Kellan

6

KELLAN STRODE INTO the Hound, searching the dimly lit interior as he walked to the bar. Overnight, the place had been decorated for the holidays with twinkling garlands draped from every spot possible and a Christmas tree sitting in the corner.

But there was something a bit nicer about it all, he mused as he took it all in, he could see Jordan and Nan’s influence on the family business already. Kellan recognized his brother’s Christmas CD playing over the sound system.

Riley was washing glasses and nodded at him as he approached. “Big brother, what are you about on this fine day?”

“The place looks grand,” Kellan said. “Very festive. But the music is crap.”

Riley chuckled. “Thanks. I’ll let the management know.”

“Have you seen Gelsey? I stopped up at the cottage to pick her up and she wasn’t there.”

“She’s over at the church. The ladies’ guild is meeting this afternoon and they asked if she might come and speak to them.”

“About what?”

“I guess what it’s like to be a mermaid?”

Kellan ground his teeth. “If I hear that mermaid shite once more, I swear, I’m going to pummel someone. It’s not funny anymore.”

“She’s over there demonstrating something…something to do with kelp?” Riley chuckled. “I find it quite amusing that she gets you so riled up. I have precious little entertainment here in Ballykirk, but you’ve been providing more than enough these past couple of weeks.”

“How would you feel if Nan went about telling everyone she’d once been a seal?”

Riley thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. “I see your point. But, hell, if it sold more Guinness at the pub, I’d be all for it. Who cares what a bunch of tourists believe? And I hear that business is booming at Maeve’s and she’s only been working there a week. Five customers yesterday. That’s more than Maeve used to have in a month.”

“Well, the ladies’ guild isn’t a bunch of tourists.” Kellan pushed away from the bar and walked back outside, then headed toward the church, all the while thinking about what he was going to say to her. She’d told him the truth a week ago. He knew where she was from and how she grew up. He’d just assumed that the mermaid stories were finally going to stop, at least to the locals.

The ladies were gathered in the meeting room of the church. Kellan threw open the doors only to be greeted by surprised silence and twenty or thirty pairs of inquisitive eyes.

“Perfect!” Gelsey said. “You’re right on time.” She hurried up to Kellan and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the room. “Now, ladies, as I was saying, all these products work just as well on men as they do on women. Many of your men are exposed to the elements every day in their work world and the skin can become wrinkled and leathery. It’s no good walking around town with a man who looks as if he’s twice your age, right?”

This brought a chorus of approval from the women. Gelsey shoved Kellan into a chair. “What are you doing here?” he murmured.

“A product demonstration,” she whispered. “If they won’t come to the shop, then the shop will go to them.” She turned back to the audience. “Now, the first thing we’ll begin with is this sea-salt exfoliator. We just apply this all over the face, with gentle fingers, avoiding the eyes, nostrils and mouth, of course.” She looked down at Kellan. “Tip your head back. You’ll like this.”

“You’re not going to put that on my face,” he muttered.

“Of course, Kellan, being the typical male, will probably resist. But it’s your job, ladies, to make this a pleasant experience. Put on some soft music, maybe dress a bit provocatively. And get close. Get very close.” She stepped over his lap, her legs on either side of his.

“You’ll like this,” she whispered. “I promise.”

Reluctantly, Kellan closed his eyes. Slowly, she began to massage the gritty cream into his face, her fingers dancing over his skin and smoothing across his forehead. After only a few seconds, he found himself relaxing, enjoying the touch of her hands.

“This really can be quite sensual, ladies. So, I’d suggest that you reserve this treatment for a time when the two of you can truly appreciate all the benefits.”

Kellan tried to keep his pulse from racing, but it was no use. Thankfully, the front of his jacket would cover any unexpected reaction, although from the way Gelsey was talking, that’s exactly what she was looking for.

“Now, I have some lovely samples for all of you in these little gift bags and I want you all to try them on yourself and on your man. I’ve also included a sprig of mistletoe. I’m sure you know what to do with that. Remember, all our products are one hundred percent natural. No artificial colors or scents.”

