Chapter Nine #2
Georgia was nervous. It was ridiculous, really.
They were all adults. It shouldn’t matter that Kieran’s brothers had found him at her house.
They had to suspect what had happened, but not by word or deed had they been anything but polite and respectful.
While she was feeling guilty about not going straight to work, the unexpected break in routine was welcome.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone out anywhere with friends.
Not that any of the men, including Kieran, were truly friends. But she’d known Adrianne and Cilla most of her life and liked them both. Like her, they both ran their own businesses. It left little time to socialize.
“Have you heard anything about Mr. Davis?” Georgia asked. With everything else going on, she hadn’t had the opportunity to make any calls.
Cilla faced forward as Alex pulled out onto the road. “Cal told Rosa he’s in serious condition.”
“Cal would be Officer Jones, right?” Kieran asked.
Cilla nodded. “His sister, Rosa, works at Ivy House. That’s the bed and breakfast I run.”
“We run,” Alex corrected.
The look they shared was intimate and made Georgia’s heart ache. Their connection was obvious to anyone with eyes. That was what she’d always wanted. From what she’d heard and seen, Adrianne had found the same thing with Sam.
Don’t get your hopes up. That had always led to disappointment in the past. Kieran was not the staying type.
He’d been upfront about that from the beginning.
Besides which, she had enough to worry about with starting a business to add a man to the mix on a permanent basis.
This was her time to concentrate on building her dream.
Last night had been amazing, but they’d both agreed going in it was one and done.
Alex kept his eyes on the road while Kieran glared at the back of his brother’s head. So much for communication. Thankfully, the ride to Susie’s was short. Maybe food would help them relax.
She’d dressed this morning with work in mind. The capris, short-sleeved top, and sneakers weren’t fancy, but they were good enough for an impromptu breakfast. The diner had just opened and was only about a quarter full. That would change in the next hour as more people got up and about.
Sam and Adrianne had commandeered the booth in the corner. It normally held four people, but they’d pulled up two chairs at the end. It was crowded but doable. She glanced at Kieran. “Wouldn’t the tables be better?” They could easily push two together to make enough room.
“This is more private.” His hand rested on the small of her back. It was the sort of thing a man did for his girlfriend or wife, something she wasn’t. She stepped away, breaking the contact, and crossed the room.
Susie was already at the table filling mugs with coffee. When she saw Georgia, she set the pot on the table and wrapped her arms around her. “How are you doing, sweetie? I heard what happened.”
Closing her eyes, Georgia soaked in the caring. Susie’s was a town institution. It was where most people came to eat and gossip. Susie was one of the few people who’d actively encouraged Georgia to start her own business and purchased baked goods for the diner to help give her a start.
She returned the hug. “I had a scare, but otherwise I’m fine.
” She was getting tired of repeating herself, but it was nice that people cared.
“Kieran got us out of the way. He protected me and took the brunt of the fall.” His injuries appeared to be healing, but she hadn’t taken a close look at them this morning, needing to put some distance between them.
Not that he’d asked, but in light of all he’d done, it was unforgivable.
Kieran held a chair for her. She guessed they were sitting on the outside while the other two couples took the bench seats.
Susie retrieved the coffeepot. “Do you know what you want, or do you need time to look at the menu?”
Once all the orders had been placed, Georgia took her time adding sugar to her coffee and stirring. She wasn’t the only one. The other women seemed as uncomfortable as she did.
“You should visit the lavender farm,” Adrianne said to Kieran. “It’s not in bloom this time of year, but it’s still lovely.”
“No, he shouldn’t.” Sam’s words descended like a wall between them. “Not while he’s working for our father.”
Whoa, there was a lot of underlying animosity there. Kieran leaned back, a partial smile on his face, but his eyes told a different story. Hurt flashed in them. Or maybe she was only imagining that. “Afraid of me, are you, big brother?”
Sam shook his head. “Afraid for you.”
A muscle flexed in Kieran’s jaw. “You don’t need to worry about me. I have my priorities straight.”
“I don’t think you do,” Sam countered.
It was like watching a tennis match with a lot of underlying subtext Georgia didn’t understand. She gave a sigh of relief when breakfast was served. Her plan was to eat fast and get out. Whatever was going on, the brothers needed to settle it amongst themselves.
