Wild Irish Soul (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Baird thought about
her words on the drive home. The sun was setting on the edge of the countryside and pink rays shot up into the clouds, looking as heavenly and majestic as a picture could get.

Why could he have faith in God but not faith in the fact that Aislinn was touched with an extra gift?

He shot a glance at her. She leaned against the window, her eyelashes fanning out across gorgeous cheekbones, her chest rising in an even rhythm. Her riot of curls was pulled back in a knot and he wanted to take her hair down and run his fingers through it.

To scoop her into his arms and keep her there forever.

She did something to him. Tested him. Forced him to think outside what he had been taught. Aislinn was a fascinating and multi-talented woman. He wondered how it would work if they were together. Forever.

He thought of her description of the old woman in the park. It hadn't been much different than his, yet hers had been based on what she had felt and his on what he could see.

Was that so bad? Maybe there wasn't anything wrong with someone moving through life reacting to emotions instead of what could be seen on the surface.

It still itched at Baird, though. The why.

He wanted to know more.

Baird thought about his colleagues that he had spoken with in Dublin. Maybe he would drop them another line and dig a little further. He was certain they'd be able to shine a little light on Aislinn's ability.

Or maybe he was barking up the wrong tree.

Did he need to start with Grace O'Malley? The cove was named after her. From whence the light came, he muttered to himself.

The light.

What did it mean?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Are we home?"
Aislinn asked in surprise as she felt the car come to a stop.

"Aye, we are," Baird confirmed, a smile playing lightly across his lips.

"Gosh, I'm sorry that I fell asleep. I hope that I didn't snore," Aislinn said.

"Great, big snores," Baird confirmed.

"Stop it!" Aislinn squealed and punched him lightly on the shoulder. Baird captured her hand with his, pulling it close to his face to dance a kiss across her knuckles. Aislinn's insides quivered and she lost herself for a moment in his eyes.

"Come home with me," Aislinn breathed.

"I'll walk you home," Baird clarified with a smile.

Aislinn rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away, getting out of the car in a huff. She slammed the door a little harder than necessary and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't turn when she heard Baird's door close.

"I can walk home by myself just fine," Aislinn said, unaccountably angry.

"Nonetheless, I shall walk you home," Baird said and stepped next to her as she moved up the street.

"I'm an adult, you know," Aislinn said stiffly.

"I'm aware. But I asked you on a date and as such, I will deliver you home."

Aislinn rolled her eyes and pushed her hair back from her face.

"I meant that I'm an adult. I can sleep with whomever I want. Whenever I want," Aislinn said.

Baird turned and met her eyes. "Aye, I'm aware."

"You've heard the adage about a woman scorned…" Aislinn trailed off huffily.

Baird let out a peal of laughter that had people across the streets looking their way.

"Sure, and you don’t think that I'm rejecting you, do you?"

"Seems that way," Aislinn said stiffly as they neared her shop.

"I've a mind to show you just how much I want you, Ash," Baird growled as they got to her shop.

Heat flashed through her and Aislinn pulled him around the corner of her shop, towards her courtyard. Maybe tonight wouldn't be a loss after all.

"Don't touch me!" Morgan's voice shattered her cloud of lust and ice shot through Aislinn's veins. She raced to the fence, but Baird was quicker.

"Hands off, Patrick!" Baird thundered over the fence.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"
What's going on
here?" Aislinn shouted over the fence and raced to swing the creaky wooden door open.

"Nothing! I was going to kiss her, that's all!" Patrick held his hands up. He stood away from Morgan, his face pink with embarrassment.

Aislinn flipped her gaze to Morgan. The girl looked like she was huddled in on herself, her hands wrapped tightly over her chest, her eyes on the ground. Aislinn did a quick scan of her emotions.

Shame.

She turned to Patrick and read him too.

"What were you thinking?" Baird yelled and made to move past Aislinn to Patrick. Aislinn blocked his movements with her arm, hitting what felt like a solid wall of muscle.

"Stop," Aislinn said quietly and was glad that Baird responded instantly.

