendan headed for the front door and Fiona walked beside him. After he stepped outside on the porch, she joined him and closed the door behind her. The light was on and she could see his brooding expression again.

  “I hope you didn’t mind my family too much.”

  “They’re great.” He met her gaze. “And I was so sure your brothers hated my guts.”

  “They did.” She grinned. “But that wasn’t personal. It was just general principle since I’m their sister. They got over it.”

  “Your parents are nice.”

  She winced. “‘Nice’ could mean anything from completely awesome to worse than you could possibly have imagined.”

  “I meant it in a good way. You’re lucky to have them.” There was unmistakable envy in his voice.

  “I know it.” She guessed he was thinking about his own rough childhood, without a mother in the picture. “We play the hand we’re dealt. I do wish I could have met your dad.”

  “He would have liked you.”

  “And I would have liked him.”

  “You sound pretty sure about that.” He frowned. “How do you know?”

  “Because he raised you. Without him you wouldn’t be the man you are.”

  “And what kind of man am I?”

  “Kind, brave, honest, hardworking, strong, generous.” She smiled at him. “Want me to keep going?”

  “Of course.” The corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

  “Humble, loyal, trustworthy—”

  “Stop. Now you’re making me blush.”

  “I mean every word,” she said sincerely.

  “Fiona—”

  His eyes went all intense and he took a half step closer before sliding his arm around her waist, urging her nearer to his body. The heat of him warmed her deep inside and she searched his face, hardly daring to breathe. He touched his mouth to hers, soft and sweet, even as he held her tightly enough that her breasts were crushed to his chest. Their tongues dueled as he kissed her until they were both breathless.

  Brendan pulled his mouth away first, but still held her body close. “If I don’t go now—”

  “I know.” But she sighed her disappointment.

  “Can I see you tomorrow?” he said against her lips.

  “I’d like that.” Saying goodbye wasn’t nearly so hard when she knew he wanted to see her again soon.

  He smiled. “I’ll call you.”

  “Okay. Good night, Brendan.”

  He lifted a hand in answer, then turned away and left the porch to climb into his truck. Fiona shivered in the cold air and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to go back inside until his taillights disappeared.

  After turning off the living room lights, she passed the dining room table to make sure everything was in order. She walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see her mother still up, hand-washing the big pots she’d used to cook dinner.

  Fiona hurried over to the sink. “Mom, let me do those. You go on up to bed.”

  “I’m almost finished.” She set a large lid in the dish drainer on the countertop.

  “At least I can dry them,” Fiona insisted, grabbing a kitchen towel.

  “Thank you, sweetie.” They worked side by side in silence for a few moments before her mom said, “I like Brendan. He seems like a very nice young man.”

  It was always great to have parental approval for one’s friends. Just because things had taken an intimate turn didn’t mean they were more than that. He’d given her no reason to believe there was anything besides friendship between them.

  “He liked you guys, too.” She took a large skillet from her mother and started to dry it.

  “I’m glad. Your father had very positive things to say and he’s a pretty good judge of character.”

  Fiona had learned the hard way how good her dad was at pegging people. The creep who dumped her had done all the right things when he met her folks, but her dad had seen something that bothered him and could never define exactly what. Turned out he’d been right. So the fact that he was okay with Brendan meant a lot.

  “Brendan’s not a big talker.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.” Her mom rinsed out the sink. “Gave him more time to look at you.”

  “What?” Her cheeks grew warm. Why in the world was she blushing? “No, he wasn’t.”

  “I beg to differ. And he wasn’t just looking, if you know what I mean.”

  “Actually, I don’t.” Fiona knew her mother would elaborate. The woman didn’t hesitate to share her thoughts.

  “It was the way he looked at you. There were a lot of feelings in his eyes.”

  “What kind of feelings?”

  “The forever-after kind,” Maureen said.

  “Oh, please, Mom. You’re such a romantic. It’s not like that.” And she was okay with it. Probably. Maybe.

  “Well, I don’t know what you think it’s like, but that man had the same look in his eyes that your father did just before he said he loved me for the first time.”

  As much as Fiona wanted to believe that, she couldn’t go there. That would take things to a serious place where the potential was really high for getting hurt. Been there, done that. Not again.

  “I think you’re imagining things.”

  “Do you, now?” Her mother smiled. “Then answer me this. Why would he come here to dinner and put himself through the O’Reilly inspection process?”

