The Mighty Quinns: Ronan (5 page)

Stone cliffs surrounded the shallow water, the cliffs lined with tall pines. She dropped the anchor in the middle of the cove and turned off the engine. It was so quiet, they could hear the birds singing on shore.

“This is better,” he said. “It’s like a swimming pool.”

“It is.” She shifted in her seat to face him. “I think you’re doing pretty well.”

“I want to puke.”

“Don’t do that,” she said.

“I’m fine.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Although who knows what kind of nightmares this is going to bring tonight.”

“You haven’t tried going out on a boat since you were a kid?”

“There wasn’t a reason. I didn’t need to be on the water. Man, that fear was so huge in my mind.” He met her gaze. “Maybe it would be different out on the ocean. Just the thought of that makes me a little queasy.”

“Well, we stick pretty close to shore,” she said. “And the bay is much wider where we harvest, but it’s not deep. I think you’ll be all right.”

He reached out and took her hand. “I’ve had a pretty unusual day. When my grandfather sent me here, I didn’t expect this.”

“What?”

“You,” he said.

Her breath caught in her throat and Charlie had to remind herself to take another. She reached out and brushed a windblown strand of hair from his eyes. “I never expected you either,” she said, her voice soft.

“What are we going to do with ourselves?”

“I have no idea. Maybe you could kiss me again and we could figure it out?”

Ronan reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her toward him. She straddled his legs, her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands skimmed over her shoulders and down her back. And then he pulled her into a kiss, his mouth plundering hers.

It wasn’t a kiss meant to tease but one that told her exactly what he wanted from her. There was no reason to question his attraction anymore. And though it may be purely physical, Charlie didn’t see anything wrong with that. They were both consenting adults and it had been far too long since she’d been to bed with a man.

His lips traced a path from her mouth to her collarbone and she tipped her head back, her fingers tangled in his hair. Though she’d just met him that morning, they didn’t feel like strangers.

His hands slipped beneath her T-shirt, finding naked skin and the sensation of his touch sent a flood of heat racing through her body. If they’d been somewhere more private, Charlie knew that her clothes would have been discarded without a second thought.

She wanted to see his body, to touch the places that were still hidden beneath clothes, to know him in a more intimate way. He was almost too perfect and yet, his desires had overwhelmed him in the same way hers had crushed her inhibitions.

When his palm cupped her breast, a moan slipped from her throat and Charlie knew that resisting him would be impossible. She reached for the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head, breaking their contact for just an instant.

Her mouth found his again and Charlie let her fingers drift over his shoulders and his back. Though she’d seen him earlier, after his shower, this was different. Touch was much a much more powerful sense than sight. The act of touching his skin was almost more than she could handle.

She’d only been with one man in her life. From the first time he’d kissed her when she was sixteen until the day she’d walked out on him eight years later. They’d learned about sex together and over the years, it hadn’t grown more passionate—only more ordinary.

But Ronan Quinn was not an ordinary man. And any intimacy with him would probably be something extraordinary. Would she know how to please him? Were there things that she didn’t know?

She’d always been a good actress, always been able to fake her way through almost anything. But sex with a man like Ronan was something that couldn’t be faked. He’d know if her need was real.

“Do you think we might be able to find somewhere a bit more comfortable?” he murmured. “Maybe someplace that doesn’t rock back and forth?”

She drew back and smiled. “You don’t think a smelly oyster boat is comfortable?”

He growled, gently biting at her lower lip. “No.”

“Maybe we should go back, then.” She crawled off his lap and pulled him to his feet. “You can drive. You have to learn sometime.”

Charlie watched as he walked to the bow and pulled up the anchor. When he sat down next to her, she showed him how to start the boat. A few seconds later, they were back out on the bay, traveling north toward town.

It had been a strange and wonderful day, Charlie thought to herself. That morning, when she crawled out of bed, all she’d had to look forward to was a long day at work. But now, with Ronan around, there were so many more possibilities to consider.

“So how do you feel?” she shouted.

He laughed. “Not good. But I think I’m getting better at hiding it.”

