First and Only: Callaghan Brothers, Book 2 Read online

  Chapter Eight

  By the time midnight rolled around, Ian conceded that Shane had been right; Kieran wasn’t coming back tonight. The only reason Ian was able to sit tight and refrain from showing up at her door was because deep down, he knew that Kieran would take good care of her. Better than he could, in fact. Because if Ian was there with her now, he wouldn’t be providing her with a brotherly shoulder to cry on. He’d be buried deep inside her, making her forget her own name and every bad thing that had ever happened to her, and that probably wasn’t what she needed right now.

  Instead, Ian went upstairs and fired up the bank of electronic devices that took up an entire wall in his room and went to work. Sitting at his computer, his fingers began to fly across the keyboard. Gathering intel was his specialty, and he had lots of questions. If he couldn’t openly fish for the answers, he’d find out for himself.

  He paused, briefly remembering how he had accused his brother Jake of being a creeper when he’d asked Ian to look into Taryn’s background. Jake had disagreed, arguing that his gut told him that Taryn had needed their help, therefore justifying the request. This wasn’t exactly the same situation, but it was close enough that Ian figured he could rationalize his actions as well.

  It was his wholly irrational, clawing need to know more about her that was harder to justify.

  After several years of compiling dossiers on radicals, terrorists, and assorted persons of interest, pulling together a bio for an average citizen was child’s play for Ian, especially since most of the information was a matter of public record. People really had no idea just how much of their private lives were out there, sitting on servers or clouds, just waiting to be read by anyone with even a basic understanding of digital security and code decryption. If they did, they would probably never shop online or join another social media site again.

  Ian started with the little bit he’d learned from Shane and went from there. After leaving Pine Ridge, Lexi moved to a small town along the southeastern coast where she stayed with two unmarried aunts, sisters of her mother. She attended a private school there, graduating with high honors. Was on the swim team, set a few records for the school. Was shy, kept to herself. She dated very little, spending nearly all of her free time working at a local restaurant after school and on weekends.

  Lexi did not attend a traditional college, opting to pursue a career in the culinary arts instead. Here she excelled, far surpassing anyone’s expectations. Cooking, it seemed, was her métier. She spent time apprenticing in some of the best restaurants in Europe under some of the finest chefs before returning home to work full time as master chef at the Celtic Goddess. The restaurant had done so well under her hand – specializing in a unique blend of Irish and Greek cuisine - that the owner had opened up two more locations based specifically on her customized menu.

  There was no record of any serious love interests, but she was often photographed in the company of Aidan Harrison, the CEO of the Celtic Goddess. Ian made a mental note to do a complete work up on him later, just pulling up the basics for now. Harrison was twenty-six, unmarried, wealthy, and considered very eligible, at least according to the society page references that had popped up in Ian’s searches.

  Ian glared at the picture that came up at the grand opening of his last restaurant – Aidan Harrison with his arm around Lexi. They were smiling at each other, looking very comfortable together. That same photo had thrown the social elite gossip mill into a frenzy, predicting that Alexis Kattapoulos would soon become Mrs. Aidan Harrison, breaking the hearts of those who had hoped to capture the eye of the young multi-millionaire.

  Like hell, thought Ian as his fingers began to fly once again, pausing only briefly to register the intensity with which that thought had bulleted into his mind. He had no claim on her. So why did the thought of her marrying another man feel like someone was slicing him in half?

  And was it even an issue, or pure media hype? Lexi wore no ring upon her finger. She had travelled to Pine Ridge alone. Wouldn’t a serious lover accompany her on such a personal journey? Want to be there for her, with her?

  More importantly, would Lexi have given herself so completely to him if there had been someone else?

  No, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made.

  Closing down the image, Ian rubbed his eyes and checked the clock. Five a.m. Shit. He’d been up all night, and Kieran still hadn’t returned. He hoped Lexi’s night had been more restful than his had been.

  So what had he learned about her? Nothing he couldn’t have already guessed. She kept to herself, worked hard, and was one hell of a chef. He snorted. His conversation with Shane had proven much more enlightening.

  Ian sat back in his chair, running both hands through his hair. For the first time in a very long time, he had absolutely no idea what to do. He knew what he should do. He should let it go. Let her go. He should keep his head down, his nose clean, and stay away from Lexi until she went back to Benton, Georgia, and resumed her life.

  His gut churned at the notion. His head began to pound and his chest grew tight. There was not a chance he was going to allow that to happen, not until he understood what had happened between them. He might not be old, but he sure as hell knew this kind of thing didn’t happen often.

  And when had he ever done what he was supposed to anyway?

  No matter how he looked at it, he kept coming back to the same question: Why? After all this time, why would she suddenly give herself to him without telling him who she was? Why did she let him believe he was just an incredibly lucky bastard?

  On some level, he had assumed she had known what she was doing. That the innocence, the exploration, the novelty in her touch and discovery was all part of it, but now he knew better. The more he thought about it, the more he was driven to the same conclusion, one that both thrilled and terrified him at the same time: Lexi still had a thing for him.

