Saving a Legend: A Kavanagh Legends Novel (22 page)

Clare grinned and propped herself up on her elbows on the counter. “No argument here.”

“Ready to go look at the dresses?” Dee turned back to Fiona, picked up her empty juice glass again, and rinsed it out in the sink.

“Oh, I don’t think I can. I really appreciate the gesture, and the dresses are so stunning, but it’s too extravagant. I can’t afford those, and I can’t let you buy something so expensive for me, not after all you’ve already done.”

“Don’t be silly, Fiona. I didn’t buy fifty dresses for four women. Designers send us these dresses for nothing because they want us wearing them when all the photographers at the event take our photos.”

Fiona’s brows shot up. “Really?”

“I told you, Fiona. The Kavanaghs are always on Page Six,” Clare said with a look that said she wasn’t used to it, either.

“That we are,” Dee agreed with a proud smile. “So let’s go play dress up! There’s a silky, silver dress up there that I think will look perfect on you.”

Fiona stood and followed the women upstairs. She’d been holding back for so long, putting up walls between herself and everyone around her, that she felt as if she’d finally broken free.

It was time to let her heart lead.

Chapter 15

“I’m not going through that awkward lying shit again.” Rory crossed his arms, glaring at him through dark silver eyes.

“I never asked anyone to lie,” Kieran told his three brothers, who were all a little ticked off at the situation he’d accidentally put them in.

“Maybe, but you’re certainly avoiding having us say anything that would lead her to the truth about your prison time.” Quinn leaned against the counter at Legends and swiped a pickle from next to Rory’s sandwich as Kane shook his head at him. Ace’s head popped up next to the counter, eager to see if there was any food he could have, too.

“I’m not ready to tell her about prison. We haven’t been dating very long, and I only got out right before we met. There hasn’t been enough time.”

“Really? Because you two are moving along like you’ve been together forever—you moved her in with Ma, you spend all your free time with her, and you’re helping to care for her sister. I mean, you didn’t have to move that fast if you didn’t want to. She’s clearly not forcing you.” Rory smacked Quinn’s hand away as he tried to grab another item off his plate. “Seriously, Quinn. You’ll be pulling back a stub in a minute.”

Quinn rolled his eyes before turning back to Kieran. “We’re just saying that we all like her, and we don’t want to lie to her.”

“He hasn’t asked us to lie,” Kane defended his twin, tapping a pen against the counter surface.

“Exactly. I’ll tell her on my own when I’m ready. After the gala this weekend, maybe. Keep in mind that she has a child. I can’t exactly tell her about prison with an eight-year-old listening in. We haven’t really had much alone time.” Kieran was doing his best not to feel as nervous as he should right now.

“That’s bull. You could’ve found the time if you’d wanted.” Rory called him out.

“She’s hanging out with the family all the time; one of them might slip and say something anyway.” Quinn was talking about his parents and Casey, all of whom Fiona now lived with and was definitely getting to know really well. While he loved it, wanting her to be a part of his life in that way, he definitely worried something would spill. He’d asked his mother and father not to mention it until he was ready, and they’d both agreed to his request for a limited time. But they said they wouldn’t maintain their silence for long.

“I doubt it, no one really talks about the negative stuff much. Ma likes to wear rose-colored glasses to view the world.” Rory chuckled. “She thinks all of her sons are perfect.”

“Well, one of them is.” Quinn pointed to himself.

Kieran laughed and punched Quinn softly in the arm. “Yeah, fucking right.”

“If anyone is perfect in this family, it’s the badge-wearing model citizen,” Jimmy announced, walking through the front door of the gym and catching the end of their conversation.

“I said perfect, not kiss-ass.” Rory winked at their youngest brother.

“Fuck you.” Jimmy clapped his hand against Rory’s in greeting before changing the subject. “So, what’s new, guys?”

“Not much, just training this shit head.” Rory pointed to Kane. “How’s the thin blue line?”

“It’s good. I might be promoted soon.” Jimmy tilted his chin up, clearly proud of being a police officer.

“That mean you’ll be around even less?” Kane asked. “Because over the last few years it seems like we’ve seen more of Kieran than of you.”

Jimmy shrugged as he snatched a piece of bacon from inside the sandwich half still on Rory’s plate. “I’m not that bad.”

