Dare to Believe (7 page)
Authors: Dana Marie Bell
Tags: #Paranormal Romance, #Fiction, #General, #Romance, #Paranormal, #Contemporary
34
Dare to Believe
Leo stroked Ruby’s hand and tried desperately to stay calm despite the fear eating a hole in his stomach.
He couldn’t believe she’d agreed to come, but was eternally grateful he hadn’t had to force the issue.
If necessary he would have used his magic to get her on board this plane, and damn the consequences.
To hell with the office. To hell with protocol. He
needed
her with him. He’d explain everything once they were on the farm.
No way was he letting her out of his sight. Thanks to him and the Claiming, she was in danger and didn’t even know it.
His brother might be the victim, but he had the feeling he was the ransom.
35
Chapter Four
Ruby was once again staring out a window, but this time it was the window of the Lincoln Navigator Leo had picked up at the airport. “Have your parents heard anything from the kidnappers yet?”
Leo glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the road. “No, not yet. Other than the initial phone call letting them know he’d been taken, they haven’t heard a thing.”
“Do they know why he was taken?”
“It could be a number of reasons. First, they might know he’s my brother, and I’d pay anything to get him back.” His hands tightened on the wheel. “It could also have to do with Mom’s family. There are those who still haven’t accepted their marriage.”
She stared at him, stunned. “You’re kidding me. After all these years?”
His smile was sour. “Let’s just say they have long memories.”
She whistled, not surprised when he turned his attention back to his driving. He was silent the entire way to the farm, his hands occasionally clenching the steering wheel. From the expression on his face she’d bet anything he was picturing his brother’s kidnappers.
She stayed silent for the rest of the ride, eventually nodding off with her head against the window.
It was dark when Leo finally pulled into his father’s farm. All of the lights were on in the old Victorian house, but that didn’t surprise him. When he’d told his family he was bringing someone with him, he’d known they would be more than curious. He’d never brought a woman home with him before.
And even if he had, he’d never bring an ordinary woman home with him under the current circumstances.
He pulled the truck to a stop in front of his parents’ home, not surprised that there were no cars other than ones belonging to the immediate family there. He turned off the ignition and turned in his seat to face Ruby.
She was just beginning to wake up, staring around at, to her, unfamiliar surroundings. He watched her react to the farmhouse, her eyes going wide at the sight of the large Victorian home. “We’re here.” His voice was husky with fatigue.
She turned to him, looking oh so weary. “It’s all right, Leo. They’ll find him.”
Her comfort warmed the cold place that had settled in around the pit of his stomach. When she placed one small hand against his cheek, he knew that if he hadn’t already started to fall in love with her he’d have
Dare to Believe
lost his heart then and there. He turned his face into her palm and kissed it, accepting the comfort she was offering. “Thank you.”
She didn’t question what he was thanking her for. She just waited in the car while he came around to help her out with a sleepy smile that went straight to his heart.
“Leo.”
He turned to find his father standing on the porch, staring down at him with his hands on his hips, the porch light gleaming off his midnight dark hair. Blue eyes the color of a summer sky frowned down at him.
“Get her inside. It’s cold out here.”
That Irish brogue, sure and steady, washed through him, calming him just as it had when he’d been a child.
His father turned to Ruby, smiling a warm yet sad welcome. “Welcome to my home.”
His
home? I thought Leo’s parents still owned the farm?
Ruby watched the man, who looked to be no more than a few years older than Leo, walk down the porch steps. His long, determined stride reminded her vividly of the way Leo moved. The man walked up to them, and Leo put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her close to the warmth of his big body.
She was pulled up short when the man clasped his hand around Leo’s arm. “Welcome home, son.”
His voice held the lilt of Ireland in it, full of warmth that had been missing briefly when he’d first appeared on the porch.
Leo turned to the other man, and suddenly the two were embracing. “Wish the homecoming was under better circumstances, Dad.”
Wait. Dad?
That dark haired, walking sex advertisement was Leo’s
dad?
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Ruby Halloway. Ruby, this is Sean Dunne.”
