Chapter Five #2
“Forget whatever plan you’re hatching, Kier.
It won’t end well for any of us. Being human isn’t such a bad thing.
Who knows, maybe you’ll come to enjoy it.
Everything is more vibrant and immediate and thrilling when your time is short and the ending unknown.
” He slapped him on the back on his way out.
“If you want to talk…” His gaze narrowed in warning as he pulled out a prepaid phone and placed it on the table.
“And only talk, you can find me at Ivy House. I added the number, along with mine and Sam’s. ”
Kieran fisted his hands at his sides. His brother was right about one thing.
Being here had changed him. Raw, painful emotions were bubbling up inside him, threatening to tear him apart.
He wondered why he’d missed his brothers, done so much to protect them.
Why he’d thought it a bad thing to be numb inside.
It hurt too damn much. Being cold and detached inside while presenting a smile to the world was safer. Nothing could be worth this.
They are. The whisper cut to the heart of things.
His life might not be vibrant and immediate, but it was his, and he wasn’t ready to give it up.
Whatever hold these women had over his brothers could be broken.
They might hate him for it, but forever was a long time. They’d eventually get over it. Right?
…
The back door of the bakery opened as Georgia was reaching into the oven. When she turned to see who it was, her arm brushed the hot edge. “Ouch!” Hurriedly, she set the final tray of cupcakes on the cooling rack.
“Let me see.” Kieran grabbed her arm and scowled at the burn.
She yanked it away, went over to the sink, and ran the area beneath cool water. The worst of the sting faded. “You’re late.” She turned off the tap and inspected the minor injury.
“I overslept. Then I had a visit from my brothers.” With his tousled hair, wrinkled clothes, and throaty growl, he looked like a man who’d just rolled out of bed. She had to fight the urge to finger-comb his hair and smooth out his shirt. Then the last thing he’d said sank in.
“Both of them?” Whatever had happened, he didn’t look happy about it.
It was a reminder that he’d come here to see to family business, not to work for her.
She honestly hadn’t expected him to show up at all this morning, and she was mildly surprised he had.
The men in her life hadn’t been the most dependable.
Her father had missed every school function when she was growing up, including her high school graduation.
The handful of boyfriends she’d had were no better.
And David had broken almost as many promises as he’d made.
Maybe the comparison wasn’t fair, but she couldn’t start depending on Kieran.
“Yeah.” His gaze was glued to her arm. “Should you go to the hospital?”
“For a tiny burn?” When she laughed, his frown deepened. He wasn’t joking. “It’s not a big deal. It goes with the job.” She opened the fridge and pulled out a tube of aloe vera gel. In no time, she’d smeared some on and covered the wound to keep it protected. “See, good as new.”
With a tenderness that belied his size, he lifted her arm and pressed his lips just below the area, wincing slightly as he did. “This is my fault for distracting you. I’m sorry for that. And sorry for being late.”
Heat that had nothing to do with the oven washed over her.
The apology was as shocking as the affectionate gesture.
In her experience, limited as it was, men rarely apologized.
It threatened the barriers she’d managed to erect around her heart during the long hours of the night.
Having him this near jeopardized her peace of mind.
She cleared her throat. “No harm done.” She gently tugged on her arm until he released it. This close, she noticed his bottom lip was slightly swollen. “What happened?” Before she thought better of it, she rubbed her thumb gently over the spot.
His tongue touched the tip of her thumb. Catching her breath, she quickly pulled it away. “Difference of opinion with Alex.” His mouth compressed in a thin line, signaling the end of the conversation.
She swallowed her curiosity and questions.
It wasn’t her business what went on between the three brothers.
Taking his cue, she changed the subject.
“If you’re serious about helping out, you can start brewing coffee.
I like to have all three pots full when I open.
” She glanced at the clock. “That’s in about ten minutes. There’s usually an early rush.”
“I’m on it.”
When he disappeared out front, she took her first full breath since he’d walked in.
“You can do this,” she said under her breath—and prayed she was right.
Taking hold of the first wire rack she’d filled with croissants, she carried it to the front.
As she angled past him, their bodies brushed, her bottom sliding against him.
The rack jostled. She hurriedly righted it and slid it into place in the glass display case.
“Those look delicious.” He was directly behind her, his breath warm against the back of her neck. A shiver ran down her spine. Her nipples were at full attention. Thankfully, the apron covered them.
“Chocolate, cheese, and plain.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“Smell good, too.” He inhaled sharply, his nose against her neck. Wait, was he talking about her or the baked goods? The scent of hot male mixed with a woodsy soap surrounded her. Scrunching her shoulders up to her neck, she made her escape to the kitchen.
