Having Faith by Abbie Zanders Page B

Kieran informed her with a casual shrug.  Then he lowered his voice and winked. “Sometimes it’s good to be the boss.”
    * * *
    M att continued to stare at her with hope in his eyes.  She might have been hurt by her son’s blatant preference to spend the afternoon with Kieran in a testosterone-laden environment instead of sorting through stacks of second-hand wares looking for the best possible deals, but she couldn’t find it in herself to do so.  Truth be told, she didn’t blame him one bit.  If there were no other considerations, she’d rather spend the afternoon watching Kieran than haggling with the local vendors, too.  But she was a woman with responsibilities, not a mooning teenage girl crushing on the popular jock.
    “Alright,” she breathed, reaching for her wallet as she mentally calculated how much she could afford.  “I’ll leave you something for lunch - ”
    Kieran’s hand closed around hers, and this time the effect was even more powerful than before.  Rather than a sharp, unexpected shock, she felt a heady warmth radiating outward from the point of contact. 
    “No, Faith,” he said softly but firmly.  “Matt is my guest.  I’d like to treat you as well, if you’ll let me.”
    His breath smelled like peppermint, cool and fresh.  It was in distinct contrast with the warmth of it, which she felt very clearly throughout her entire body when he leaned down to speak into her ear.  The same thought she had before loomed in her mind once again:  Kieran Callaghan was a dangerous, lethal man in boy-next-door clothing.
    She somehow managed not to melt into a puddle at his feet.  The very thought gave her the strength she needed to ensure that her backbone remained in place.  No matter how much she might outwardly resemble those young, college-age groupies anxiously awaiting Kieran’s attention, she was a twenty-eight year old mother barely making ends meet.  She could not afford to indulge in any silly girl fantasies, and especially not with a man as unattainable as Kieran Callaghan.  He was so far out of her league it would take a space shuttle to get to his realm.
    That’s when it hit her.  Kieran Callaghan could never be interested in a woman like her.  And that made her safe.  Hadn’t Lacie alluded to something like that?  That Kieran was tired of being chased by women? She thought back to the pizza parlor the night before.  Kieran had been so relaxed and easy-going.  Until Natalie showed up.  Then he’d grown tense.
    Faith felt a stab of sympathy for him.  He really was a nice guy.  And here she was, offering him the perfect out.
    She ignored the pang of disappointment.  This wasn’t a fairy tale, after all.  Kieran might be many women’s idea of a modern day Prince Charming, but she was as far away from a Princess as she could get.  Even Cinderella in her early days looked like a finishing school deb next to her.
    It was disappointing, yes, but also liberating.  The realization that she could provide him with an excuse to avoid some of that – albeit through her son – was grounding, too. 
    Calmed, she offered him what she hoped was an understanding smile.  “Thanks, but I’ll take a raincheck.”
    * * *
    K ieran considered her thoughtfully.  He’d seen the wheels turning.  Sensed when she’d made a decision.  Unfortunately, he had no idea exactly what she’d been mentally debating or what the resolution was, but something told him he wouldn’t like it.  He knew there could only be one possible outcome where he and Faith were concerned, but that didn’t mean that she did. 
    His brothers had a hard time of it when they had met their croies .  Trials by fire, so to speak.  Maybe he would, as well.  The thought was not a pleasing one, but there was no other option.  He would simply have to tread carefully and try to minimize the damage.  If he was careful and gave it some serious thought, he might be able to learn from his brothers’ mistakes