Special Delivery by April Wilson
Chapter 9 – Killian
Killian Devereaux
It’s fucking killing me to sit here watching Hannah from across the room. She smiles and chats with her family, acting like she doesn’t have a care in the world. I think we both know that’s not true.
When she smiles, her face lights up, and it’s like a sucker punch to my gut. But then she’ll glance my way, almost as if it’s an involuntary action, and her smile fades, leaving her looking a bit lost and confused.
For some reason, I rattle that girl, and she hates me for it.
At least she was honest with me out in the Jeep. She’s the one with the problem, not me. I’d hang the damn moon for her, if only she’d let me. I admire courage and strength, and that girl’s got both in spades. Too bad she won’t give me a chance.
Bridget and Calum McIntyre bred three strong women—Sophie, Hannah, and Lia. I know Lia’s tough as nails. I suspect Sophie is too, in her own sophisticated way; she has to be if she wants to go toe-to-toe with big Dominic Zaretti and hold her own. But Hannah? Deep down, I suspect she’s the toughest of them all. It takes guts to leave her family—leave home—and go her own way. It takes courage and conviction. I get it. I respect it. Hell, I respect her.
I pretend to pay attention to the conversations swirling around me, but in truth, I’m watching Hannah out of the corner of my eye. I love seeing her laugh. I love her smile. I love the way she carries herself—a strong, independent young woman who’s not afraid of anything. Brown hair, the color of dark chocolate, thick and wavy, hangs to her shoulders. Sometimes, like today, she has it pulled back in a ponytail. I’d give anything to be able to skim my fingers across the back of her neck, to feel her shiver. Her brown eyes are sharp and intelligent, and she doesn’t miss a thing. Her smile is enough to make me beg. Yeah, I’d beg her if I thought it would do a damn bit of good.
Why am I so captivated by her? Why not some other girl? Because she’s fierce—a she-wolf. She’d protect her own pack somethin’ fierce. And she loves the wilderness, which makes me admire her even more.
I grew up in the Louisiana bayou, huntin’ gators and Eastern Diamondbacks. I doubt a rattlesnake would even faze her. Or a Bobcat. Or a mountain lion.
She’s a girl after my own heart.
And she doesn’t want a damn thing to do with me.
* * *
After everyone’s done eatin’, and lots of coffee, wine, and beer have been drunk by the grown-ups, the little kids wander off with some of the ladies and the grandparents to the great room. Shane and Beth take their kids upstairs to put them to bed. Jamie and Molly decide to walk down to the lake. Hannah disappears with her youngest sister.
That leaves just me and Jonah Locke at the table. He and I have a lot in common. We’re both trying to rope a McIntyre filly, and that’s not an easy thing to do. Props to Dominic for making it look easy. He’s already married to Sophie, and they’ve got a bun in the oven to show for it.
“What’d you do this time?” Jonah asks me. He knows the score. We’ve talked.
I shrug. “I had the gall to pick her up from the airport.”
Jonah laughs. “That’s presumptuous of you.”
“Yeah. It don’t take much to set Hannah off. Not if I’m the one doin’ it.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m not fairing much better with Lia. I managed to get a ring on her finger and a promise out of her, but trying to get her to set a date hasn’t been easy. She doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“What is it with these McIntyre girls?”
“I think they’re so independent that it’s hard for them to consider letting someone in close. It’s like men are their kryptonite.” Jonah pats me on the back. “Don’t give up. That’s my motto. I’ve gotten this far, and I plan to keep at it until she finally relents and says I do.”
“Why haven’t you two set a date? She already said yes, right?”
Jonah nods. “She did. But she hates the idea of a wedding. She’s averse to the idea of wearing a wedding dress, of all the pomp and circumstance. The hoopla. It’s too much for her.” Jonah’s expression grows serious. “She doesn’t like the attention.”
“Then go get married by the justice of the peace. That’s what Sophie and Dominic did.”
“We might have to. But I really want her family to be there if at all possible. Calum and Bridget would hate to miss seeing their youngest daughter get married.”
I get up and walk around the table, clapping Jonah on the shoulder as I pass him on my way to the door. “You’re a good man, Jonah. You’ll make her a good husband.”
I hear laughter coming from the great room, but instead of joining them, I turn the other direction and find myself alone in the foyer. I feel like a fifth wheel here. Maybe I should say my goodbyes and head back to Chicago. It was a mistake coming here.
I’m about to do that when Aiden comes down the stairs with a handful of Hot Wheels in his hands. His well-loved stuffed dinosaur, Stevie, is tucked securely under his arm. “Oh, hey, Killian.” He stops to show me his little collection of cars. Peering up at me with big brown eyes, he says, “Do you wanna play with me?”