3

“I’
M
SORRY
ABOUT
dinner,” Charlie said. “That chicken was pretty bad.”

She set the oyster plate down on the table and sat down next to him, tucking her feet beneath her. Ronan’s arm was draped across the back of the wicker sofa and he felt her hair against his skin, a tumble of silken strands.

Every time they made contact he found himself wanting more. He wasn’t satisfied to just enjoy a short interlude. Ronan craved endless hours to explore and to touch, to discover everything about her that was sweet and sexy and perfect.

And it wasn’t just the touching and the kissing that he craved. He loved to talk to her. It was like she held some secret key to his tongue. He wanted to tell her more about himself, as if she was the only one in the world that might understand him.

How was it possible that a woman like Charlotte Sibley was still single? Did men in this part of the country not find her attractive? Sure, she was strong and resilient and clever. And she walked around in torn jeans and yellow rubber boots. But those were all qualities he found undeniably attractive. And she was also just about the prettiest woman he’d ever met.

After tying up the boat, they’d found a spot on the small terrace outside the tasting room, a spot that overlooked the river. The sun had gone down and the lights from Newcastle twinkled from across the water.

“Hot cottage cheese, curry and chicken was a pretty strange combination. I’m used to lots of different ethnic food, but I’ve never tasted anything quite like that.”

“My mother believes in developing an adventuresome palate in all of her children.”

He reached out and picked up an oyster from the plate she’d prepared. “I think I could survive quite nicely on oysters.”

“You’ll get tired of them sooner or later,” she said. “It’s like anything you get too much of.”

“I can’t imagine getting too much of kissing you,” he said. Ronan’s fingers tangled in her hair and he gently pulled her closer. He was ready to take her to bed, to find out how good they could be together. But he wasn’t sure they ought to move so fast. He had six weeks with her. Taking such a big step on their first night together didn’t seem like a sensible course of action. Still, if she offered, he wasn’t going to refuse.

“I enjoyed meeting your family,” he said, taking her hand. “They’re so different from mine.”

She watched him toy with her fingers as she spoke. “They’re different from everyone’s family. My mother has always let us go our own way. She wanted us to express our individuality. I think that’s really good in theory, but it doesn’t always work out in practice. We were known around town as a houseful of hooligans.” She shook her head. “That’s why I ran away to New York.”

“At dinner, your mother mentioned that you lived there.”

“I left Sibleyville the day I graduated from high school. With my boyfriend, Danny. We were going to take Broadway by storm. We did all the shows in high school and did a few years of summer stock up in Bar Harbor. Lots of people said we’d be big stars.”

“It didn’t work out?”

“Not at first. But after three years, things started to click for me. I got a few decent acting jobs. I found an agent. Got my SAG card. But then I had this long dry spell and I decided, if I was going to be miserable, I’d rather be miserable at home, with my family around me.”

“Did you like being an actress?”

“I did. I really liked it when I actually got work. But I spent six years going nowhere. And Danny and I weren’t getting along, so when I moved out, I came back home for a while. I was just going to stay for a month or two, but then I never went back. When my dad got hurt, I started to run the farm for him.” She glanced up at him. “So, that was my big dream. Over by the time I turned twenty-four.”

“I’m just impressed that you can sing and dance as well as shuck oysters and drive a boat.”

“Yes. And I’m an excellent tap dancer. I actually got a callback for the revival of Anything Goes. But I didn’t get the part.”

“But you followed your dream, right?”

“Yeah, but where did it leave me? I didn’t go to college. What I should have been doing was getting a business degree.”

“Were you in love with him?”

“Danny?” She shook her head. “We were so young. Everyone thought we’d be the ones to break the curse. The first couple from Sibleyville to fall in love and get married. But I’m not sure we ever were in love. We thought we were. We pretended to be in love, but we were just kids with big dreams.”

“I’m glad you came back. If you hadn’t, I’d still be looking for a job right now. And I’d be sleeping on a park bench.”

“Oh, I’m sure some pretty girl would have picked you up and taken you home with her.”