“What the fuck, assholes? Get your own food.” Rory scooped up what was left of his meal and held it protectively. All of the brothers laughed.

“Why didn’t you order enough sandwiches for everyone, then?” Kieran asked, picking up a deli menu that was always on hand there and scanning it.

“Because you all can wipe your own asses, and you can go get your own damn sandwiches.” Rory walked off toward the office, the rest of his lunch in hand and Ace on his heels.

“Want to go a round, Jimmy?” Kieran asked, nodding toward the main gym. He was itching to get a good sweat in and work off some of his frustration.

“Fuck, yeah, let’s do it,” Jimmy agreed, and they headed back, leaving Quinn and Kane talking at the front desk. The men wrapped their hands, coating them with a bit of chalk for grip before climbing into one of the available smaller octagons to one side of the large main floor.

Jimmy held his own for the first five minutes or so as they maneuvered around each other, grappling and jabbing. He was fast and pulled out of holds well, but he didn’t have the same power behind his strikes that Kieran had, which kept Kieran from going full throttle against him. Jimmy was tall and lean, with some muscle on his arms and upper body, but nothing compared to Kieran’s wide frame and bulging arms.

“You’re holding back.” Jimmy panted, leaning on the side of the ring as they took a break and both gulped down some water.

“I want you to live.” Kieran stretched his arms across his body, loosening the tight muscles in his shoulders.

“Gee, thanks.” Jimmy choked down a few more gulps of water. “I can take you.”

Kieran cocked his head to the side, looking at his brother with one brow raised. “Kid, we’ve been going ten minutes and you already look like you’re about to have a heart attack.”

Jimmy wiped the beaded sweat from his forehead. “I’m just going easy on you.”

Kieran laughed, knowing Jimmy was full of shit.

Jimmy straightened up and changed gears. “So Ma told me to talk to you about your new girl, and how she doesn’t know you did a bid upstate.”

“Are you serious?” Kieran scoffed, caught off guard, but not entirely surprised. Nothing stayed quiet in the Kavanagh family long. “I’d rather spar.”

The men both dropped their water bottles and returned to the center of the ring. Jimmy moved first, catching Kieran in his arm with a solid punch. “Listen, man, I don’t need to know your whole dating life. I just need Ma off my back. So tell your girl about it.”

“I can’t yet,” Kieran said, as he got around Jimmy and locked his arms around his neck. His brother tried to pull his arms off, but he held tight. “I don’t really know what we are, and that’s not a conversation I want to have until I do.”

He’d told Fi they were dating, and he’d introduced her to the family as
his.
Hell, in his mind, she was. But there was still something between them, some invisible wall he couldn’t find his way over.

Jimmy slammed his elbow backward, hitting Kieran right in the ribs and causing him to let go and double over as he tried to catch his breath. “Are you guys just banging or in a relationship?”

“Don’t talk like that about her,” Kieran warned as he recovered and swept Jimmy’s leg out from under him, bringing him down to the mat.

Coughing and banging on the mat, Jimmy tapped out. “Fuck, okay. Get off me.”

Kieran gave him a hand as they both stood up and took another water break.

Jimmy wiped his face with a towel. “So if you two are having something more serious, why not tell her about prison?”

“I don’t know how serious she is about the whole relationship thing.” Kieran took another gulp of water. “She’s a bit hesitant.”

Jimmy eyed him like he had two heads, then threw up his arms. “So you’re saying she’s keeping you at a distance and so you’re doing the same thing to her? You don’t see a connection between those two?”

Kieran cocked his head back. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Women sense shit, dumb ass. You ever think maybe she’s holding back because she knows you’re not being straight up with her? Seems obvious to anyone with a brain.” Jimmy shook his head. “But maybe they pounded that out of you in the slammer.”

Kieran frowned, contemplating what Jimmy was saying. He didn’t want to admit it, but his little brother was actually making sense. He’d definitely broken through most of her walls lately, but she was still holding her heart back. He could sense that disconnect even when his hands were running over every inch of her body. She was probably sensing that there was more to him than what she saw, and she was holding back just like he was.

“You’re smart for a kid, you know.” Kieran draped his arm over Jimmy’s shoulder and walked him out of the octagon.

