Her gaze cut over to the bar and she noticed Brogan’s eyes were pinned on her before she looked back up into Gareth’s face. “Nope, not tonight.”
“Then can I buy you a drink?”
Laughing, she said, “I might not be working, but in my bar, my drinks are free. But how about I buy you one?”
Grinning, he offered his arm and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked toward their friends.
An hour later, as the group dispersed, Gareth and Katelyn walked toward the door. Hearing her name, she twisted around and looked over toward the bar, cocking her head in frustration toward Brogan.
“You gonna help close up tonight?” he asked.
“It’s my night off—”
“We got a lot to do,” he barked.
Pinching her lips together, she glanced apologetically toward Gareth. “Guess I’ll help my brothers. See you tomorrow.”
Not wanting to make things uncomfortable for her, he nodded, but shot Brogan a narrow-eyed glare. With a smile toward Katelyn, he walked out of the pub, leaving her fuming.
Whirling around, she stalked over to the bar. “You want to tell me why I have to help close tonight when it’s my day off? I’ve rarely had one of those, you know. It’s not like I don’t pull my weight around here.”
Aiden walked over, his gaze jumping between his siblings. “What’s going on?”
“Just thought we could use some help closing tonight, that’s all,” Brogan answered, his eyes watching Katelyn closely.
“You know I’ve done nothing but waitress my whole life…since I was sixteen years old. I’ve finally got another job that I really like, where I can develop other skills besides do you want a side of bacon with that or are you ready for another beer? So, having a night off, for once, doesn’t seem to be too much to ask!”
Aiden stood back, unusually quiet, letting her talk as his eyes jumped between his siblings. Brogan grunted as he mumbled, but Katelyn was not in the mood for his surliness.
“You got something to say? Then say it,” she demanded, her hands planted on her hips.
“I said it just seemed like you and Gareth were kind of chummy.”
The silence between the three filled the air, so thick she thought she would choke on it. Chest heaving, she said, “You did not just say that to me.”
Brogan grimaced but held his silence as Aiden stared wide-eyed at his brother.
Sucking in air through her nose, she lifted her chin in defiance. “You all need me, I’m always here. You want the books done, I do them. We need an extra pair of hands, I always fill in. I’m part owner and have never shirked my time at this pub. This very building is like family to me. But I have a chance to learn a new job with a good man and I do not expect to have to take crap from my brother. Gareth is your friend. You know him…you trust him. He’s been nothing but professional to me.”
Katelyn felt the sting of tears hit her eyes as her voice broke. “But if he felt more, I wouldn’t mind exploring that too…and I haven’t felt that in a long time.” Swallowing deeply, she said, “You’re not the only one with war scars, Brogan.” Her finger hit her chest right over her heart and she choked out, “I carry them too.”
Hanging his head, Brogan sighed heavily. Lifting his gaze, he said, “Katelyn, I’m sorry.”
She felt her chin quiver as a solitary tear slide down her cheek. Both brothers looked at her aghast, having not seen her cry in years. “I…haven’t had a relationship since Philip. And Gareth was not here as my date…but as my boss and someone who’s becoming my friend.” The air in the room hung heavily over the trio, making it hard to breathe. Sucking in a shuddering breath, her chest heaving with emotion, she added, “You know what? Close the bar yourself. I’m going home.”
Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the pub, the door banging in her wake.
“Fuck,” Brogan growled, tossing the rag onto the bar. He started to head toward the door, but Aiden caught him by the arm.
“Don’t go, Bro,” Aiden warned. “Let her be for now. You can talk to her tomorrow, but leave her alone tonight.”
“I need to make this right,” Brogan said, jerking his arm away.
“Then do it tomorrow,” Aiden said. “You know her…she hates to cry in front of anyone and, right now, she needs to cry.”
Brogan turned his gaze to Aiden and said, “Since when did you get to be such an expert?”
