“I don’t know. You’ve eaten pretty healthily, at least as far as I could tell.” He paused. “Okay, maybe the fried chicken and mac and cheese last night wasn’t exactly healthy.”
“Don’t forget the cheesecake,” she reminded him.
“I understand that people need to eat a certain way for a variety of reasons, but I also believe life’s too short to completely deprive yourself of something you enjoy. Moderation and all that.”
“It took me a while to accept that mindset. As long as my career was the most important thing in my life, the more willing I was to avoid certain foods. Even things I really wanted. Now, I try to eat healthy most the time, with occasional lapses. I don’t feel the need to restrict myself the way I once did.”
He was glad to hear that because he liked that she was willing to enjoy the meals they shared together. One of his mom’s ways of showing her love and care was to cook tasty food and treats for him. As kids, if he or Sean had a bad day at school, she’d offer them cookies and then make their favorite meal.
It was a wonder he didn’t have a weight problem, given his love of food. Thankfully, he also had a love of running, which helped to offset his enjoyment of food.
As they ate, a few more people showed up with kids in tow. From the shrieks of laughter as the kids ran around, it appeared they were enjoying their time out in the fresh air too.
They’d just finished their meal when the sky began to darken, and the breeze became more than just a gentle brush across his skin. Cara hugged herself as she looked up at the clouds.
“You cold?”
“A little. It was so nice earlier that I didn’t bother to bring a jacket.”
Kieran laughed. “Top tip for living in New Hope…always take a jacket with you.”
“I know. You’re right. It’s just that it was so nice…”
“Do you still want to stay for a bit? If so, I can grab you one of my jackets from the Jeep. I always have one or two with me.”
“If you don’t mind me borrowing one, I’d love to stay for a little longer. Or until it starts to rain.”
He had no problem at all with loaning her one. Especially if it meant they could stay there together awhile longer. “I’ll be right back.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kieran picked up the bag that contained the remnants of their lunch and dropped it in the garbage can as he walked back to the car. He found a windbreaker and a heavier zip-up hoodie on the back seat. He grabbed them both and headed back to where Cara sat. She had her phone out and appeared to be taking a picture of the river. He didn’t blame her for wanting to capture the view. It truly was beautiful.
“Here you go,” he said as he set the hoodie on the table. “I think that will be warmer, but if you’d prefer the windbreaker, you can have it instead.”
“Maybe you should take the hoodie since you’re not wearing a warm shirt.”
“I’m fine,” Kieran assured her as he tugged on the windbreaker before sitting back down across from her. He would have liked to sit close to her, maybe wrap his arm around her to help her warm up, but he didn’t think they were quite at that point in things yet.
“Thank you.” She put the hoodie on, not bothering to zip up, just tucking her hands into the pockets and pulling the sides across the front of her body. “That’s much better.”
Kieran was glad she’d said she wanted to stay for a bit longer in spite of the shift in the weather and the possibility of rain. Strands of her hair blew across her face, and she pulled her hand from her pocket to tuck them behind her ear.
“Do you just work Monday to Friday?” Cara asked.
“Those are my normal hours, but I suppose, technically, I’m on call all the time. If a situation arises or my officers need me for something, they know they can always call me. Like with the accident last week. They called to let me know, and I decided to head out there and see what was going on.”
“Do you ever get vacation time?”
Kieran shrugged. “I do get it, but I haven’t really utilized it much. I’ve taken a handful of days, but I haven’t needed much more than that. It helps that the job here isn’t as high stress as, say, working in Seattle or Portland might be. I don’t feel the pressing need to take time off.”
The last time he’d put in for more than a few days had been when he’d requested time off for his honeymoon. He’d ended up needing time off following his father’s death, and then his original request for holidays hadn’t mattered because the honeymoon, along with the wedding, had been canceled.
When his mom had made known her desire to return to New Hope Falls, he’d been only too happy to leave New York and the violence that had taken the lives of his brother and father and left him and his mom with the heartache and grief that had torn their lives apart.
“Are you okay?” Cara asked.
Realizing that he’d gotten lost in his thoughts, he gave her a smile. “Yeah, just trying to remember the last time I’d actually taken a full-on holiday. It’s been a while.”
He didn’t count the month or so he’d taken off to move back to New Hope Falls. That hadn’t been a break at all.
“Yeah. It’s been a while for me too. Thankfully, I love my job, so not having a vacation isn’t a big deal.”
“Where would you go if you did decide to take a couple of weeks off?”
“Good question. I moved here because I liked being near the mountains and also close to the water. The best of both worlds within a short drive. I think if I had to choose one place, it might be somewhere like New Zealand. Has anyone who’s watched The Lord of the Rings not dreamed of visiting that beautiful country?”
“I would have thought you’d like to go somewhere that has a renowned ballet company.”
Cara’s gaze went distant as she stared past him. He didn’t like that his question had created that response in her, and he wondered what exactly had set it off.
