Wild Irish Heart (The Mystic Cove Series Book 1)

by Tricia O'Malley

  Keelin gave him the finger and stormed back up the beach.

  "I thought nobody could come in the cove," Keelin steamed to Fiona as she pulled her t-shirt over her wet clothes. She was furious that Flynn had caught her at a disadvantage again.

  "I said people who were searching for treasure or didn't protect themselves. Flynn learned long ago the ways of the cove. His respect is rewarded in the freshest of seafood and he gets premium prices for what he catches from here."

  "Hmpf." Keelin glared at him over the water. That man showed up at the damndest of times.

  With a small smile, Fiona hummed a song and gathered her finds for the day.

  "Come, let's go eat. I'm famished. Perhaps we can ride into town for a pint."

  Keelin nodded her agreement. Quickly, she gathered her goods and refused to look back at the small boat on the cove. She had given Flynn enough satisfaction for the day.

  Chapter Ten

  Fiona warmed up an Irish stew and brown bread for dinner. Starving, Keelin found herself asking for seconds. She made a note to pay attention to what she ate here. All this brown bread could not be good for her waistline. She sighed. Not like she had the best waistline as it was, but her soft curves still showed a nice hourglass figure. Keelin blushed at thinking of Flynn seeing her in her underwear. Usually she wore a one-piece and a cover-up at the pool.

  "Grandma, can you tell me about my father? Is he still here? Mom won't talk of him."

  It had been on Keelin's mind all day and she hadn't known the best way to bring it up. Keelin typically went the direct route with these things so she decided to spring it on Fiona.

  "Yes, I know your father. He no longer lives in Grace's Cove. The poor man really struggled after your mother left. He did eventually marry and have children though."

  "Excuse me? Children? I have brothers or sisters?" Keelin said. Her hand slammed the plate she was holding to the table and she struggled to take a breath. Her mother had never said a word. Keelin's heart pounded as she thought of seeing siblings that looked like her.

  "Well, yes. Did you think that he never moved on? Why hasn't your mother told you this?" Fiona tsk-tsked as she cleared the table. "You have a half-sister and a half-brother. Twins. They still live here. Your father lives in Dublin. I suppose it will only be right for me to take you to meet them." Fiona smoothed the cloth that she had dried the dishes with.

  "I, I. I don't even know what to say. A brother and a sister." Keelin felt tears prick her eyes at the injustice of not knowing about her family. She had always wanted siblings. Fiona crossed to her and gently rubbed her arm. Keelin could feel a cool balm course through her from Fiona's touch.

  "Let's go down for a pint. You look like you need a drink. We can talk more."

  Keelin, still reeling from the surprise of not being an only child, stumbled her way into her room to change into fresh clothes. How could Fiona have told her this news so casually? She truly must have thought that Margaret told her about the twins. Keelin made a mental note to have a serious word with her mother. She wondered what other secrets she would uncover during her stay. Keelin glanced quickly at her phone to see that there were no missed calls. Margaret hadn't called yet to check in with her. Keelin sighed and moved to her closet.

  What to wear to an Irish pub? Not sure of the dress code in a small village, she pulled on a maxi skirt, boots, and a black scoop-neck top. She topped the outfit off with a statement necklace, left her long hair to curl loosely in beachy waves from the sea salt, and added some mascara to make her eyes pop. This was as good as it would get after a day like today, she thought. Ancient pirates, healers, universal powers, protection prayers, and the addition of new family members was enough to make her want to curl up in bed with her iPad and a bucket of ice cream.

  Keelin found Fiona in front of the cottage in a late-model cherry-red SUV. She looked stylish with her hair tamed in a braid, wearing a white blouse tucked into a navy skirt with flowers embroidered at the hem. Silver drops winked at her ears and Keelin could see a necklace of intricate crystals around her neck.

  "Come on! Girl's night!" Fiona laughed at her.

  Smiling, Keelin hopped in and watched as the sun tucked itself into the horizon. The cliffs turned crimson in the soft light and the cove took on a dreamlike quality. If she painted, Keelin would do it in watercolor and call it "Goodnight Kiss."

