See Me in Your Dreams (12 page)

Tyler's
"Cheryl's nothing like her mother!" was so vehement, his words sent a
chill through Keelin.

He sounded as
if he hated the woman, and more than a decade after her death. And yet the love
he'd had for his young wife was obvious for anyone to see in those photographs.
Uneasy, she wished she hadn't brought up the subject.

To break the
tension, she turned the conversation back to her own family. "I wish I
were more like Moira."

Words stiff,
he asked, "How so?"

"She was
a woman who drew people and creatures alike to her. More important, she was so
unafraid of who she was."

He seemed to
let down his guard when he asked, "What do
you
have to fear?"

Her gift. Not knowing if she could ever live up to its
expectation of her.

People.

Him.

"Sometimes...everything,"
she admitted.

His dark
eyebrows slashed upward. "You could have fooled me."

Warmth crept
through Keelin. Tyler almost sounded as if he admired her. A little flustered,
she chose another of Cheryl's scrapbooks, this one newer than the others, and
turned back the cover. A large glossy print of father and daughter stared back
at her. They stood in the shelter of some trees. The facades of buildings
behind them had a medieval look as did several costumed people. A summer fair.
Cheryl looked only slightly younger than she had in the news clip Skelly had
shown of her. This probably had been taken the year before.

As she studied
the pretty face she had never seen in person, Tyler urged, "So tell me
more about this grandmother you wish you were like."

Keelin looked
up at him. "She was quite unconventional for a woman of her day. She
married late. The thirty-third day after her thirty-third birthday to be
exact."

Hence, part of
Moira's legacy.

"Ah, a
superstitious woman."

"More to
the point, the people who lived in the area were superstitious, including the
young men who feared to pursue her. Some called her witch."

"Because
of the dreams?"

Keelin nodded.
"And because she had the power to heal. We had that in common also – our
love of the land and of the plants that could ease suffering." Seeing the
shadow sweep over Tyler's features, she quickly added, "Gran also talked
to the animals, both domestic and wild, and swore she understood what they said
in return."

"Most
people
would
consider that a little
strange," he agreed, his expression lightening, making him appear even
more handsome.

Her pulse
skittering strangely, she said, "And the men of the surrounding villages
were timid romantically because of these things. Moira Kelly would have none of
them with their weak natures. She wanted a real man, her equal."

"Since
you're here, she obviously got what she wished for."

"Eventually.
Seamus McKenna came to her rescue at a desperate time." Keelin remembered
the tale her grandmother had repeated both with sadness and joy many times
through the years. "A child Gran tried to heal died. There was no helping
it, for the parents waited too long and expected a miracle. The fever took the
lad. But the family blamed Moira, came after her, determined to burn the witch
in her enchanted cottage."

"But
Seamus stopped them."

Keelin nodded.
"A tinker by trade, he lived on the road in a caravan and made his way by fixing
tools and such for people. He was repairing a drying rack in the herb shed when
trouble arrived. He protected Moira with his own life and so won her heart.
She, in turn, tamed a bit of the wildness in him, enough to convince him to
settle down with her."

"Sounds
like a fairy tale."

"My
family is from Éire, after all," Keelin said with a grin. How good it felt
to smile. To feel days of tension drain from her, if only for a short while.
"A land of many wondrous tales."

"You'll
have to tell me more."

He made it
sound as if she would be around for an indefinite period. As if he was suddenly
enjoying her company. And despite the many heated words that had passed between
them, despite the distrust that still lingered like a dark shadow in the
background, she found the idea of spending some peaceful time with Tyler oddly
appealing.

"Sometime,
perhaps," she said softly. "But at the moment, I fear I am talked
out."

Before she
knew what he was about, Tyler cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face
to his. Though he held her gently, she could feel the imprint of each finger.
Her breathing near stopped. His pale blue eyes seemed to take in every detail
of her features. And the longer he took, the harder her heart thudded.

And for a
moment, she lost it.

Sense.

Purpose.

Everything but
the need to give and take comfort.

He lowered his
head a fraction, found Keelin's mouth. She opened to him, invited him in.
Fiercely, he entered, and she felt as if his frustration with his powerlessness
battered her. But she was stronger than she'd implied. She seized his demons
and matched them with a potency of her own.

For a long,
long moment, they lost themselves to each other. Male to female. Strength to
softness. Determination to compassion. She had never felt so lost in a simple
kiss.

A low moan
shuddered through her. She pressed closer, her body flamed with wanting...

And then she
came to her senses, remembered what she should be about.

She broke the
kiss.

When he raised
his head, Tyler appeared as astonished as she. And even more flustered. But
though her fingers worked against the muscles of his arm, she made no immediate
move away from him. Instead, she waited, her gaze twined with his, anxious to
see what he would do, to hear what he would say to her, now that their alliance
had taken a new twist.

Seeming in
some quandary, Tyler sat frozen for a moment, his tension clear. Then he took a
deep breath. Carefully backed off, a neutral move that put some distance
between them without offending.

"You look
exhausted," he said sympathetically.

So he was
going to avoid talking about what just happened. Too bad she couldn't ignore
the feel of his mouth that lingered against hers.

"Tis the
jet lag."
And the dreams
. She
couldn't remember her last full night's sleep.

"Maybe
you'd like to freshen up and rest until dinner. We can continue going through
Cheryl's things afterward."

A sensible
suggestion. "A short rest would be grand." If truth be told, Keelin
felt as if she could sleep for hours and hours. And she definitely needed time alone,
away from Tyler to regain her bearings. A sudden thought occurred to her. She
eyed him warily. "And who will be doing the cooking?"

Tyler laughed
as he rose to his feet. "Don't fret. Mrs. Hague – that's the housekeeper –
cooks in big batches once or twice a week and leaves meals enough for two in
the freezer. Everyone says a dog is man's best friend. I say it's the microwave
oven."

He was still
grinning when he held out a hand to her. Keelin accepted his help, slipping her
hand in his and allowing him to steady her as she got to her feet. She swayed
toward him and caught herself just before they touched again.

"Hm,
maybe I should have had the room straightened," Tyler mused.

His glance at
the unmade bed sent tension humming through Keelin. "No problem," she
said, when really there was.

The growing
attraction...

... the
imaginings...

... the
unexpected kiss.

"There
are clean linens in the closet." As if realizing he was still holding onto
her, Tyler stared down at her hand for a moment before releasing it. Then he
started for the door. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to put dinner in
the microwave."

Keelin nodded
and closed the door behind him. Touching forehead to the wood panel, she sighed
and went limp. Either she was fooling herself or Tyler was experiencing a
change of heart toward her. He was treating her s if he wanted to be friends
with her.

Or perhaps
more.

A scary
thought.

Something to
dream on.