Having Faith (17 page)

She opened the door, and he was hit with the scent of Listerine and minty toothpaste.  She had also washed her face and combed her hair.  “You should be in bed,” he scolded gently.

Pale as she was, the blush was easily visible, and in a flash of comprehension, he realized that Faith had gone to the trouble for his benefit, not hers. 

“Come on,” he said, his arm slipping around her waist again. 

“You don’t need to - ” she began to protest.

“Yes, I do.  I told Matt I’d look after you.  Don’t make me go back on my word, Faith.”  As expected, Faith clamped her mouth shut.  Kieran had brought out the Matt card early, wanting as little resistance as possible.

“Have you taken anything?” he asked, tucking her under the covers.  He may have been overstepping the bounds they’d defined so far, but he’d had more than enough of those.  Patience was all well and good to a point, but she was sick, and unless she somehow managed to find the strength to physically throw him out of her house (an impossibility on the best of days), he was staying.  Fortunately, she wasn’t complaining too loudly.

“Acetaminophen,” she admitted.  “Just now.”

“Good.  Get some rest.  I’ll just hang out for a while.”

“Kieran, you don’t need to - ”

“Rest.  Don’t argue with me.  I’m bigger and stronger and not in the grips of the flu.”

Faith’s mouth twitched.  “You’re very bossy tonight.”

“Sweetheart, you have no idea,” he said, his voice softer.

With a much-martyred sigh, and a smile he was sure she had not meant for him to see, Faith sank back into the pillows and closed her eyes.

After assuring himself that Faith was resting comfortably, Kieran went back downstairs and did a little recon.  It didn’t take him long to find everything he was looking for; Faith was very organized.  He found clearly labeled containers of homemade soups and stews in the freezer.  Several boxes of tea in the cupboard, along with sugar and local honey.  Extra bedding was in the hall closet. 

Satisfied, he made up a makeshift bed for himself on the sofa and settled in. 

* * *

F
aith couldn’t believe it when she woke up a full twelve hours later, still weak but feeling noticeably better than she had.  She smiled, remembering how Kieran had come to take care of her the night before.  He really was the sweetest, kindest man she had ever met.  And gorgeous.  And smart.  And funny.  In fact, if Faith sat down and envisioned her idea of the perfect man, Kieran would fit the bill quite nicely.

A small ache bloomed in her chest, but she stuffed it down.  It didn’t do any good to think things like that.  She might as well wish for a mansion or a Mercedes or a vacation home in Aspen (which would be stupid, since she’d never been skiing once in her life and had no desire to start).  The only thing that could come of wishing for such things was heartbreak and disappointment.

If life taught her anything, it was to be thankful for what she had.

She was happy now.  Happier than she had been in a long, long time.  She had Matt.  He was happy and healthy, and she couldn’t ask for a better son.  They had their own house, nestled in a beautiful valley.  A good, if not lucrative job at the Celtic Goddess, offering great benefits and enough to ensure their basic needs were met.  She had a friend now, too.  She and Lacie chatted almost every day. 

And there was Kieran.  Despite her not-so-subtle attempts to discourage him, he was always around, cheerfully helping out.  Matt adored him.  She didn’t know what they would have done without him.  It was painful to think of the time when he would move on to other things, so she shoved that thought aside, too.  She was tired of fighting him; he was a force of nature.  Trying to resist him completely was as futile as trying to defy gravity. 

She would enjoy all of it, including Kieran, for whatever time she had.

Like that kiss they had shared.  It had only been that once, but it had rocked her world.

She took her time getting out of bed.  Her entire body felt stiff and achy.  Discarding her sweat-soaked PJs – her fever must have broken overnight - she tossed back a couple more tablets and turned on the shower.  The hot water felt heavenly against her aching muscles, and the fresh, clean fragrance of the soap made her feel almost human again.

Donning a fresh pair of pajamas – with Matt gone there was no need to bother getting dressed – she picked up her cell phone and frowned.  There were a couple of messages from Matt, all from last night.  Nothing since.  She felt a tiny stab of disappointment, then reminded herself that Matt had been concerned enough to ask Kieran to check on her.  He was probably having a good time and didn’t want to disturb her.

