Saving a Legend: A Kavanagh Legends Novel (17 page)

“How did Casey get an introduction before I did? You’re a shitty twin,” Kane complained, kneeling down to retie one of his shoes.

“You’ve already met her,” Kieran reminded him.

“Yeah, but that was before you were planting seeds in her garden.” Standing, Kane crossed his arms over his chest and grinned, obviously proud of his analogy.

Kieran rolled his eyes and delivered a firm punch to his brother’s upper arm in retaliation. Kane just laughed and ducked to the side.

“You’re a pig, Kane.” Casey audibly groaned at the immature pun. “I met her when she moved into Ma’s.”

“No shit?” Kane turned to Kieran for confirmation. “Your girl’s living with Ma?”

“Yeah. Fiona and her little sister. Their building was condemned, giant hole knocked into her wall. Ma said they could stay with her ’til they get back on their feet,” Kieran explained, trying not to make too big a deal out of it.

“I’m not surprised. Ma’s been practically running an inn for years.” Kane shrugged. “That’s cool, so I’ll meet her at Ma’s tomorrow for Sunday dinner?”

“I think so. I’m not sure. I haven’t asked her.”

“What about Clare’s grand opening at the clinic in two weeks? Are you going to bring Fiona to the gala?” Casey asked, piling the papers into her arms and stepping away from the desk.

Kieran’s brows furrowed together. “Haven’t asked her that, either.”

“I’ll make sure she knows about it when I get home tonight.” Casey gave his arm a squeeze with one hand, the papers in the other, before she walked into the office behind her.

“Thanks, Case,” Kieran said. She’d always been the sweetest person he’d ever known, a complete heart of gold. That didn’t mean she was a pushover, though, because she gave as good as she got. Growing up with five alpha males, she’d had to learn. Ready to head home, he turned to Kane. “Let’s get out of here, mini-me.”

Kane narrowed his eyes at him before clipping his shoulder as he walked out the front door. “Fuck you.”

Kieran grinned before following Kane out to his car and climbing into the passenger seat.

“Any plans for tonight?” Kane asked as he pulled out into the street, heading for their apartment.

“Probably stop by Ma’s and see if Fiona wants to go out,” Kieran said, watching the buildings pass in a blur at his brother’s usual high-speed driving.

“Who’s gonna watch her kid?” Kane asked, taking a corner a little too sharply and nearly giving him a heart attack.

“Slow down, for fuck’s sake.” Kieran growled before taking a deep breath and answering his question. “It’s her little sister, not her kid.”

Kane didn’t change his speed at all. “Whatever, she’ll still need a babysitter.”

“I don’t know, maybe we’ll bring her with us. Do a family-friendly kind of thing.” Kieran dropped his head back onto the headrest.

Kane raised his brows and took another sharp turn. “Yeah? You like being around kids now? Nora was telling me the other night that you’re a favorite down at the youth center.”

“Nora, huh?” Kieran smiled suggestively at his twin, and for the first time, Kane reduced his speed.

Kane talked over him, ignoring the implication but driving noticeably slower now. “Yes, Nora said you did some training with the kids at the center.”

“Some of the older kids, yeah. Just some basic sparring. They’re little shitheads if they don’t have a way to channel their aggression.”

“Sounds like someone I know who gambled and partied his way to prison,” Kane reminded him, taking a turn normally this time.

“It’s not the same,” Kieran assured him. “I’m aboveboard now.”

“I hope so; if Dad hears you’re running another underground tournament, your ass is dead.”

“I’d be worrying about a lot more than Dad if I got into that again.” He’d learned from that mistake, and had spent two years in prison paying for it. He wasn’t going down that road again. It led to mistakes, bad decisions, and people getting hurt.

“Good. Then maybe bring it to Legends.”

“What, like start a class? These kids have no money, Kane. Like less than nothing.”

“I get that, but Dad might go for offering the kids something pro bono. Give back to the community and all that shit. It’d be better with the right equipment, teaching them how to use the facilities and whatnot. Just think about it, because you need a job. Rory’s construction gig only has another week max before the place has to be ready to go for the gala. Part of your parole is being employed, right?”