  Catching some sleep after that little revelation just wasn’t going to happen. Instead he showered, shaved, dressed, and was waiting downstairs in the old kitchen, his third cup of coffee in hand, when Kieran came in. With Lexi. Kieran was still wearing the same clothes he’d left in the night before, and Ian was pleased to see that he obviously hadn’t showered. It made the possibility of any intimate contact less likely, not that Ian believed they had done anything other than talk through the night. If he had, he sure as hell wouldn’t have spent the night in front of his computer screens, twiddling his virtual thumbs.

  Despite the slight hint of dark shadows beneath her eyes, Lexi looked radiant in a pair of simple slacks and a soft tan blouse that made her eyes sparkle. Part of her hair was secured behind her with a clip, allowing some of the many-colored streaks to show through, like ribbons of silken flames. Even casually dressed as she was, she threatened to take his breath away.

  “Good morning,” Ian said quietly as he sat at the massive, scarred table feet propped up on a chair, the morning newspaper spread out in front of him. If asked, he wouldn’t have been able to recall a single story or column, though he’d been staring at the same page for hours.

  Kieran’s arm went protectively around Lexi as he narrowed his eyes Ian’s way. Ian could understand his suspicion; he was not typically an early riser. Then Kieran’s expression eased a little, and Ian guessed that Kieran was putting the pieces together (incorrectly). Kieran probably assumed that after escorting Kayla from the bar, Ian had spent the night with her and had only just returned to the Pub himself.

  The thought that Lexi might be coming to the same conclusion clawed at his gut, but it was neither the time nor the place to set them straight.

  “Good morning,” Lexi responded, her voice calm and polite, which chafed. There was nothing to indicate that it was anything more than a pleasant, mannerly greeting. The natural musical lilt of her voice might just as well have been directed toward the man at the counter in Dunkin Donuts or the woman vacuuming the hallways at her hotel. Her facial expression was devoid of anything more
than mild interest. Other than looking a bit tired, she was as beautiful and fresh and distant as ever.

  “Would you like some coffee?” Ian asked, waving his hand toward the fresh pot he’d just brewed. His question might have been directed at both of them, but his eyes didn’t stray from Lexi.

  “Had some,” Kieran answered brusquely.

  “Actually,” said Lexi, turning to Kieran, “I think I could use another cup.” Her head inclined toward Ian, though her hand rested lightly on Kieran’s arm. Ian recognized it for what it was – a comforting gesture intended to calm his over-protective little brother (since Kieran was approximately the size of a rather large bear, the term “little” referred only to the fact that he was the youngest of the brothers).

  “It’s full octane, right?”

  Ian grinned. “It is.”

  Kieran scowled at Ian over Lexi’s head as she moved toward the machine, a warning, clear and simple. Mess with her, it said, and there will be consequences.

  Ian kept his face carefully neutral; raising Kieran’s hackles would only complicate things at this point, and things were already quite complicated enough.

  “I’ll stay with you till Dad comes down.” Kieran spoke quietly, but loud enough for Ian to hear.

  Lexi smiled at Kieran. It was filled with so much affection that Ian felt a pang of jealousy. He wanted her to look at him like that. When she wasn’t screaming his name in climax, that was.

  “It’s alright, Kier. I’ll be fine. “I’ve already made you late.”

  Kieran clearly had his doubts about leaving her alone with him, but with a few more soothing words from Lexi, he reluctantly headed upstairs. Ian didn’t miss the second warning look – this one even more pronounced - that Kieran flashed his way.

  “Care to sit down?” Ian asked casually, keeping a tight lid on the turbulence he felt within. Damn, it was hard to sit there, pretending to be polite strangers, when all he wanted to do was crush her in his arms, carry her upstairs, and spend the rest of the day picking up where they had left off in her hotel room.

  “Thanks.”

  Ian made room for her and she sat down across from him. She sipped at her coffee, both hands clutching the mug. Her eyes were focused on the coffee, but Ian’s were on her. It was awhile before either of them spoke.

  “You knew, didn’t you?” Ian asked, his voice so quiet someone a few feet away wouldn’t have heard, even in the silence of the closed pub.

  Lexi exhaled without looking up, her shoulders slumped slightly as if she had been expecting the question. “Who you were? Of course I did.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  She didn’t answer right away, taking a sip of her coffee and swirling the liquid inside the mug, looking into it as if it was a crystal ball that held all of the answers. “If I had told you who I was, would you have come back to my room?”

  “Hell, no!” he said emphatically, running his hand through his hair.

  She smiled into her mug, a sad smile. “Exactly.”

  He hadn’t expected that. “Why, Lexi?” His voice had reduced to a whisper.

  Her finger wiped slowly at the little drip of coffee running just below the rim. “I guess I needed to know.”

  “Needed to know what?”

  This time she looked right into his eyes, and he was nearly blown away by the amount of raw emotion he saw there. “Whether or not I was living in a dream world,” she answered. “If the reality could even come close to the years of fantasy.”

  Ian was floored. She’d been fantasizing for years? About him? God help him, his central nervous system just about shut down. He found himself grateful that his autonomic systems were perfectly capable of functioning on their own without any explicit direction from his brain, because if they weren’t, he’d already be dead.

