When A Man Loves A Woman (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Book 7)

by Calhoune, Belle

  Tim’s words were vicious. Cutting. Although she had severed all ties with him almost two years ago, he still continued this vendetta.

  “I feel sorry for Donahue,” he said with a harsh laugh. “He seems like a pretty good guy. He sure doesn’t deserve a mind-trip like you.”

  “Apologize.” Mac’s steady, deep voice broke through the haze of Tim’s verbal abuse. She turned her head to see him standing by the door of the veranda. His hands were fisted at his sides. Delilah could see that he was barely reining himself in. There were harsh lines etched on his face. A vein popped on his forehead.

  “Mac, it’s okay,” she said in a soothing voice. He moved so that he was standing between her and Tim.

  “No, Delilah. This is so far from okay.” Mac took two steps toward Tim. Tim’s cocky expression immediately disappeared.

  “I don’t know what you think you heard, but—” Tim began to say.

  Mac took the final step that brought him within a hair’s breadth of Tim. “I heard enough to know that you owe Delilah a huge apology.”

  Delilah tugged at his arm. “It’s not a big deal. Please. Let’s just go.”

  Mac hadn’t taken his eyes off Tim. “No man should ever speak to a woman the way you were addressing Delilah.”

  Tim shook his head. “We have a history, Donahue.”

  “And Delilah and I have a present and a future. Which means one thing. I will not allow you to disrespect my lady. Not by word or deed or any act your warped mind might conceive. Do we understand each other?”

  “What are you going to do? Gather up all of your Donahue brothers and take me down?” Tim sneered.

  Mac let out an eerie laugh. “Trust me. I don’t need a single one of my brothers for back up.” Mac’s gaze never wavered from Tim’s face. “You would do well to remember that.”

  “I’m out of here. You two deserve each other,” Tim said angrily, his cheeks red with emotion.

  “Stay away from Delilah, Tim. That way you and I won’t have any problems,” Mac called out as Tim scampered away into the darkness of night.

  She felt her limbs trembling. Mac wrapped his muscular arms around her and pulled her against his chest. He ran his large hands over her hair, smoothing it down and providing her with comfort and reassurance. She closed her eyes and melted against him. She felt so safe and cherished, miles away from the way she had felt during Tim’s outburst.

  Mac’s lips brushed against her temple. She turned her face up to him, needing to feel the tenderness of Mac’s kiss. Kiss me, please. The words buzzed in her head. Although she never would have given voice to those words, it was how she felt. She needed Mac’s touch and his sweetness to erase Tim’s viciousness. Mac’s goodness would trump all of that.

  Mac lowered his head and kissed her, his touch both tender and powerful at the same time. He tasted like chocolate chips and a hint of salt from the pretzels. She kissed him back, allowing herself to be swept away by emotions that were way too powerful to put into words. As the kiss intensified, Delilah reminded herself that falling too quickly for Mac would be repeating the mistakes of the past. Tonight, one of those mistakes had sought her out and degraded her. She pulled away from the kiss, and although she immediately felt the loss of him, she knew it was best not to let herself get carried away.

  “Let’s go back and see what Othello is doing,” she said in a light voice that masked her worries. The encounter with Tim had shaken her up way more than she wanted to admit to Mac. It never failed to amaze her how people could choose anger over peace. Discord over harmony. Although Tim had treated her poorly, she would have forgiven his behavior and at least treated him with dignity after their break-up. His venomous behavior had made that impossible.

  “Are you all right? You seem a little preoccupied?” Mac asked as they walked back to their spot. “Please don’t let that idiot upset you. He’s clearly bringing his own issues to the table.”

  She held onto his hand tightly. Everything Mac was saying rang true. Tim did have issues. Major ones that had been huge fissures in their relationship. “I’m fine,” she fibbed. “Pay attention to the play. This is the best part.”

  Mac grinned at her as they settled back on to the blanket and focused on the drama taking place on the stage. At the conclusion of Othello, Mac was one of the first people to jump to his feet and lead the crowd in a standing ovation. He offered his hand to Delilah to pull her up to a standing position so she could join in.