“Are you guys ever going to stop calling me a kid?” Jimmy groaned, delivering a punch to Kieran’s side.

Kieran sidestepped him and grinned. “Probably not.”

—

“Holy shit!” Casey exclaimed, smiling at Fiona as she walked into Legends that evening carrying a giant bouquet of assorted flowers. Shea was by her side, her nose in a book and her ears covered in earmuffs. “Those are a lot of flowers! Did my secret admirer send them?”

Fiona placed the bouquet on the front counter between them. “I thought you weren’t dating anyone, Case.”

“Not for lack of trying. Oops, I didn’t see Shea. Hi, Shea!” She waved at Shea, who returned the wave briefly before going back to her book.

“Oh, please, men drool all over you,” Fiona admonished. The idea of Casey having a hard time finding a man was ridiculous. She was drop-dead gorgeous and turned heads everywhere she went.

Fiona was beginning to consider Casey one of her close friends. She was a little younger, but she had a wise soul and a fiery spunk to her that always made Fiona laugh. She was also so sweet and kind with Shea, like a mini version of Dee Kavanagh, which made sense since Dee had raised Casey.

“So if these aren’t from my secret admirer, what’s with all the flowers?” Casey asked her, running her fingers over the delicate blooms.

“I just picked up Shea at the center and was heading home to get her dinner. Just wanted to drop these off as a little way of saying thank you to Dee for the gown for this Saturday. It’s not much, I know.” Fiona felt heat rising to her cheeks. “It seemed like the least I could do.”

“Oh, Dee is going to love them!” Casey leaned over them and took a deep sniff, sighing with contentment. “She’s finishing up some papers back in the office. She loves flowers brightening things up back there. I do, too. We don’t usually put them up here because this place is all testosterone.”

“That’s perfect. I’m just so grateful for all she’s done for Shea and me.” Fiona hugged Shea slightly to her side. The young girl bristled and pulled away.

Casey grinned at them as she and Fiona exchanged wry smiles. “Kieran’s going to be grateful when he sees you in that dress.”

Fiona felt the crimson flush over her skin as she blushed at the thought, remembering what it had felt like a few days ago to have him pressed against her. To have him inside her.

“He’s here, you know.” Casey wiggled her brows suggestively.

Fiona glanced back toward the gym. “He is?”

Casey waved her off. “Go say hi. I’ll watch Shea for a few minutes.”

“If you insist,” Fiona replied, a little quicker than she’d intended, before turning to her sister. “Shea, stay with Casey, okay?”

Shea nodded, walked around the counter, and sat on a chair before putting her nose back in her book. Casey shrugged at her and Fiona smiled before turning to head deeper into the gym.

As she entered the main room, she felt out of place in her dark blue jeans and flowing lavender blouse. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she was wearing only a hint of makeup, just enough to make her look as if she’d had her coffee that morning. Everyone around her was wearing shorts or spandex and appeared sweaty and red-faced.

“Fi!” Kieran called out to her, and she turned to see him in an octagon to one side of the room. Kane was behind him, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath; they’d apparently just been sparring.

Fiona headed in their direction, trying her best not to be too obvious about ogling him. It was hard to stay calm because every single muscle in his body was prominently on display, and a sheen of sweat made his whole body glisten. She felt herself heating up just at the thought of running her tongue over his perfect, ridged abs.

As soon as she was within arm’s length, Kieran grabbed her by her elbows and lifted her hands to reach around his neck. Her fingers laced through his sweaty hair, and he kissed her deeply, leaving enough room between their bodies to avoid soaking her clothes.

“You guys look like you’re having fun,” she said loud enough for Kane to hear her as well when she finally came up for air.

“Mblrgfh…” Kane said, completely unintelligibly, as he waved one hand, then moved to the edge of the ring to lean against the rope.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked Kieran, her brows scrunched together.

Kieran shrugged, but a mischievous grin spread over his face. “I got a good hook right in his stomach. He probably can’t breathe yet.”

“Oh, that’s normal.” Sarcasm laced her words and Kieran laughed.

“He’ll be fine. This is what we do. He’s in training for the state championships. Less than two months away.” Kieran waved goofily at his brother, who just flipped him his middle finger in response.