  "Tell me about my brother and sister," Keelin said. The words felt weird. She had always wished for a sister or brother but had certainly not expected to discover a pair of siblings this late in life.

  "Your father was devastated after your mother left, but like most men, he didn't function well on his own. He went looking for someone to fill her place and eventually settled with a quiet young woman from the neighboring village. Your sister and brother were born quite quickly after their wedding and we aren't entirely sure if a full nine months had passed, if you get my meaning. Though, I hear that twins come early."

  "How old are they?"

  "Hmm, let's see, this was two years after your mother left. So I'd say 26 or 27? A couple of years younger than you."

  "Where do they live?"

  "They are both in the village; your brother helps to run the local chemist in the next town over and your sister has an art studio downtown."

  Keelin wondered if it was the storefront with the lace that she had stopped to admire.

  "Their names?" Keelin asked quietly.

  "Oh my! Yes, of course. Colin and Aislinn. Fine Irish names." Fiona pulled into a small lot behind a brightly colored pub. A cheerful red door complemented the deep blue of the building, and the sound of a pipe lilted through the open door.

  "Ahh, the first set is starting," Fiona said.

  Keelin noticed the rough-hewn sign with the deeply etched "Gallagher's Pub" that hung over the door. She hoped this was the same pub that the nice girl she had met at the airport owned. She assumed it was. Just how many Gallagher's Pubs would there be in this village?

  Keelin walked into the pub and scanned the room. Booths were crammed with families, and people of all ages laughed and jostled each other as they clapped along with the band that was tucked into a small booth in front. The walls were cluttered with family photos, the path was clear to the bar, and the lighting was just right to complement the females of the place. Keelin followed Fiona as she wove her way to the bar, and noticed some people quickly step out of her way and cross themselves. Others greeted Fiona with a shout.

  "Two Bulmers, please." Fiona ordered for her. "You'll love the local cider. Crisp and refreshing after a day like today."

  Keelin nodded. She preferred dark beer, but a cider did sound refreshing. Her neck tingled. She turned her head and saw the flash of blue eyes that seemed to follow her. Flynn sat in the middle of the booth and strummed a cheerful tune on his banjo, matching his deep baritone to the lilting soprano in the group. His large hands caressed the banjo lovingly and Keelin found herself mesmerized by the way he stroked the instrument. His fingers played lightly across the strings and she imagined his hands on her. Cursing herself, she flushed as his eyes met hers and he cracked a smile. Damn that man. Of course he played an instrument too. Was there anything he couldn't do?

  Keelin gulped down half of her cider and followed her grandmother to a small table. Keelin was introduced to a few of the locals. She scanned the room and hoped to see Cait.

  "Hello."

  Keelin turned and saw a blond man standing by her table. He was tall and lanky and was just saved from boyishness by a stubborn jut to his jaw. His brown eyes were nice, yet his smile didn't fully reach his eyes.

  "I'm Shane MacAuliffe. You must be Fiona's granddaughter, Keelin." He held out his hand.

  "Yes, hello. Nice to meet you." Keelin held out her hand. Shane held it a beat longer than was polite and Keelin saw healthy male admiration in his eyes. She allowed her smile to deepen. What a perfect distraction this could be from the surly male tucked in the front booth.

  "Join us,
please." Keelin patted a spot on the bench next to her. She noticed Fiona didn't address Shane, but she was engaged in conversation with people to her right.

  "I'd love to, thank you." Shane sat close to Keelin and began to quiz her about the States. He spoke longingly of the freedom of big towns and Keelin wondered if he yearned for more than what Grace's Cove offered to him. His brown eyes took on a sense of anticipation as he hung on Keelin's words about Boston.

  On her second round of cider, Keelin laughed at Shane. "Enough about me! Tell me about yourself." Keelin had noticed that not many people in the pub had spoken with Shane, though he had waved at many. Something was off here. A flash of bitterness crossed his face and then his features smoothed.

  "I work here in town. I'm in commercial real estate and own many of the business properties downtown. As a landlord, I guess you could say that I’m not the most popular guy in a town that struggles to make rent." He produced a sheepish grin with the statement and looked at her from under his eyebrows.