Kellan tried to look at her, but a tiny bit of salt dropped off his lashes, burning his eye. “Gels,” he murmured. “I think it’s time to get this off.” But from what he could hear, Gelsey had wandered off to talk to some of her potential customers and forgotten all about him. Kellan got to his feet and blindly searched for a towel to wipe his face. He banged into a table, then nearly tripped over a chair before he felt Gelsey’s hand on his arm.

“Come on, then,” she said. “Sit down and I’ll finish your treatment.”

“Don’t you dare,” he warned. “You’re not going to seduce me in the parish meeting room.”

“I meant your facial treatment. It doesn’t always have to come with sex, you know.” She gently wiped the salt mixture from his face and he opened his eyes. “There you are,” she murmured. “Handsome as ever.” She bent closer and brushed a kiss across his lips.

Kellan slipped his arms around her waist. “Did you really need to put that stuff on my face?”

“I’m selling product,” she said. “If I’m going to take over Maeve’s store, I’m going to need to get out and stir up some business, especially from the ladies in the area. Regular customers are important. I’ve already lined up a presentation with the ladies’ group over in Glengarriff. Mrs. Murphy’s sister is on the program committee and they’re always looking for speakers. It would help if you’d come with me.”

“You don’t need me,” he said. “I saw how you were with the ladies. You’re good at this, Gelsey. People like you.”

“You really think so? You think I’m good?”

Kellan nodded. The simple compliment brought a beautiful joy to her face. That’s all it took for him, he thought. As long as she was happy, so was he. Simple, but now he was beginning to understand her approach to life. Dwelling in the past only made the present miserable. She’d forgotten their argument minutes after it had happened and hadn’t brought it up since.

“I’m not sure what my schedule is going to be like after the first of the year,” he said. “I’ve got to go back to work soon.”

“Where?”

“We bid on a museum project in France. In Brittany. I’m not sure we’re going to get it and-”

“You’re going to France? For how long?”

“We don’t have the job yet,” Kellan said. In truth, he wasn’t sure he wanted it anymore. Gelsey was here, in Ballykirk. And her plans to buy Maeve’s shop would keep her here. France was a long way from Ireland.

He’d been thinking a lot about business. He had some savings and contacts with good investors. Maybe it was time to take that risk, to put his own cash behind a project and reap the profits. After all, Gelsey was used to a comfortable lifestyle. And he couldn’t really offer her as much doing just design and engineering on a project. He needed to make some real money.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “It will work itself out.” But as he reassured her, Kellan knew that it wouldn’t be so simple. He’d become accustomed to coming and going as he pleased, without a thought to anyone else’s feelings. If he and Gelsey were together, then all of that would change. His whole life would change.

He watched as Gelsey packed her boxes and collected her papers. Already, he could see the changes in her. She was confident, so different from the nervous woman he’d sent off to her first day at work just a week ago. In truth, she seemed completely in her element.

“Can I buy you lunch?” he asked.

“I’m going to buy you lunch,” she said, waving a stack of cards at him. “I made over a hundred pounds in sales today.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“No, I want to. Maeve gave me an advance on my pay and I have just enough to buy you lunch. She’s been very pleased with my work. That’s important. I’m not sure she’d sell to someone who wasn’t passionate about the business.”

Kellan helped her carry the boxes out to the battered Fiat. “You’re going to have to get yourself a better car,” he said.

“I know. I’ve never had a car of my own. But there is a car at Winterhill. I’m not sure it runs anymore. It belonged to my grandmother.”

“You could get it fixed,” he said. “I could help you out with that.”

Gelsey opened the back hatch of the Fiat and put the box she carried inside. Kellan dropped his box next to the first and shut the hatch. But the catch didn’t always work and it took three tries before the hatch stayed closed. “Yeah, you definitely need a better car.”

She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Have I told you what a good man you are?”

“I believe you have,” Kellan said. “Usually in bed. I think this might be the first time outside the bedroom.”

“I’ve never said that in the bedroom.”

“Not in those exact words,” he said.

“What words did I use?”

“Little words,” Kellan teased. “Like…oh and…yes. And then sometimes you say my name over and over. I may be wrong, but I assumed you were telling me I was a good man.”

Gelsey laughed. “You assumed right. But I think I need to say it out loud more often.” She tipped her face up to the sun. “Kellan Quinn is a very good man,” she shouted.