The man lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Welcome, Miss Halloway. I wish we’d met under better circumstances.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dunne. I’m so sorry about your son.”
Leo’s father nodded, his expression shadowed. “Thank you.” He turned to Leo, the shadows disappearing. “Take your woman inside and introduce her properly to your mother. She’s waiting on you.”
The man took the keys from Leo and walked to the trunk of the SUV. He turned and winked at her, popped the trunk open and began to remove their bags.
“C’mon, Ruby. Let’s go introduce you to my mother.”
Ruby couldn’t drag her eyes away from the Irish hunk even though Leo was pulling her up the porch steps. “Wow.”
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Dana Marie Bell
She didn’t even realize she’d whispered that thought out loud until Leo stopped and frowned down at her. Smiling up at him weakly, she stepped forward, ready for him to open the front door.
The door opened before she could touch it. In front of her stood the most amazingly attractive woman she’d ever seen. She wasn’t much taller or older than Ruby. The woman’s hair fell to her waist, a straight, shining curtain of glowing red-gold. Slightly tilted green eyes the color of emeralds peeked out from under the longest, most lush lashes Ruby had ever seen. Her chin was delicately pointed, her nose fine and aristocratic, her lips full and pink. She stared up at Leo, those lips trembling.
Suddenly, Ruby wasn’t feeling so good. The woman was looking at Leo with a love so deep Ruby was moved by it. If he had this woman waiting for him to come home, why had he brought Ruby?
“Welcome home, Leo.” The woman stepped into his welcoming arms, tears falling down her exquisite face.
“Hi, Mom.”
Ruby unclenched her hands, just then realizing she’d been clenching them.
Of course. Mom. Dad’s a sex god, and Mom’s a cover model. I wonder what Shane and Moira look
like?
Ruby had never felt quite so frumpy in her life. She was wrinkled from head to toe, her hair a mess, her eyes heavy with fatigue, her makeup long since worn off. Her self confidence took a severe hit. She took a step back, not wanting to intrude on Leo’s reunion with his mother.
She didn’t get very far. One hard hand fell on her arm, pulling her forward. Leo put his other arm around his mother’s shoulder. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Ruby Halloway. Ruby, this is my mother, Aileen Dunne.”
“I am pleased to meet you, Ruby. Be welcome in my home.” The woman’s soft brogue had a hint of Great Britain in it, changing it slightly from the pure Irish purr of her husband’s voice.
“Thank you, Mrs. Dunne.” Ruby held out her hand in greeting.
Mrs. Dunne promptly took possession of it, pulling Ruby into the house behind her. “Now, call me Aileen, please. And did that son of mine remember to bring everything you need, or did he drag you out of the house so quickly your head spun?”
“Um, number two.”
Aileen turned a dark look over her shoulder, and that was when Ruby finally believed that the stunning woman before her really was Leo’s mother. No one but a mother could look at a man like that, part exasperation, part love.
“It
was
a bit of an emergency, Mom.” Ruby turned to see Leo pushing his hand through his hair, grimacing slightly. “I made sure her cat was taken care of, didn’t I?”
Aileen sighed, a sound that only a mother could make, and pulled both of them into her house. Ruby bit her lip on a nervous giggle, knowing laughter wouldn’t be welcome at the moment.
38
Dare to Believe
Leo watched Ruby get her first glimpse of his family home. The cream-colored walls and dark, sturdy wooden furniture wasn’t his taste, but his parents adored the old-style look they’d managed to achieve.
They’d blended early American with a number of pieces they’d moved from Ireland for a look that was uniquely their own. Framed prints of Ireland mingled with family portraits they’d had taken by mortals.
The dark green fabrics of the furniture mingled with the softer, cheerful yellows his mother had strewn about the room in the form of pillows and flowers. The only odd note was an amethyst vase Leo had bought his mother for her birthday two years ago, sitting in pride of place on the mantelpiece. Leo felt a small pang when he saw it. He had to make the effort to get home more often. He hadn’t realized how much he missed his family until he saw them.
Ruby, he saw, absorbed it all, her eyes going from object to object while his mother led them into the kitchen.