When her gaze came back into focus, she gave him a small smile. “You would think that, right? But it’s hard to think about going anywhere ballet related because that was a plan I’d had with my mom. We were going to visit as many of the major companies as we could. Paris. London. New York. Moscow. Just to name a few.”
“What happened to your mom?”
She hesitated just briefly before saying, “She was in a car accident. It killed her instantly.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Kieran knew all too well the pain of losing a parent unexpectedly. “That must have been a huge shock.”
“It was,” Cara said, her gaze once again moving from his. “It was horrible.”
Their conversation had ended up as dark as the sky, and Kieran wanted to steer it back into happier territory.
Apparently Cara wanted to as well, because she said, “Where would you like to go if you took a vacation?”
Kieran didn’t have an immediate answer. For their honeymoon, Toni had wanted to go somewhere with a beach, and since he hadn’t had a strong preference for anything different, he’d agreed. They’d ended up booked into an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas.
“If it were up to me, and I didn’t have to take anyone else’s preferences into account, I’d probably end up going to Daytona or Talladega for a NASCAR race.”
Her eyes widened at that. “You’re into racing?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m a die-hard fan, but I enjoy watching the races and would love to see one in person some day.”
“I can’t say I’ve ever watched a race.”
“We might have to remedy that one day. Unfortunately, there are only a few races left in this season, but it starts up again in February.”
“Do you watch any other sports?”
“I’ll watch whatever’s on, but I prefer football or baseball. Basketball, in a pinch, but hockey isn’t really my sport at all.”
“Do you know how to skate?”
Kieran laughed. “Nope. I never had any desire to balance on a thin blade while sliding around on
the ice.”
She smiled at him, her eyes lighting up. “But skating is so beautiful.”
“Let me guess. You know how to figure skate.”
“I do. I took lessons for a few years but then decided I was more interested in ballet.”
“I bet you were a beautiful skater. As beautiful as you are a dancer.”
Her expression turned curious with a tinge of something else Kieran couldn’t quite put his finger on. “How would you know that?”
“Just a wild guess that the black and white photos on the wall of your hallway are of you.”
“Oh. Right. I forgot you’d seen those.”
“Even if I hadn’t, I still would have known you were a beautiful ballerina. I mean, you’re a beautiful woman, so it only stands to reason.”
Cara laughed and dropped her gaze, her cheeks turning pink. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“You’re welcome. I call ‘em as I see ‘em.”
“Though I do have to say that the definition of a beautiful ballerina in the ballet world is different from yours. Though I can’t say I object to that.”
They both laughed, and Kieran found he enjoyed hearing her laugh and seeing her eyes twinkle with merriment. He knew they would have many serious conversations if things moved forward—please, yes!—but he hoped they had even more lighthearted moments filled with laughter.
“Those photos were taken quite a few years ago. My mom had them hanging in her house, so I brought them with me when I moved.”
“They really were quite stunning. Especially since they’re in black and white like that.”
“It was a fun photoshoot. My mom set it all up, wanting to have them for her home.”
Kieran could see her mood dipping again, and though he didn’t want to discourage her from speaking about her mother, it hurt him to see the sadness on her face. “Did she know that you planned to set up a dance studio?”
Cara shook her head. “I only decided to do that after she passed away, but I think she would have understood the change in direction my career took.”
“And your father?”
Another hesitation. “He was very supportive of my move to New Hope, and he loves to hear about the studio.”
“Has he ever visited you here?”
“No. He wasn’t able to make it before his health began to fail.”
“Have you been able to see him regularly since he’s been sick?”
She nodded. “I try to make it to see him every few weeks.”
“Where does he live?”
Her gaze dropped again, and she pulled the hoodie’s edges more tightly to her body. “Texas. He moved there after my mom died.”
Kieran wondered why she hadn’t moved there with her father, but given the fact that the subject seemed to be a difficult one for her, he decided to let it go. Maybe another day she’d be willing to share more. It was only the second time they’d hung out together with the goal of getting to know each other. He could save further questions on the difficult subject of her father for a different time.
Though he wanted to know all about her, he wasn’t quite sure he was ready to talk about what had happened in his own past. At least not yet.
He glanced around, seeing that most of the people who had been there earlier had left. With the sun behind the clouds, people were retreating to the protection of the indoors. Most of the time, it was a fifty-fifty shot if they’d get rain once the day darkened like it had. People who didn’t live in the area often thought it rained every single day, but the reality was, that it didn’t. In fact, depending on the time of year, they didn’t get as much rain as people attributed to them.
Yes, they probably had more rainy days in a year than sunny ones, but it wasn’t by an overwhelming majority. Still, it wasn’t a big surprise when he felt the first splatter of rain on his cheek.
“Guess it’s time to head back,” he said with a grimace. “I’m surprised the rain held off this long.”
“We did get lucky, didn’t we?” Cara said as they got up from the table. “It’s been lovely.”