“He’s a feckin’ gobshite.”

The voice came from the direction of Danny’s smithy and Kellan shrugged. “I guess we have other opinions on the subject.”

“That’s because they’ve never spent a night in bed with you,” Gelsey replied.

“Actually, my brothers and I used to share a bed when we were little.”

“You know what I mean,” Gelsey said.

“I know exactly what you mean.”

THE LATE-AFTERNOON SUN shone through the plate-glass windows of Maeve Dunphrey’s shop, illuminating dust motes with every movement that Gelsey made. She pushed up on her tiptoes to grab a box from the top shelf of the old wooden wall displays, then carefully made her way down the wobbly ladder.

“Some of this stuff has to be forty years old,” she said, setting the box on the counter in front of her. “I suppose we should try to salvage some of these jars. They’re so pretty and, technically, they are vintage.”

Jordan walked over and pulled a jar of lavender-scented lotion from the box. She screwed off the top and gave in a sniff before wrinkling her nose. “Yeah, this is pretty far gone. But the jar is lovely.”

“I can go see if they have an old bucket at the Hound,” Nan offered. “We can dump the stuff in there and then put the jars through the pub’s dishwasher.”

Gelsey nodded, grateful for the help that Nan and Jordan had offered. She’d spent a fair bit of her first week of work just cleaning, going through boxes and crates, discarding old inventory and taking stock of what was available in the store. When Nan and Jordan had stopped by a few days ago, they’d offered to help and had returned every afternoon since, making the job much more pleasant.

Nan stood in the center of the sales floor, her hands hitched on her waist, and surveyed the nearly tidy shop. “It’s actually starting to look good,” she said. “All these old wooden cases look beautiful, once you can see them.”

“Thank you so much for helping out,” Gelsey said. “You girls really didn’t need to do this.”

“You helped paint my house,” Nan said.

“And hopefully, you’ll be around when I have some tedious chore to do,” Jordan added. “Are you really thinking of buying this place?”

Gelsey nodded. “Yes. I think I could make a success of it. There’s a little shop like this on the Rue des Arts in Paris and women flock to it. They send their empty jars from all over the world to get them refilled. I bought night cream from them all the time, even when I was living in Portugal with Antonio.”

Nan and Jordan glanced at each other. “You lived in Portugal?”

Gelsey blinked, surprised that she had been so honest with them. Over the past few days, they’d become good friends and she hadn’t thought to continue the pretense. And now, in a single unguarded moment, she’d given it all away. “That was a lifetime ago.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “It’s beautiful there. Very…sunny. Much like Spain. I lived there for a time, too.”

Nan glanced at Jordan again, then looked back at Gelsey. “We know about Portugal. And Antonio. We’ve sort of known the truth from early on.”

“You did?”

Jordan walked over to the counter and retrieved her purse then rummaged through it. A few moments later, she pulled out a magazine clipping and handed it to Gelsey. “I came across that while I was waiting to get my hair cut in Glengarriff. It’s from Hello! magazine from a year ago.”

The picture wasn’t one of her best, Gelsey thought as she examined it closely. She was wearing a designer dress that barely covered her ass, an ass that was quite visible in the photo. A champagne bottle dangled from one hand and a cigarette from the other. “I was so drunk, I don’t remember anyone taking this photo,” she murmured, handing it back to Jordan. “It doesn’t even look like me.”

“You’re Gigi Woodson,” Nan said.

“I was Gigi Woodson.”

Jordan crumpled up the clipping and tossed it into a nearby rubbish bin. “Does Kellan know?”

Gelsey winced. “No. But I’m pretty sure he’s about to find out.”

“We’re not going to say a word,” Jordan said. “We promise.”

“If you know about Antonio, then I’m sure you know about the incident with the Italian photographer?”

Nan shook her head. “No. And you don’t have to tell us. We really don’t need to know.”

“Thank you,” Gelsey said. “I suppose I should be glad I managed to get away with it for this long. I assumed someone would recognize me sooner or later.” She raked her hand through her hair, then forced a smile. “I guess I haven’t changed all that much.”

“You look completely different,” Jordan disagreed.

“Completely,” Nan added.