Moira was busy stirring a pot of stew, her red-gold hair falling in a long braid down her back. Her deep blue eyes, startling in her pale face, shot to his, so full of relief and arrogance he was astonished.
His baby sister had grown up quite a bit while he’d been gone.
He smiled at her, filled with love at the sight of the beautiful woman she’d grown to be over the last few years. “Hi, Moira.”
“Leo.” She looked him up and down, her eyes full of mischief. “You’ve certainly filled out. A
lot
.”
Leo grimaced. He could feel himself beginning to blush. “Moira, this is Ruby Halloway. Ruby—”
Moira stepped forward with an easy smile, her hands held out. “Moira Dunne,
his—
” she pointed a finger abruptly at Leo, “—little sister.” She shook her head, her lip curled up, amused. “How did Leo wind up with you? You’re not at all the bimbo-y type he usually—”
Before she could finish that sentence Leo had her in a headlock, one hand firmly clasped over her lips, his face beet red with, Ruby thought, embarrassment. “Ignore everything that comes out of her mouth, okay?” He shot his sister a warning glance. The last thing he needed was for Moira to tell Ruby who, and
what
, they were before he had the chance to.
Ruby raised one eyebrow, aware of the underlying tension in every move the Dunnes were making. If horsing around was how Moira chose to deal with it, Ruby wouldn’t step in the way. She noticed that Aileen, far from being upset, had calmly taken her daughter’s place at the stove, serenely stirring the stew.
She left brother and sister wrestling amiably and stepped over to Aileen. “Is there anything I can do to help?” She still felt awkward, but the Dunnes were pretty relaxed considering the circumstances. They were treating her like they’d known her for ages.
Almost like one of the family.
Aileen smiled at her. This close, the faint lines of strain around her eyes were more noticeable. She wondered if there was anything she could do to take some of the burden off the older woman. Sean had come into the kitchen and whispered something in Leo’s ear and Leo had nodded in response, his
39
Dana Marie Bell
expression pleased. Sean had then moved to his wife, placing a small kiss on the side of her neck before pulling plates from the cupboards.
“That’s sweet of you, Ruby, but no.” Aileen raised her voice only slightly and the wrestling near the kitchen table came to an abrupt end. “Moira and I have things under control.”
“I’ll show Ruby to our room, then, Mom. I think we could both use a shower before we eat.” Leo stepped forward, his hair deliciously rumpled, his shirt half out of his pants. Ruby had to tamp down the totally inappropriate spate of lust that gripped her.
For God’s sake, girl, get a grip! His mom is standing
right there!
Did he just say
our
bedroom?
She looked over at Aileen, wondering how the woman felt about that.
“Dinner in one hour, Leo.” His mom didn’t even lift her gaze from the stew pot she was stirring.
He took Ruby’s hand and began leading her from the room. “We’ll be ready.”
“Leo?”
“Hmm?”
“Where’s your parents’ bedroom?”
“Two doors down from ours.”
“Oh, hell no.”
She pulled against his hand and he stopped with a frown. “What’s the problem, kitten?”
“Leo, we can’t sleep together with your parents right down the hall!” Her horrified whisper was more of a hiss. He opened the door to their bedroom.
Their
bedroom. The shaft of joy and satisfaction that shot through him at that thought would have had him grinning except for one thing. Leo had fully expected an argument from his little kitten when she realized his parents had put them in the same bedroom. He wasn’t disappointed, unfortunately. He’d just
known
she was going to be difficult about this. He led her to the upstairs bedroom his father had put their suitcases in. “It’s all right, Ruby. If my parents had a problem with it, Dad would have put our suitcases in separate rooms.”
Ruby dug her heels in. He had to drag her the rest of the way into their room. He’d have picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder if she’d offered any serious resistance. He’d had a hard enough day without adding a fight with her into the mix.
He began unpacking his suitcase, ignoring the fact that she hadn’t moved from where he’d left her.
“Unpack, sweetheart, we’ve got enough time for a quick shower before dinner if you hurry.”
She stirred, a frown on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but bit her lip and looked away instead.