Everyone involved knew he was merely a scapegoat, since they still hadn’t managed to catch the masterminds behind the burglar gangs, but that hadn’t kept either the attorney or the judge from nailing him to the cross.
His time behind bars had been a catastrophe for Aidan. Not on his own behalf, but because he’d had to leave his younger sister to her own devices. At the time, she’d been in a relationship with the man sitting next to her at the table now, and who presently carried a different name than he had when they’d met. Down-on-his-luck Liam Gallagher, who had fallen head over heels for Aidan’s sister and thus found his way into both his confidence and his gang, had become Detective Shane Fitzpatrick, who had fooled both Aidan and Thorne into believing his lies and stories. When Aidan had been sent to jail, Liam Gallagher had disappeared, leaving Thorne without an explanation for his sudden absence. She had been left alone, abandoned, and financially ruined, before giving birth to a healthy son eight months later. Brady had met his father only a few months ago.
Granted, Aidan’s prospective brother-in-law was doing all he could to make up for his past moral failures, and it seemed that Thorne was very happy with him now. But Aidan couldn’t help being extremely suspicious of Shane Fitzpatrick’s motives, even today.
In his opinion, the detective still had to redeem himself before Aidan could be sure his sister was in good hands. He found it harder than Thorne to forgive the man for what he’d done to her. Sure, Shane had told him that he hadn’t been with Thorne seven years ago merely because his job as an undercover cop had forced him to, but also because he’d already been in love with her then. But that didn’t change the fact that Aidan still felt the urge to kick his ass to the moon and back. It was only for Thorne’s sake that Aidan had so far refrained from hiding in a dark corner to wait to beat up Shane.
It sounded strange, but Aidan wasn’t really angry with Shane for exposing him and, thus, ultimately sending him to jail. His sentence was nobody’s fault but his own, even though Aidan would have preferred to spend the last seven years in freedom. No, there were a lot of things Aidan could hold against Shane, but the time he’d served wasn’t one of them. The only thing that mattered to him now was that Shane treated his sister and his nephew well. It was one thing for a man to lie to another man while working to expose his crimes, but it was a completely different thing for a man to exploit an innocent woman in the course of doing his job. Aiden didn’t know if he could ever forget this fact or come to like Shane.
Seven months ago, he’d been released, returned home to be with his sister … and found her with Liam—now Shane. Since he could hardly hide the mixed feelings he harbored against his future brother-in-law, he had deemed it better to give the besotted couple a little time on their own and vanish, for the time being. Though he would have preferred to stick with the only family he had left, he had gone to Canada to work as a welder on the oil rig. After six months without a single day off, he was $30,000 richer and a lot closer to his lifelong dream.
On top of that, his yearning to be close to Thorne and Brady had become stronger and stronger with every day on the rig, so he’d left the lucrative job and returned to Boston in time to lead his fatherless sister to the altar.
And to keep an eye on Shane, truth be told.
Thorne was the only family he had. Their mom had died when he was a teenager, and their dad had passed right after Thorne had finished high school. All he’d left them was the mortgage for the old house in Quincy and a bunch of other debts. At the time, Aidan had despaired of taking care of his little sister and simultaneously keeping the house that meant so much to her. He’d thought he could turn his luck around and get rid of their money problems by agreeing to take part in all that shady business.
And yet he’d already known at the time that it was wrong.
“Who’s in the mood for dessert?” his sister asked, trying her best to lighten the strangely oppressive mood at the table.
“Me, Mom!”
“What’s for dessert?” Shane’s blond brother Ryan wanted to know. He had offered Aidan a beer when he’d arrived and then proceeded to chat with him in a way that belied his awareness of the seven years the future in-law had spent behind bars. Though the kid was also a cop, he didn’t seem to view Aidan with any suspicion, nor did he appear to want to cross-examine him. That was a relief. “If you have any apple pie, I’ll stay.”
“I guess we’re all lucky then.” Thorne sighed theatrically and threw her hands up. “Maybe you’ll even be lucky enough to take home the leftovers—as you always do, Ryan.”
