by Liz Gavin
He made a brief pause to sip the tea Erin had served us before sitting by Colin’s side. Although, the older man felt visibly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of those five pairs of eyes, he needed to finish his overdue account of facts.
Summoning his courage, he continued, “You see, I was the first responding officer to arrive in your house that night. I came in even before the paramedics arrived. I did everything I could to stop her bleeding, but there were too many cuts. I’m sure nobody would have been able to save Mrs. Slane, even if they had arrived before me. Still, the frustration I felt was overwhelming. Guilty followed in my footsteps for a long time afterwards, as well.”
“It wasn’t your fault, detective.”
“I knew it, Keira. Nevertheless, in some unconscious level, guilt tormented me. I was a very green officer at the time. Hers was the first death I had to investigate and she had practically died in my arms. I wasn’t able to sleep for days and finding the guilty part in her death became my only goal.”
“I’m sorry to say it, Heller, but you did a bloody lousy job at that.”
“I get your bitterness at losing your mom, before your own eyes at six, Declan. But, you shouldn’t say that. The Garda in general, and me in particular, conducted a very thorough investigation. That has always been very clear to me. I felt guilty I didn’t arrive in time to save her.”
“Oh, so you think accidental death covered all the bases, do you? In your thorough investigation, you must have overlooked that little part my father played in her death. You know, the murderer part.”
“Come on, Declan, that has never been proved.”
“My point exactly, Brandon. Heller here didn’t prove it.”
“Guys, I know this was a theory back then, but…”
“A theory?” Declan interrupted the detective, shouting in frustration. “The bastard made a habit of beating mom up every chance he had – for no reason at all. I know my mother never pressed charges against him, but you should have taken their past history into account in your precious investigation. How could you believe that his last attack was anything less than an attempt on her life? Can you honestly say my father’s family’s money had nothing to do with the investigation’s conclusion?”
“Most certainly not, Declan. I’d be insulted if you thought that could be true. I had personally responded to a couple of domestic disturbance calls made by your neighbors. I was aware of that nasty habit your father had. However, I had my hands tied. Without a formal complaint from your mom, no police officer could do anything about that. So, yes, your father was the Garda’s first suspect. On the other hand, I had seen the crime scene and your father’s first reactions to Mrs. Slane’s death. He was a brute, but he wasn’t an actor. He wouldn’t be able to put on such utter devastation. He was sincere. He didn’t want to kill your mother. He loved her deeply.”
“He had a very twisted way of showing that.”
“I can’t argue with that, Declan. He was a disturbed man, who should have sought proper treatment for his issues, before they caused other people any harm. Unfortunately, he didn’t and ended up destroying five lives in the process. Still, he couldn’t be trialed for that.”
“What do you mean by ‘he destroyed five lives’?”
“I followed what happened to the Slane family for a while after Mrs. Slane’s death, Keira. I watched Mr. Slane’s self-destructive behavior. He was clearly in pain, didn’t know how to deal with it, and his family thought money was the answer. It was a recipe for disaster. Candidly speaking, I was surprised he didn’t take his own life or destroyed his sons’ lives further. All things considered, you three turned out fine, wouldn’t you agree?”
Declan’s scowl spoke volumes and Brandon looked pensive so Colin became the Slane brothers’ spokesperson, “You’ve got a point there, Heller. Each one of us had to learn to deal with our own demons. We’ve probably had more stumbles and falls along the way than victories, but I guess the final balance was positive. For all of us.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Heller offered before turning to Declan and looking him in the eyes. “I am sorry I wasn’t able to save your mom. I am sorry she had a rough life, and a tragic death. Even though I blamed myself for a long time, I came to understand it was humanly impossible for any person to have saved her that night. I’ve accepted that and I dare say you should do it, too. I know you witnessed part of the scene but you were too young to understand what you saw then or before that night. Your mother and father loved each other, regardless of how their relationship might have looked like to the outsiders. Mr. Slane was a despicable husband and a horrible father. However, while no man has the right to beat up a woman, your father wasn’t a murderer, Declan.”
Keira knew Declan well enough to read his eyes at that moment. She was certain that Heller’s words were gradually sinking in as well as answering most of his lifelong questions. But, he was too stubborn to admit it, even to himself. He’d need some time to admit it to others. He just stared back at the detective in silence.
It was no surprise Heller was a good detective because he read people very well and he understood Declan wasn’t ready to respond to the new information he had just heard. The older man respected that. He stood up and offered his hand in goodbye. First Colin, then Brandon shook it. Declan reluctantly shook it for last.
“I’ll be in touch, Keira, about the trial.”
He was surprised when she hugged him tightly instead of shaking his hand. The young American had always had the ability to surprise him, turning him into a pitiful emotional old man, every time she reacted so spontaneously. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek and whisper a throaty ‘thank you’ in his ear. The bright smile she gave him, when she let go of him, made Heller wish he were twenty again. He would have given Declan a run for his money. He shook his head and chuckled as he drove away.
