Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
~SHAWN~
“ W hat’s wrong?” Lexi calls out from behind me as she scurries up the hill, following my lead. She’s in excellent shape, and she’s able to keep up with me.
“Don’t you smell it?”
“Smell what?”
I stop and turn to her, and she plows right into my chest. I catch her shoulders in my hands to keep her from falling.
“Take a deep breath.”
She complies, and then her eyes grow round. “Fire?”
“Exactly.”
“Oh, God. Is your house on fire?”
“I fucking hope not.”
My heart races in my chest as I crest the top of the hill and round the path. My eyes skim over my home, and I breathe a sigh of relief that I don’t see any smoke coming from the building or the detached garage.
“Not your house,” she says, panting. “Has to be a neighbor. Or the woods.”
“I only have one neighbor close by. I’m going to run over and see if it’s their house. You stay here.”
“Yeah, right,” I hear her mutter as I take off in a full sprint, running to the neighbor’s house that’s a quarter of a mile down the road. Sure enough, smoke plumes from the roof of Steve’s house.
I don’t have to look back to know that Lexi’s right behind me. I can hear her panting. She’s too damn stubborn to do as I ask.
“Stay back. I mean it, Lexi.”
“You can’t go in there!” she shouts, but I ignore her and kick in Steve’s back door.
“Duchess!” The fattest English Bulldog you’ve ever seen in your life comes jogging toward me, whining. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you out of here.”
“Oh, poor baby,” Lexi says as Duchess lumbers over to Lexi and kisses her hand.
I immediately call 911 and give them the information about the fire, and then call my neighbor on his mobile.
“Hello?”
“Steve, it’s Shawn. Your house is on fire, man. I got Duchess out and called 911, but you’ll want to get over here.”
“Shit. I’m on my way. How bad?”
I stare at the billowing smoke. I can now see flames coming out of the roof.
“Bad. I’m sorry.”
“Be there in ten.”
He hangs up, and I can hear sirens from the fire trucks as they make their way down our windy road. Lexi’s sitting on the ground, cradling the big dog in her arms.
“At least Duchess looks happy.”
“She’s a sweetie,” Lexi says and kisses the dog’s face. “You know, I never thought much about having a dog, but I think when I get home, I’ll look into getting one. I mean, how could anyone resist this face?”
Her anger from earlier is gone, and despite the inferno raging behind me, Lexi grins at Duchess, petting her gently. I briefly wonder what it would feel like to have Lexi’s hands stroking me like that; to have her smile at me with such tender affection.
I must be losing it if I’m jealous of a dog.
The fire trucks descend on the area, and we’re pushed back so the firemen can do their jobs. Steve comes screeching up beside us in his truck a few minutes later. He immediately reaches for his bulldog, who happily abandons Lexi for her master.
“Thank God you got her out.” Steve’s a middle-aged bachelor who never married. He has his dog, and he works as an attorney in town. “I usually take her with me, but I had meetings today, so I left her home.”
“It doesn’t look like she was near the fire,” I reply. “I’m sure sorry about this. Just let us know if you need anything.”
He nods, and I step back to take Lexi’s hand. We stay for a few minutes more as Steve calls his brother and gets things as under control as he can, and then I lead Lexi back to my house.
“That poor man,” she says quietly. “He just lost everything.”
“Not everything. He still has Duchess and his family, who will be happy to let him stay with them while he rebuilds.”
“Still, it’s scary.”
“Look,” I say as we approach my house. I take a deep breath. The idea of going back to work now, returning to the bickering and being flat-out pissed at each other, appeals about as much as a root canal. “It’s Saturday. We shouldn’t be working today anyway. Let’s go into the city for a few hours. I’ll show you some stuff, and we can just enjoy the day.”
“That actually sounds nice. But I smell like a campfire.”
“Showers first. Then we play hooky.”