  Keelin was charmed. Her mother would love Shane. Which meant Keelin could never date him. No harm making friends though, she thought. Shane proceeded to point people out around the bar and regale her with local lore. She found herself laughing and enjoying his company. He wasn't such a bad guy. Risking a look, she glanced towards the musicians in the front booth. The smug smile gone, Flynn met her eyes directly. Not my problem, she thought. She wanted nothing to do with him. She lifted her chin and looked away.

  "Keelin!" Cait waved to her from behind the bar. The band was on break and Keelin excused herself to go say hello to Cait. Cait looked petite behind the bar but managed to keep conversations going as she topped off three glasses of Guinness that waited to settle and poured a whiskey neat.

  "How are you settling in?" Cait asked.

  "I'm doing good. It's really been a whirlwind. I'm learning a lot. Like way too much." The cider was catching up with her a bit and Keelin bit down on her lip before she said something revealing.

  "Well, I've earned myself a break. Let's have a sip of whiskey to commemorate your arrival and you can tell me what you were talking with Shane about. He seems to like you."

  Keelin caught a hint of bitterness there.

  "No, no. He's just a nice guy talking to me about the town."

  "Mmm." Cait made a noncommittal noise and eased herself under the pass-through. Nudging a few guys out of the way, she cleared a spot for Keelin and her to sit at a high table in the back.

  "Do you have a boyfriend?" Cait asked her as she raised her glass to Keelin in a toast.

  "No, I'm single. I have been for a while to be honest. Boston guys just want quick one-night stands and I'm just not into that." Keelin couldn't bring herself to say that they didn’t want one-night stands with her – the bigger girl who had a hint of something off about her. She just never seemed to manage herself well in normal relationships.

  "Well, men are nothing but trouble anyway and I've sworn myself off them. For a while at least." Cait laughed at her but Keelin saw her watch Shane as she said that.

  "Trouble they are." Keelin glanced quickly to the front booth, but Flynn was gone. Shrugging, she returned to the conversation.

  "So, you found out about Colin and Aislinn, I'm assuming?" Being a bartender had taught Cait to cut to the quick of things.

  "Whoa. Yes, holy shit. I mean, how do I just go through twenty-eight years of not knowing that I have a sister and a brother?" Keelin slammed her hand flat on the table. "I mean, come on!"

  "No kidding. Someone should have told you. They knew about you. It's only fair." Holding up her whiskey in commiseration, Cait clinked her glass to Keelin's.

  Keelin couldn't believe it. She sputtered against the heat of the whiskey.

  "They knew about me! Why didn't they try to contact me?" She took down the rest of her whiskey in one gulp and coughed as it burned her throat. Cait pumped her on the back and laughed.

  "Slow down. It's meant for sipping."

  Tears pricked Keelin's eyes as she struggled to breathe. She took a tentative sip of her cider to cool her throat.

  "I don't know why they didn't get hold of you. It was all so long ago and we all knew that Margaret would never come back. It just didn't seem real until you showed up," Cait said.

  Keelin nodded. She supposed it made sense. But that wasn't going to stop her from having some choice words with her mother.

  "My break's over. Next set is starting soon. Come see me for lunch this week. I'd love to have a girl's night soon." Cait smiled and cleared the table as she shouted to the bartenders to get moving.

  Keelin nodded and stood up to go, catching her foot on the stool and tipping a bit as she stumbled forward directly into a rock-hard chest. Lifting her eyes up, she blew hair out of her eyes as she stared at a dreamy mouth a few inches from hers. Blue eyes looked into hers.

  "Steady as you go there. Perhaps you should slow down on the liquor," Flynn said as he gripped her arms.

  "Perhaps you should not tell me what to do," Keelin said, and pushed his hands off of her arms. She stomped past him back to her table, cursing herself for the flush that crept up her face and how close she had been to leaning in and taking a little nip of his lip. Just a small tug of that deep bottom lip. A long, liquid pull tugged low in her stomach. Keelin groaned. She did need to lay off the liquor or she'd be throwing herself at Flynn in no time.

  Shane quickly joined her at the table and nudged a glass of water towards her.

