LITMIR.BIZ

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hand was on the gate when he caught up with her, his hand on her shoulder, forcing her round to look at him. And when she did she wasn’t able to hide the tears that streamed down her face.

      Garrett swore.

      She turned away again, fighting with the latch on the gate. ‘I have to get out of here.’ She shook the gate again as her voice cracked. ‘What sort of a damn stupid gate is this, for crying out loud?’

      He watched her struggling, a battle waging inside him between what propriety dictated he should do and what she might need most in that moment.

      When her breath caught on a sob, he frowned hard, decision made. ‘Leave it, Keelin. Stop.’ He took a deep breath and stepped towards her. ‘Come here.’

      And even though it was entirely inappropriate with someone he had barely met, he drew her into his arms. ‘I can’t let you go running off in this state.’

      She struggled in his arms. ‘It’s not your problem.’

      ‘Maybe not, but if you run in the wrong direction and fall off the island, then I’ll feel responsible.’

      She struggled again. ‘Let me go Garrett.’

      ‘No. Just give yourself a minute.’

      When she continued struggling, he spread his feet wider to support them both, even though she was so small in his arms. Then he waited, his arms firm around her waist until she went still, and sobbed against his chest, directly above his heart, so that the sound vibrated through him.

      After a moment she seemed to soften, and Garrett felt his shoulders relax, knowing she wasn’t going to fight with him any more. So he waited again, his arms moving so that he could smooth his hands over her back as if he were soothing a wounded animal, trying to gain trust.

      Her voice was muffled but stronger when she spoke. ‘Well, this is a first.’

      ‘Crying?’ He tilted his chin down to study the top of her head as he attempted to inject a little humour. ‘Don’t all women do that?’

      ‘No.’ She lifted her head back a little so that her voice was clearer. ‘I mastered that one the first time I saw a Lassie film. I’ve just never bawled all over someone within twenty minutes of meeting them.’

      ‘You lost your mother. You have every right to cry. I just happen to be here, that’s all.’

      She stiffened in his arms again, then drew back, stepping away from him as she swiped at her cheeks with her palms. ‘I really shouldn’t have come here, I almost didn’t make the trip. And now I know I shouldn’t have. This was a bad idea.’

      Garrett watched as she shook her head, his arms suddenly feeling redundant at his sides. So he shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘I take it Dermot knew her?’

      ‘A long time ago.’

      ‘Well, he obviously never forgot her.’

      Keelin flashed a brief smile his way. ‘My mother had that effect on people. Once met, never forgotten.’

      ‘Then I guess he was right when he said you were like her.’

      Blue eyes widened as she shot him another glance, then she frowned and looked away. ‘I better get back to the hotel.’

      ‘I’ll drive you back.’

      ‘That’s not necessary.’

      ‘You already know how much of a stretch of the legs it is to get back there. Don’t be daft.’

      ‘The walk will do me good.’

      ‘Tough.’

      She was still frowning when she looked back at him, the city-girl confident façade back in place. ‘Are you always this bossy?’

      ‘Yep.’ He flashed a half-smile at her. ‘You’ll get used to it. Most people do, given time.’

      ‘I won’t be here long enough to get used to it.’

      ‘Well, then, consider this a one-shot deal.’

      While she opened her mouth to answer that he took his hands out of his pockets and pointed a long finger at her. ‘Don’t move and I’ll go get my keys.’

      ‘I can walk.’

      ‘You could try. But I’ll catch up with you in about a minute flat. So you may just think of this as a way of getting rid of me sooner. Otherwise I’m going to wind down the window and annoy you the whole way back. And I’m better at annoying than I am at bossy.’

      By the time he had her seated in the passenger seat of his Range Rover, still scowling at him, Dermot had reappeared.

      He tapped on Keelin’s window, and Garrett hit the switch to wind it down.

      ‘It took me a minute to find them. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.’

      Another bunch of letters was handed through the window and Keelin looked down at them as she took them from his hands, her face then rising, brows lifting in question.

      Dermot smiled sadly. ‘Call me sentimental if you like, but I kept hers, too. You should have them. So you can see both sides of the story.’

      Keelin’s voice was a low whisper. ‘Thank you.’

      A hand came through the window and squeezed her shoulder. ‘Come back for dinner later. Garrett will come down and get you. I’d like to get a chance to know Breige’s daughter, if that’s all right with you?’

      Garrett didn’t realize he was holding his breath until she nodded. Then he smiled inwardly as he started up the engine and turned out onto the laneway.

      ‘Told you he’d be back. Now you’ll have a chance to get used to me being bossy.’

      ‘I doubt one meal will do it.’

      ‘Well, then, maybe I’ll have to get Dermot to ask you to stay longer. You like him better than me.’

      She rewarded him with a small, mischievous smile. ‘He’s better looking than you.’

      Garrett shook his head as he looked out the windscreen. ‘Nah, he’s not.’

      When she didn’t argue his smile made it onto his face as he gave into a sudden pleasure that her mood had brightened. What man was ever comfortable with a crying woman, after all?

      As they got closer to Knightstown he glanced across at her, where she held the bundle of letters hugged against her lap.

      Garrett wanted to know the story behind those letters.

      And not just because of the mystery that surrounded her mother and his father.

      He needed to know why it was that a second generation of Kincaids was suddenly so fascinated by a second generation of O’Donnells.

      Even though the second generation of Kincaids had no business being fascinated by a woman who came from the city. A woman who had no place on an island like Valentia. The two were like oil and water, Garrett knew. Because he’d already been badly burned once before.

      So, the way he saw it, once his fascination waned with a little taste of familiarity, he could let it go. He wasn’t about to be burned twice. No matter how beautiful Keelin O’Donnell was, or how drawn he’d been to hold her and offer her comfort.

      No. He wouldn’t put himself through it again. Casual and un-involved worked much better for him these days if he felt the need for a female on his arm. And even if he was stupid enough to be tempted by anything more, he had responsibility for more than his own welfare now. He had Terri’s to consider, too. And she was more important to him than anything else ever could be again.

      Fascination, or no fascination.

      CHAPTER THREE

      KEELIN considered packing

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