As much as she cared about Kieran, this was a part of his life she knew nothing about.
In truth, she knew next to nothing about him.
And that was okay. They’d had a one-night stand.
They weren’t in a committed relationship, didn’t owe each other anything.
The knot in her stomach grew. Putting her head down, she scooped up scrambled eggs and shoved them into her mouth.
“How long do you think you’ll be in town?” Alex asked. It was a simple question, but the tension in the small group ratcheted up a notch.
“Not long.” Kieran appeared cool and composed, without a care in the world. It was as though nothing touched him. It was such a contradiction to the man who’d been in her bed last night, the one she’d come to know. It made her wonder which one was real. How much of what he said and did was an act?
Her throat constricted around a piece of bacon.
She coughed and tried to swallow. It was stuck.
Trying not to panic, she wheezed out a breath and thumped her chest. When that didn’t work, she grabbed her napkin, covered her mouth, and coughed.
Sweat beaded on her brow, and her heart began to race.
She tried to suck in a breath, but that only made things worse.
Kieran watched her, not with concern but with an expression of calm acceptance, making no move to help her.
Alex swore and yanked her up out of her chair.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressed his clasped hands against her abdomen, and gave a fast, hard push.
Her breath came out in a rush. The food moved, but not enough.
He did it again, and the piece of bacon came up into the napkin.
Breath came rushing back. Legs shaking, she sank gratefully back down on her chair.
By this time, Susie was there with a glass of water.
Georgia took it and sipped slowly. Hating that everyone was watching her, she cleared her throat and offered a smile.
“Just a piece of food stuck. Nothing to worry about.” Only it hadn’t felt like nothing a few seconds ago.
“How about we take a minute in the ladies’ room?” Adrianne took her by the hand and helped her stand. With Cilla on Georgia’s other side, they headed down the small hallway to the restrooms.
“Sorry to put a damper on things.” God, she was so embarrassed.
Adrianne waved her apology away and pushed open the door. “You didn’t. Things were tense before that.”
“So it’s not just me.” Going to the counter, she wet a piece of paper towel and patted her face. Her skin was blotchy, and her eyes seemed a bit wild, but otherwise she was unharmed.
“They have issues.” There was no hiding the concern in Cilla’s eyes.
Georgia tossed the used towel into the garbage. “That’s an understatement. Whatever’s going on between them, it’s big. This isn’t some small misunderstanding.”
The two other women shared a look. “No, it’s not,” Adrianne admitted.
They both knew what the issue was. Of course they did. They were in committed relationships with the other two Blackwell brothers. A wave of exhaustion washed over Georgia. “I don’t belong here. They’ll talk more freely without me here.”
Cilla shook her head and smiled. “I said the same thing not too long ago when Alex first came to town and confronted Sam.”
That was both surprising and confusing. “Sam and Alex seem to get along.” From what Georgia had seen, it was the two of them against Kieran.
“They do now. They didn’t not so long ago,” Cilla confirmed.
That meant there was hope for Kieran and his brothers, but only if they talked. “I’m going to sneak out the back door.” Thankfully, she’d brought her purse with her.
Cilla laughed. “I did the same thing. Don’t be surprised if Kieran shows up sooner rather than later.”
Adrianne touched her arm. “Are you sure you’re all right? And I don’t just mean the choking incident.”
Tears welled in her eyes, but Georgia blinked them back. “It’s been a wild couple of days. Seems longer. I need to bake. That’s what I do when I need to center myself, when I need to think.”
Adrianne nodded. “I get it. I spend time in the lavender fields or the work shed when I’m out of sorts.”
“I garden or houseclean,” Cilla admitted.
“Thank you,” Georgia whispered. While they weren’t close friends, their kindness meant a lot.
Adrianne hugged her. “We’ll talk again soon. After all, you’re with Kieran.”
Georgia shook her head. “Whatever gave you that idea? Kieran’s only passing through.
He made it clear he’s not staying.” More embarrassed by their assumptions than the choking incident, she grabbed the door handle.
“If he asks, tell him I’ve gone to work and don’t expect him, so he can stay as long as he needs. ”
“Georgia,” Adrianne called, but she rushed down the hall and out the back door into the fresh air. Head down, she headed to the bakery, the one place she felt safe and secure. Hard work, she understood. Relationships, she’d never figure out. And she was done trying.