Wait for the Wind (2 page)

No longer the towheaded boy he’d been, no longer a bubbling child who exuded caring and love, now a brawny six-three, he had a darker, honey blond hair color. Ryan quietly took note of any changes that had been made in his absence.

The house, at least from outside, had appeared to be in good repair. Either Jack or Skye’s doing, he was sure. He’d have to head over and see them before long, but right now all he wanted was the quiet of his mother’s company and a cup of her tea.

“Well, sit down and I’ll fix you a cup of tea. I made sugar cookies this morning. You can catch me up on the goings-on.”

“The last trial ended about two weeks ago.”

“The butler, the one Liv coshed over the head with a candlestick?”

Ryan grinned, remembering Liv’s great escape from Gueraldi’s fortress. Lord, they’d been terrified she’d be found dead, but she’d surprised them all by tricking the guard, knocking him out and escaping into the hands of an FBI agent.

“That’s the one. Well, he was found
not guilty
. Missing evidence. Didn’t take him long to walk out of the courtroom and go after the agent who took him down, Gabriel Spiller, and Jack’s former sister-in-law Leannan O’Neil.”

“Jack never said anything to us.”

“Probably didn’t know. Anyway, turns out she had the missing diamonds and didn’t know it. She found Agent Spiller and they went into hiding. Smythe found them and ended up dead.”

“Oh my.” Molly passed him a cup of hot tea and set a plate of cookies on the table between them.

“They’re getting married next month.” He smiled.

“A whirlwind romance. Sometimes it’s like that. And you? Any unfinished business in the States?”

“I’m clear. Forgotten as far as they are concerned. I sold the house, banked the money and gave my farewells.”

“I’m just glad all that mess is over with. So, do you plan to stay for a time?”

“Yes. If you don’t mind having me here until I get my own place.”

Her gentle but strong hand covered his.

“This is your home, Ryan Michael. No matter what you do, you will always be welcome here, as are all my children. Understand?”

“I’ve done so many terrible things.”

“As we all have and you’re probably not finished with your share. Nevertheless, I will always love my sweet boy. There is something you should know.” She was twisting her hands together.

“Sure, Ma.”

“I don’t want you to find out by chance and be unprepared. Mary Katherine has moved back home. She’s started her practice here, and I didn’t want you to bump into her at Liv’s or–”

Only one thought registered. Kate was home. It didn’t mean anything. He wouldn’t let it matter. He couldn’t let the pain show, not even to his mother. His body burned at the thought of seeing her again, but his heart was ice cold.

“Lovely. Nice to hear Kate’s got her life together.” She wouldn’t get to him. He could deal with it. Maybe. “When?”

“About four months ago she came back to bury her father and open the clinic. O’Connell died of a liver disease, I think. He didn’t go easy.”

“He’d always been a hard drinker.” He’d hated Mick O’Connell for as long as he could remember. Mick should have died right alongside his own father. He hadn’t been aboard the ship, though. He remembered Mick had laid out that morning. Drunk again and Michael Corrigan had volunteered to take his place.

“Mick was a sopping drunk, abusive and everyone knew it. Liquor killed him. Like always, Mary Katherine was left to clean up the mess.”

“Well, it’s a big world. I’ve managed to avoid old lovers before. Why should Kate be any different? We’ve been done for a long time now.”

“She’s Liv’s doctor. I didn’t want the two of you to stumble over each other.”

“It doesn’t bother me, Ma. We were over a long time ago. I’m going to take a walk. Maybe head over to the cottage and see Liv.”
And find out all I can so I can avoid Kate like the plague.

Ryan kissed his mother on the cheek and walked out into the afternoon mist.

* * * *

Laughter echoed out of the little cottage as Ryan looked through the kitchen into the living room, wishing he had called first. Not yet, he wasn’t ready. Liv sat on the sofa with a tea cup in her hand, her feet propped up on Jack’s lap. Jack absently rubbed her ankles. She had her back to Ryan.

Kate sat across from Liv in a puffy chair by the fireplace. They had a fire going, as the weather was cool this time of year. The memory of Kate lying in front of another roaring fire pushed to the front of his mind and tormented him. Gone were the wisps of long blond hair. She’d cut it in a more practical short, sunny cap that framed her slender face, giving her a pixie-like quality. No longer was she the girl who’d walked away from him–Kate was a grown woman. A gorgeous woman, he amended. Slender as a reed, and Ryan wondered if she still carried herself with a sexy air as if she owned the world. Her white lab coat reminded him of the years and pain between them.
Stop it. She murdered your child.
He swallowed hard, gave a cursory knock on the door and walked into his sister’s house.

Stepping into the room, for just a moment he let his eyes unerringly lock onto Kate’s. Ryan saw surprise and joy there, along with an aging that didn’t belong. Heat surged through him, a flame hot enough to burn a man. The memories all came flooding back too, until he was reeling from them, but years of hiding emotion allowed him to show her only indifference. He gave a polite nod to her and watched the light in her eyes fade a little. Squashing the pity, the joy, and yes most of the heat, Ryan pulled the door closed behind him.

“What? No welcome home party?”

Liv squealed and jumped up to hug him as quickly as her pregnant body would allow. “Ryan! Oh, you’re home! I’m so glad. Have you been to see Ma? Skye will be out on the cliffs by now, or maybe the pub. Jack, look! Ryan’s home!”

Jack laughed at her enthusiasm and walked over to him. “Hey, Ryan. Welcome home.”

Ryan peeled his sister away long enough to shake Jack’s hand.

“Hi, Jack. Always a hundred questions with you, Liv, isn’t it?” He was surprised he could laugh and mean it. “Yes, I just left there. The house looks good, Jack. Thank you for looking out for Ma.”