A long silence grew between them as that idea hung in the air. Ronan waited, wondering if she’d change her mind and spend the night. He could see the indecision in her expression and decided to help her along. “What time does work start in the morning?”

“Sunrise,” she said. Charlie glanced at her watch. “It’s almost nine-thirty. I should probably let you get to bed.”

She started to rise, but Ronan grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. He gave her one last kiss, his palm smoothing over her cheek as his lips captured hers. “I’d ask you to stay, but I’m not going to do that.”

“You shouldn’t,” she said, breathless, watching him with wide eyes. “I—I think that would probably be best. I might just agree to stay.”

He ran his thumb along her lower lip. “We wouldn’t want to move too fast,” he said.

“No. Fast is bad,” she said. She slowly got to her feet, her fingers still tangled with his. “I’m going to go now. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“In the morning,” Ronan said, standing up beside her. He leaned close and kissed her cheek. “Sleep well.”

A tiny laugh bubbled up in her throat. “Right. I’m not sure I’ll be doing a lot of sleeping tonight.” Charlie drew a deep breath. “I’m going to lock up downstairs. If you decide to leave, you can just use this door and go down the steps from the porch. There’s a key on the hook by the door.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere.”

“Good,” she said. “I’d hate to think we scared you away after only one day.”

He didn’t want to her leave, which was an odd feeling for Ronan. He was usually the kind of guy who used the “early meeting” excuse to avoid waking up with a woman in his bed. But he’d had such a nice day with Charlotte that he wanted it to go on a little longer.

He stood up and grabbed her hands. “You don’t scare me, Charlie.”

She shifted nervously, her gaze fixed on his chest. “You kinda scare me, a little bit.”

He hooked his thumb beneath her chin and tipped her gaze up to meet his. “We’ll have to work on that,” he said. “Baby steps.”

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.

“All right.” He kissed her again, softly, his tongue teasing at the crease of her lips. And when he drew back, he pressed his damp lips to her forehead. “You better go while I’m still willing to let you.”

Charlie turned and walked back inside. He watched her in the dim light from the living room lamps and when he heard the door shut behind her, he let out a long breath.

“Charlotte Sibley,” he murmured to himself. He leaned against the railing and stared out at the water. What where his brothers doing right now, he wondered. Were they staring out into the night sky and wondering what changes would come over the next six weeks. Had they found an interesting woman to occupy their thoughts?

If he couldn’t imagine a different life, here in Sibleyville, with Charlotte Sibley, then he had no imagination at all. This place was perfect, Charlie was beautiful, and there was every chance that they’d be sharing a bed before long.

He’d been drifting for so long, trying to find his place in life. Now, suddenly, he felt the gentle tug of an anchor. The wind might blow and the current might catch him, but he was here to stay, at least for a while. And whatever happened between them, Ronan suspected it might just change his life. And yet he didn’t care. His life needed changing, the more, the better. And he’d start with his fear of water.

“Bring it on,” he said, taking a sip of his beer. “I’m ready.”

* * *

T
HE
STREETS
WERE
silent as Charlie walked home from the boathouse. She’d decided to leave her truck behind, knowing that the exercise and the time to think would give her at least a shot at sleeping.

A soft breeze rustled the trees above her head, the old streetlamps creating strange shadows on the sidewalk in front of her. Though it was late August, she could feel autumn in the air. It was waiting, just a few weeks away, ready to begin turning the trees and chilling the air and making her favorite season of the year come alive again. It would be nice to share it all with someone new.

Since walking out on Danny, she hadn’t seriously considered getting involved with a man again. There had been a couple possibilities, but neither of them seemed worth the effort it would take. And there just hadn’t been any chemistry.

But Ronan was different. There was something about him that promised excitement and passion and time together that was new and real and special. She felt a tremor course through her body and Charlie rubbed her arms against the goose bumps that prickled her skin.

“Charlotte? Charlotte Sibley, is that you?”

Charlie squinted into the dark and saw a shadowy figure approach with a familiar little dog trotting at her side. Leticia Trowbridge was Sibleyville’s chief matchmaker. Ever since the spell was cast, extra help was needed to introduce eligible bachelors to the potential brides and vice versa. The Trowbridge family always provided a spinster relative to take care of the task.