"What?" He turned to look at her, waiting.

A little sliver of happiness slid through her. Whether he realized it or not, Baird was taking into account her gift.

"He's embarrassed but has no intent to harm. There's something else going on here," Aislinn whispered.

Baird lifted his eyes and scanned the two and then nodded down at her.

"Want me to take him for a walk? Cool him down?"

"Please," Aislinn said.

"Patrick, let's go for a walk. Maybe grab a pint?" Baird asked jovially and Patrick nodded, grateful for the reprieve.

Aislinn moved towards Morgan, patting Patrick softly on his back as he passed her. She didn't touch Morgan, just stood next to her for a moment.

"Some tea?"

"No, I should go," Morgan insisted, finally meeting Aislinn's eyes.

Aislinn felt a lash of pain slice through her and for a moment, she felt all of Morgan's humiliation and anger. The force of it almost brought tears to her eyes but she knew that tears wouldn’t help Morgan.

"Wine, then," Aislinn insisted. Scanning the courtyard, she realized that Morgan needed something else.

"Come on, upstairs." Aislinn motioned to her apartment.

"I…I should go. You're my employer. I'm sorry this happened here," Morgan shuddered out.

"I'm more than your employer, as I've told you many a time. Now, upstairs," Aislinn ordered briskly and Morgan nodded. The girl darted across the courtyard and waited for Aislinn at the door. Fishing her keys from her purse, Aislinn tried to keep her mind off what would have happened with Baird and her.

She led the way up her stairs, flipping the lights on as she went. Aislinn gestured towards her couch in the living room and Morgan fled there to curl up in a ball. Aislinn raised an eyebrow at her but didn't comment. Instead, she moved into her small kitchen and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of Chianti.

"Red okay?"

"Sure," Morgan said quietly and stared down at her hands.

Aislinn moved to her coffee table, a long piece of reclaimed wood that ran the length of her low-slung couch. She nudged a few sketchbooks out of the way and placed the wine in front of Morgan. Aislinn sank back into the couch and studied Morgan for a moment.

She sipped her wine and considered her approach. Morgan had already made it clear that much of her story was off limits, though she'd slowly opened up more over the weeks of working part-time for Aislinn.

"I don't know how to date guys," Morgan blurted out.

Aislinn raised her eyebrows in surprise and then decided to remain silent. She sipped her wine as she waited for more from Morgan.

"My…my last foster home…before I took off? The son of the house…" Morgan's lip trembled and Aislinn felt her entire body tense.

"Did he rape you?" Aislinn hissed.

Morgan raised shocked eyes to Aislinn.

"No, no, no…nothing like that," Morgan said and reached for her wine. She took a hurried sip and then put it down, wrapping her arms around her legs again.

"I had a crush on him. A huge crush on him. He was older than me and popular. All the girls thought he was so great. I even became a little more popular at school because we lived in the same house."

Aislinn nodded, encouraging Morgan to speak more.

"I'd…I'd never been kissed before him," Morgan explained.

"That's okay, I didn't have a lot of romances as a teenager either," Aislinn said.

"Well, one day, behind school, he pulled me aside and leaned in to kiss me. I closed my eyes and leaned in…and just when I thought he would kiss me…he bent and pulled my skirt down. He hooked my underwear along the way and…I was naked from the waist down."

Morgan gulped at the memory and Aislinn wanted to beat up the little prick that had done this to her.

"I should have seen it coming, but I was so absorbed in the though of him kissing me that I missed his thoughts on what he planned to do. It wouldn't have been so bad. I could have handled it, except he'd called all the popular kids out to watch. I just remember turning and seeing the girls screaming and pointing and laughing and the guys high-fiving him. I ran all the way home." Morgan shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of wine. "School was hell after that. Everyone was mean to me. It was like he'd given them permission to bully me. I took off a few months after that and have been on my own ever since."

Aislinn wanted to hug her and tell her it was going to be okay. That everyone had awkward teenage years and that more than one of them had scars that would last.

A smile flitted across Morgan's beautiful face and Aislinn raised her eyebrow in question.