Kieran nodded. It definitely sounded like something he’d be interested in doing, and he did need to think about his future very quickly. He had been checking in regularly with his parole officer, as promised, and he knew at their next meeting he’d have to provide a plan for staying employed somewhere. He stared out the car window as he thought about his future. He wanted a new apartment, a real job, and a purpose with his life now that he was free.

He just didn’t know what that purpose would be.

Chapter 12

Kieran pulled open the glass door to Fiona’s Flowers and stepped through, a small bell jingling to announce his entrance. He spotted Fiona standing in front of a cooler, putting flowers away. Finishing her task, she stepped back and looked over at the door. The moment her gaze met his, her cheeks flushed.

He stepped toward her, aching to wrap his arms around her and taste her lips again. Kissing her was quickly becoming all he could think of. Instead of melting into his embrace, though, she seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

“Don’t tell me you’re here to buy some flowers?” she asked with a smile, walking over to the front counter and stepping behind it.

“I’m not sure yet, do you have any recommendations?” He wasn’t going to let her hesitancy get in his way. He liked this girl, and he wasn’t backing down from a challenge.

She fidgeted with her fingers, her eyes cast down. “Depends, who are they for?”

“My date, but she’s quite stubborn, so I have no idea what kind she’d like.”

He stepped around the counter to corner her against the wall behind it. He leaned in and nipped gently at her jawline before leaving a small wet trail of kisses down her neck. She moaned, and he felt the vibration rumbling beneath her skin.

“Kieran, I’m at work.” Her cheeks were rosy and her lips swollen as he stared at them. “We can’t be doing this here.”

“All right, let’s do it somewhere else, then.” He brushed a few strands of her dark brown hair behind her shoulders from where they had been draped on her chest. He saw her chest rising and falling faster as her eyes followed the movement of his hand. “I asked you something last week, and now I want an answer.”

Fiona tilted her head. “What?”

His fingers trailed down her shoulder, to her arms, slowly caressing her skin. “Will you go out on a date with me, flower girl?”

“Kieran, things are much more complicated between us now than when you first asked me that.”

“What’s complicated about two people being attracted to each other? That’s the most natural thing in the world, and that’s all that matters.”

Fiona nibbled on her lower lip, pulling a corner between her teeth before releasing it. “Is it all that matters, though? You work at the center where Shea goes, and we’re living at your mother’s house. That’s all kinds of worlds colliding and tangling—what if something goes wrong? What if you end up changing your mind once we go out and then it’s awkward for Shea at the center, or she and I suddenly don’t have a place to stay?”

“You think that’s why I helped you? To make you go out with me?” He laughed at the absurdity of it.

“I didn’t mean that, I just meant…” Fiona trailed off, blushing.

He pulled her back against him and focused on her blue eyes. “Fi, whatever does or doesn’t happen between us, I’ll never stop trying to help you. I’ll never treat Shea any differently, and my mother would never toss you guys out. That’s a promise, and I don’t break my promises.”

Her eyes glistened as she stayed silent, and he could tell she was fighting back tears. The last few days had been very emotional for her, as if giving in to the idea of him was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. He couldn’t understand why, though, because she was amazing. She deserved to be cared for, and he wanted to be the one to do it. She seemed to be the only person who didn’t believe that.

“I can see you’re overthinking this, flower girl. Don’t fight this so hard: I know you want to say yes as much as I want you to. I’ve been telling you how much I want you since the day we met, and I can tell from the way you kiss me that you feel the same way. We’re around each other all the time; our lives are meshed together. The fact that we’re not officially dating already is absurd.”

She huffed. “It’s not
absurd.
”

“It’s complete nonsense, and I won’t let another day go by for you to think of more excuses why we should put this off. I’m not going to bail on you like your dad, Fi. No matter what you tell me. Nothing about your past, present, or future would change how I feel about you.”

“Don’t be so sure,” she said, her fingers clutching his shirt as a shiver went through her body.

“I am sure. And now I want an answer,” he reminded her.

Her eyes flickered up to his, and despite her nervousness, a tiny smile played on her pink lips. He was used to her initial hesitation, as if she needed him to prove to her again and again that he wasn’t going anywhere before she finally gave in to what she wanted. It didn’t bother him, though, because he knew she was worth the effort. He’d continue to prove to her how much he wanted her for as long as she’d let him.