  “And what did you come up with?” Jesus, was that his voice? That rough, raspy sound that sounded as though little to no air was making its way through his closed throat? He felt as if his entire future hung there in the air between them as he waited for her answer.

  “Ah, there you are.” Jack Callaghan’s booming voice resonated through the kitchen as he entered from the private staircase, interrupting their little Q & A session. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

  “Not at all,” Lexi said, her face instantly returning to the calm, pleasant mask she presented to the world. Shane was right. She had a core of solid steel, and he was one of the lucky few to have seen beyond it. “Ian was kind enough to keep me company.”

  Jack shot a glance at his son, one that spoke volumes. In it, Ian could see both warning and promise, eerily similar to the one Kieran had given him only moments before. Given the opportunity, he was pretty sure he could have vocalized his father’s thoughts at that moment in one simple statement: Hurt her, they said, and I’ll have your arse. Since Jack Callaghan was not one to utter idle threats, Ian knew he was walking a thin line.

  “The pleasure was all mine,” said Ian casually, rising. He took her cup, letting his fingers brush lightly against hers. One brief look promised her that they would finish their discussion later, before he wished them both a good morning and disappeared into the stairway.

  Chapter Nine

  Jack Callaghan was a well-known and respected staple in the Pine Ridge community. For all intents and purposes, he was a retired serviceman who travelled occasionally and tended bar with his sons. It was true enough; he did do those things. But no one was fool enough to believe that was all he did. The closest anyone ever came to the complete truth was a vague realization that they didn’t really want to know.

  Jack and his boys all held respectable jobs in the community, though occasionally one or more of them would disappear, often for weeks or months at a time. They were all fine, upstanding, law-abiding citizens. Yet most people regarded them with a sense of wariness that bordered on awe. They knew instinctively that the Callaghans were the good guys, and most were more than content with that knowledge. There was no refuting the nearly non-existent crime rate in the area, either, not all of which could be attributed to the Pine Ridge PD.

  It was precisely for these reasons that Jack accompanied Lexi to the official reading of her father’s last will and testament. Jack had always had a soft spot in his heart for Lexi, ever since Kieran dragged her home one day like a stray kitten. For a little while at least, when the boys had taken her under their wings a few years back, Jack felt like Lexi was the daughter he and his wife had always wanted but never had.

  As much as it had pained him to see her go all those years ago, he knew it was probably for the best. Now that she was back, however briefly, he would do everything he could to ensure that she got a fair shake. He had no doubt Patricia O’Connell and her daughter would not be particularly magnanimous, as evidenced by their deplorable conduct during the previous day’s events.

  Poor Brian was probably turning over in his grave.

  Jack held her small hand in his as they sat across from Patricia and Kayla in the understated professional elegance of the lawyer’s office. The dark, polished wood desk and bookshelves complimented the antique-style brass fixtures and supple leather seating, creating an atmosphere that fostered a sense of professionalism and trust.

  On the outside, Lexi looked as calm and unruffled as ever, but he knew better. He could feel her hand trembling in his, her pulse beating fast beneath his fingertips. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  As things went, the reading was relatively straight forward. Nearly all of Brian O’Connell’s assets went to Patricia as his surviving spouse. Both she and her daughter seemed to take pleasure in the fact that he hadn’t left much more than a small stipend to Lexi. Of course, thought Jack, they had no idea that Brian had Jack set up a fund in Lexi’s name years ago and had been making regular deposits. The result was a substantial amount to which no one else was privy. And if Jack had been adding a little himself here and there, well, he saw no harm in that. The result was a nice little nest
egg that, in reality, surpassed the amount willed to Patricia and Kayla.

  Lexi, however, didn’t know that. Jack’s admiration for her grew with each passing moment as the solicitor ticked off the items one by one. Not once did she give any indication that the terms of the will bothered her in the least. Her expression was thoughtful, her posture composed. Had it been the other way around, Jack was sure that the women facing them would not be conducting themselves with such grace. Lexi was Brian’s daughter, alright. Beautiful, like her mother, but strong, like her father.

  Jack’s theories were tested shortly thereafter, and, as usual, he had been dead on. The lawyer waited until the end to drop the bombshell: Brian O’Connell had stipulated in his will that a small house and property on the outskirts of town was to go to his only daughter, Alexis, in the hopes that one day she would return to her roots.

  For a few moments no one said anything. Lexi seemed just as shocked as the rest of them. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted in surprise, offering the biggest reaction he’d seen from her thus far. Then Patricia started sobbing and Kayla’s face literally turned purple with rage. The lawyer did his best, reminding them that they had the much larger house and property in town, several vehicles, and hefty sums in bank accounts, stocks, and insurance. Unfortunately, all of his assurances did little to appease them.

  “It’s alright, Mother,” Kayla said, patting her hand. “Surely she’s not going to keep it.” Kayla shot a challenging glance over Lexi’s way.

  Lexi stiffened beside him. “And why not?”

  “I would think that would be obvious.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  Kayla sat a little straighter. “You have no reason to stay, of course,” she said with a cold smile, daring Lexi to disagree.