  "I saw Cait shoving whiskey at you," Shane said. He sliced an accusatory glance at the bar.

  "No, she wasn't shoving. We were toasting. The new additions to my family, apparently." Keelin giggled.

  "Oh, your sister and brother? Yes, I suppose that was a shock if you didn't know," Shane said.

  "Jesus, does anyone not know everyone's business here?" Keelin wondered.

  "Small Irish towns. Long history. You'll get used to hearing the same stories over and over," Shane said with a shrug.

  "I suppose."

  "Say, Keelin." Shane leaned closer and put his hand on her leg. "I'd love to take you to dinner sometime if you'd be interested." He smiled and looked into her eyes. His meaning was clear. Her mind wasn't.

  "Um, sure, maybe. Well, as friends. I'm not really looking to date anyone at the moment." Keelin saw Cait throw her towel down on the bar and storm off. She looked up and saw Flynn glaring at her from the front booth.

  "Friends. Just as friends." Shane smiled. "I'd like that." He leaned over and pecked her on the cheek and Keelin blushed.

  "Time to go, Keelin." Fiona grabbed her hand and helped her up. She was softly singing to the music and entwined her arms with hers as she walked out. Stars pricked the sky and a breeze teased the ocean scent to her.

  "So you like that young Shane, do you?" Fiona asked as she started the car and drove from the harbor and towards the hills.

  "He seemed nice. But I think Cait's into him. He asked me out on a date. My mother would love him – a prosperous real estate owner."

  "Hmm, and will you go?"

  "No." Keelin sighed. "I learned long ago that if my mother would love him then I will hate him. It just doesn't work. Plus, I'd like to be friends with Cait and it seems like the waters are muddy there."

  "That's a good girl."

  Fiona pulled the car into the drive. They chattered about the local gossip on the way into the house. Fiona stopped and gave Keelin a hug in the kitchen.

  "I'm so happy you are here. It's been lonely." She smiled and gave Keelin a scone, along with a pitcher of water for her room. "Sleep well, dear."

  Keelin wolfed down the scone and then cursed herself. So much for watching the calories. She poured a glass of water and walked to the window, looking out over the cove. It was hypnotizing in the moonlight. The sky spread over the water and the stars looked like someone had tossed a bag of diamonds onto a velvet rug. It was so hauntingly beautiful that she was compelled to go outside to see it more clearly.

&nb
sp; Keelin quietly eased the latch open and snuck out of the house. Not that she had to sneak out, she reminded herself. She was a twenty-eight-year-old woman and she could damn well go outside if she wanted to look at the stars.

  The sound of waves pulled her towards the cove. The sky was stunning and the moon's light sliced a path through the water. Until the cove. It stopped at the cove. Keelin was determined to see why this was and hurried her way across the hills until she reached the edge of the cove. The waters remained dark though the moon shone brightly above them. Keelin rushed down the path to the shore, slipping and sliding on the rough trail, the cider making her clumsier than usual. At the base of the path, she stumbled onto the beach.

  "I don't get it. How does this make sense?" She walked rapidly towards the cove, scanning the cliffs to see where the light of the moon ended. The beach was lit up, yet the water remained dark.

  "This just shouldn't be."

  She walked towards the edge of the water. Was there something in the water that prevented reflection? A type of reverse phosphorous fish that absorbed the light? She reached down at the water's edge to scoop up a handful of water and sand to check if the water held something unusual…perhaps a dark substance of sorts. A huge crash sounded and she was hit hard with a wave. The force of the water dragged her across the bottom of the sand and her leg sliced against coral. Keelin shrieked and closed her mouth against the onslaught of water and held her breath. She was tumbled across the sand of the beach and scrambled to catch her feet in the fierce undertow. Her long skirt wound between her legs and her boots made her clumsy. She tried to kick for the surface when she was jerked from the water and dragged against a hard chest.

  Keelin gasped for air and held on as she was pulled onto the beach. She tripped over her feet and skirt and was scooped up as if she weighed nothing. She coughed out water and nestled into the warmth of the chest. Just for a moment. She knew who had rescued her. She needed a moment.

  Unfortunately, a moment she would not get.

  Flynn dropped Keelin to her feet.