  After leaving the park, Mac walked Delilah back to her car, and they shared a sweet kiss before parting ways. Even though the evening had been lovely with the exception of her encounter with Tim, Delilah fretted all the way home. Her ex-boyfriend’s words rang in her ears.

  You’re never going to find what you’re looking for.

  You’re the problem. You’re the poison.

  There’s something in you that destroys relationships.

  She winced at the thought of all the broken relationships with men in her past. There had been a myriad of reasons why those relationships had ended. She’d never really blamed herself. Tim’s words were causing a world of doubt to creep in. Had she been the common denominator? She bit her lip as crazy thoughts rolled around in her mind.

  The truth was, she couldn’t help but wonder if everything that Tim had said about her was true.

  “I try to wake up every morning and appreciate the life God has given me. Things aren’t always perfect, but I wouldn’t change places with any person in this entire world.”

  Nick Donahue

  Chapter Eight

  “Don’t leave me hanging, Parker. I’ve been on pins and needles all morning.” Mac eyed his cousin from across the table. He was meeting him at a new coffee shop in town—Red Rooster—to discuss the image of Callie that Parker had age progressed. Parker had used the photo from the newspaper archives. His cousin had been under the belief that the image was solid enough to use.

  Mac tapped his fingers on the table as his nerves hung by a thread.

  “Hold on, Mac. I’ve got it right here in the envelope. Prepare to be amazed and astounded.” Parker pulled the photo from the envelope and handed it over to Mac.

  Mac took the photo and inhaled a deep breath. The moment he laid eyes on the woman staring up at him from the photo, his hands began to tremble violently. Callie! Although she looked reminiscent of the sister he had known and loved, the photo brought home the point that she was now a grown woman. A beautiful one judging by the age progressed photo. Sadness rippled through him. So many lost years stretched between them. So many moments they hadn’t been able to share. Pain gripped him by the throat and he found himself unable to speak.

  “Hey, Mac. Are you all right?” Parker asked.

  All of a sudden Delilah was standing there beside them, her gentle hand on his shoulder.

  “Mac, it’s okay,” she was saying in a soothing voice. “Just take some breaths. It’s all right. It’s all right.”

  A powerful wave of emotion washed over him, leaving him feeling unsteady. What in the world was wrong with him? Why was this hitting him so hard?

  He looked back and forth between Delilah and Parker. “I didn’t expect to feel such a powerful tidal wave of loss. I kept thinking I would feel such joy when I saw this photo…but we lost so much. And for what?”

  Delilah slid into the seat next to him. “It’s a tremendous void, Mac. And honestly, you never grieved that loss. You stuffed it down into a black hole. I think maybe everything is bubbling to the surface and it’s painful.”

  Parker bit his lip. “In case I haven’t told you, Mac, I think you’re incredibly brave to do this. I’ve been meaning to tell you that Jason wants to track down some of his siblings due to your quest to find Callie. He’s really inspired by you.”

  Mac’s cousin Jason—Parker’s younger brother—had been adopted as a baby by his Uncle Jude and his wife, Aunt Penelope. Inspired by his brother Alec, Uncle Jude had adopted three sons in all to add to his own brood of fou
r biological sons and one daughter, Shay. Parker’s family was as diverse and rowdy as his own Donahue clan—only slighter bigger with eight children. The family was going through a hard time at the moment with Aunt Penelope’s terminal illness.

  Mac looked over at Delilah. “I think you’re right. It feels as if I’m grieving something that has been bottled up inside of me.” He thumped his chest with his hand then swung his gaze to Parker. “Thanks, man. It means a lot to me to know that Jason is walking the same path as I am. If he wants to talk about it, I’m only a phone call away.” Like Parker, Jason lived in Pelican Bay, Florida, in the area where they had been raised.

  Mac tapped the photo. Callie’s green eyes were staring back at him. Her button nose now looked almost refined. A few freckles were scattered across her nose and the dark red hair was long and lustrous. “How accurate is this photo?”

  “They’re pretty darn accurate, Mac. The technology for age progression has really intensified in the last few years. The center for missing and exploited children has seen a lot of success with this cutting edge technology,” Parker explained. “It has led to many children being reunited with their families.”