Still, knowing Matt, he was worried.  Faith typed in a quick message: 
Feeling much better.  Hope u r having a gr8 time.  LM.

LM was their code for Love, Mom.  It saved him embarrassment in case one of his buddies was around.  

Faith took her time heading downstairs, gripping the banister since she was still a bit lightheaded.  She blinked when she got to the bottom.  Neatly folded blankets and extra pillows were set beside the couch.  She had no recollection of putting them there. 

“You shouldn’t have come down,” Kieran said, startling her.  She turned around to find him standing there freshly showered, looking more than a little yummy, holding a tray with scrambled eggs, toast, jam, tea, and juice.  Her eyes grew to the size of saucers.

“Kieran!”  Color rose in her cheeks as she realized what she must look like.  Hair still damp from her shower in loose curtains around her face.  Faded old flannel pajamas, so worn they should have gone out with the trash years ago but so comfortable. 

“I heard you moving around.  I was going to bring this up to you, but since you’re here, I guess the couch is as good a place as any.”

* * *

S
he blinked, looking at him as if he’d grown a second head. 

“I mean, ‘breakfast on the couch’ doesn’t have quite the same ring as ‘breakfast in bed’, but it’s the thought that counts.”  He beamed at her.  She looked beyond adorable in those pajamas, the faded images of Eeyore peeking out from all over.  Though she was still too pale, there was a bit of color in her cheeks and her eyes didn’t look quite so feverish anymore.

When she made no move to take a step in any direction, he said, “Go on, then.  Or are you going to make me put this down and carry you over there?”

Faith opened her mouth to say something, but promptly shut it again when Kieran lifted an eyebrow in warning, leaving no doubt he would do exactly that.  She turned around and shuffled into the living room dutifully.

“That’s better,” he said in approval.  He loved her fire, her independence, but he certainly wouldn’t complain about a little good-old fashioned cooperation once in a while. 

“How are you feeling?”

“What are you doing here?” she said as she sat down on the edge of the couch.  Kieran set the tray down on the coffee table and grabbed both of her legs around the ankles, swinging them up to the couch. 

“Taking care of you,” he said simply.  He tucked a blanket around her legs and fluffed a pillow behind her back before pressing his hand to her forehead and nodding, pleased to feel her skin much cooler than the last time he’d checked.  He stuck a thermometer in her mouth anyway.

“Why?” she asked, pulling it out.

He grinned boyishly, wrapping his hand around hers and guiding the digital probe back between her lips.    “Because.” 

“Because why?”

“
Because I can
.  Geez, you ask a lot of questions.  Now keep this under your tongue until it beeps or I’ll put you over my knee and put it somewhere where you won’t be able to get it out quite so easily.”

Faith’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, uncertain as to whether Kieran was bluffing or not.

She kept the thermometer in her mouth.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” she asked several hours later.  He removed the empty soup bowl and re-tucked the blankets around her.  College football was on the small, old-fashioned box television, and Kieran settled back into the far end of the sofa to watch.   There was nothing snarky about her tone, but Kieran flicked her a sideways glance anyway, on the verge of being annoyed.  It wasn’t the first time she’d asked. 

“I’m starting to get the feeling you don’t want me here,” he said accusingly.

She turned bemused eyes on him.  “How could you not have anything better to do than sit here and babysit?”

He turned his blue eyes to her, and unleashed all of their significant power amidst an expression of infinite patience.  “Faith, do you
want
me to leave?”

She bit her lip and thought about it for several interminable seconds.  Finally her eyes softened.  “No.”

Inwardly, Kieran did a fist pump.  “Then no, I don’t have anything better to do.”

She looked at him doubtfully. 

“I like being with you, Faith,” he said, repeating the words he had spoken a lifetime ago.  She had doubted him then, too.  Before she could question him further, he added with a wink, “You let me have control of the remote.”

The corner of her mouth quirked upward and Kieran breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had bought himself a little more time.  Eventually he was going to have to tell her exactly how he felt, but not yet.  He had a feeling she wasn’t ready to hear about
croies
and soul mates just yet.

H
is comment reminded her that as big as he was, he was the youngest of his family.  “What is it like, having six older brothers?” she asked, genuinely curious.  “I can’t even imagine it.”

