Saving a Legend: A Kavanagh Legends Novel, Page 2

  “I don’t know, call it sucking up, apologizing, playing nice. Any of the above. Pick one. It can’t hurt, right?”

  “Whatever.” Kieran shrugged.

  “Go ask the lady at the counter for a bouquet. I’m going to hit the head.” Kane headed toward a door to the side with a restroom sign hanging over it, but pointed Kieran toward the back of the shop, where a young woman sat in front of a cash register thumbing through a catalog.

  Kieran sighed. “Seriously? You can’t wait ’til we get to Ma’s?”

  “Just go get the damn flowers.”

  Kieran rolled his eyes at his brother’s retreating figure, then sauntered toward the counter. The young woman glanced up before closing her catalog. Her eyes widened as he moved toward her and she straightened her stance, tension visible in her long limbs.

  “Hi, may I help you?” She forced a nervous smile, her light blue eyes making him pause. She was absolutely stunning, but in a muted way, as if she was trying to hide it from the world. Or as if she didn’t know she was beautiful. Whatever it was, he was having trouble taking his eyes off her.

  “I need a bouquet,” he announced, forcing himself not to reach out and run his fingers through her long brown hair, which fell in thick waves just past her shoulders. Because that wouldn’t be creepy or anything, he thought, and wondered if two years in prison could have stunted his game.

  “Sure, a bouquet of what?”

  “Flowers.”

  Kieran wanted to grab the word as soon as it left his mouth, realizing how juvenile he sounded. His game was definitely lacking. The young woman stifled a smirk, her body visibly relaxing and her lips twitching.

  She cleared her throat, peering at him with kindness. “All right, well, who would it be for? Maybe that can help us narrow down our choices.”

  “It’s for my mother.”

  “Do you know what her favorite flower is?”

  He shook his head, trying to think of the last time he had seen his mother with flowers. In truth, he hadn’t purchased flowers for his mother since her birthday the year before he went to prison. He didn’t think she was the stereotypical roses type of woman, but he wasn’t sure.

  “No, I can’t remember. I’ve been, uh, gone for a while. Just got back.”

  “Welcome back, uh—” She paused, raising one brow.

  “Kieran. Thanks.”

  “I’m Fiona.”

  “As in ‘Fiona’s Flowers’? This is your shop? Wow, that’s impressive. You don’t look old enough to have your own business.”

  She walked out from around the counter and toward a refrigerated section. “And you look too old not to know your mother’s favorite flower.”

  “Ah, Fiona: 1, Kieran: 0.” He followed her to the glass doors that separated a wide selection of floral bouquets.

  “What about one of these? Think she might like this?” Fiona slid open the large refrigerator door and touched some pink flowers he didn’t recognize. “This has always been one of my favorites, ever since my mother first taught me about flowers.”

  “If you like it, I’ll take it.” He agreed without hesitation, unable to keep his eyes from roaming the length of her perfectly curved yet long body.

  Fiona nodded and removed the vase from the shelf of the refrigerated case, slid the door closed, then carried the vase over to the counter. She pulled some clear cellophane from under the counter and began wrapping the arrangement, taking care not to crush any of the blooms. Next, she brought out some ribbon and tied it around the vase, finishing it with a small bow.

  “Beautiful,” Kieran said, complimenting more than just her work as he pulled out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Forty-nine, ninety-nine.”

  “Fifty bucks? Do these flowers also come with dinner and a movie?” he asked.

  She blushed and dropped her eyes to the counter, not saying anything. Shit. Not two days out of the joint, and he was already offending people. “I’m kidding, Fiona.” He handed her a few bills. “Unless you’d be interested in that?”

  “In what?” She took the money from him and opened the cash register to put it away.

  “In dinner and a movie. With me.”

  She looked up at him suddenly, wide-eyed, her lips parting slightly. Her cheeks blushed crimson, and that only made him like her more. She screamed innocence and purity, when he was the opposite. “I, um, sorry. I don’t date.”

  “I don’t buy that—you’re too beautiful.” He leaned against the counter, trying to get closer to her, but she handed him his purchase instead.