“You’re just too good at cooking and baking,” the blond said, leaning back in his chair.
“I ought to throw you out of the house,” Shane grumbled and made a face. “You keep staying for dinner when nobody invited you, and then you steal all the leftovers that are meant for me to take to work the next day.”
“You better watch your calorie intake, Shane,” his younger brother said with a grin, “or your suit for the wedding isn’t going to fit your growing paunch. It would be a real shame for your pretty bride to marry a fat meat loaf.”
Aidan listened to the verbal exchange without venturing an opinion and kept observing Brady, who was looking up to his father with the unadulterated admiration of a six-year-old who seemed very happy overall. As soon as he started pondering the happiness of his nephew, his sister gave him a soft smile and then cocked her head to wink at him.
“And what’s with the allegations anyway?” Ryan demanded, outraged. “Can’t I just drop by when I miss my family and want to spend time with them?”
A loud snort was his answer, and it came from the dark-haired woman who sat across from Aidan and was currently busy feeding the little girl next to her. “You mean you wanted to spend some time with Shane’s TV and Thorne’s food, right?”
“And why did you come here tonight, Kayleigh?”
“I’m the dedicated aunt who wanted to return Brady to his parents and was cordially invited to stay for dinner. Meanwhile, you don’t have a TV and are unable to operate a microwave.”
It seemed that Ryan Fitzpatrick knew when he was fighting a losing battle, because he simply threw up his hands in a gesture of defeat and gave Aidan a frustrated look. “You should be glad you don’t have an older sister, man. You have no idea how much Kyle and I suffered at Kayleigh’s hands! She probably just wants that apple pie all to herself, that’s why she’s making waves now.”
Unfazed, said sister laughed out loud and then wiped the mouth of the little girl next to her. “You know, Thorne really is very fond of me, and that’s why I’m positive she’ll wrap up those leftovers for me and nobody else.”
Shane clucked his tongue. “Hey! May I remind you guys that I’m the man she’s going to marry?”
Thorne shook her head. “Before you start wrestling each other to the ground, I’m going to cut up the pie in a way that there won’t be any leftovers, okay?”
Aidan cleared his throat and murmured, “Don’t set aside a slice for me, Thorne. I really can’t eat another bite.”
“Can I have Uncle Aidan’s slice?” Brady asked greedily. He was answered by another shake of his mother’s head.
She turned to her brother with a look of concern. “Are you sure, Aidan?”
“Positive,” he insisted good-naturedly, wondering about the right moment to buzz off. He’d been traveling for more than twenty hours, first on that jittery helicopter flight from the rig over to Newfoundland, then on a flight from there to Halifax, and finally on an eleven-hour bus trip to Boston. Now he had to take care of finding a place to stay until he could move into his own apartment. Thus, he had no choice but to leave soon to find a hotel room, even though he would have liked to spend more time with his sister—preferably alone, which didn’t seem likely tonight.
He also had to admit that Kayleigh Fitzpatrick’s presence confused him more than a little, considering how their encounter a few months ago had ended. But while the woman with the incr
edibly green eyes and the dimples—and who had cut off her long, dark hair—didn’t seem the slightest bit unnerved by his presence, acting as if she’d never seen him before, Aidan had a hard time keeping himself from staring at her.
He hadn’t expected to see her ever again, but tonight he’d been shocked to discover that the woman he’d met right after getting out of jail was his own sister’s sister-in-law—the sister of the man who now rose and carried the empty plates into the kitchen. Shane went to help Thorne bring out the pie, and Brady ran after him …
Aidan had never believed in karma, but this …
He decided this was his chance to leave. He moved to push back his chair when Ryan thwarted his plans by turning to him and asking with genuine interest, “So how long were you in Canada again, Aidan?”
“Six months.”
The policeman groaned. “Six months on an oil rig! In desolate Canada, to boot. I think I would have gone berserk after a month!”