Kieran laughed.  “That’s probably for the best.”

“Tell me about them.”

Kieran flipped off the TV and gave Faith his full attention. “Well, you’ve already met most, if not all of them.  Where do I start?”

“How about with the oldest?”

“That would be Kane.  He’s the oldest, and the scariest.”

An image of the large man tackling Kieran at the Fair came to mind.  He
was
big and scary.  “The alpha among alphas?”

“Yeah,” he grinned.  “Something like that.  He handles all the financial stuff for the family.  We don’t see him much.  He’s not exactly what you would call a people-person.  He lives up in the mountains with his wife Rebecca, their little girl Aislinn and their two monster-sized canines, and only comes down into town occasionally.  Then there’s Jake, he’s the next oldest.”

“He runs the Pub in town?” 

Kieran nodded.  “He’s married to Taryn.”

Faith thought about it for a moment.  “Taryn...purple eyes and dragon tattoo?”  The one who openly wondered about Faith’s age, she recalled, feeling the twinge of that moment again. 

“Yep.  Taryn’s a bit outspoken, but she’s a real sweetheart.  Jake was the first of us to find his
croie
.”

“
Croie
?”

“It’s Irish for heart,” Kieran explained.  Faith’s eyes softened, the way a woman’s tended to do when she heard something incredibly romantic.  “You mean like a soul mate?  That’s beautiful.”

“Do you believe in soul mates, Faith?” he asked, watching her carefully.  What was she supposed to say to that?  In theory, such things were wonderful, but in reality...

She shrugged and sipped her tea.  For a moment, she could have sworn his eyes flashed, but it was probably just a trick of the light.  Thankfully, he didn’t dwell on the subject. 

“Their daughter, Riley, is a spitfire just like her mom, and their son, Rory already has Jake’s scowl,” he grinned.  “Then there’s Mick – Michael.  He’s a doctor, but his real skill lies in biochemistry.  He’s a genius.  He’s married to Maggie, and they’ve got the farm that grows all the organic produce for the Goddess.  They’ve got one little guy, Ryan, and another on the way.”

Faith nodded. She’d liked Maggie instantly, though she had a harder time recalling which one was Michael.  They all looked very much alike, really.

“Ian – you’ve met him, too.  He’s the one who offered to hook up a security system for you.”

Faith nodded past the look he gave her, the one that let her know he was still not pleased with her outright refusal to consider home security.  As far as she was concerned, she didn’t need one; that was the kind of thing you got when you had something worth stealing.  A good old-fashioned baseball bat took care of the rest.  She and Matt each had one within reach of their beds. 

“He’s married to Lex.  Lex was my best friend in high school.”

Ah, yes, she knew Lexi Callaghan, remembering the day that Lexi had called her up to her office.  Thankfully, she hadn’t done it since.  The other women in Housekeeping Services shot curious glances her way for a week afterward.  She hadn’t mentioned that visit to Kieran, and wondered if Lexi had.  Somehow she thought not.  

“Lexi is the master chef at the Goddess.”

“One and the same.” The pride in his voice unmistakable.  “Of course, we knew she was destined for greatness when she started baking us chocolate chip cookies after school.”

“I thought she was from Georgia.” 

Kieran shook his head.  “No.  She moved away in high school, but she grew up right here in Pine Ridge.” 

Judging by the clouds that momentarily rolled through his eyes, Faith guessed there was more of a story there somewhere, but Kieran didn’t elaborate.  She still had trouble picturing the down-to-earth, blue jean clad woman she’d met as the genius behind the Celtic Goddess cuisine.  It was another reminder of how out of his league she was.

“Anyway, they’ve got two little ones - Patrick and baby Kate.  Patrick started Kindergarten in the Fall – he’s the oldest of the nieces and nephews and loves having Laci as his teacher.  There’s Shane – you know him, of course.  And Sean, he and Shane are twins.  Sean runs the garage in town.  He’s married to Nicki.”

“Matt was quite taken with Nicki,” Faith said, remembering the way her son’s eyes had gone huge at her jet black hair and super-pale eyes.  For as beautiful as she was, the woman held a distinctly mysterious, dangerous air.