  “What did you get Ma?” Kane came up behind him, interrupting his flirtation.

  “Your mother should love these pink Gerber daisies.” Fiona smiled at Kane, which Kieran guessed was her way of avoiding looking at him.

  Avoiding looking at him by looking at his twin instead…Yeah, he really didn’t understand women.

  “Thanks, miss,” Kane said to the florist before turning to him. “Come on, bro, we’re going to be late.”

  Kane took the vase of flowers from him and was already walking toward the door. Kieran started to follow but paused to look back at Fiona.

  “Don’t give me your answer now, flower girl. Think about it, and I’ll be back for your answer,” he added with a wink.

  Fiona’s mouth fell open before he turned and followed his brother out the door. A couple years in prison hadn’t changed anything; he knew he still had game. He just hoped it was enough to charm the beautiful brunette.

  Chapter 2

  “Ma! We’re here,” Kane called as he and Kieran walked into the front foyer of their childhood home.

  “I’m in the kitchen. Come say hi to everyone,” she yelled in return. The Kavanaghs were known to be a rather loud family. The two men headed into the kitchen and found her taking a heavy dish out of the oven.

  “Hey, Ma.” Kieran was going to kiss her cheek, but she was carrying hot lasagna in her mitted hands. After she placed the glass pan on the stove, she turned to hug him. When they parted, he offered her the bouquet. “I got these for you.”

  “Oh! My boys are so kind, as always.” She took the flowers from him, then bustled about, removing the wrapping and making minor adjustments to the arrangement. She inhaled their fragrance and smiled warmly. “They’re perfect, Kieran. I’ve always loved pink daisies—it’s so sweet of you to remember after all this time.”

  “Uh”—he paused sheepishly, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck—“it’s no big deal.” Thank you, Fiona.

  “Ha! He didn’t remember anything. It was the pretty flower shop girl he was flirting with who suggested them.” Kane obviously had no qualms about selling his twin out to their mother.

  “What the hell, man?” Kieran shot him an angry look accompanied by a not-so-gentle punch to his upper arm.

  “It’s true!” Kane laughed, rubbing his arm with a grimace. Kieran had hit him a bit harder than he’d intended, still not fully aware of his newfound strength.

  “It’s still a very sweet gesture, Kieran,” his mother assured him, stepping between the boys as if to break up an impending fight. She was the mother of five boys, so this was definitely nothing new for her. “Here, go put the vase on the table so we can see them while we eat.”

  Dee handed him the vase before resting her hands on his forearms and leaning up to give him another kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, tears glistened in her eyes. “I love you so much, Kieran. It’s so wonderful having you home again.”

  Kieran felt a lump form in his throat. “I love you, too, Ma.”

  “All right, enough of this,” Dee said with a forced laugh as she pulled her apron up to wipe at her eyes. “Go take the flowers before I embarrass you with more affection. Believe me, I’ve got so much more stored up for you from the last two years.”

  Kieran smiled and turned to do as she’d asked. His heart felt like it was so full, it would burst. He loved his mother, and seeing the relief in her eyes made him both happy
he was home and sad he’d ever left.

  The first thing he saw when he walked into the dining room was a second vase centered on the table, with a significantly bigger and more expensive-looking bouquet. Frowning, he pushed them to the side slightly and placed his vase next to it.

  “Looks like Rory one-upped you.” Jimmy walked into the dining room and seemed to be sizing Kieran up. He looked less daunted than Quinn had, but his face carried a look of judgment. Or maybe disappointment. Either way, Kieran didn’t like it. Jimmy continued, “That’s why I don’t even bother buying Ma flowers anymore. None of us can compete with the famous Rory Kavanagh.”

  Jimmy’s voice was lilted with exaggeration as he came over and hugged him stiffly. The redheaded man was stereotypical Irish, with a broad chest and a stoic stance that screamed law enforcement. Barely an inch or two shorter than Kieran, but significantly taller than the average guy, Jimmy had a clean-shaven, boyish face that contrasted in a powerful way with his sculpted, mature frame.