“Yes,” she finally breathed.

“Fuck, yeah,” Kieran exclaimed louder than he’d meant to before crashing his lips against hers and dipping her backward as his arms held her steady. “About freaking time, flower girl. You certainly know how to keep a man waiting.”

She blushed as he pulled her upright again. “When did you want to go out? What are we going to do?”

He had no plans on waiting. “Right now. Let’s go.”

“What? I can’t right now. I’ve got the shop to take care of.” She gestured around them at the store. “Plus, I need to find a babysitter for Shea if it’s going to be in the evening, which isn’t an easy task.”

Kieran shrugged as he began walking toward the front door. “It’s almost closing time now, Fi. My mom is great with Shea; you know Shea’s already comfortable with her. Plus, I already asked her if she’d watch her tonight, and she said yes.”

He flipped the sign on her front door from
OPEN
to
CLOSED
as she gaped at him. “Really? I’m always there for bedtime, though. And the store—what if a customer comes in? I can’t lose any more business.”

“Fi, it’s one night. You’ve got to just let go every once in a while. If you keep looking for reasons not to do this, you’ll keep finding them.”

Looking around her empty shop with a mixture of apprehension and excitement, he watched her nod in agreement and empty the register, taking what little cash she had into the back office, where he assumed she had a safe. Finally, she grabbed her keys and purse and joined him at the door. As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he waited for her to finish turning off the lights and locking the door behind them.

“Hold on, I can’t do this.” Fiona paused, keys dangling from her fingers as she looked to him.

Kieran sighed, shaking his head in frustration. “Why not?”

“I don’t mean I can’t go out tonight, I mean I have to put Shea to bed. Her bedtime is in an hour. Can’t we just go back to your parents’ house for a bit and leave after she goes to sleep? I’m with her every night. Everything has been so hectic lately…I’d be too worried about changing up her routine like this to ever enjoy a night out.”

“Of course we can.” Kieran smiled, relieved that she still wanted to go out with him, and touched that she was so attentive to her sister. He helped her into the passenger’s seat of his car before climbing into the driver’s seat himself.

“Where are we going after?” she asked, pulling on her seatbelt.

He wiggled his brows at her. “You’ll see.”

“Am I dressed okay for it? I’m pretty casual right now. I could change when we get back to your parents’ house.” He glanced over and found her nibbling on the corner of her lips again, causing his whole body to ache in response.

“You’re perfect,” he assured her, squeezing her knee and letting his hand linger against her skin.

“You really think that, don’t you?” She said it as if it were a question, but he could tell it wasn’t. Her tone was sad, full of a grief he couldn’t identify. “You don’t think I’ve got just as many problems as everyone else?”

“Everyone has problems, but not everyone reacts to them the way you do. You not only defeat your problems head-on, but you help others carry theirs. So yes, I think you’re perfect, Fiona.”

She didn’t say anything during the rest of the short drive to the Kavanaghs’. True to her word, Fiona helped Shea with her bedtime routine, read with her for a bit, and then sat with her until she fell asleep. She even told Shea ahead of time that if she woke up and Fiona wasn’t there, Dee would be right down the hall to help her, and Shea seemed fine with that.

Once Fiona’s anxieties were calmed and her sister was asleep, Fiona seemed like a different person. Her shoulders relaxed, her smile came easy, and she even held his hand as they walked back out to the car. Her heart was shining through that smile, and he wondered how one woman could love so much.

He helped her into the passenger’s seat for a second time, and a few minutes later they were pulling up to a brightly lit building. Entering the valet area, Kieran stepped out and handed his keys to the young man in a vest before coming around and opening the door for Fiona.

“Where are we?” she asked, looking around at the unidentified building facade.

He wiggled his brows a second time, not letting her in on the mystery yet. “You’ll see.”

She eyed the building as she stepped onto the sidewalk. “It looks weirdly plain and energetic at the same time.”

“Judging a book by its cover means you’ll miss out on the beautiful pages inside.” He kissed the back of her hand.