Meanwhile, back in the house, Keira figured the brothers could use some privacy to discuss what they had just heard but Declan didn’t let her go, when she started to say she was going to go to their bedroom. The three brothers sat there for a long time, quietly staring into space. Erin had taken the girls out on some errand and Keira was the only witness to the Slane brothers’ peculiar way of dealing with the information they had received – utter silence. When she couldn’t bare it any longer, Brandon stood up.
“I’ve got to go. Kim will be home soon and we’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”
“That’s okay, Bran. Catch you, later,” Colin replied, and as his brother left, he turned to Declan. “It’s almost time to leave for the airport. Are you guys ready?”
Declan nodded and stood up to get a hold of Keira’s bag. He caught his on the way to the front door and took both to the car parked on the street in front of the house, placing them in the trunk.
As she followed the two brothers to the car, Keira wondered if their behavior could cause them emotional problems in the future and decided she wasn’t a shrink to evaluate that. She was a worried fiancée whose option seemed to be standing by her man and hoping for the best. She laced her fingers through Declan’s as they settled in the back seat.
“I guess I’m the designated private driver, right? Is there any way I can convince you to sit here with me, Declan?” Colin gazed at his baby brother through the rearview mirror. “I guess not,” he had to laugh when the only answer Declan gave him was turning to Keira to kiss her.
After an intense and emotional goodbye to her family, filled with tears and promises of future phone calls, Keira felt drained. Declan, noticing her mood, didn’t insist on maintaining a conversation during most of their trip back to Dublin. They sat on the plane, holding hands, as each one reflected on their own issues.
She was astounded to realize it had been little over forty days since she had left the capital of Ireland. It felt more like forty years to her. Obviously, she wasn’t the same young woman who had set out to face her insecurities and test herself in the biggest adventure of her life. Although she had
gotten so much more than she had planned for out of that trip, she didn’t regret any of her choices because they had led her to Declan. Looking out the window, she realized that most of her newfound self-confidence was a direct result of having seen herself through Declan’s eyes. He had told her, time and again, that she was stronger than she had thought. He had done that so many times that she ended-up believing it might have been true, until the day she had to prove his theory and the outcome had convinced even herself. Declan was right.
He fought his inner demons as Heller’s words took root in his mind. He had hated his father for so long that now it was hard letting go of the feeling, even though that sounded nuts. However, he felt an unsettling void inside his chest, where that hatred used to be, and it would take him a while to substitute it for any positive feelings towards his old man. At least, Declan’s fundamental fear that he might have inherited his father’s murderous nature seemed to gradually vanish into thin air. For the first time, he actually allowed himself to think there might be a bright future ahead of him. He looked at Keira’s profile as she gazed out of the airplane window and his heart skipped a couple of beats. She had always believed in him. She had seen goodness in him from the start. Relieved, Declan realized he now believed in himself enough so that he could be the kind of man she had always told him he was – a stable and confident man - just like she deserved.
Feeling Declan’s eyes on her, Keira turned to face him and the feeling she saw in those green depths took her breath away. Again. She leaned in and pecked him on his gorgeous lips, “I love you, too, baby.”
The next day was a busy one for them. Declan quit his job, then, paid a visit to the owner of the apartment he rented to tell her about their wedding and his moving back to Cork.
“Oh, congratulations, my dear,” said old Mrs. Dunphy. “It’s about time you settled down. And you’ve chosen such a beautiful girl. I’m sure you’ll be very happy together.”
“We are, Mrs. Dunphy. Keira has worked a couple of miracles and turned me into a decent man.”
“That’s exactly how it works, my child,” the sweet elderly lady winked at Keira, patting her hand with her thin, wrinkled one, and laughing. “We, women, must stay strong and in control so that our men can thrive. The stronger we are, the more they prosper, inadvertently thinking they are the masters in the relationship. It seems Declan here is a smart one, Keira. He has figured it out.”
They laughed at her good-humored remark and she refused to take the key ring Declan offered to give her.
“Stay in the apartment as long as you need to settle everything up, kids. When you’re done, stop by and give me the keys. If don’t have time for that, just lock the door and leave this in the mailbox. I’ve got a spare set.”
“Will do, Mrs. Dunphy. Thank you.”
Later, they met Jen and her boyfriend, Adam, for lunch. A potentially awkward meeting turned out to be a very pleasant one. Keira and Jen hit it off straight away while Adam and Declan talked for hours as if they had known each other forever. They promised to keep in touch when they went their separate ways.
Once they got to the apartment’s street and were entering the building, Declan had a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Keira raised an eyebrow, “What?”
“You’ll see.”
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened the door. There was a trail of red petals leading from the entrance door to the dining room table, where an amazing diner set was arranged, and a candle stick was blazing. The trailed continued towards the bedroom door.
“How? Why? When?”
The questions came out of her mouth all at once before she took a deep breath to calm herself down and choose one question, “Why?”
“Because when you left Dublin, I promised myself to treat you to a romantic evening you would never forget. I knew I had to win you over and romancing seemed the best strategy, at the time.”