“I’ve never seen so many flowers in one place in all my life,” Lexi says a couple of hours later as we walk through Pike’s Place Market. We just took her obligatory photo with the famous pig statue, and we’re eating piping-hot tiny donuts as we browse. She fusses over a specific bouquet, and without a second thought, I tug some cash from my pocket and buy it for her. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“If you’d seen the smile on your face when you smelled them, you’d disagree. Enjoy.”
She buries her nose in a bloom, and we continue walking. It’s Saturday, so the market is busy, full of tourists and locals alike, people stocking up on produce for the week or just out and about for the day.
Lexi’s eyes are huge as she takes it all in, seeming to commit everything to memory.
Most likely storing it all away to include in a book later.
“I’ll buy some crab for dinner,” I say as we approach a seafood vendor. “The food here is fresh and delicious. Do you like crab?”
She nods with a smile, and I turn to the vendor and choose two good-sized Dungeness crabs to take home.
By the time we exit out the other side of the market, we’re loaded down with bags, flowers, and a box of crabs, packed on ice.
“That was a successful shopping trip,” I say with a smile. I notice Lexi’s stopped at an art vendor, admiring a painting of the coastline. It’s done in gray and blue, and the waves are moody against the sand.
“I’d like to buy this,” she says to the man. “Are you able to ship it?”
“Absolutely,” he replies with a smile. I wait as Lexi finishes the transaction and arranges for the painting to be shipped to her home in Minneapolis.
As we walk away, I say, “You have good taste. That is beautiful.”
“It’ll always remind me of my time here,” she says. “I’ll hang it in my office. I have a story brewing that takes place on your island, and I’ll stare at that piece as I plot. It’s perfect.”
I want to ask more. I want to help her brainstorm her plotline and read it as she writes.
I have no right to ask for any of that so I just nod and gesture to the shop across the street that has a line out the door.
“That’s the first Starbucks café,” I inform her. “It’s always packed, but we can go get something if you’d like. You can say you’ve been to the original place that started it all.”
She wrinkles her nose. “It’s very…peopley over there.”
“Yeah.” I chuckle, and if my hands were free, I’d tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Is that a no, then?”
“I can get Starbucks anywhere. I’m not fighting that crowd for it. But thanks anyway.”
I nod, and we walk in comfortable silence back to the SUV.
“Are you going to work at the pub again this evening?” she asks.
“I am, yes. You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want.”
She stands by as I load the car with our market finds. “I don’t mind. If you don’t.”
I raise a brow. “You really want to spend another evening at the pub so soon?”
“I liked it,” she says. “I know, it surprises me too because I like quiet, and I enjoy being alone. I get neither of those things at the pub, but I like your family, and watching you in the kitchen was fun. I could even be your sous chef, if you’d like. Unless you’d rather I get out from under your feet and leave you be for the night, which I totally understand.”
“You’re welcome at O’Callaghan’s anytime, Lexi. Of course, I’d like you to come.”
She smiles. “Okay. I’ll come then.”
Her arms are still full of flowers. She held them back when I offered to lay them on the back seat. Her eyes look almost violet as she grins up at me.
“Is there anywhere else you’d like to go or see?” I ask.
“I think we can head back to the island, if it’s all the same to you,” she replies. “I’d like to get these into some water, and maybe read for an hour or so before we go to the pub.”
I nod and open her door for her. “Your wish is my command, my lady.”
She wrinkles her nose and sits in the car. Before long, I’ve pulled the SUV onto the ferry, and Lexi and I are standing on the deck. I even talked her into leaving the flowers in the backseat, assuring her that they would be safe in the shade.
She takes a deep breath. I know the ferry makes her nervous, and I’m just relieved that she didn’t ask me to drive three hours out of the way to avoid it.
Lexi’s hands grip the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Fine.” The answer is short and strained, and I know she’s not fine.
I instinctively reach out and rub circles on her back, and she relaxes at my touch just a bit, but her grip on the railing doesn’t loosen.