Aidan ignored the curious glance the cop’s sister shot him and shrugged. “It’s not that bad. And the money is really good.”
“But didn’t you freeze off your you-know-what in that climate?”
He liked the young man, so he answered indulgently, “Not that I’m aware of, no.”
“Have you checked whether it’s still in working condition?”
“Jesus, Ryan!” his sister complained. “Aren’t you a picture of manners and restraint?”
Ryan blinked in outrage. “You going to lecture me on restraint? What did you recently say about living in glass houses? You’re the one who’s constantly telling disgusting stories about your patients.” He turned to Aidan and explained, “Every single time the family sits down at the dinner table, Kayleigh has a knack for detailed reporting on rectal exams, diarrhea, and injuries from sexual experimentation.”
“Sexual experimentation?” she echoed, zooming in on the question that made Aidan curious as well. “When did I ever mention any sexual injuries, Ryan?”
“Didn’t you tell us about that old couple they brought in a while ago? The grandpa was about to have a heart attack, and the grandma had dislocated her hip?”
Aidan bit his lip, but he couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
Kayleigh threw Aidan another irritated glance and turned away from her brother. “My tales entertain the entire family and, thus, serve a vital function.”
If Aidan wasn’t completely wrong, she was starting to become embarrassed by the conversation. Her cheeks had reddened. He understood this all too well, considering their past encounter.
“Your perverted tendencies only serve to disgust the entire family, Kayleigh.”
Aidan could no longer keep it in, so he repeated, “Perverted tendencies?”
She directed her glare from her brother to him, and her cheeks were flaming red now, which Ryan obviously thought hilarious. “Since when do you blush, dearest sister? You don’t even flinch when you have to examine naked homeless guys!”
Aidan saw that she had a retort ready, but then the host family entered the room again, and Thorne brought her famous apple pie to the table. Before she could sit down, he caught her eye. “Thorne, I’m about to leave, so …”
“Already?” Her disappointment was plain.
He nodded with a half smile. “I’m not leaving town, but if I want to find a half-decent hotel for the night, I need to get going now.”
“A hotel?” His sister shook her head. “No way you’re staying at a hotel! We have enough room right here.”
He wanted to say that it wasn’t a good idea for him to share a roof with her fiancé, but instead he remembered their earlier talk about helping with renovations. “You’re still working on the house, Thorne, and you’re also planning a wedding. You don’t need an extra guest right now—”
“But you’re my brother,” she interrupted. “I don’t want you to sleep in a hotel.”
“There’s nothing wrong with hotels.” He shrugged, wishing he could talk to her in private so he didn’t have to feel the eyes of the rest of the family on him. “Tomorrow I’ll start looking for an apartment anyway.”
Thorne uttered a disappointed sigh. “Aidan.”
And then his soon-to-be brother-in-law intervened. “If you don’t mind, you could have Brady’s room. He could sleep with us and you could make yourself at home right here.”
Aidan didn’t know why Shane was suddenly so obliging, but he shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m going to stay at a hotel.”
“Good luck with that,” Ryan chimed in as he put a large slice of pie on his plate. “There are three different conventions in Boston right now, and I think one of those cosplay things started today. I bet the hotels have been booked for months, and any that still have rooms available will be ridiculously expensive.”
Thorne laughed triumphantly. “Ha! You’re going to have to stay with us.”
Aidan shook his head firmly. “I’m not going to take Brady’s room,” he stated with an almost grim expression. “I’ll find something, I’m sure.”
“And it will be extremely expensive,” Thorne protested.
Trying to extricate himself from his sister’s insistence, he raised a hand and sighed. “You don’t have enough space, Thorne. It’s not a problem, really.”
“But I know who’s got a lot of extra space and a guest room ready for use,” Ryan interrupted gleefully. “Kayleigh.” He pointed to his sister with his fork.
Kayleigh had just fed the little girl a spoonful of pie, and now she looked up, confused. “What?”
“You have a lot of space in your house, Kayleigh. Aidan could stay in the guest room for a few days, right?”