“I felt like I recognized you when we met,” Jordan continued, “but I couldn’t figure out where it had been. And when I saw the photo in Hello!, it just clicked.”

Suddenly, a rush of emotion overwhelmed Gelsey. She fought back tears as she picked up the crumpled clipping. “You can show him,” she murmured, holding it out to Nan. “I-I don’t care. It really shouldn’t make a difference.” Gelsey felt a hand on her back and she found Jordan standing behind her. “I just really wanted to start over.”

“We’re not going to say anything,” Jordan said.

“Not even to Danny and Riley?” Gelsey asked.

Nan laughed. “Are you kidding? Those two are horrible at keeping secrets. But to be honest, I don’t think it’s such a big deal. Kellan loves you. He won’t care.”

“He doesn’t love me,” Gelsey said. “And you’ve only seen one photo. There are hundreds out there. And none of them make me look very good. At least, not to a guy like Kellan.” A tear trickled down her cheek and she brushed it away, embarrassed by her show of emotion. Drawing a ragged breath, she forced a smile. “I think we should call it a day. It’s nearly four and you two have your own things to do.”

Nan patted Gelsey on the shoulder, then thought better of it and gave her a clumsy hug. “It will all work itself out,” she said. “You’ll see.”

Jordan gave her a hug, as well. “Kellan is a good guy. He wouldn’t let something like this change his feelings for you.”

The girls grabbed their jackets and purses and headed out the front door. Gelsey waved to them as they passed by the windows, going toward the pub. She had at least a few more hours of work ahead of her, but it was better to pass that time on her own, rather that be faced with more explanations.

Maybe Nan and Jordan were right. Maybe her past wouldn’t make any difference to Kellan. At least at first. But once everyone else knew, once the press figured out where she was, Gelsey couldn’t guarantee that he’d feel the same way.

She’d fought a five-year battle with the paparazzi and in most of the skirmishes, she’d lost badly. In the end, Gigi Woodson sold papers and that was all that mattered. They’d followed her through two broken engagements, a stint in rehab and a very ill-conceived six-day marriage to an already married Argentinean polo player. The end of her third engagement had sent her running back to Winterhill, out of sight and hopefully out of mind.

She was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of her mobile. Gelsey found it sitting on the counter next to the cash register and glanced at the screen. Her stomach twisted into a knot as she recognized the name of her attorney in Rome. She set the phone down, not ready to deal with whatever he had to tell her. She’d call him back later.

The bell above the door jingled and Gelsey spun around to see Kellan standing at the front of the shop, a surprised expression on his handsome face. “Bloody hell, look at this place. You’ve done wonders.”

Gelsey felt her spirits brighten. “I know. Not alone though. Nan and Jordan have been helping out a lot. We’ve almost got all the old inventory cleared away. Next week, I can start to do a little decorating. Jordan has already given me some great ideas. And Nan thinks we ought to carry some books and CDs, too. Kind of a whole holistic approach.”

“Sounds grand to me.” Kellan walked toward her, then slipped his arms around her waist. “Nan and Jordan are back at the pub. I thought you might like to join us there. The family is getting together for dinner. My sister Shanna and her husband and kids came down from Dublin and they’re staying the night. It’s my niece’s birthday. Lily. She’s five. And my sister Claire will be here with her kids. I’d like you to meet them all.”

“Really?”

Kellan nodded. “Yeah. You’ve met the rest of the family, why not them?”

“I-I really should stay here and get some more done. We have a sale starting and tomorrow the shop will open early. We want to lure in a few Christmas shoppers and-”

“You have to eat dinner,” Kellan said.

“I know.” Sometimes it felt as if they were hurtling toward a cliff, unable to stop themselves from falling completely and utterly in love. It was one thing to spend time with Nan and Jordan and his brothers. But it was a whole other thing to become friendly with his parents and his sisters.

Expectations were difficult enough to meet, never mind the fact that none of the Quinns knew who she really was. They were just a regular family and she didn’t want to do anything to change that. But how long would she have to wait until no one in the world was interested in where she was and who she was sleeping with? Would the press give up after a year? Or would it take longer?

