“Medium hazelnut, cream and sugar, and, um, let me see... how about one of those cream-filled donuts with the chocolate icing, please.” Shane smiled broadly, then doubled her order. She grinned right back at him.
By the time she dug down into the front pocket of her blue jeans, Shane had already paid.
He picked up the tray and guided her back to the most private booth in the place. The on-campus café wasn’t overly crowded at this time of night, but there were a few tables occupied.
“Thank you,” she said the moment they sat down. “You didn’t have to pay.”
Shane shrugged, an easy lift of his shoulders. “It’s the least I can do,” he said. “I’m the one who put you to sleep.”
She flushed, a very pretty shade of rose that had him wondering just how far down that color extended.
“I’m just glad you were kind enough to wake me,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. “I can imagine waking up at midnight with the wood grain of the desk ingrained in my cheek and being locked in for the night.”
Shane laughed again. “Now there’s a visual. I’m glad I could help.”
While Lacie prepared her coffee (she added two creamers and two sugars, he noted), Shane did a quick scan of the room. It was habit, one that came from years of special forces work, first for the government, then with his family’s “non-existent” team. Within seconds the images were locked in his brain. He knew every exit and entry point, the complete layout of the building, and would be able to describe every other occupant in excruciating detail.
Turning his focus back to the woman across from him, he took a sip of his coffee. “I seem to be at a bit of a disadvantage here. I don’t know your name.”
“Lacie,” she said, extending her hand over the table. “Lacie McCain.”
“It’s a pleasure, Lacie McCain,” he said sincerely as he took her hand. He briefly considered bringing it up to his lips, but he refrained, choosing instead to let the soft weight of her hand rest in his, pleasantly warm, firm.
The contact lasted longer than it would have had it been anyone else’s, but he found that he simply did not want to let go. On the contrary, he wanted to pull her over to his side of the booth so she would be closer to him. The urge was so unexpected and powerful that it took him a minute to process. This had never happened to him before. Being the intellectual that he was, it definitely warranted further study.
“Shane Callaghan.”
“I know who you are,” she said, amused.
Of course she knew who he was; he had been guest-lecturing her class. Shane offered a slightly embarrassed grin, reluctantly releasing her hand. She let it linger a moment more before reclaiming it to break off a bite-sized piece of doughnut.
Her next words surprised him. “I recognized you earlier. You spoke at Maggie Flynn’s re-zoning meeting awhile back. You were wonderful, by the way. Very eloquent.”
Her words were spoken sincerely, with no trace of flirtatious flattery. Shane’s mind flew back to that night, his photographic memory allowing him to review the room section by section. Ah, there she was, sitting left of center, halfway back. He remembered his eyes had lingered on her then, too, but had turned away when the man she was sitting next to draped his arm around her shoulders and cast a possessive glance in his direction.
“I remember,” he said without thinking, something very out of character for him. “You were with someone. Tall guy, brown hair, ex-military.”
Lacie’s eyes opened wide. “How could you possibly remember that?”
Shane shrugged modestly, realizing his mistake. “Blessed with a good memory, I guess.” Some people were put off by his ability to remember and recall things at will; it was not something he shared often. His brothers knew, and that was enough. If this woman was who he was beginning to suspect she was, it wouldn’t matter, but he wasn’t about to take any unnecessary chances until he was certain. He was a cautious man by nature.
Lacie, however, was as astute as she was attractive. “Better than good, I’d guess. Photographic?”
Shane nodded cautiously, but once again his instincts had been correct. Lacie’s grin grew. “And you’re modest, too. You are not at all what I expected, Mr. Callaghan.”
“Shane, please,” he insisted. He was on the verge of asking her exactly what she had expected, which would have been followed up closely by inquiring just when and for how long she had been thinking of him in any regard, and decided against it.
“So you were there to speak on Maggie’s behalf?”
“Yes. Maggie is wonderful. My parents used to take me and my brother and sister up there when her grandparents were still alive to pick apples and pumpkins and go on the hayrides. We made such wonderful memories. Now I take my kids there. They love it.”
Shane’s chest constricted; his focus snapped back onto the woman across from him, the memory of that man’s arm around her shoulder flashing in his mind’s eye again. “You have children?”
Lacie’s shy smile lit the whole room. “Not technically, no. I teach Kindergarten. I refer to my students that way. For a few hours each day at least, they are mine.”
The tightening in his chest eased. He could easily picture her in a room full of little ones, sitting on the floor with them surrounding her as she read from a book of fairy tales. Even with his talent for detailed imagery, this one was particularly clear.
“You’re not married then?” he fished. He’d already noticed she wore no ring on her finger, nor was there any indentation or tan line, but he would rather hear the confirmation from her lips.
A light pink blush suffused her cheeks. “No.”
“Seeing anyone?” He tried to keep his expression carefully neutral, but he could not keep the glimmer of hope from his eyes.
“Not unless you count this,” she teased. “You?”
The neutral expression vanished; a devastating grin took its place. “Present company excluded? No.”