“What do you enjoy doing?” I ask, trying to make conversation.
“I write. That’s about it.”
“You have literally no other hobbies?”
“I read,” she says. “I take walks. In the summer, I like to ride my bike.”
“That’s a hobby. Some people are voracious about cycling.”
She shrugs a shoulder. “I wouldn’t say I’m that. But I prefer it to driving in the summer. We get a lot of snow in Minneapolis, so I like to get fresh air the rest of the year. And riding around Lake Harriet is beautiful.”
“Not a snow person, huh?”
“I know, it’s weird, right? I like the cold, but I hate the snow. I’m an odd duck, Shawn.”
I frown and nudge her sideways to face me.
“You’re not odd at all.”
She laughs, sending shivers through me. “Yeah, I am. But it’s okay, I accepted it a long time ago. I figure it’s the artist thing.”
We hit a spot of choppy water, and she bites her lip.
“I’m sorry the ferry scares you.”
“We’re almost there, right?”
I don’t have the heart to tell her that we’re only halfway into our journey. I brush a lock of hair off her cheek and let my fingers linger on her jawline.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Lexi.”
She blinks rapidly, and before she can reply, I lean in and cover her lips with mine. I’ve been dying to kiss her pouty lips for days. The light brush I intended quickly turns into something much more when she grips onto the sides of my shirt and leans into me, our bodies pressed together from hips to chest. I’m always in a constant state of low-grade arousal around this woman. Even her temper turns me on. But against me like this, with our mouths tangled, it turns to full-on arousal in two-point-six seconds.
She purrs low in her throat, and I accept the invitation, sinking into her. My hands dive into her soft hair, and I nibble the side of her mouth.
“Delicious,” I whisper before plundering her once more. I don’t give a fuck that we’re surrounded by people. Now that I’ve tasted her, I don’t know that I can ever stop.
But she plants her hand on my chest and takes a small step back, and I reluctantly let her go.
“Well, then,” she says before she swallows hard and stares out at the water. “I wondered what that would be like.”
“Me, too.” I blow out a breath and grip the railing before I pull her back to me.
“It was way better than I expected.”
I let out a soft laugh. “Yeah. Me, too.”
She grins up at me. “But we’re professionals, remember? We work together.”
Fuck that. I want her in my bed. Now. I want to taste every damn inch of her delectable little body. I want to make her sigh and whimper and pull my hair as I give her the best orgasm she’s ever had.
But I just nod and do my best to keep a straight face. “Right. Sure.”
She nudges me with her hip. “Don’t pout.”
“I don’t pout,” I reply. It’s true. I don’t. “I also usually get what I want.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
I look down at her and lean in to press my lips close to her ear so I can whisper, “You. Naked. Beneath me.”
Her cheeks flush beautifully.
“Most likely not going to happen, Mr. O’Callaghan.”
I grin. Challenge accepted.
It’s busy, even for a Saturday night, so I’m relieved to have Lexi in the kitchen with me. She’s proven that she’s not underfoot at all, but rather a huge help. She knows her way around knives, the stove, and works quickly.
Efficiently.
I should have known her work ethic would be impeccable, even when she’s not being paid for her services.
Lexi Perry doesn’t do anything halfway.
“I need some Irish nachos and some chili cheese fries,” Maeve, my older sister, announces as she walks into the kitchen. “And two bowls of stew.”
“We’ll be out of the stew within the hour,” Lexi informs her. “It’s going fast.”
“There should be another pot in the fridge,” Maeve says and hurries over to the walk-in. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you went through the backup stew already, too?”
“It’s been the favorite tonight,” I say with a nod. “I’d say we can take about six more orders for it, and then it’s done for the evening.”
“Wow. Okay, I’ll let Mary Margaret know.” Maeve’s eyes turn to Lexi. “I know we met when you arrived, but we haven’t had a chance to chat yet. I’d like to before the night is out.”
“I’ll be here all night,” Lexi says with a wink. “I need to grab more fries from the freezer.”