When the rain began to increase in intensity as they made their way back to the Jeep, Kieran reached out and took Cara’s hand. “Let’s make a run for it.”
Cara grasped his hand tightly as they made quick work of the distance to the parking lot. He unlocked the doors then opened her door for her. Cara didn’t hesitate to quickly duck inside. Kieran shut the door and jogged around to the driver’s side.
“Hope your seats will survive this,” Cara said as she buckled her seatbelt.
“They’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time they’ve gotten a little wet.” Kieran started the Jeep.
He was in no hurry to get home, so he continued on the road away from New Hope. It would be the first step in letting her in on the splendor of the region. For Kieran, the beauty of New Hope and the surrounding area was its biggest draw.
The rain made it difficult to truly appreciate the sights, but Cara didn’t comment about the fact that they weren’t heading back to the town. The radio played music from a local Christian radio station softly in the background.
Their conversation centered on the areas he was driving through. Cara appeared to be interested in the little stories he shared of things he’d seen because of his job.
He still wondered if she’d given any real thought to what dating him might mean. Though he wanted to know, he was a little afraid to ask. Maybe after a couple more dates, if things were still going well, he’d initiate the conversation and pray that she would be receptive to continuing to date him despite his career. He wasn’t prepared to give up his job, so all he could do was hope that the woman he’d set his heart on would accept all of him, including what he did for a living.
~*~
Cara relaxed back in her seat, pulling the hoodie tight around her. She loved being wrapped up in the warmth of it and catching the lingering scent of Kieran’s cologne. Ensconced within Kieran’s Jeep, she appreciated the light conversation set against the softly playing music.
It gave her a glimpse of what it might be like to have a relationship in her life. To be able to spend time with someone, just the two of them, sharing a meal and conversation. Learning about each other. Sharing their lives.
The only thing that gave her a moment’s pause was his job. She supposed some would say she should be worried about the danger of his profession, but that didn’t concern her at all. First of all, New Hope wasn’t necessarily a hotbed of violent crime. Second, if she came to love him like her mom and dad had loved each other, she would be grateful for any time they had together, be it short or long.
It was more of a concern that his job gave him access to tools that might reveal her past, and now that she’d had a taste of being with Kieran, she didn’t want to risk losing him.
One thing she’d realized earlier when Kieran had taken her hand was that she missed that physical connection. After living the first couple decades of her life being lavished with love and affection by both parents, it had been hard to basically lose all of that in the space of a few months. Her mom’s death had been the first blow, but then when her father had gone to prison, all that easy physical affection had stopped completely.
She wanted to have those affectionate and loving touches again. Hugs. Hand holding. Kisses. And being with Kieran was bringing that desire to the surface in an intensity she hadn’t felt since the days following her father’s incarceration. Cara knew she shouldn’t rush things on a physical level, but she couldn’t help the pull she felt to Kieran.
“Did I lose you?”
Kieran’s question brought her thoughts back to the cozy atmosphere inside the car. “Sorry. My thoughts drifted just a bit. What did I miss?”
Kieran chuckled. “Nothing important. You just kind of zoned out.”
“Yes, I did, and I do apologize for that. Every once in awhile, my mind catches on something, and I focus in on it. Sometimes to the exclusion of things around me.”
/> “I think we all have those moments.” He looked at her briefly, giving her a warm smile. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t take offense.”
Cara was glad to hear that because the last thing she wanted was to upset him. He’d been so good to her, and she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t enjoying the time they spent together, because she really did.
When his phone rang a minute later, she could see from the display on the dash that it was his mom. He pressed the screen to answer it without hesitating, and she wondered if he did that because he was worried something might be wrong.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. Where are you?”
“Out for a bit of a drive.”
“Oh. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just wanted to get out of town for a little while.”
Cara noticed he wasn’t saying anything about her, and while someone else might have taken offense at that, she didn’t. Living in a small town, she was aware that speculation and rumors sometimes traveled at lightning speed. Even though she’d run into a few people—like Missy—speculating about how things were between her and Kieran, she wasn’t quite ready for the scrutiny of the townspeople. Even Kieran’s mom.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Did something happen?”
“No, nothing has happened. I just wondered if you planned to come over this week for Sean’s birthday.”
Kieran gave Cara a quick look before he answered. “Of course, Mom. I wouldn’t miss it, you know that.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s been almost six years. He would have been thirty this year.”
“I know.”
Cara’s curiosity was piqued as she listened to them talk, wondering who Sean was. Like when he’d taken his mom’s call in her office, it felt a bit awkward listening in on a personal conversation—both sides of it this time. But short of digging out her earbuds and her phone, she had no way to avoid it.
Instead, she turned her attention out the window, but not before noticing that Kieran’s easygoing demeanor had given way to tension. Where he’d only loosely held the steering wheel earlier, he now had a firm grip on it.
Because of Him: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 2) Page 14