The next few hours flew by. Shane learned that in addition to teaching Kindergarten at the Pine Ridge Elementary School (she had a morning and an afternoon class) she was also working toward her Master’s degree in Education, one night class at a time, ruefully noting how long it would take her to finish.
She had one older brother, Brian, who was in the service (Army). He’d gone missing nearly three years earlier while stationed in Afghanistan. From the way she spoke of him, Shane could tell that they were very close. Lacie believed that he was alive and would return, saying with absolute conviction that if Brian was gone, she would know. He didn’t immediately discount her claim. He had similar connections with his brothers, often instinctively sensing when one was in trouble.
She also had a younger sister, Corinne, who was a full-time undergrad at the University. It was Corinne, he learned, who had recommended Professor Steven’s Ethics course to her sister to fulfill one of her optional Humanity requirements. Shane was profoundly grateful she had.
Lacie had an apartment in town where she could be close to both the elementary school and the University – a property owned and managed by the Callaghan family, he noted. Her sister crashed with her sometimes, especially when she had early morning classes, but technically still lived at home with their parents.
Lacie was curious about him, too. Shane obviously couldn’t tell her everything about himself, but he did mention that he had a law degree and was active in the local family businesses. She seemed to be somewhat familiar with his family, which was not surprising since Pine Ridge was a relatively small community. She knew of the Pub his brothers Jake and Ian ran together, though she admitted she’d never actually been inside. She was also familiar with the garage his twin Sean owned and operated. She had heard that Maggie married a Callaghan, a doctor whose name she could not quite recall until Shane told her, and that Kieran ran the popular fitness center BodyWorks downtown.
When Lacie’s cell phone sounded – a pleasant, classical melody – she gasped at the time. “Excuse me,” she said to
Shane, putting the device up to her ear.
“Where the hell are you? Is everything alright?” Lacie immediately held the phone away from her ear, wincing. Shane had no trouble hearing the agitated male voice projecting through the tiny speaker. Inwardly, he tensed.
“I’m fine,” Lacie said when the shouting stopped, shooting an apologetic glance at Shane. “Just lost track of time.”
The caller fired off another series of questions in rapid succession: What are you doing? Are you still at the University? It’s too late to be out, tell me where you are and I’ll come and pick you up... Lacie responded with practiced patience; Shane had the distinct impression that this was a common occurrence and that she was used to it. He, however, was not, and found it gratingly irritating.
“Coffee, I’m having coffee. Yes, I’m still on campus. No, I don’t want you to come and get me. I’m perfectly capable of getting myself home.”
There was a brief pause, then, You’re not alone, are you? Who’s with you, Lacie?
Shane heard the man clearly, and bristled at the possessive warning tone in his voice. His mind brought up the image from the re-zoning hearing, and somehow he knew it was the same man.
“That’s really none of your business,” Lacie said, politely but firmly, her cheeks pinkening a bit in either embarrassment or annoyance, maybe a little of each. “And I’ll be fine. Go to bed, Craig. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She disconnected the call and sighed.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Shane as she began to pile the remains of sugar packets and creamers on the tray. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I really should be going. Thanks for the coffee and the donut, as well as your company. This was really nice.”
He didn’t like the shadow that darkened her pretty face. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she smiled unconvincingly.
“An ex?” he prompted, pressing where he knew he had not yet earned the right. Normally he was not one to push, but he could not help himself.
“No,” she said quickly. “Nothing like that. More like an overprotective big brother.”
Maybe to her, Shane thought, but his instincts told him the caller saw things a bit differently. It was something that would have to be investigated in greater detail, but that was for a later time. One when she was not looking up at him with those big blue eyes and their time together was drawing to such a swift and unwelcome close.
“You’re safe with me,” he said softly.
Oh, the look she gave him! He would remember that look - hope mixed with a touch of wonder. Anticipation and something else, something strong and feral, bubbled in his veins.
“Yes.” A simple affirmation, but one that he felt all through his body. Did she feel it, too, he wondered? That connection that was already forming between them?
He smiled, forcing his hands into his pockets to keep from sliding his fingers into that silken mass and kissing her, erasing every other man from her memory. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed an evening so much,” he said truthfully.
“Doesn’t say much for your social life,” she teased, but he could tell that she was pleased.
“I can say the same of yours,” he countered, his eyes twinkling.
“I don’t know,” she mused, “I think I definitely got the better end of the deal.” She stood, tossing her backpack over one shoulder. Shane picked up the tray and followed her toward the door, falling into step beside her as they walked toward the commuter parking lot. Perhaps he should have asked if she minded the escort, but it didn’t matter. He was not going to let her walk through the campus alone this late at night.
She stopped at a little silvery blue VW Passat, not one of the later models but in relatively good condition. Shane opened the door for her and glanced inside. The interior was clean, but somewhat untidy.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, following his gaze to the piles of paperwork and boxes of arts and craft supplies. “But believe it or not, I know where everything is. Every time I try to organize things I lose them indefinitely.”