“I’m just all grimy from cleaning up the shop and I’m tired and I don’t think I’d be very good company and-”

Kellan pressed a finger to her lips. “No worries,” he said. “You don’t have to come. I don’t want to pressure you to-”

“No!” Gelsey cried. “It’s not that, it’s just-”

“You’re right,” he said. “There’s no reason for you to spend time with my family.”

Gelsey bit her bottom lip, knowing that whatever she said next wouldn’t come out right. She’d fallen into this relationship so quickly and so easily and never thought about the repercussions. She’d taken advantage of Kellan, used him for a place to escape, and now she’d become a part of his life. “Maybe it’s too soon for all this?”

His fingers tangled in her hair and he gently turned her face up until she looked into his eyes. “I’ll go have dinner and I’ll meet you back at the cottage later.” Kellan brushed his lips against hers. “Maybe we’ll bring in the tub and make you a nice bath. Right in front of the hearth.”

“That would be nice,” Gelsey said.

A frown worried his brow and he studied her shrewdly. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Gelsey said. “Just a bit tired.”

“We should get some sleep tonight,” Kellan murmured. “We have been keeping rather late hours, considering you’re a working woman now. You’ll need your rest if you’re going to get this place in shape.” He bent closer and kissed her again, drawing his tongue along the crease of her lips. And then, as if he couldn’t resist, he pulled her against him and deepened his kiss, his tongue invading her mouth, desperate to taste and possess.

When he was through, Gelsey was left breathless, her mind spinning. It was so easy to get caught up in the desire and the way their bodies melded so perfectly. But she and Kellan had been living in a fantasy that was slowly being unraveled by reality.

Kellan pressed his palms to her temples and smoothed her tangled hair away from her face. Then he kissed each eyelid, the tip of her nose and her mouth. “You do look tired. I’ll eat quick and bring you something from the pub. We’ll have a lazy night at home.”

Home, Gelsey mused. Is that what they had together? Had they made a home? Did he think of her as part of that home or was she still just a visitor? “That sounds nice. I’ll see you in a little while.”

She walked him to the door then gave him a quick kiss before he left. Sighing softly, Gelsey flipped the sign in the front window to Closed and pulled down the shade on the door. This was real life now. She couldn’t hide from it. And either she’d make a mess of it, or she’d carve out a place for herself.

And somewhere along the way, she’d figure out exactly how she felt about Kellan Quinn.

KELLAN STOOD in front of the hearth, staring into the glow of burning peat. With a soft curse, he glanced at his watch for only the fourth or fifth time in the last few minutes. He’d returned from the pub to find the cottage dark and empty. Assuming that Gelsey had been delayed at the shop, he’d hauled the tub in from the pantry next to the kitchen and filled it with a hose from the kitchen sink.

But after an hour of waiting, the water was cold and the fire was dying. Kellan strode to the door and pulled it open, staring down the road that led from the village into the hills above town. The Fiat was gone, so she wouldn’t be walking back. He paused. Unless she wasn’t able to get it started.

The first thing on his list of things to do would be find a more dependable car for her to drive. Kellan grabbed his jacket and headed for his own car. He’d drive to the shop and fetch her, before she completely exhausted herself. Since she’d begun, Maeve had decided to make a quick visit to her sister’s place, leaving Gelsey with long hours and no days off.

It took just a few minutes to drive into the village, but when he rapped on the shop door, it went unanswered. The Closed sign was hanging in the window and from what he could tell, all the lights were off.

Kellan tried the pub next, thinking that Gelsey may have changed her mind and they might have just missed each other. But when he walked in, his family was still gathered at the tables they’d pushed together, finishing up their dinner as the pub began to fill with the Friday-night crowd.

“Hey, you’re back,” Danny called from behind the bar. “Did you bring Gelsey?”

“She’s not here?” Kellan asked.

“No. I thought you said she’d decided to go home after work.”

Kellan leaned on the edge of the bar. “I was up at the cottage and she wasn’t there. Is she with Nan or Jordan?”

Danny cocked his head toward the kitchen. “They’re still here. They’re in the kitchen getting Lily’s birthday cake ready.” Danny motioned Kellan to follow him to the end of the bar. “I’m glad you came back. I have something I have to show you.”