Leticia visited the surrounding towns, looking for interested mates for the residents. Charlie’s mother was introduced to her father by Leticia’s great-aunt, the previous matchmaker. Charlie considered turning around and walking in the opposite direction. But Lettie was as tenacious as her little terrier and ignoring her now would make her only more determined,

“Evening, Lettie.”

Her little Westie pranced along at her side and Charlie bent down to pet the dog. “Hello, Poppy. How are you tonight?”

“She has a sore paw,” Lettie said. “I think she might have stepped on a piece of glass on our morning walk. I’m glad I ran into you, Charlotte.”

Charlie had her doubts that their meeting had happened by chance. In truth, she’d been expecting Lettie to show up all evening, ready to evaluate the new man in town, especially since he was a Quinn and sleeping at the Sibley boathouse.

No doubt she knew of Ronan Quinn’s arrival just minutes after it happened. Maxine at the visitor’s center had Lettie on speed dial. She’d probably already done a background check, a credit check and a Google search, preparing a file that would rival those of the Secret Service.

“I’m just on my way home, Lettie. I’ve had a really long day.”

“I know! And that’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I hear we have a new man in town. And he’s single and handsome and will be working for you.”

“All of that is correct,” she said. “And he’s a Quinn.”

“You know what this means, don’t you?”

Charlie sighed and ran her fingers through her windblown hair. “I really don’t think he’s going to want to be set up on any dates, Lettie. He’s only here for six weeks and then he’s heading back to Seattle. So he won’t have time to date. You can ask him, but I think he’ll agree.”

“I’m not thinking of him for my other clients. I’m thinking of him for you, Charlotte.”

“Me?” Charlie shook her head. “No, no, no. He’s my employee. You are not going to bother him with any of your manipulations. Especially if they’re on my behalf. I’m not interested in getting married.”

“Don’t you understand, Charlotte? If you fall in love with this man and marry him, the curse will be broken. He’s a Quinn, you’re a Sibley. It’s meant to be. After all these years, the marriage that Bridie wanted can happen.”

“Shhh! Lettie, please. Don’t start with this. I’m not interested in marrying Ronan. We don’t even know each other. Besides, he lives in Seattle.”

Lettie wagged her finger at Charlie. “Let me be very clear here, Charlotte. The entire town is depending on you. We’ve lived with this curse for far too long. And I’ve been thinking about retiring to Florida for the last three years only I’ve been stuck here trying to fix people up so that at least a few of our citizens can find a happily-ever-after. I’m tired. I want to spend my days playing shuffleboard and my nights playing canasta with my sister, Prudy.”

What was she supposed to say? If Ronan got wind of Lettie’s plans, he’d be on the next bus out of town. “How many people have you told about this?” Charlie asked.

“No one. I wanted to talk to you first.”

“All right. I want to keep it that way. There’s no use getting the whole town all excited about something that might never happen.”

Charlie knew she’d need to buy herself some time. If she could convince Lettie to keep her plans to herself, maybe she might manage to save herself some embarrassment. After all, she had no intention of marrying Ronan Quinn! Maybe she’d fool around a little with him, but in six weeks, he’d return to Seattle and she’d go on with her life in Sibleyville.

“I’m going to need all the advice you can give me. But you cannot tell my mother about this. We’re going to have to meet secretly. I’ll let you know how things are going, you can tell me what I need to do to close the deal.”

Lettie took a moment to mull over this request before she nodded. “All right. But first, tell me everything you know about him. I need to know exactly what we’re up against.”

“This is going to have to wait until tomorrow. Maybe I could stop by your house and we could talk?”

“Fine,” Lettie said. She drew Charlie into a fierce hug. “We’re going to do this together. We’re going to make him fall madly in love with you and then we’re going to break this horrid curse. I’m going to be the Trowbridge that brings love back to Sibleyville.” She giggled softly and started off down the street, Poppy beside her. “I may just write a book about it.”