LITMIR.BIZ

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not a troubled boy. He’s happy and curious and friendly, he’s just…he’s just…”

      Instinct took over. He gathered Devon into his arms, stroking her silky hair, his fingers remembering the path down each strand. She trembled against his chest and he rested his cheek against her head. He’d been wanting to hold her ever since he’d spotted her walking down Coral Cove’s Main Street. He curled one hand around her neck.

      “Stop!” Small fists pummeled his legs.

      “Michael!” Devon broke away from his embrace and grabbed Michael’s shoulder. “Michael, stop.”

      The boy wrapped both arms around Devon’s thighs, nearly knocking her over with the force of his small body.

      “Apologize to Kieran.”

      Kieran took two steps back from Devon and his son clinging to her. His gut wrenched. “It’s okay. I wasn’t hurting your mom, Michael, but you’re a good protector.”

      Devon peeled Michael from her legs and tilted his head with her finger beneath his chin. “Is that what you thought? That Kieran was hurting me?”

      Michael nodded, his hands still curled into white-knuckled fists.

      “Oh, no.” She pulled Michael back into her arms for a hug. “Kieran would never, ever hurt me…or you. Not ever.”

      Kieran closed his good eye, welcoming the darkness. How could Devon be so sure of that? How could he?

      * * *

      DEVON BRUSHED HER fingers together and flipped the empty pizza box closed. Another half pizza remained but they’d done a fair amount of damage to that one, too. Michael had eaten more than he had in weeks. Maybe it was the sea air. Maybe it was his burst of violence against Kieran.

      Her son had never before hit anyone or anything in his life. And he had to start with his own father.

      And what a moment he’d picked.

      Kieran had finally taken her in his arms, held her close, shown some emotion. She’d wanted to melt into him, somehow bring him back to his former self with her energy. But the wary stranger with the closed-off face remained.

      Kieran tossed a piece of crust onto his paper plate. “That was the best pizza I’ve had since the last time I had Vinnie’s. Do you want another piece, Michael, or are you as stuffed as I am?”

      Michael picked up a crust from his plate and ripped it in half. Then he scrambled to his feet and scampered toward the bathroom.

      Devon sighed. “Believe it or not, he seems to be getting a little better.”

      “I was blunt in the kitchen, Devon, but Michael needs help.”

      “I know. Like I said, he has his first appointment with Dr. Estrada tomorrow. The offer still stands if you want to come along.”

      Her cell phone buzzed and she held up one finger. “Hello?”

      “Devon, it’s Gary from the garage. I got your tires on, but I didn’t have a window. I covered it with a piece of cardboard and I put in an order online tonight. You going to be here for a few weeks?”

      Her gaze trailed to Kieran, picking up the pizza boxes and paper plates. “Yes, I’ll be here for a few more weeks.”

      “Good. I can install it for you then. If I drive over in your car, can you give me a ride back to the shop and my car?”

      “Sure. I’m at the Roarkes’ house on Coral Cove Drive. You know it?”

      “Yeah, across from Columbella House, right?”

      “That’s it. We’ll be waiting for you.”

      Kieran strolled out of the kitchen, hands in pockets. “Is your car ready?”

      “Yeah, he’s bringing it over. You’re going to stay here, right?”

      “I need to pick up a few things I left at Columbella.”

      She shivered and glanced at the closed bathroom door. “Stay out of that burned room. A man died there.”

      “I was reading about that when you got back from talking to the cops. Apparently, Colin saved Michelle Girard from a maniac.”

      “Mr. Brunswick. Didn’t you have him for algebra?”

      He lifted a shoulder and the corner of his mouth twisted. Is that the closest he could get to a smile?

      “Leave it to my brother to save the day.”

      “He wanted to save you, too, Kieran. He can’t quite forgive himself for leaving you.”

      “He needs to get over it.”

      “Can you?”

      “I don’t blame Colin. I don’t remember when he and the others escaped, but when the army told me about it, I never faulted the other guys.”

      “I didn’t mean…”

      Michael burst back into the room, and Devon sealed her lips. She didn’t want to talk about Kieran’s ordeal in front of Michael. She needed alone time with Kieran. She needed to know where he stood. Was he ready to be a father? Did he even want the job?

      “Is your place close?”

      “It’s my mom’s place. Nothing’s too far apart in Coral Cove, but it’s on the east side of town, past downtown.”

      “And the auto shop is on the way?”

      “Yeah.” She tilted her head. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. At least I have two new tires. I’ll take care of getting a new license tomorrow.”

      He dug a cell phone from his pocket. “I have one of those prepaid phones. Put my number in your phone and give me a call when you get home.”

      Her heart fluttered. Was he making a stand? Did he care enough to want to protect them? She entered the phone number taped to the back of his phone into her cell, and a glow touched her heart as she typed his name.

      Kieran Roarke was back, and even if he wasn’t the same man who’d left her side and left her bed, she’d take what she could get right now.

      When Gary pulled up in her car, Devon touched Kieran’s forearm. “You know Gary. You might as well get started now.”

      Kieran nodded and flicked on the porch light before swinging open the door. Gary exited the car and nearly tripped over the curb.

      “Is that Kieran Roarke?”

      “Back from the dead.”

      “Son of a…” Gary swept the grease-stained cap from his head and charged forward, arm outstretched. “So you made it out of there. Just like in the old days on the football field. Nothing can keep you down.”

      The two men pumped hands, and Gary pointed to his own eye. “Did you lose an eye over there, man?”

      “Not quite, but I’m not sure I’ll ever have use of it again.”

      “What the hell. You’re alive, right?”

      “Yeah, I’m alive.”

      “Devon, good to see you, too, and this is your little guy?” Gary bent over and waved at Michael, who had shrunk behind Devon, clutching her hand.

      Great. Another stranger. Like father, like son. Michael was going to have to relearn a few things, too.

      “Yes, this is Michael.” She knelt beside her son. “This is Gary. He fixed Mommy’s car and now we’re going to give him a ride back to his car.”

      She said an awkward goodbye to Kieran, promising to call him when she got home. After dropping off Gary, she drove back to her mother’s house, checking her rearview mirror. There were a few cars on the road, probably tourists heading from dinner to the few bars in town or making their

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