  “Good to see you, Jimmy.” Kieran hugged him back, genuinely happy to see his baby brother.

  “Word of advice, try a box of chocolates or something next Sunday,” Jimmy teased as they pulled apart.

  “I might do that, but I kind of want an excuse to see that hot florist again,” Kieran said, only half joking.

  “Which florist did you go to?”

  “Fiona’s Flowers, a couple blocks over.”

  “Not a good idea, bro.” Jimmy shook his head.

  “Why not? I’ve been in prison for two years, I’m not exactly picky.”

  “Fine, but not that girl—leave her alone. She’s got baggage you don’t need to be picking up and carrying right now.”

  Kieran frowned and was about to ask what he meant when Casey walked into the dining room.

  “Kieran!” Casey squealed in delight, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around his neck. Her long, bright red hair fell over his face as she squeezed him tightly.

  “Hey, Case Face.” Kieran wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back before she pulled away to look at him. Her piercing blue eyes matched his, but she also had cute freckles over her nose and was as petite as he remembered.

  “Have you gotten bigger? I didn’t think that was possible. God, you’re like Rory now, maybe larger.” Casey looked him over with sisterly pride. She may technically be his first cousin, but they’d grown up together in the same house, and so to him, she’d always be his little sister.

  “Bullshit, I could snap him like a twig.” Rory’s deep voice boomed as he walked into the dining room, eyeing Kieran with caution and yet purposefully provoking him at the same time.

  “The hell you could.” Kieran snorted.

  Rory nodded down at the hulking black-and-white dog by his side. “You remember Ace?”

  Ace looked much livelier than Kieran remembered. When he’d first met Rory’s dog, he had been underweight and mangled. Now he was healthy, and most of his fur had grown back. There was a thick scar down his side that looked new, but all the previous nicks he’d first seen on the dog were faded or covered with new, thicker fur.

  Kieran placed his hand in front of the dog to sniff before scratching his head. “Hey, Ace.”

  “I’m gonna go help Ma, but I’m so glad you’re back, K,” Casey said, using his nickname as she left to let the brothers talk.

  “Same here.” Jimmy followed her.

  “So, Kieran,” Rory said with an awkward pause, extending a hand as soon as they were alone. Kieran gripped it, shaking firmly with polite disinterest.

  “Rory.”

  “How was prison?” Rory asked, an uncomfortable heaviness in his voice.

  “Fine, no thanks to you. How’s the bottom of a bottle?” He squeezed Rory’s hand tighter.

  Regret washed over him as he wished he hadn’t stooped so low and mentioned Rory’s alcoholism. Kieran had left prison resolving to become a new person, a better person. A person who was once again close to his entire family, including the one brother who had betrayed him.

  “Five months sober, asshole.” Rory dropped his hand just as a pretty young girl with blond ringlets falling down her shoulders walked up to them, wrapping an arm around Rory’s waist. Ace’s ears perked up as he, too, leaned into the woman, definitely happy to see her.

  “Hey, Kane, how are you?” she asked him, her smile kind and inviting.

  “Babe, that’s not Kane.” Rory laughed, the tension seeming to melt off him from her touch. He kissed the top of her head.

  “Oh! I’m sorry! Kieran, right? Wow, you and Kane sure do look alike, although I can definitely see the differences.” She blushed deeply, her pale skin turning crimson.

  “That tends to happen when you share a womb for nine months.” Kieran grinned back at her. “You must be Clare?”

  When his mother visited him over the last two years, they never talked about Rory much, especially after everything that had happened between them. However, she had mentioned that he had moved in with his girlfriend, Clare.

  “Yep! It’s so great to meet you. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.” Her words seemed to bounce in the air between them, and when he offered his hand to her, she swept right past it and hugged him instead.

  He decided then and there that he liked Clare, and that maybe she was his best chance of rebuilding a relationship with Rory. He also decided that Rory probably wasn’t the one who had been saying nice things about him.