“Maybe you should just start paying attention to what’s right in front of your face,” Aiden snapped back, gaining a raised eyebrow from his brother. “You still see her as our little sister. Hell, man…she’s twenty-eight years old. She got up at the ass-crack of dawn to work at the diner every fuckin’ day and then came over here to work from mid-afternoon to closing just about every night. You think that’s enough for her? Enough for anyone? Jesus, Brogan, she gave up college ‘cause you and I went off to the military. And hell, don’t even get me started on Philip!”
At Philip’s name, Brogan growled, starting to turn from Aiden, who stopped him once more.
“He was our friend, but man, he’s gone. And Katelyn mourned him, but she deserves a life…she deserves a love. Don’t you want that for her?”
Brogan ran his hand over his face in frustration. “Of course I want that for her. I just…I just…hell, I don’t know.” A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he dropped his chin to his chest for a moment. “I guess I just see her as our little sister that needs protection. I just don’t want her to have any more heartache.”
Aiden’s voice softened as he nodded. “I get that, Bro. But that’s no life for her. She’s lived in the past for so long, we gotta let her move toward a future.”
Lifting his face to his brother’s, Brogan asked, “And you think Gareth’s her future?”
“I got no way of knowing,” Aiden said, sighing as well. “But a job change that she’s excited about is a start. And Gareth’s a good man…a good friend. He looks at her as though he knows she’s special. Maybe something will happen and maybe she’ll get her heart broken again. But it’s living, man. It’s living.”
Brogan nodded slowly as he picked up the rag from the bar and began wiping down the polished wood once again. “Yeah…you’re right. She deserves to live again.”
Chapter Seven
Katelyn stormed out of the pub into the night, dashing tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand. Fury, mixed with frustration, poured through her veins as she stalked down the street. She only lived five blocks from Main Street and while the night air was cool, it felt good against her overheated skin.
As she turned the corner of her street, she noticed headlights behind her. Going slowly. Her fury forgotten momentarily as uneasiness slithered through her, she hastened her steps.
The vehicle increased its speed and pulled to a stop next to her. She jumped back defensively just as the driver called out, “Katelyn, it’s me!”
“Gareth? Oh, Jesus, you scared me. What are you doing?” she asked, her heart pounding an erratic rhythm in her chest.
He jumped from his SUV and jogged over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I’m so sorry. I was worried about you walking home by yourself so I was waiting outside the pub. I was going to offer you a ride home, but you came out so fast and seemed...uh…”
Her eyes cut to the side in embarrassment at being caught crying. “Upset? Pissed? Mad as hell? Are those the words you’re looking for?”
“Yeah…and then I wasn’t sure I should interrupt your thoughts. I just thought I’d follow you to make sure you got home safely.”
The pair stood silently on the sidewalk for a moment, each filled with uncertainty. Suddenly, Katelyn burst out in laughter, her hand covering her mouth as she giggled.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m sorry,” she gasped, “but for a private eye, you weren’t very invisible following me.”
“Oh, thanks, smart-ass,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t on a case. I assure you that if I w
as on a mission, you would have never noticed me.”
Their mirth slowly ebbed as they stood in the moonlight, staring at each other. He reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb wiping at the tear trail. “You okay?” he asked, his voice whisper soft. He felt responsible, knowing her brothers were pissed at him.
She nodded wordlessly, leaning slightly into his warm touch. After a moment, she straightened and said, “It’s late and I should be getting home. I don’t want to be late for work tomorrow. My boss might not like it.”
Grinning, he said, “I’ll walk you the rest of the way, if that’s okay. And I think your boss would be fine whenever you came in. You’ve already done a lot for him so he’d be real forgiving.”
Nodding, she smiled her agreement. Half a block later they walked up to the front door of her little bungalow. Hesitating on the porch, she turned to him, her eyes piercing his. “Do you want to come in?”
“Yes,” he replied, “but I’m not going to.” Seeing her brow wrinkle in confusion, he hastily explained, “I really want to, Katelyn, but I don’t want to make things complicated for you at work…or in your life.”