  “So what happens next?” Delilah asked. She reached out and clasped Mac’s hand under the table. He immediately felt buoyed by her presence and the way she was showing her support with her quiet grace and humble attitude. She had appeared at the coffee shop just when he’d needed her most. He had mentioned earlier that he was meeting up with Parker on his lunch break, and instinctively, she had known that he needed her. It floored him that Delilah was so in tune with him and his needs. So much so that she clearly cared about him enough to pop by the Red Rooster to check on his welfare. Happiness rose up inside him at the reality of what he was building with Delilah. It wasn’t something trivial. Not to him. And judging by her actions, she felt the same way as he did.

  “I’m going to be doing some searches online by putting this photo into the search engine,” Parker explained. “If we get lucky something might come up. I’m also going to do some digging on social media and put this picture out there with a few contacts I have around the country.” Parker’s gaze narrowed. “I’m going to be following that Southern angle as well.”

  Mac nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Parker got up and pushed his chair in. “I’m going to be heading to the airport soon to go back home. I’m going to be doing my follow-up work in Pelican Bay.”

  Mac stood up and clasped his cousin’s hand, then pulled him into a hug. He thumped Parker on the back. “I can’t thank you enough for all the work you’re doing for me. Our reunion with Mrs. Worther was stellar. I know this is a tough time considering what Aunt Penny is going through.”

  Parker nodded. “Anything for family. Isn’t that the Donahue motto?”

  Mac grinned. “If it isn’t it should be.”

  Delilah stood up and pressed a kiss on Parker’s cheek. “Great work, Parker. If I ever need any PI work done, I’m definitely calling you.”

  Mac hated the way his back tensed up at the sight of Delilah innocently kissing Parker. Was this what happened when you fell for someone? Did your insides clench up at the slightest provocation? Did you suddenly become jealous of anyone who got close to the woman you were falling in love with?

  Falling in love with? Mac watched Parker leave through a fog as he digested his own reality. He was falling in love with Delilah. Sweet, wonderful Delilah.

  “Mac, what’s wrong?” Delilah asked. Her blue eyes were full of worry.

  “N-Nothing. I’m good. Just a bit overwhelmed by the picture of Callie and everything Parker has been doing for me.” What he’d explained to Delilah was the truth, even if he had left out the part about falling in love with her. That knowledge was hitting him like a ton of bricks.

  “Are you in the mood to eat lunch?” she asked.

  “Sure thing,” Mac said, not wanting to miss the chance to sit down for a meal with his lady. As the waitress came over and took their lunch order, Mac had to wonder if he would be able to eat a single bite of his food. His appetite had left him the moment he’d realized that his heart was no longer his own. Delilah Dalton had swept into his life like a summer storm, bowling him over with her charm, grace and beauty.

  How in the world had this happened so quickly? And what in the world was he going to do about all these feelings that were now squarely planted in the middle of his chest?

  **

  Delilah wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Mac had been acting strangely at lunch. On several occasions it had seemed as if he wasn’t listening to her. She’d had to repeat herself several times. And a few times she’d caught him staring at her with a blank expression on his face. Earlier he had been upset about the age progressed photo of Callie, so perhaps he was simply feeling overwhelmed by reality. Callie was no longer a child. His baby sister was gone forever. Those missing years could never be recaptured. They had been cheated out of growing up with one another. And there was no way of knowing whether this search for Callie would ever result in a happy ending.

  Mac was really stepping out on a limb of faith. And the reality of the situation was sobering. The search might take months. Years even. And even then...Callie might not be found.

  She let out a sigh as she walked up to her sister’s door. Sarah had invited her over for dinner this evening. Blue was out of town doing a story, so it would just be the girls tonight. Delilah pushed open her sister’s front door and followed the sound of her niece’s tinkling laughter. Sarah was sitting on the living room floor playing with baby Faith as she lay on her back with her legs pumping in the air.

  “Hey Delilah!” Sarah said as she waved her into the room. “Faith. Look who came to visit. It’s Auntie Lilah.”