  “He was hungry?”

  “I’ll admit he showed a healthy appetite, but that’s not why.”

  “I did him a favor.” She explained what happened at Ace in the Hole last night.

  “I see. You pretended to be his gi
rlfriend so that woman would stop hitting on him.” Her mother nodded sagely. “I bet playing that part came real easy to you.”

  Now that she mentioned it, the role was almost natural. Although she wasn’t going to confirm that. “The thing is, he owed me.”

  “So why did you cash in that marker with a family dinner?”

  Leave it to Maureen O’Reilly to get right to the heart of the matter. Fiona wasn’t prepared to answer that question because she didn’t know the answer for sure. So she asked one of her own.

  “When Dad said he loved you, what did you say?”

  “That I loved him, too.” Her mother’s eyes turned soft and glowy at the memory.

  “Was it an automatic response? Like something you would say because if you didn’t it’s like a big thing hanging out there.”

  “Nothing hung out there,” her mother said wryly. “I told him I loved him and it was the honest-to-God truth. I knew it the very first time we met.”

  Fiona felt a fluttering inside her, the same sensation she’d experienced the first time she saw Brendan. Was there such a thing as love at first sight? Was it hereditary? “How did you know?”

  “I wish I could answer, sweetie. I’d be a rich woman because everyone would pay to know that secret. It was just something that hit me deep down inside, a certainty that Paddy O’Reilly was the only man who could make me happy.”

  “And he has.” She had grown up watching them never miss the chance to touch each other, communicating their deep love with just a look. Kissing in the kitchen or anywhere else when they thought no one was watching. Or even when they knew everyone was. “You and Dad have the absolute perfect relationship.”

  “Perfect?” There was skepticism in Maureen’s voice. She took the towel from Fiona and folded it, draping the material over the cupboard door underneath the sink. “Define that.”

  “You and Dad have set a really high bar for us kids. It occurs to me that could be why it’s taking Ronan and Keegan so long to settle down.”

  “And you?”

  “I’m resigned to the fact that I’ll be a spinster.”

  Maureen laughed and shook her head. “Let’s just clear something up right now. There’s no such thing as a perfect relationship. Marriage is work. Biting your tongue when you want to be an unreasonable witch. Staying calm when he’s being difficult to deal with.”

  “That’s what I mean,” she said. “You and Dad never fight.”

  “You never see us fight. There’s a difference. We made a promise when Ronan was born to keep our differences private. But don’t mistake that for complete agreement one hundred percent of the time. Like I said, it’s work. Worth all the effort, but by no means easy.”

  “Well, you guys sure make it look that way. You’re a very tough act to follow.”

  “Oh, honey. I know it bothers you that you’re turning thirty and not married like your younger sisters. And I can’t tell you not to let it bother you. That would be a waste of breath and you’re entitled to feel any way you want to.” Her mother reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind Fiona’s ear as if she were still a little girl. “But I can tell you that you’re better off alone than marrying the wrong man. A man you don’t love. A man who makes you unhappy.”

  “I know.”

  “Of course you do. It’s just sometimes you can talk yourself into feeling something just because you have a certain goal.”

  “You’re talking about Tate Gibbs, the jackass who left and cheated.”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you saying I wasn’t in love with him?”

  “Only you can answer that, sweetie. I just want you to find someone who makes you as happy as your father does me.”

  “That’s what I want, too,” Fiona agreed.

  “We’ve learned that the hallmarks of a good relationship are communication and compromise. It’s the hardest work you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it if both people involved are all in.”

  “I can see that.”

  Her mother cupped Fiona’s face in her hands. “And I think Brendan wants all in with you.”

  “Oh, Mom—I can assure you that we are just friends. There’s nothing between us.” That kiss on the porch might say otherwise, but Fiona was putting on the just-friends face. As far as anyone else knew, that’s all they were. It was important everyone believe that because the details of her private life were no one else’s business.

  “It doesn’t matter what I think, just what you do.” Maureen kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Now, I’m tired. Would you let Duchess out before you go to bed?”

  “Sure.” She hugged her mom.

  “Sleep tight, sweetheart.”

  “You, too, Mom.”