She wipes her hands on her apron as she hurries away, and Maeve turns her attention to me.
“I like her.”
I nod and fill a basket with hot wings. “She’s a likeable woman.”
“No, I like her. For you.”
I roll my eyes. “Stop matchmaking and get to work, Maeve.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing.”
Lexi comes back into the room before Maeve can keep asking annoying questions.
“I’ll be back for the nachos,” she says as she bustles out of the kitchen.
“So, I’ve met Keegan, Maggie, and Maeve.”
I nod and reach for another basket. “You have, yes. Kane and his wife, Anastasia, are supposed to come in later this evening.”
“Really?”
“They usually do on Saturday nights,” I say. “And then you’ll have met all of them.”
“Did you say your parents live in Ireland?”
“That’s right. They moved back there about six years ago or so when they retired. Keegan bought the pub, and Ma and Da went home to spend time with their siblings and to enjoy the homeland, as they put it.”
I grin at her as she sets a basket of fries in the hot grease.
“You should eat something,” I say.
“We’re too busy for that,” she replies. “I’ve taken bites here and there, don’t worry about me.”
But I do worry about her. More than I’ve a right to.
“Go ahead and dish up the rest of that stew,” Maggie says as she hurries into the kitchen. “And I need nachos, hold the onion. And a meat pie.”
“Got it,” I reply, already building the nachos. “Is it slowing down out there?”
“You wish,” she says with a laugh. “And now I know to make three pots of stew on the weekends. Keegan’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat out there as he counts his coins.”
“I think you just combined Alice in Wonderland and A Christmas Carol .” I finish dishing up the stew and set the bowls on a tray for my sister. “These are hot and heavy.”
“Everything around here is heavy,” Maggie says as she expertly carries the tray out of the kitchen.
“I couldn’t carry that,” Lexi says.
“You could with practice. Not that we’ll ask you to.”
“I waited tables in college,” she says, surprising me. “I never could get the hang of balancing plates and stuff. I wasn’t cut out for it.”
“Well, you’re an excellent sous chef,” I reply. “And I’m glad you’re here.”
“I brought cake,” Anastasia announces as she walks into the kitchen, my brother right behind her. “Lots of cake. I’m trying out some new flavors, so I need your opinions. Hi, you must be the new cook. I’m Stasia.”
“Actually, this is the author I’m working with,” I reply. “Lexi Perry, my brother Kane. And his wife, Stasia.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Lexi says.
“Why is Lexi filling orders?” Kane says as he reaches for a chip.
“I offered,” Lexi says. “Also, I just want to tell you that I’m a fan of your work. The vase in Shawn’s guest room is absolutely beautiful. I’ve seen a few of your exhibits, and I loved being in the museum last weekend. You’re incredibly talented. Of course, you know that.”
“And I always love hearing it,” my brother says. “Thank you. And I can say the same for you. I’ve read all of your books, and am looking forward to this movie being made.”
Lexi’s face pales. “You read my books?”
“I do, yes.”
“Now, I’m more nervous than before.”
“No need to be,” Anastasia says as she passes me a piece of pink cake. “He adores your stories. Here, have some strawberry mint cake.”
“Thanks.”
“She makes wedding and occasion cakes for a living,” I inform Lexi and stuff the rest of my cake into my mouth. “This one’s a winner.”
“Delicious,” Lexi agrees.
“Now try the lemon with blueberry compote filling.”
Lexi leans against the counter and chews the cake. “Oh my God, so good. I might move in with you just to eat cake all the time.”
“I’ll bring you whatever you want,” Stasia says with a happy smile. “Okay, I’m going to drink a beer and chat with Keegan. I’ll see you in a few.”
She hurries out, and Kane hangs back.
“What’s up?” I ask him.
He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, just looks back and forth between Lexi and me. Then, with a smirk, he turns and leaves the kitchen.
Damn matchmaking siblings.