Wild Irish Soul (11 page)

"Those don't look wrinkled."

"Aye, 'cause they have stretch. But, still," Aislinn said, leaning back into the seat, feeling a little smug that she'd been right.

"I'm not always Type A. I surprised you with an impulsive trip, didn’t I?" Baird asked.

"That I bet you have planned to a T," Aislinn followed up smoothly and was rewarded with Baird's mouth dropping open.

"Simply to make the best use of our time is all," Baird defended himself.

"Why don't you let me take the reins today, Doctor?" Aislinn asked, testing him.

"But…I…but," Baird sputtered and then turned to see Aislinn grinning madly at him.

"Fine," Baird spit out.

"Oh, boy, this is going to be fun," Aislinn crowed, thinking that 8:00 am on a Sunday wasn't looking so bad after all.

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Jarveys?" Baird asked
in confusion as he eyed up the line of jaunting cars that stood in a row on the street, proud horses stamping their feet, drivers laughing in a group.

"Yes, a jaunting car. Come, you'll love it," Aislinn said and pulled Baird towards a driver.

"You all full up?" Aislinn asked.

"Nope, a slow one this morning. Services." The driver motioned to the church next door where Sunday services were running.

Aislinn immediately felt the guilt that always came with skipping mass and she said a quick prayer in her head before smiling up at the driver.

"A quick one, then? Ross Castle?"

"Sure, and that's an easy drive on a nice day," the driver agreed and motioned to his car. He stood at the side and held out his hand to hoist Aislinn into the cart, and Baird hopped up easily after her. They sat on the long wood bench, nestled against each other, as the driver patted his horse down before hopping into his seat, his back to them.

"And I'm sure you know the history of Ross Castle, then," the driver began.

"No, we don't." Aislinn cut Baird off and grinned up at him as the driver launched into a detailed and highly animated story about Ross Castle. Aislinn found herself hooting in laughter at some of his more exaggerated tales.

The car wound down a lane and towards an old castle tucked on the shores of a still lake that stretched wide, mirroring the trees and the sky. Sweeping trees stood at the back of the castle and Aislinn smiled at the beauty of it. Holding her hands up, she framed the shot for a mental image to paint from later.

Baird tilted his head at her in question.

"Just memorizing the picture. I can paint from memory." Aislinn shrugged, feeling foolish.

"As in you can paint the exact details or a concept of it?" Baird asked, his slate eyes glinting at her in the soft light of the morning sun.

"Like I can paint exactly…I kind of have a photographic memory of sorts for images," Aislinn said.

"That's impressive. Why do you paint out in the hills then?" Baird asked. Aislinn leaned her head on his shoulder and thought about it as the cart rolled to a stop.

"I think because I prefer the mood of being there in person. Though I can remember all the details, I read the colors and energy when I am in a particular spot. It adds a dimension to my painting that isn't always there if I just paint from memory."

Aislinn didn't have to look at Baird's face to feel his disbelief radiating from him. She sat up and turned away from him, smiling brightly to the carriage driver as he held up his hand to help her down.

"I'll give you a half hour or so to poke around?" the driver asked.

"That's perfect." Aislinn beamed at him and picked up her pace a little, forcing Baird to catch up with her as they approached the weathered stone castle.

"Aislinn," Baird said quietly.

"Yes?" Aislinn turned, a wide smile plastered on her face.

"You're angry with me," Baird said.

"Nope, not at all," Aislinn said and took his hand, deliberately ignoring her feelings as she pulled Baird through an arched doorway to a stone staircase that hid a small door in the pocket beneath it. The energy and history of the building pulsed at her and Aislinn found it hard to stay mad at Baird when she wanted to get swept away in the memories of the castle.

"You are," Baird insisted, pulling her back against his chest for a moment. Aislinn closed her eyes, knowing that she would have to have the conversation with him soon.

Why not now?

Turning, she met Baird's eyes.

"Baird, the natural world has energy that I can feel. Just like I could feel your disbelief in the cart. Just like I can feel the history of this place. I can see it, feel it, paint it…it's all part of who I am. My gift."

Aislinn watched as Baird's eyebrows rose and a polite smile fell across his lips. This must be his psychiatrist face, she thought. Polite interest when inside he thought she was nuts.

"Stop!" Aislinn shouted and Baird's hands came up automatically to shush her.

"Shh, stop what?" Baird asked, his mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Stop…that look. Your polite doctor look. I know what you feel. I can feel it. Do you get that? I know that you are trying to be patient with me but you completely don't believe in anything that I am saying. It's insulting. You could at least pretend to humor me."

Baird's hands dropped to his sides. "I…I thought that was what I was doing."

"You're not doing a very good job of it," Aislinn said and walked away from him, tracing her toe in the dirt as she thought about how she wanted to handle this situation.