“I really don’t have time,” Kellan said. “I need to go find-”

“It won’t take but a minute. Jaysus, Kell, your woman can certainly survive on her own. Don’t be so possessive. It’s not good for a relationship.”

“What are you, a feckin’ psychiatrist?”

“I’m just statin’ a fact,” Danny said.

“Why don’t you tell me your meaning so that we don’t have to waste breath figuring it out.”

“You’re lookin’ like a man desperately in love.”

Kellan shook his head, fixing his brother with a dismissive glare. “And you’re full of shite, you are.”

“I don’t know,” Danny said. “You’re getting yourself all bothered about a girl that you’ve been sleeping with for a couple weeks, all worried when she isn’t where she’s supposed to be.”

“We have an understanding,” Kellan said. “Neither one of us is planning our future together.”

“Hey, maybe you should be. I know I’m going to marry Jordan. If I were you, I wouldn’t let a girl like Gelsey get away, if you catch my meaning.”

“This is none of your business,” Kellan said. “Hell, I’m not going to lie. I like having her around. We get along great. We’re very…compatible. But we’re a long way from spending our lives together.”

“Hey, we’re all just trying to help you out here,” Danny said. “You could at least be grateful. We’re all doin’ our part to get her to hang around.”

“What the hell are you talking about, brother?” Kellan leaned forward and grabbed his brother’s arm. “Explain yourself.”

Danny cursed beneath his breath and shook his head. “Nan and Jordan think she’s just grand. They’re helping her dust out that shop. And Markus and his committee are determined to get her to buy it from Maeve.” He drew a ragged breath. “Perhaps you might want to make an effort on your end. I mean, it’s clear to me that you’re in love with her. I see the way you look at her. It’s the same way Riley looks at Nan and I look at Jordan. No use denying it, Kell.”

“So you and the rest of the town have my whole life planned out for me?”

“No,” Danny said. “Well, maybe a bit. But you’ve got to take it from here, mate.”

Kellan stood up and pressed his hands along the edge of the bar. “Why don’t you all just bugger off and leave me to my own life.”

“So you are in love with her, then,” Danny said.

A long silence grew between them. He wanted to admit that his brother was right, but Kellan had always expected that love would be a concrete concept, that he’d never have any doubts once he found it. He was in love with the Gelsey he knew, the woman who curled into his naked body at night, the woman who could merely glance his way and make him burn.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Danny said.

“So, what am I supposed to do about this? She might as well be a mermaid for all I really know about her.”

“And if she has some horrible past? Would that make a difference? Would it make you want to walk away?”

“No. As far as I’m concerned, we began the day I found her on the beach.” He paused, wondering if he ought to reveal more. “Or maybe we began years ago.”

“How is that?” Danny asked.

Kellan braced his elbows on the bar and leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Do you remember that day when we were lads and we found that box buried in the sand at Smuggler’s Cove?”

“Why are we whispering?” Danny whispered back.

“Remember the girl? The one who buried it?”

“There was a girl?”

“Yeah. She ran off and we chased her. I caught up with her and she kissed me. That was the first time I ever kissed a girl.”

“What does this have to do with Gelsey?”

“That was her,” Kellan said. “At least I think it was. I can picture that girl in my mind and Gelsey is just an older version.”

“Have you asked her about this?”

Kellan shook his head. “No. Because if it was her then this thing between us becomes something very different.” He scowled at Danny’s puzzled look. “Don’t you get it? It’s destiny.”

“Oh. Like Jordan and me. And Nan and Riley.” Danny glanced both ways, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He pried open the top to reveal a diamond ring. “I’m going to give it to her for Christmas,” he whispered.

Kellan stared at the ring. “It’s grand. She’s going to love it.”

“Get things settled with this girl,” Danny warned, “or you might lose her.”

Kellan pushed away from the bar and turned for the door. He’d like nothing more than to get things settled between them. But Kellan didn’t have a clue how Gelsey felt about a future together. She obviously planned to stay near Ballykirk, at least for a while. But did her plans include him? Somehow, Kellan knew it would be impossible to get a straight answer from her on that subject.

He jogged back to his car and got inside, then turned toward the cottage. There was one thing he had to check before continuing his search. As he drove up the hill, Kellan decided there was only one other place she might have gone-back to Winterhill.