Another punch to the gut. There’s a house full of people this kid could ask, all of whom would drop whatever they were doing to accommodate him, and he asks me. There’s no way I can turn down an offer like that. “Sure, kid. I’ll play cars with you.”
After he hands me his cars, he takes my free hand and pulls me along with him into the great room. “Come on, Killian. Elly said she’s gonna bring out pie.”
* * *
It ends up being me, Aiden, Miguel Rodriguez, and Liam sitting on the floor playing with Aiden’s cars. The grandmothers are sitting on one of the sofas holding Jake’s twin girls. Calum, Jake, Dominic, Sophie, Cooper, and Sam are hanging out at the bar. There’s no sign of Jamie and Molly, or Lia and Hannah, and I figure Beth and Shane are still upstairs with their kids.
Sure enough, Elly brings out warm pies fresh from the oven—not just one, but three varieties: apple, pecan, and cherry—as well as vanilla ice cream. Damn, I’m glad I stayed. Elly’s cooking reminds me of home and my own grandmere’s meals.
Before long, Shane comes back downstairs with Ava, who’s wide awake. Apparently, Luke’s out cold in his crib, and Beth is lying down to rest. Shane has a portable baby monitor clipped to his belt so he’ll hear if Luke wakes up.
Beth’s mom, Ingrid, calls dibs on the new baby, and everyone else has to wait their turn to hold Ava.
When Bridget McIntyre gets her turn, she looks around the room and asks, “Where are Hannah and Lia? They need to see this.” Then she looks right at me. “Killian, honey, would you go find my girls and ask them to come here?”
I stand. “Yes, ma’am.”
I’m not stupid. I know she asked me on purpose. I think the entire family is conspiring to get me and Hannah together. Too bad I’m not the one they need to be workin’ on.
I have a good idea where I’ll find them. I head downstairs to the lower level where all the entertainment can be found—the home theater, the pool, and the workout room.
I find the two youngest McIntyre daughters in the workout room—no surprise there. They’re dressed in black boy shorts and black sports bras, both of them covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
For a few moments, I allow myself the luxury of standing at the viewing pane and watching them kick the shit out of each other. I’ve seen Lia spar plenty of times, but I’ve never seen Hannah on the mat.
Damn.
That girl can hold her own.
It’s not only sexy, but it’s reassuring too. I like knowing she can take care of herself.
What I wouldn’t trade for an opportunity to wrestle with her on that mat. The idea of getting her beneath me—feeling her curves, her breasts, pressed against my body—putting my hands on her—my cock hardens at the thought.
Lia catches sight of me and pauses mid-kick. “We have company,” she says to her sister as she nods my way.
Hannah pivots to the window, and a multitude of emotions flit across her face: shock, surprise, and finally annoyance. Her expression turns to a glare.
God damn it, girl. Give me a break, why don’cha?
“Don’t blame me,” I say as I walk into the workout room. “Your mama wants y’all to come upstairs and ooh and ahh over that new baby. And there’s pie.”
Lia heads for the changing room. “You should have led with the pie.”
Hannah walks over to a bench and picks up her clothes. She looks everywhere but at me. “I’d better change, too,” she murmurs.
“Hannah, wait.”
She stops in her tracks and turns to face me.
“I just want to make it perfectly clear,” I say, “that I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
She stares at me like I’m speakin’ Chinese.
“I just wanted to say that,” I add, feeling a little bit foolish now. “I didn’t want you to think I was only after one thing.”
Her expression softens, and for a split second, I glimpse a vulnerable side of her that I’ve never seen before.
“Killian,” she says.
I know she’s about to make excuses. “You don’t need to say anything. I just wanted to be clear.”
“Killian, it’s not that I don’t like you. I just can’t. We live in two different worlds.”
There’s a tendril of hair hanging down her cheek—the rest of it’s up in a messy bun. I reach out and tuck it behind her ear. “I don’t understand why you won’t give me a chance, but if that ever changes, I hope you’ll let me know.”
Before I further embarrass myself, I turn for the door. “Your mama wants you girls upstairs,” I remind her.
And then I walk back the way I came, but instead of returning to the happy family celebration in the great room, I escape out the front door, cross the parking area, the yard, and take a much-needed walk into the woods to get my damn head on straight.
She said we live in two different worlds. Yeah, that’s true. But I’m actually much more at home in her world than I am in the big glass and steel city. If she’d give me a chance, maybe she’d find that out.