Handle him.

Turning, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him across the courtyard. Frustration radiated from him. She could see it in the way he stood, all sexy and rumpled and angry. Thrown him off his course is what she'd done, Aislinn thought.

But underneath it…she could see it.

He cared about her.

It wasn't love. Maybe not yet.  Maybe not ever. But it was the beginnings. She could see it peeking out beneath all the confusion of his surface emotions. That was enough to make her stop and consider.

"Here's the deal," Aislinn said, walking slowly back towards him. "Today, I'm going to vocalize everything that I see and feel. I'm used to tuning it out so that I barely pay attention to it that much unless I am immersed in my art. But, today, I'm going to show you all of me. You just need to stop trying to figure me out for the day and listen, okay?"

Aislinn stopped in front of Baird and tilted her face up to look at him. He seemed to mull over her words for a moment, which she appreciated. He cared enough to take her seriously and to think about his answer.

"I can do that. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to hurt you. I just have a hard time with all of this," Baird said and ran his hands down her arms. Aislinn tried not to bristle at his words.

"All of this?
This
…is me. It isn't a thing that is separate from me that you can analyze. It's just me," Aislinn said, needing him to understand that concept. "It's offensive to me when you refer to my gift…my essence…as "woo-woo" stuff."

Baird stiffened and Aislinn could feel the shame wash through him.

"I'm sorry. I am. I wasn't thinking of it like that. I've gone and been right judgmental, haven't I?"

"A wee bit," Aislinn said, smiling up at him.

"I'm sorry for that. I'll keep an open mind. Wow me with your gift, oh great one," Baird teased.

Aislinn laughed and threw her arms around his neck, reaching up to brush a kiss over his lips. She squealed into his mouth as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her in a dizzying spin, deepening their kiss.

"Sure and it's nice to see some lovebirds," their driver called to them and they broke apart, laughing at getting caught.

Love, Aislinn thought. She wondered if she was on the tipping point and then shook the thought from her mind. It wouldn't do to fall for Baird. She'd only get hurt.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Hours later, Aislinn
stretched out her legs in the grass of a park and leaned against a tree, enjoying the sunshine that fell across her face. A giggle snorted out unattractively through her nose, and she slapped a hand over her mouth and slanted a look at Baird.

He raised an eyebrow at her, his face set in a scowl.

She hadn't meant to tip the canoe.

The black swans had shocked and excited her. In her rush to get a better look at them…she may have leaned too far from the boat.

Another snort slipped from her and she heard Baird grumble next to her.

"Pizza?"

Aislinn smiled sweetly at Baird and handed him a slice from the takeout box she had grabbed from the pizza joint across from the park.

Baird took the slice silently and Aislinn handed him a napkin with it.

"Probably a far cry from what you had planned for lunch, huh?" Aislinn said easily as she bit into her slice. The heavenly taste of pepperoni and cheese filled her mouth and she groaned around the pizza, losing herself in the taste.

She really needed to eat pizza more often, Aislinn decided.

Baird sniffed and took another bite. "I'd only planned lunch at one of the best restaurants here. Wine, steak, linen tablecloths…"

Aislinn shrugged and bumped his shoulder with hers.

"This is nice." She gestured to the park with her slice of pizza.

"I suppose it is," Baird admitted. "Good pizza."

"It is at that. I try to get to this place once in a while. It's worth a trip."

"I can't believe you flipped the canoe," Baird said indignantly.

Aislinn snorted again and then let the laughs roll from her gut. Bending over, she slapped her sodden jeans and then looked over at Baird. His clothes were a mess, wrinkled, stained, and his hair was all mussed up.

He'd thought to grab his glasses as they tipped. He had good instincts, Aislinn thought. She liked seeing him like this. Mussed, out of his element.

Like a real person.

"I really didn't mean to tip it. You'd think that I'd know better, having been raised on the water. I can get a little exciteable at times," Aislinn admitted.

"I see that," Baird said stiffly and Aislinn laughed at him.

"I like you like this," Aislinn admitted.

"Oh yeah? Then I think you owe me," Baird said. He reached out and snatched Aislinn under the arms and pulled her until she sprawled across his body. Her slice of pizza went flying and Aislinn glared at him.

"Hey! My pizza."

"I'll buy you another slice," Baird said and pulled her tight against him, crushing her lips in a searing kiss. Instant heat shot through her and Aislinn forgot about the pizza, about their wet clothes, and lost herself in the kiss. Baird kissed like he did everything else, with complete concentration on the task at hand, and with a dedication to ensuring their pleasure.

She gasped against his mouth, craving more, wanting all of him.

Baird eased back and held her there, his eyes boring into hers.

"See? I can be impulsive." Baird's lips twitched in a smile and Aislinn's heart cracked open…just a bit more.