"Well, I did…uh, get my revenge," Morgan snickered.

"Uh oh," Aislinn said and took a hurried sip of her wine.

"The day that I left? Well, his mum had prepared a huge spaghetti lunch for him and then left to go to the market. I'd packed my bags and had my bus ticket. Everything was outside and I'd left a short note so they knew that I'd gone off on my own. But, I stopped in the kitchen on the way out. God, I still remember his face. He just looked at me like I was dirt. I smiled at him…very sweetly…and then raised the plate with my power and dumped it on his head."

Aislinn's mouth dropped open.

Morgan let out a laugh and happiness lit across her face for a moment, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

"God, I've never seen anyone's face change so quickly. He jumped up to run and then slipped in spaghetti and fell." Morgan laughed even harder. "I know it's wrong. Trust me, I know. But…just that once, it was worth it."

Aislinn knew that she should probably school her on proper use of her power, as Fiona would advise, but Aislinn had to give Morgan this one. The little jerk had deserved it.

"Though I wouldn't advise doing that again as you don't need a modern-day witch hunt on your hands, I agree, he deserved it."

Morgan smiled at her and Aislinn could feel gratitude radiating from her. She wiggled against the cushions, burrowing further into the pillows.

"So, Patrick?" Aislinn asked.

"Patrick," Morgan said and her body tensed.

"You like him," Aislinn stated. She could read it.

"I do. I just…freaked when he tried to kiss me. It was like déjà vu. A cute guy, behind the house, in the courtyard." Morgan sighed and sipped her wine. "I need to learn to control my emotions better."

"It's okay to be emotional. But, yes, you probably have some stuff to work through. Maybe you could talk to Dr. Delaney?"

Morgan raised her eyebrow at Aislinn and laughed.

"Like I have money for that."

"I might be able to work something out," Aislinn said.

"What's up with you and him anyway?"

Aislinn thought about it for a moment.

"Let's just say that I don't scream when he tries to kiss me."

chapter twenty-nine

"
I swear that
I didn't do anything," Patrick said as he paced along beside Baird, his feet stomping the pavement.

"What happened?" Baird asked stiffly, reserving judgment.

"Nothing at all. We've been talking more. I'll see her here and there and…man, she's just a knockout. I'm drawn to her, you know? I've stopped dating and am kind of, like, trying to get her to go on a date with me."

Baird nodded and held the door open to Gallagher's Pub. Patrick waved a hello to the bartender and ducked under the pass-through to snag two Guinness bottles from the bin.

"Put it on my tab," he instructed the bartender and then moved back around, motioning for Baird to follow him back into the courtyard.

They sat at an empty picnic table. The courtyard was empty as the night was still young.

"So, how did you end up in the courtyard?"

"I saw Morgan hefting a couple huge pieces of driftwood up the street. For what? I don't know…but I offered to help her take them into the courtyard. I just figured it was for one of Aislinn's art projects. Then, I don't know, it was like, the right moment, you know? Sun just setting, she looked so pretty, and I wanted to kiss her. I didn't expect her to scream at me. I thought she was feeling the same way." Patrick shrugged his shoulders to dismiss it. Baird could see that his shoulders were tense and he read frustration and hurt across the young man's face.

"I'm sure that there is more to the story. From what Aislinn has said, Morgan's had a rough upbringing. Be patient with her," Baird said.

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," Baird said smoothly.

Patrick smiled at him. "Doctor confidentiality?"

"Something like that," Baird agreed.

The men drank their beers in silence for a moment. Realizing that this might be the perfect moment to raise a question, Baird studied Patrick.

"Did you grow up here?"

"Aye, I did."

"Is the cove enchanted?

Patrick didn't even blink an eye. "Yes."

Baird banged his Guinness bottle down on the table in surprise. "Yes? Just yes? You believe it?"

"Aye, why wouldn't I?" Patrick looked at him in confusion.

"I don't know…maybe because it's crazy to think that there is magick there?"

"There's magick everywhere," Patrick said simply.