A glance at the clock had her picking up the pace.
She couldn’t afford to allow Kieran to throw her off her schedule.
Her business depended on repeat customers, many of whom wanted their coffee and pastries as soon as the doors opened.
She lifted a rack filled with muffins, turned, and almost ran into Kieran.
He took the rack from her. “Where do you want it?”
“Ah, the muffins go on the racks behind the cash register. All the rest go in the display case.” Working surprisingly well together, they ferried trays of apple and cherry Danishes, a variety of cookies, and her killer brownies out from the kitchen.
Pre-printed signs were put into place with two minutes to spare.
“That’s more variety than I expected. What time did you come to work?”
She shrugged and checked the napkin holder at the end of the counter, even though it was full. “I couldn’t sleep. And I used some dough I had frozen, which helped.”
“You’ve been here all night?”
“Not the first time.”
Swearing under his breath, he all but pushed her onto a stool.
She glared at him. “What are you doing? I’m about to open for the day.”
“There’s still a minute left. You want coffee?”
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Don’t be nice to me, she wanted to scream.
It only made her like him more. The man, or more precisely, her reaction to him, had her on edge.
She popped off the stool and turned the sign on the door to open before unlocking it.
“I’ll get some water. I need to hydrate. ”
The bell tinkled, and Cal Jones ambled in. It didn’t surprise her that he’d come to check up on her first thing. “Morning, Cal. The usual?”
“Yup, large coffee with cream.” He nodded at Kieran. “You’re still here.”
“Yes.” He quickly filled the order. “That all?”
“Nope, I’ll have one of those chocolate croissants and a blueberry muffin.”
Georgia stepped back and watched in amusement as the two men sized each other up. After seeing him in action yesterday, it didn’t surprise her that Kieran had no trouble ringing up the sale. He’d watched her and was a quick study.
“You’re looking mighty cozy here.”
“Cal.” The warning in her voice was clear. “He’s taken a temporary job.”
“And taken up temporary residence in the apartment over your garage.”
A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. “That bit of gossip making the rounds already?” News traveled fast in Redemption. And Kieran’s arrival would have everyone’s tongue wagging.
“I got it from Rosa, who got it from Cilla.”
Kieran stilled, becoming alert. Something Cal said had him on edge. “Who’s Rosa?” he casually asked.
“My sister. She works at Ivy House with Cilla. I notice you didn’t ask who Cilla was.”
“My brothers paid me a visit first thing this morning. I know who Cilla is.” His demeanor remained relaxed, almost pleasant, but to her, his words sounded almost threatening. Surely she was mistaken?
Cal frowned and grabbed his order as the bell over the door announced another arrival. “Cilla’s a special lady, as is Georgia.” The warning was clear.
Ignoring it, Kieran smiled at the two women behind Cal. “Good morning, ladies. What can I get you?”
Cheeks flaming, Georgia fled to the kitchen, grabbed a chilled bottle of water from the fridge, and pressed it against her face.
Keeping one ear on the front, in case Kieran needed help, she assembled chocolate and strawberry mini tarts, having prepped the fillings earlier.
That done, she whipped up the frostings for the cupcakes—cream cheese for the red velvet, a lush vanilla for the purists, and one with espresso powder for the mocha cupcakes.
She set the vanilla cupcakes on a tray and lifted the piping bag.
“Those look delicious.”
Kieran’s deep voice startled her. She squeezed the bag too hard, and vanilla frosting exploded out the tip.
“Damn it.” She set down the bag and grabbed a towel, swiping it over her apron and the counter.
“Is there a problem?” She kept her attention on what she was doing rather than look at him.
It was bad enough to appear inept in the one place she’d always been confident.
No way did she want him to know that he was the reason she was on edge.
“Just checking on you. You seemed distracted this morning.” He leaned against the counter.
“Lack of sleep.” That was her story, and she was sticking to it.
“That’s part of it.”
“What else could it be?” she snapped.
He hooked a wisp of hair that had escaped confinement behind her ear. “I think I make you nervous. Do I make you nervous?”
All she’d wanted when she’d come home was a quiet life and something to call her own.
It had taken relentless work, buckets of sweat, nights of lost sleep, and copious tears, but she’d done it.
Now a phone call from her ex, coupled with Kieran’s arrival, had threatened her emotional equilibrium.
A woman could only take so much, and she’d reached the end of her rope.
Spinning around, she poked her finger against his chest. “Yes, you do. What’s your game? What do you want with me?”