Lacing her hands behind his neck and leaning into his wide chest, Keira smiled and looked up, “You have already won me over, baby.”
“I always keep my promises, love. Even the ones I make to myself,” he returned her smile with a devastating one o0f his own as he nestled her soft body against his hard one, holding her by her tiny waist. “Besides, one should never take a chance of losing love, losing romance. I must keep reminding you that you’ve made the right choice.”
Looking around them, Keira had no doubt about it, “Well, I’d say you might be on the right track, sir. What else have you planed for tonight?’
“Oh, the possibilities are endless. But, we should eat first. Màire would never forgive me if we didn’t taste her diner.”
“So, that’s how you managed to pull this off? How very ingenious of you.”
“Well, Keira, you know what they say – you don’t need to know everything as long as you know the phone number of whoever does know stuff.”
All through dinner, Keira couldn’t wait to get Declan into the bedroom and he noticed it. It was obvious in the smiles he gave her. Or in the way he flirted with her. Or in the warmth of his hand covering hers on the table. She was in a hurry to end the meal but he seemed to drag it on endlessly.
When they finally stood up, she held the collar of Declan’s shirt and pulled him down to kiss him deeply. His hope of taking things slowly went up in smoke the minute their mouths connected. They yanked off each other’s clothes as they moved to the bedroom leaving a trail behind them, mixed with the rose petals.
The same red petals covered the bedspread and framed Keira’s white skin when they tumbled together on the bed, without breaking their kiss. Their hands caressed and explored, aroused and soothed each other. Her long nails scratched his back when he nibbled the underside of her breasts. His muscular thighs tangled with her soft ones when she flipped him onto his back and straddled him. Squeezing his hips between her legs, she teased him with her own fevered body. He threw his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes as she leaned down and captured his lips between her teeth. But he stole her breath away when his hot palms cupped her breasts and his fingers played with her flesh. Her own fingers moved between their bodies until they found his hardness and guided it inside her warmth.
As she moved her hips in slow circles, Declan moved his up and down. His hands moved down to her tiny waist to guide her as she planted her palms firmly on his chest for purchase. She tweaked his nipples when the first waves of pleasure hit her. He winced but the quick stab of pain soon became searing hot pleasure and he lost himself in her sweetness. He opened his eyes when he heard her gasps but his own voice had deserted him. He wouldn’t be able to utter a sound even if his mind weren’t deliciously spiraling up through the vortex of passion they had created around themselves. Keira was also riding another mind numbing climax and was barely able to notice Declan’s arms encircling her and locking behind her back when she collapsed onto his chest.
Most of the times Keira and Declan made love, words weren’t necessary. The way their bodies completed each other, the way their skin felt against each other, and the way their hearts beat together made up for all the words they didn’t say to each other because those feelings were much stronger and meant much more than mere words.
Next day, they went back to Cork and told Colin and Brandon that they would move to town and open the restaurant there.
“That’s excellent news, brother.”
“Yeah, Colin is right. We couldn’t be happier for you two.”
“Keira and I have already started looking for a little apartment.”
“Nonsense. You can stay here for as long as you need. You’ll have a lot of expenses with the restaurant and the wedding. When is it going to be, by the way?”
“In six months,” Declan answered. “Thanks for the offer, Colin, but I’ve got some money in the bank to cover the expenses. It will be enough. No worries about that.”
“Besides, we could use a little more privacy. We’re eager to try new positions in different rooms of the house
but we’re afraid someone could walk in on us. We don’t want to scar your daughters for life, Colin.”
“Touché, Keira,” Colin bowed his head slightly.
“Bravo, hon,” Declan kissed her cheek and hugged her tight against his body.
Brandon laughed out loud before stating, “I guess we can say she’s a Slane woman, now, brothers. Mission accomplished. Welcome to the clan, Keira.”
EPILOGUE
Six months later
Claire had started planning the wedding before the Ashes left Ireland, and she continued to do so, from the other side of the Atlantic. The ceremony and the reception were beginning to seem more Claire’s dream than Keira’s.
One evening, after one of her mother’s endless phone calls, Keira plopped herself on the sofa beside Declan, closing her eyes and covering her face with her right arm.
“I swear I’d rather elope. Please, let’s do it. There’s still time.”
“You’re just saying it because your mother made you angry now. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”
“I don’t know about that,” she slowly opened one eye to look at her fiancé. “I’ve never wanted a big wedding. Come to think of it, I’ve never imagined how my wedding would be - period. Now, she wants me to have this fairy tale wedding and she’s trying to convince me, that’s what I’ve always wanted. I can’t take this insanity much longer.”
“You don’t have to do that. Tell her that you want a small wedding.”
“You obviously haven’t met my mother.”
He looked puzzled and she explained her meaning, “You’ve met her, of course, but didn’t have time then to get to know her. My mom can be really overbearing.”
“I won’t argue with you on that.”
“You’re a smart man.”