“Molly’s an amazing lady. I love her to pieces.” Jack took Liv’s hand and led her back to the sofa.

“I’ll go down to the pub later. How have you been? When are you due?”

Liv curled her feet on Jack’s lap, while Ryan took the chair opposite them next to the fire. “We’re due in about a month.”

“And the baby?”

“Is doing well and so is the little mother. Let me add my welcome, Ryan.” Kate shifted in her seat and crossed her ankles.

He had a mental flash of her slim and pale, rising above him in the moonlight. Impossibly blue eyes burning through his, then he killed the memory like a spider.

“Ma tells me you’ve opened a clinic near here. May I say I hope to never need the service? No offense intended.” Idle conversation
. Just pretend like she was never more than your sister’s friend. She didn’t mean anything to you.

“None taken, but I’ll be there just the same. Speaking of work, it’s time I got back to the clinic. Come by when you’ve the time and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

Liv might not have noticed the private conversation going on mentally, but Ryan caught the look Jack gave him, which clearly said he’d pick Liv for information later. Writer, ex-cop and psychic were a dangerous combination when there were secrets to be kept. Jack must have sensed the tension in the air. Could Jack read his thoughts, too?

Liv saw Kate to the door and then lumbered back to the couch. Ryan didn’t stay long. He needed some space until he had his emotions under control. Seeing Kate again had turned him upside down. This time around, they didn’t have the luxury of avoiding each other with distance. He was going to have to deal with Kate and the feelings he insisted he didn’t still have.

* * * *

Jack turned on the kitchen faucet and filled a glass with water. Liv had started this health kick since she found out she was pregnant. No more peanut butter fudge, coffee, and caffeine-loaded drinks for her. Last night she’d awakened at three o’clock craving garlic bread, cheese pizza and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. What a ghastly combination. His darling wife was nearing the middle of the third trimester of her pregnancy and each day was filled with new wonder for him and new strange happenings for Liv. She was already having Braxton Hicks contractions at barely the beginning of her seventh month. It worried him, but Kate had assured him Liv was doing wonderfully. Everything was fine. Still, he couldn’t shake the thought something wasn’t right.

He’d seen early on, thanks to his gift, they would welcome a little girl. Skye had confirmed his vision. Skye was fast becoming the brother he’d never had. Jack had slipped into his new life like an old shoe with a comfortable fit. Did he miss being a cop? Sometimes, when he looked back and remembered the good he’d done during his career. He’d never go back to that and or return to the States unless Liv asked it of him. With Ryan home, that wasn’t likely.

Now, Ryan was another matter entirely. They’d gotten close during Liv’s ordeal with Gueraldi. Working together, they’d managed to find and rescue her from the kingpin’s stronghold. His mental gifts didn’t have the reach Skye’s did, so he wasn’t able to ‘check in’ on Ryan mentally while his brother-in-law was overseas. He sensed storms brewing around him. Storms that circled and centered on Kate O’Connell. Jack had hoped Ryan would find some peace now that the trials were over.

Jack walked back to the living room and handed Liv the glass before he sat down by her and pulled her feet into his lap.

“You’re worried about Ryan. So am I.” Liv arched her foot against his hand.

“I am, but he’ll be fine. He’s home. We’ll take care of him. He just needs time and space to figure out what comes next. I have a feeling it won’t be accounting, though. I keep seeing hammers. Maybe carpentry?” Jack started rubbing slow lazy circles on the soles of her feet.

“Speaking of carpentry, Skye’s doing a fine job with the addition, so he says. I don’t know. When are you going to allow me back in that part of my house? Hmm?”

Jack heard her sigh deeply. She seemed to tire so easily.

“As soon as the chemicals from the drywall and paint aren’t floating around. I don’t want either of you getting sick.” He skimmed his fingers upward along her calf and smiled when she trembled. “I wonder how he’ll react to Allie? You’re sure he doesn’t know about her?”

“I’m sure. He’s a stubborn horse’s arse. Ryan returned every letter from Kate, hung up on every call when any of us mentioned her name.”

“Think he’s still in love with her?”

“I’d bet on it. And fighting the notion like crazy.”

Jack laughed. “There’s where the storm’s brewing. I wish I could be there to see his face when he stops running.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Not in the last ten minutes.”

“I love you, Jack.”

“I love you more. I wonder what sort of gifts our daughter will have.” Jack laid a hand on her swollen tummy and felt his daughter kick him away. “Ooh. Super ninja kicks?”

“She is absolutely not allowed any throwing stars until she’s sixteen. Ryan’s missed out on a lot. This is going to hurt him so much.”

“We’ll be here for him. It’s all you can do, Liv.”

Chapter 3

Kate left Liv’s cottage and started walking in the direction of the clinic. She looked at her watch and decided to walk down to the beach for a few minutes instead of going straight back to work. There would always be time for her children, including the one that was lost.

Her sneakers slipped a little on some of the small loose rocks that peppered the path to the sea. Finding her footing, she moved slowly, careful not to slide over the edge. At the bottom, she looked up to where the cliffs towered overhead. She could almost make out the stone dance she knew stood above this spot of shore. Barely eight feet long, and not much more than that to the water where the healer of Liv’s legend had found her mate dying on the wet sand.

She couldn’t see the cottage from here. When she had been younger, she’d snuck away to wade in the water, or lie on the beach and look up at the dance. The legend fascinated her. She knew Briella and Daemon existed and once in a while she felt the air shift when the waves touched the sand, a kiss between the nixie and his love. It was a special place. Protected, she liked to think.