  “I don’t know who told you wonderful things, but we Kavanaghs tend to have a tenuous grasp on the truth.” Kieran laughed as he hugged her.

  “I never lie!” Dee waltzed into the room behind them and wrapped an arm around his waist, confirming she had been the one to chat him up. “All of my sons are the absolute best. And mo neacht, my niece, of course.” Dee winked at Casey, who had followed her into the dining room.

  “Can’t argue with you there.” Clare glanced over at Rory, who took it as an invitation to cover her lips with his in a very public, very affectionate display. It was both too much and perfect at the same time. Kieran had to avert his gaze not to feel like he was imposing on a private moment.

  A pang of jealousy sliced through him as he wondered if he would have that with someone one day. It had been a long and lonely two years without women, which he’d thought would make him just want a woman to take the edge off. However, seeing what his brother had made him want an actual relationship instead. He wanted someone to be there for him, to look at him the way Clare looked at Rory, and that meant a random hookup wouldn’t do.

  An image of the pretty florist darted through his mind, but he pushed it away.

  “There they go again.” Casey giggled. “Kieran, help me bring everything to the table. You don’t want to be around those lovebirds long or you won’t be able to eat.”

  He followed her, grabbing a basket of rolls and a dish of butter from the kitchen to bring back to the dining room. Even the dog seemed uninterested in watching his owner’s affections and followed Kieran instead.

  “Kieran.” His father’s tone as he approached was gruff and unforgiving. Seamus Kavanagh was now sporting more salt-and-pepper than his once jet-black hair. Like his mother, his father had definitely aged in the last two years while Kieran had been away. Another wave of guilt hit him, because he’d spent so many years wrapped up in his own life that he hadn’t paid attention to the grief he’d caused his family.

  “Dad.” The men stared at each other for a moment before moving into a stiff embrace. “It’s good to see you.”

  His father grunted in response, and Kieran dropped his eyes to the floor, feeling self-conscious. He knew his father was disappointed in him, angry at what he had made of his life. Or what he hadn’t made of his life. It seemed neither one of them knew what to say.

  “Hey, bro!” Quinn stepped around their father and was the next to hug him. Their exchange was much more natural than the stagnant awkwardness between him and his father.

  A
few minutes later, every dish was on the dining room table, and the place settings were perfectly arranged. The entire family filtered in, and Kieran took a seat on the left side, smack dab in the middle.

  Casey, Kane, and Jimmy took the seats next to him, and Rory and Clare sat opposite with Quinn; their parents took either end. Ace lay sprawled out under the table.

  “Kieran, can you say grace?” Dee reached her hands out to Casey and Quinn, who were on either side of her.

  He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “Uh, maybe someone else should?”

  “I’ll do it,” Rory spoke up. Kieran glared at his brother for a second before taking a deep breath and bowing his head, wishing he’d just said the prayer rather than giving his brother the honors.

  When Rory finished praying, everyone piled plates high and dug into the food. Kieran loved his mom’s cooking, and as a kid his friends couldn’t wait to stop by his house because they knew she always had some tasty treat waiting for them. The meal was even better than he’d remembered.

  “Ma, this is delicious.” Kieran scooped another forkful of lasagna into his mouth.

  “I’m so glad you like it,” she responded with a relieved smile. He wondered if she’d felt nervous cooking for him for the first time since he’d been away. He hadn’t really considered that others might be feeling just as nervous as he was about the family reunion.

  “Didn’t have food like this in prison, huh?” Quinn asked, always the instigator.

  Kieran shook his head, ignoring the provocation.

  “So you find a job yet?” Seamus asked gruffly from the top of the table, casting sidelong glances at Kieran.

  “Not yet. Filled out a few applications yesterday, made a few calls. I still have plenty of savings, so it’s not really an emergency. Just need something to tell my parole officer.”

  “Rory, why not have Kieran help you down at the clinic? Don’t you need help with the construction?” Dee interjected.

  Rory began in protest, “Ma, I don’t think—”

  “I can find a job, Ma. I meet with my PO in the morning, and I’m sure he’ll know where to point me.”