  Delilah smiled as she heard her nickname roll off her sister’s tongue. She loved the fact that Faith would grow up calling her Auntie Lilah. Not many people called her by that endearment, so it would be special to hear Faith use that nickname. Delilah immediately hunkered down on the floor and scooped up her niece into her arms.

  “Who’s the prettiest baby in Cape Cod?” Delilah crooned. “Faith Donahue, that’s who.”

  Sarah giggled. “Don’t let Blue hear you say that. He thinks Faith is the prettiest baby in the universe.”

  Delilah smiled. Blue was the proudest Papa on the planet. And he was a fantastic father. Something told her Mac would be equally wonderful. After all, they’d had a terrific example in Alec Donahue. “He should feel that way,” Delilah said, kissing Faith’s temple. “Every Papa should think his child is the cream of the crop. Isn’t that right, Faith?”

  Faith gurgled at her and made a funny face that caused Delilah to laugh out loud.

  “I think she’s agreeing with you,” Sarah teased.

  A sigh slipped past Delilah’s lips as she stared into her niece’s gorgeous eyes. Faith was the perfect combination of Sarah and Blue. Precious and stunning. She would love to give Faith a cousin or two to play with one of these days. It would be sheer heaven to sit next to her sister with each of them holding a baby in their arms.

  Sarah frowned at her. “What was that sigh for? Is everything all right? You seem a little weary.”

  Delilah laid Faith back down on the baby blanket. “I’m okay. It’s been an emotional day. Mac’s search for his sister is really revving up. It’s a very painful process.”

  Sarah made a tutting sound. “Mac is such a sensitive guy. He’s a prime example of the strong, rugged guy with a heart of gold. He feels everything so acutely.”

  “He does,” Delilah said with a nod. “Since we’ve been hanging out I have a whole new appreciation for him. He’s a lot sweeter than I ever imagined. He always seemed so gruff and quiet.”

  “It’s strange that Blue hasn’t said a word about you and Mac dating,” Sarah said.

  It was Delilah’s turn to frown. “He hasn’t?”

  “Not a word. I have mentioned it a few times and he acts surprised that the
two of you are spending time together. He clams right up and says nothing.”

  Ouch. The knowledge bruised her a little bit. Delilah didn’t know what to think about her sister’s statement. Was Mac keeping her a secret from his brother? And if so, why? She felt a little deflated about Mac’s possible reasons for not discussing her with Blue. Perhaps he viewed her as nothing special, someone who was just a passing fancy. That had to be it! Otherwise, Blue would be aware of their relationship. If she could even call it a relationship.

  “Let’s go in the kitchen. I’ll put Faith in her crib and then I’ll put the stir fry on.” Sarah scooped Faith up in her arms and walked down the hall to her nursery. Delilah trailed after her. She stood in the doorway watching as her sister softly hummed to her baby girl. Faith’s eyes began to droop as Sarah rocked her in her arms. Within minutes Faith was asleep and Sarah lowered her gently into the antique crib. As soon as she placed Faith down, Sarah turned up the volume on the baby monitor.

  Sarah tiptoed to the door, then closed it behind her. She sagged against the wall and blew out a deep breath. “Whew. It’s been a long day. Let me put that stir fry on. I’m famished.”

  “Why don’t you let me do the stir fry while you sit down and relax,” Delilah suggested.

  “Seriously?” Sarah asked with wide eyes. “I invited you to dinner, not the other way around.”

  Delilah could see the tell-tale signs of fatigue etched on Sarah’s face. Having a baby wasn’t easy by any means. Interrupted sleep. Crying jags. Constant diaper changes. She knew that as much as Sarah adored Faith she was still worn down and tired.

  “Sit down, “Delilah ordered. She pulled her sister by the arm and forced her to sit down at the kitchen counter. Delilah took two glasses from the shelf and placed both down on the counter. She turned toward the fridge and took a quick look inside before pulling out a pitcher of lemonade. Within minutes the ladies were enjoying lively conversation as they drank lemonade and Delilah whipped up some stir fry and rice on the stove. A quick look in the fridge confirmed there were enough ingredients for a healthy salad.