She’d acted strangely distant when he’d stopped by the shop, been preoccupied with something other than business. And she was usually so happy to get out and socialize.

He pulled up in front of the cottage, then jumped out of the car, leaving it running. Throwing back the front door, Kellan called her name, but there was no answer. He headed directly for the bedroom, then opened the wardrobe and dug into the clothes inside.

He found the green dress exactly where he’d put it the night they met. It was still flecked with sand and bits of seaweed. Clutching the wrinkled fabric in his fists, Kellan chided himself for even considering the possibility. She wasn’t a mermaid and she wouldn’t leave him to return to the sea.

“Winterhill,” he murmured.

The sun was already sinking beneath the western horizon as he drove along the coast road, through Derreeny. On the far side of the village of Curryglass, he turned onto a narrow country lane and followed it as it wound between two dry stone walls.

The lights from the house were visible from the road. He swung the car into the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Fiat parked in front of the house. As he got out of the car, Kellan realized that he’d need an explanation for how he knew where she was. Though she’d mentioned Winterhill in her answers to his five questions, she hadn’t given him directions.

He strode up to the front door and grabbed the cast-iron knocker, but the door swung open before he could signal his presence. The gray-haired woman he and Danny had met earlier smiled warmly up at him as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Hello,” she said. “You’ve come back.”

“Yes,” Kellan said. “I-I’m here for Gelsey. I’m-her friend.”

An eyebrow rose slightly and she regarded him with a suspicious eye. “You’re Kellan.”

He nodded. “Yes, I am. She’s mentioned me?”

“Once or twice, in passing.” She held out her hand. “I’m Caroline. I’m the housekeeper. We’ve met before. You were the young man with the camera, the other day.”

“I was. She’s here?”

“She is. But I’m afraid she’s sleeping. She stopped by to pick up some old Christmas decorations for the shop and when I went upstairs to check on her, she was curled up on her bed, sound asleep.”

“May I go up and see her?” Kellan asked.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. You two haven’t been arguing, have you?”

Kellan shook his head. “No. Everything is fine. She’s just been working very hard lately and I’m a wee bit worried.”

Caroline stepped aside and allowed him to pass. “Top of the stairs, second door on the left.”

He took the stairs two at a time and found her room. The door was ajar and he silently pushed it open. Gelsey was curled up on the bed, still in her shoes and socks and the clothes she’d been wearing at the shop. Kellan carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, but she didn’t stir.

Holding his breath, he pulled the down-filled duvet up from the foot of the bed and stretched out beside her. Kellan watched her sleep for a long time, wondering at the life she’d lived before him. From what he knew of it, it hadn’t been particularly happy.

He could give her more than what she’d had. He could make her happy. Unable to help himself, Kellan leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. The contact startled her and she opened her eyes, staring at him incomprehensibly. “Hello,” he murmured.

Gelsey frowned, pinching her eyes shut and then opening them again. “Is it you?”

“Yes,” Kellan said.

“What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I followed you here the other day. I guess I got a little impatient and couldn’t help myself. Does it make a difference?”

“No,” she said softly.

“Can I stay here with you tonight?”

She nodded then reached out and touched his face. “I don’t want to fall in love with you. But sometimes you make it impossible not to.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Kellan said. He captured her mouth in a long, deep kiss.

Slowly, they tugged at clothes, undressing each other beneath the duvet. He curled up behind her, his mouth pressed against her nape, and a moment later, he was buried in her warmth. Kellan moved slowly, enjoying the sensations that pulsed through his body with every lazy stroke.

He skimmed his hands over her hips and along her belly, then found the spot between her legs, damp with her desire. He touched her there, gently caressing her until her breath quickened and her body arched against him.

They reached their release together this time, with barely a sound between them and when it was over, he wrapped his arms around her and waited until she fell asleep, the two of them still joined.

He’d fallen in love with her. Danny was right and there was no denying it. But how had it happened? They’d only known each other two weeks. Or maybe they’d known each other since that summer day he’d chased her across the meadow.

There was only one thing that Kellan was sure of. He intended to keep Gelsey in his bed and in his life for as long as she’d have him. If he was lucky, that would be a very, very long time.