"I'm impressed, Dr. Delaney. I wouldn't have expected you to be so brazen in public. In front of children, no less." Aislinn hooted out a laugh as Baird's cheeks pinked and he looked hurriedly around for kids.

"Teasing…" Aislinn said breathlessly, happy to break the intensity of the moment.

Baird reached up and ran a hand down her nose, tracing her lips and then her cheeks.

"Your face. It's so beautiful. Such a contradiction. Much like yourself. Yet it all fits together to make something so unusual and interesting."

Struck by his words, Aislinn eased back from him. Afraid to spill too much, afraid that she would do something impulsive like ask him to be with her. Forever.

"Thank you, I find you handsome as well," Aislinn said and moved to sit next to him.

"Yes, I can see that, since you stalk me and take pictures of me," Baird said and Aislinn groaned and threw her hands up.

"I most certainly did not.  I was photographing the village and life in the village. You are alive. In the village. That is all," Aislinn said determinedly and took another piece of pizza from the box.

"Uh huh, you want my body, don't you?" Baird teased her.

Aislinn groaned and turned and stuck the piece of pizza in Baird's laughing mouth. They both convulsed in laughter at their actions. Leaning companionably back against the tree, Aislinn interlaced her fingers with his.

"Thanks for bringing me today, I needed some time away," Aislinn said.

"You're welcome. Tell me what you see," Baird demanded, spreading his arm out to the park.

She'd been giving him a run-down all day long of what she sensed and felt and the more in depth she had gotten, the more Baird had seemed to listen and care about what she said.

Aislinn focused on two businessmen walking by in suits.

"See those two? They are both anxious about something. Maybe a business or realtor deal. You can tell by the way they walk, but it is more in the vibe that I get from them. Something is wrong in their world."

Aislinn turned and watched a young family stroll by.

"The parents? They've just had a fight. Their energy shows that there is a lot of anger and frustration at the surface, but underneath, a really strong love. The love is already overtaking the frustration and I bet by the time the walk is over it will be gone. The dad is really proud of his little boy and the mom has a special love for her baby in her arms. The baby is still really connected to her so their colors mingle in a maternal bond kind of way."

Aislinn shoved away the thought of having a child. She hadn't realized that she had maternal urges, especially coming from the messed up family that she had come from. But, every once in a while, it was there. Just a hint of it, poking through, tweaking her heartstrings.

"And what about them?" Baird gestured to an old man and a woman that sat on a bench, holding hands.

"Well, aren't they just a sweet picture?" Aislinn said.

"Aye, they are."

Aislinn turned to look at him.

"What do you see?" Aislinn asked him.

"I see love. A love that doesn't care about looks, that has survived battles, that has seen hardships and troubles, that has been tested and grown stronger for the testing, and one that will last on…into the grave." Baird spoke softly and Aislinn felt tears prick her eyes at his words.

"Aye, you don't need me to tell you those things," Aislinn whispered.

"Tell me anyway," Baird said.

"They are the same. It isn't often you see a bond like theirs. Their colors and energy have blended and become interwoven until they are like a braid or a chain. This strong, pure love runs between them, and it has connected them forever. They're soul mates," Aislinn said simply.

"What happens when one goes?" Baird asked.

"The other follows quickly. They are for each other," Aislinn said and shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you believe in that? In afterlife? Ghosts and such?"

Aislinn tilted her head up to look at the fat cottonball clouds that chugged through the crystalline blue sky. It was a perfect day, a little slice of heaven on earth.

"I do. But, probably in a different way than most. Because I can feel the energy of the earth…of this day." Aislinn swept her arm around to the park. "And I've been exposed to some of the mystical workings of those that have gone before us. Yes, I do. I believe in an afterlife, just as much as I believe that there are spirits and ghosts."

"Hmmm," Baird commented.

"You don't believe in ghosts?" Aislinn leaned forward and looked at Baird in disbelief. "Why, that's positively un-Irish."

Baird laughed at her and she sat back against the tree, the bark scratching lightly into her back.

"There's an energy to everything. I don't know if you want to call it a universal force or call it God, but it's there. In the way the trees pulse with movement to the way that love flows around that couple. It's there."

"I suppose that there is something to all of it, of course," Baird said.

"Baird…how can we ever really date if you don't believe in what I am?" Aislinn asked, a little hitch in her voice.

"It's not that I don’t believe in what you can do. I just don’t understand it. Why can one person have this ability but another doesn't? I'm of a skeptical mind, Aislinn, so when science can't prove something…then what am I supposed to think?"

"Do you believe in God?"

"Of course," Baird answered automatically.

"But science can't prove that he exists," Aislinn said.

"That's where faith comes in," Baird said, his years of being an Irish Catholic showing through.

"Exactly," Aislinn said quietly.