She slowly opened her mouth, looking unsure of what to say as she threw him a glance, and Aidan immediately refused. “Can’t impose on her, either. We don’t even know each other …”
“No worries!” Ryan brushed it aside. “Kayleigh isn’t one of those complicated women. She’s really cool. Some of my pals stayed at her place when they came to town—and she didn’t know them either. And you’re part of the family!”
While that may have been true, he didn’t think it would be a good idea to become Kayleigh Fitzpatrick’s roommate. “I really don’t want to impose on any of you,” he said firmly, hoping this would put an end to the uncomfortable discussion.
“Don’t be silly.” Ryan nodded at his sister. “Kayleigh spends most of her time at the hospital anyway, so you’ll have the run of her house. And she lives right around the corner from here …”
Thorne cleared her throat. “Ryan, I don’t think we should offer Kayleigh’s guest room without even asking her.”
“Well,” Shane added his two cents, “it would be a sensible solution, and Kayleigh is always happy to have guests. When my ex needed a new …” He stopped himself and threw Thorne an alarmed glance, which she answered with a calmly lifted eyebrow.
The evening seemed to be getting increasingly weird, so Aidan crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked across the table at Kayleigh, who didn’t exactly look as if she’d won the jackpot.
“As I said, I’m going to find a hotel.”
The woman who’d frowned at him a moment earlier now ran a hand through her short hair and shrugged. “You can have my guest room. It’s empty anyway. So …”
She left the sentence hanging and looked reluctantly into his face.
Aidan knew she made the offer only because she felt obliged to do so. He wanted to refuse, but Thorne heaved a relieved sigh.
“Thank you, Kayleigh. If Aidan could stay at your place, he’d be really close and could lend me a hand with a few things. And he could save a lot of money.”
How could he explain that moving in with Kayleigh was a bad idea, without revealing to his sister and her future husband how he’d gotten to know the dark-haired woman with the dimples and the insolent laugh?
When he’d knocked on Thorne’s door earlier that night and had been pulled into an enthusiastic embrace by his sister, he
hadn’t expected to find Kayleigh lying on the rug in the living room, playing with a small child. The last time he’d seen her she’d worn nothing but a robe and had closed the door in his face without even offering him a cup of coffee. He somehow doubted her hospitality now was genuine.
Once again he shook his head. “Listen, Thorne, I can’t just crash at your sister-in-law’s house. My living situation is nobody’s business but my own.”
Of course it was Ryan who chimed in placidly, “Don’t make it such a big deal, man. Kayleigh has cable, and you could help her with the new floors she needs to put in in her den. That way, I don’t have to help again.”
“You’re so damn polite today,” his sister snorted. She turned to Aidan and said flatly, “I really don’t mind you using my guest room.”
But he minded. And he didn’t want to discuss it any longer in front of everyone else.
As soon as the apple pie was gone, Ryan took his leave, still as cheerful as he’d been for most of the evening. He had no idea how embarrassing the situation was for either Aidan or Kayleigh. Shane left the house with his younger brother, taking his tired little niece home to his oldest brother, who seemed to live right around the corner as well. Thorne announced that she was tucking in Brady, and Kayleigh went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher. That sounded like the perfect opportunity to talk to her.
He followed her into the kitchen and spent a few seconds staring at her. She wore jeans and a lumberjack shirt, and he remembered how she’d surprised him a few months before by wearing panties with cartoon superheroes printed on them. Then he glanced quickly toward the stairs to make sure Thorne was still upstairs with Brady.
“Listen,” he said as he stepped next to her, “I’m going to find a hotel room—”
“So your sister and my brothers can wonder why you’re not staying at my place?” She glared at him from under her thick lashes as she filled the dirty casserole dish with hot water and detergent. “Ryan may not seem like the brightest bulb, but he’d catch on right away. And to be honest, I’d prefer to save myself the drama that would surely ensue if anyone found out that you and I had sex.”
More Than A Feeling (The Boston Five Series #3) Page 5