  She opened the kitchen door and Duchess ran outside. While waiting for the dog to do her thing, Fiona thought about what her mother said. She wasn’t so sure about the forever-after look her mother talked about. Brendan never said anything he didn’t mean and he had not said a thing about what they were to each other. Obviously her mother’s observation was nothing more than wishful thinking. A hope that they’d get the last O’Reilly daughter married off. Fiona had given up wishing for that.

  There was a lot to be said for not wishing your life away and simply living in the moment. And right now she was going to look forward to seeing Brendan tomorrow.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brendan figured he’d been pretty lucky getting through his deployment unscathed, physically, at least. But surviving an O’Reilly family dinner deserved some kind of medal. The one he gave himself was spending time with Fiona. But no amount of boot camp or survival training could have prepared him for shopping.

  Fiona had insisted on meeting him in town at the antiques/thrift store. After she pulled into the lot, he met her at the truck and when she opened the door he said, “Hi.”

  “Hey.” She smiled. “You’re punctual.”

  “Tell me again why we’re going to a store that has a bunch of junk. Appliances I can understand, but—”

  “I’ve heard that there are a lot of vintage clothes here and it’s a great place to find stuff for a Halloween costume. I still don’t have one.”

  “Are you sure your mom doesn’t have some old clothes somewhere?”

  She shook her head. “Never even hint in my mother’s presence that something she wore is vintage. Just a warning.” She shut her door. “If you don’t want to do this, I can handle it on my own. I would never want to force you.”

  He was being a pain in the butt and she should have been annoyed with him, but there wasn’t even a hint of irritation in her voice. And that’s what made him want to be with her. Even if it meant shopping. He was in shape now, as good as when he’d left the Corps, and could reenlist anytime he wanted. It was coming up on “fish or cut bait” time and the pretty redhead with the sunny disposition wasn’t making the decision easy.

  “Let’s roll,” he said.

  They walked around to the front door, under a sign that said, Everything Old. On either side were half-barrel planters, baskets of stick-in-the-ground garden decorations and an old horse-drawn plow.

  He pointed it out. “What would anyone want with that?”

  Fiona thought for a moment. “With a little paint that could be a lawn decoration for Sunshine Farm.” She looked up at him. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You should know that better than anyone since you’re a genius at fixing stuff—new and old.”

  “I can’t tell whether I was just complimented or smacked down.”

  “Maybe both.” She grinned. “Now man up, Tanner. We’re going in.”

  “I’ve got your six.”

  “My what now?”

  “Your back.” Except his gaze dropped to her curvy and spectacular butt when she preceded him through the doorway.

  The interior was a lot bigger th
an it looked from the outside and separated into individual booths containing everything from old furniture to glassware and small appliances. In two seconds he realized this wouldn’t be a quick in-and-out.

  A woman walked up to them and smiled. She was a pretty brunette, somewhere in her twenties, with big turquoise eyes and freckles on her nose.

  “Hi, I’m Geneva Quinn. Welcome to Everything Old.”

  Fiona held out her hand. “Fiona O’Reilly. This is Brendan Tanner. I haven’t seen you around. Are you new to Rust Creek Falls?”

  “Yeah. And you haven’t seen me because I’ve been working a lot of hours putting my business together.”

  “I love what you’ve done with the place.” Fiona looked up at him. “There was a flood in Rust Creek Falls in 2013. Half the town was under water, homes were unlivable and people abandoned them. We went through some hard times. There was a business here but it didn’t survive. It’s been empty until now.”

  “I’m getting a break on the cost and renting out space to anyone who has merchandise to sell.”

  “Are there any spaces available?” Brendan wondered. “I’m asking for a friend.” Luke might be interested, even though Brendan probably wouldn’t be around to see whether it worked out.

  “Have them come see me. Meanwhile, have fun browsing.”

  “We will.” Fiona looked at Brendan and whatever she saw made her smile. “Brendan can’t wait to get started.”

  “I can see that,” the other woman said wryly. “But he’s here and he’s cute. What more could you ask from a boyfriend?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” she said fairly firmly. “Just a friend.”

  Then Fiona took off and turned left to start shopping. He caught up with her halfway down the aisle.

  “So who do you know looking to rent a space here?” she asked.

  “Luke mentioned something about it. Possibly another revenue source for his foundation.” If there was a God, she would not ask more questions.

  “And what is he planning to sell in a booth?” She walked into a space to check out a framed picture hanging on the wall.

  “He said something about donations.”