Cocking her head to the side, she said, “I’m a firm believer in plain speaking, Gareth. So, I really need you to accommodate me and do that, please.”
“I’ve always respected that about you—your honesty.” His lips quirked up as he added, “But, I gotta admit, it was your drop-dead, gorgeous beauty that first caught my eyes.”
At that, her eyes widened slightly as she waited for him to continue.
“Katelyn, I noticed you when I first moved to town over a year ago. I thought you were beautiful. Then, I as was around you more, I thought you were incredibly smart, funny, well…special. But, it’s no secret that here in town, you’re known as the one who still mourns your…uh…well, Philip. So, I backed off and admired you from afar, which I know sounds hokey, but it’s true.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her with his fingers over her lips. “Hang on, there’s more.” Seeing her tilt her head, waiting for him, he said, “I always thought you’d be perfect for my office and when you walked in the door, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. But then it dawned on me that, with you working for me, it changed everything.”
“Workplace harassment?” she queried.
Nodding sadly, he said, “Yeah. I would never want to do anything to jeopardize our friendship or have you feel awkward around me.”
“So, let me get this straight…you’d like to go out with me, but never asked because of my reputation as the long-suffering mourner and now feel like you can’t because we work together.”
“You really do believe in plain speak, don’t you?” he smiled ruefully.
Unable to hold back a grin, she nodded. “Hey, I’m Irish—I don’t have much of a filter. To me, it’s the only way to keep from having misunderstandings. Too many people get upset over too many things because they just don’t say exactly what’s on their mind.”
Silence curved around the couple under the porch light, a calm warmth seeped throughout her. “I need to be just as honest, Gareth. I’ve noticed you as well. I’ve watched you in town and admired how you fought to get your business started. God knows, the town manager didn’t make it easy on you. You’re strong, determined—”
“Is that all you noticed?”
Blushing, she sucked in her lips, attempting to keep a grin from spreading across her face. “No,” she admitted, shaking her head slowly. “I’ve watched you on the ball field with the kids…you’re really good with them. And you never seem to lose your cool.” Laughing, she added, “Growing up with Aiden and Brogan as my older brothers, believe me…I’m used to men saying whatever pops into their heads, and usually at a loud volume.” Tucking a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear, she said, “You’re the first man I’ve wanted to get close to in a long time…really get to know. I’m not any good at flirting or playing coy or even letting a guy know I’m interested. I don’t know if those genes passed me by or if years of being with Philip, and then mourning him, knocked those abilities right out of me.” Shrugging, she heaved a sigh. “But I do like you, too.”
Smiling, he pulled her in for a hug, tucking her head underneath his chin. “So…what do we do now?”
“I don’t want to quit my job with you, Gareth. But I don’t want that to stand in our way either.”
“Well, can we agree to spend some time together outside of work and go slow, to see how things work out?” he asked, hope spearing through his words.
Grinning into his shirt, she tilted her head back and pierced his gaze with her own. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“And since you’re such a fan of plain speak, then I can trust that you’ll let me know if things are going well or if it’s affecting work.”
“Absolutely!” she agreed, a full-fledged smile on her face.
Bending to kiss her forehead, he said, “Then I’ll say goodbye for tonight.”
Feeling the touch of his lips on her skin, she closed her eyes momentarily, allowing the warmth to rush over her. Swallowing deeply, she whispered, “Goodnight.” With that, she slipped through her front door.
Throwing his hands into the air in a celebratory motion, he jumped down her front steps and jogged back to his vehicle.
Thirty minutes later, lying in bed, Katelyn smiled as her eyes closed, still feeling the heat of Gareth’s lips on her forehead. A strange sense flowed through her, unfamiliar in recent years but not unwelcome. A feeling of joy. New territory to explore. Life.
Rolling over, she saw the silver frame by her bed, Philip’s picture the last thing she always looked at before going to sleep. Afraid guilt would assault her, she breathed easier when all she felt was peace.