His lips curled into a smile. “Fair enough.” By nature, he was a very neat, organized person. He could definitely use a little disorder in his life, especially if it came in the form of a certain blonde school teacher that smelled like spring flowers.
“May I call you sometime?” he asked, leaning against the car as she fastened her seat belt.
Her grin lit a fire in his chest. “I’d like that.” A simple, honest answer, he thought with definite pleasure. So much of his life was based on secrets and deception, games of words and acts meant to hide the truth. He glanced again at her eyes, sweeping across her facial expression. Her body language was somewhat relaxed, comfortable, but he couldn’t help but notice the slightly nervous tap of her finger against the steering wheel. Not scared, but... a little excited, perhaps? Yeah, he’d take that.
She recited her mobile number, thanked him again, and wished him a good night.
Chapter Three
Lacie drove home without incident, a pleasantly warm, tingling feeling throughout her body, a contented smile on her face. Though it had started off badly, it ended up being a fine evening. Shane had been wonderful company, easily the best date she’d ever had, even though they’d done nothing more than talk over coffee.
It was a pleasant surprise. Usually men who looked like he did had egos the size of Texas, but he was nothing like that. He was down-to-earth and so easy to talk to.
He’d seemed to enjoy himself, too, though since she could literally count the number of dates she’d had on one hand, she was no expert. Not that it was technically a date, but she’d never felt so instantly at ease with anyone before. Well, perhaps “at ease” wasn’t the proper phrase. There were parts of her that had flared to life and remained fired up throughout the evening.
Besides being extremely handsome, he was also smart and funny, attentive and a perfect gentleman. He hadn’t even attempted to kiss her goodnight.
She had mixed feelings about that. Her cautious nature appreciated his self-restraint, but there were other parts that were more than a little curious about what it would be like to kiss him after secretly fantasizing about it half the night. It was impossible not to think about it while sitting across from him, looking into his beautiful, masculine face, listening to that velvety voice, smelling that clean, sexy scent that seemed to cling to his body.
Lacie shook her head and focused on the road. What the heck was wrong with her? She wasn’t the crushing type. She didn’t gawk over good-looking men (okay, maybe sometimes she did, but only discreetly), and was a firm believer in establishing compatibility before even thinking about progressing to something more.
Shane Callaghan, apparently, was a glaring exception to her usual rules, because she was crushing, they were obviously compatible, and she was thinking some very physical thoughts.
It was a constant battle back and forth for the five mile drive, but her propriety eventually won out. By the time she pulled into her complex, she decided she was glad he hadn’t tried to kiss her. Not only did it indicate that he was a gentleman, but it also hinted that he might be interested in something more than a good time. Not to mention it was already increasing her anticipation for when he did eventually kiss her, assuming that things did progress to that point, of course.
She tried not to get her hopes up. Yes, he had asked for her number, but that didn’t mean he would call. She hoped he did, though. After only a few hours with him she knew she would be terribly disappointed if he didn’t.
“Lacie.” The voice startled her, making her jump. She whipped around, accidentally pushing the car door closed before she could get her hand completely out of the way. She bit back a cry and extracted her hand, flexing it experimentally. Nothing seemed to be broken, but it would be sore tomorrow and she’d probably have to tape it up. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Craig, you scared me half to death! What are you doing out here?”
“
Making sure you got home safely,” he said without apology. His eyes scanned her head to toe. Though he was no longer in the Army, he chose to keep his blonde hair shaved close to the scalp in military fashion and still wore his tags beneath the Army-green T stretched across his muscular frame. “Let me see your hand.”
She ignored his request, reaching in the car with her other hand to grab her backpack. He took it from her, tossing it carelessly to the ground while grasping her forearm. She pulled it away, irritated. Ever since he’d come back from overseas he’d been especially protective. Brian had always looked out for her as her big brother, and as Brian’s best friend, Craig had been right there with him, so it hadn’t been a total surprise when Craig simply picked up where he’d left off. Maybe it was his way of dealing with Brian’s MIA status, too, which was understandable, but at the moment it was pissing her off. They weren’t kids anymore, and she didn’t need a keeper.
“Come on, let me take care of that for you,” he said.
“I’m fine,” she said through clenched teeth, partly out of annoyance and partly from the painful throb along the back of her hand. She pulled it back out of his grasp, sucking air at the sudden stab that resulted from it.
“Stop being so stubborn. We need to ice that up before it swells.”
“No,” she said, picking up her bag and pushing past him. “That’s what I need to do. You need to go back to your own apartment and stop treating me like a child.”
He trailed closely behind, invading her personal space. “I will when you stop acting like one.”
She increased her pace, not stopping until she reached her door. Craig snatched the keys from her hand to unlock it. Ignoring her protests, he followed her inside and went right to the freezer. He pulled out a bag of frozen peas and put it on her hand.
Lacie sighed, too tired to fight. In their lifetimes they’d replayed some version of this scenario a hundred times, and he always won. Besides, she was in too good of a mood to let Craig’s antics dampen her spirits.
Beyond Affection: Callaghan Brothers, Book 6 Page 2