Baird looked around him in disbelief and worked on finding the right words.

"I just…I feel like everyone in this town is a little nuts," Baird confessed.

Patrick grinned at him, unoffended.

"Aye, well, when a town has some magick in it, what do you expect? I like it though, it makes us unique."

"What's the story…the Grace's Cove thing?"

"Story goes that she died there. Protected the cove with magick and gave her descendents a little extra something special." Patrick shrugged it away and took another sip of his Guinness.

Baird's mouth hung open. "You're telling me you believe this then?"

"Sure, ask Cait. She's a descendent. She can read minds," Patrick said easily and gestured to Cait walking through the door.

Baird immediately stood as she moved to join them.

"Congratulations again, Cait. How are you feeling?" His mind wheeled frantically as he tried to digest what Patrick had just told him. There was no way that she could read minds.

"Oh, jeez, Patrick. You told him?" Cait narrowed her eyes at Patrick and he hunched his shoulders in guilt.

"Sorry, Cait. He was asking about the cove and it just kind of went from there. I figured he already knew since he's been spending so much time with Aislinn."

Cait turned to look Baird up and down.

"Hmpf," she murmured, and motioned for Baird to sit again. "You, go. There's a shipment that needs to be unpacked." Cait jerked her thumb at Patrick and then back towards the pub.

"Yes, ma'am. Thanks for listening, Baird," Patrick said as he scurried from the courtyard.

Cait met Baird's eyes and he was struck again by the intelligence and presence he saw there. This was a woman that knew her own worth.

"Thank you," Cait said simply.

Baird's eyebrows rose as he realized that Cait had scanned his thoughts.

"I...I'm sorry. But, can you really do that?"

"I don't know, can I?" Cait said snarkily.

Baird tilted his head in annoyance at her and she sighed, rubbing her hands over her small stomach.

"Sorry, hormones make me a little bitchy. Yes, I can read minds. Yes, I'm a descendent of the great Grace O'Malley, the one and same who both cursed and enchanted the cove."

"This is all so fantastical to me. It's the stuff of fairytales," Baird blurted out.

Cait shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose that it is. I can't change it though. Not sure that I'd want to anymore…" She trailed off and looked down at her belly and smiled. "This kid of mine isn't going to be able to pull anything on me." A wicked grin lit across her pretty face and Baird found himself smiling in response.

"I suppose that will come in handy as a mother," Baird conceded.

"What are your intentions towards Aislinn?" Cait asked directly.

Baird blew out a breath and took a long pull from his bottle of beer. What were his intentions?

"I don't know," he said finally.

"Then leave her alone," Cait said, fury darkening her face.

Baird held his hands up to stop Cait from going further. "I don't know, but I want to find out. There is something about her that fascinates me, hooks me in, that I want to learn more of. She is pushing me outside of my comfort zone and I'd like to think that I am doing the same for her. For what it's worth, my intentions are honorable. I've turned her down, more than once," Baird said, not feeling the need to explain more.

Cait hooted in laughter at that.

"Aye, I'm right sure that must have made her mad."

"Spitting mad. She's even more beautiful when she's mad," Baird said with a smile.

"Take your time with her," Cait cautioned.

"Tell me about the cove," Baird said.

"What about it?"

"Why does it glow blue?"

Cait coughed and crossed her arms over her chest. Leaning back, she glared at Baird.

"Who were you with when that happened?"

"How do you know that I wasn't alone?" Baird countered.

Cait's face pokered up even more. She didn't say a word.

"Fine, I was with Aislinn," Baird sighed and finished his beer, getting sick of trying to figure out all of the mysteries and riddles in this town.

A quick smile flitted across Cait's face. She stood and patted Baird's hand across the table.

"Stick with her. You'll have your answers when you need them most," Cait said enigmatically and walked to the door.

"Right big help you are then," Baird shouted after her and she waved cheerfully back at him.

Baird finished his drink and stood, his thoughts in turmoil.

How did she know that he wasn't alone at the cove when it had lit up?

And what did that mean for him and Aislinn?