The early morning sun rose over the horizon, painting the sky brilliant colors as the wind blew off the Chesapeake Bay. Katelyn walked along the shore, her gaze downward, searching for sea glass. Bending occasionally to snatch the colored slivers from the sand, she sought the calming effect of the surf.
Standing, she stared at her handful of worn-smooth glass, the colors catching the reflection of the rising sun. Her mind, filled with tangled thoughts, interrupted the peaceful morning. Closing her eyes for a moment, she lifted her face to the sun, basking in the warmth. Memories of she and Philip running on this beach, as well as the whole Baytown gang from childhood, played across her consciousness. The peace from the night before, along with the memory of the light kiss, seemed to slide away in the bright light of day as thoughts of her argument with her brothers came back to mind.
Hearing a shout, she turned and looked behind her, seeing Jillian and Tori jogging toward her.
Catching her breath as she came to a stop, Jillian said, “We thought we’d find you here.” Still panting, she said, “So, what’s up with you and Gareth? You seemed chummy last night.”
Her lips thinning, Katelyn said sharply, “He’s my boss. He’s my friend. Have you got something against that?”
Blinking in surprise, Jillian threw her hands up. “Whoa, girl. This is me.”
Hanging her head, Katelyn apologized, throwing her arms around her oldest friend. “Oh, God, I’m sorry. I had a fight with Brogan last night after you all left the pub. He was being an ass and I’m still defensive, I guess.”
Tori joined the group hug as the three friends held on tightly for a moment. “Honey, we want you to be happy. And you know to just ignore Brogan—he’s a grumpy ass all the time, but he loves you.”
Chuckling, Katelyn nodded as she let go of her friends. “I know. I’ll make up with him later. It’s just that…that…” sighing heavily, her words died out.
Jillian peered deeply into Katelyn’s eyes and said, “You know, sweetie, for the first time I see conflict in your face instead of just grief. You’ve grieved Philip for so long that I figured you would never be able to move on—”
“Would that be such a bad thing?” Katelyn said, wincing at the sharp tone of her voice.
What is wrong with me? I can’t even be civil to my friends. Closing her eyes, she battled the desire to cry. “I just mean that I assumed Philip was my one love…my one chance at marriage and babies and forever.” She opened her eyes and saw the understanding faces looking at her. “I know I was young, but I figured that, for some people, love only comes once in a lifetime.”
Katelyn noted Jillian and Tori clasp hands as they listened and she felt their love for her. “What I said about Gareth is true. He’s my boss and my friend.”
“And if more grows from that?” Jillian prompted, her eyes pinned on Katelyn.
Shrugging her shoulders, Katelyn added, “Then I’d be agreeable to that.” A blush rose over her cheeks as she amended, “Oh, hell, who am I kidding. I’d love that.” Her gaze searched Jillian’s, as she laughed, “God, it’s like a burden is lifting to be able to finally say, I want Gareth Harrison!”
Lifting her face to the heavens, Jillian shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!” Tori and Katelyn both laughed at Jillian’s expression of glee. Jillian’s gaze dropped to Katelyn’s tightly clenched fist. “You findin’ anything good?”
Smiling at the deft change of subject, Katelyn opened her hand, showing the colorful sea glass resting in her palm.
Tori touched one of the slivers and said, “It’s the rough seas of life that allow us to shine.”
With smiles, the trio turned in unison and continued their search along the surf-washed sand.
Thirty minutes later, Katelyn walked along the sidewalk approaching her house. Lost in thought, she did not notice Brogan sitting on her top porch step until she was almost upon him. One look and she could tell he had spent a restless night. Tired eyes, mussed hair, stubbled jaw. She had seen him this way many times since returning from Afghanistan but this was the first time he had visited her this early.
Cocking her head to the side, she said nothing, waiting to see what he had come for. I love him, but if he’s here to rag on Gareth again, he can just leave. Brogan said nothing, so after a minute Katelyn sat down on the step next to him, her gaze on the sleepy street she lived on.
Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series Page 6
