Marking Time (21 page)

“It was definitely my pleasure. That was the best story I’ve heard in a long time. The jury’s still out on how much is fact and how much is fiction.”

“All fact, baby,” he said with a laugh. Aidan hadn’t told that story in years and had enjoyed sharing it with her. “I’ll talk to you soon.” He clicked off the phone and pulled into the driveway at his parents’ three-story Victorian. The house had started out as a ranch but became one of O’Malley Construction’s pet projects over the years, expanding along with the family it housed.

Dennis nearly had a stroke over the fanciful, gingerbread paint job Colleen commissioned two summers earlier, and the boys knew better than to tease him about giving in yet again to their mother. Instead, when he thought Colleen wasn’t listening, Dennis grumbled about living in a house that looked like a big, pink cake. A Christmas tree lit the front window, and the house was outlined with white lights that illuminated the ridiculous color.

As Aidan grabbed his duffel and a big bag of gifts from the bed of the pickup, the front door flew open and Colleen ran out to greet him wearing a long bathrobe over her nightgown.

“Aidan O’Malley, get over here, and give your Mum some love,” she said, throwing her arms around him.

He dropped his bags, lifted her off the ground, and swung her around.

She swatted at him. “Put me down, you fool! You’ll throw your back out!”

“Whatever you say, Mum. You’re a real load. What’re you? One-ten these days?”

She hooked a hand into the crook of his elbow to lead him inside. “Oh, hush. I haven’t been one-ten since before you were born. Da just gave up on you and went to bed. He said he’ll see you in the morning.”

The house smelled like mothballs, evergreen, and spice. “What’ve you been cooking?”

“What
haven’t
I been cooking? Your sister and I were at it all day.”

“Fighting or cooking?”

She snorted. “A little of both.” The light over the stove lit her still-pretty face. She would be sixty at her next birthday but didn’t look a day over fifty to Aidan. Her brilliant red hair had faded with age to an equally attractive auburn that was mixed now with traces of gray. “Come in here and let me feed you.”

He sat down at the kitchen table. “I’m good. I ate on the road.”

“Junk, no doubt.”

“No, a friend of mine made me some sandwiches.”

Her eyes widened with interest. “A girlfriend?”

“Mum,” he said, the warning clear in his tone. “How about you get me a beer before you start grilling me?”

She brushed the hair back from his forehead and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I don’t know why you have to hold out on me, Aidan O’Malley. You know I worry about you.”

“You don’t need to. I’m fine.”

She got a Sam Adams from the fridge, opened it for him, and sat with him at the table. “Da and I drove into the city to go to the cemetery yesterday,” she said, taking his hand.

He looked down at their joined hands as a pain cut through him. After all these years, that it still could take his breath away… “Thanks.”

“You should go, too, you know.”

He shook his head. “I appreciate that you go.”

“Mrs. Gough down the street has had some heart troubles lately. Maybe you could go by to see her while you’re home.”

“What for?”

“Don’t be obtuse, Aidan. You could make sure her doctor’s doing the right things.”

“I’m sure she’s getting very good care.”

“You’re squandering your God-given talents up there in those mountains.”

“That’s not true. I’m using some of the other ones. So what’s going on tomorrow?”

Colleen scowled at the shift in conversation away from one of her favorite subjects. “Da and I are going over to Erin and Tommy’s early to watch the kids open their gifts. Then we’re all going to ten o’clock mass. Everyone’s coming back here after to open gifts and have dinner. You’re welcome to join us at mass.”

“No, thanks.”

Colleen sighed. “It would break Sarah’s heart to know you’ve lost your faith, Aidan.”

Fighting the urge to snap at her, he forced an even tone. “I’m sure she’d understand.”

“It’s been ten years, love. When’re you going to start living again?”

“I don’t know.” He sagged in his chair. “I was thinking on the way down here that Colin would be ten now. I wondered what he would’ve wanted for Christmas this year. A skateboard or a new bike? Maybe a baseball glove. Probably something electronic, too.”

Colleen stood up to wrap her arms around him. “Why don’t you get some sleep? Things will be better in the morning.”

He laughed. “I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard you say that.”

“And I wish there was something I could say to make it better.”

Patting her hand, he closed his eyes against the rush of emotion. “I know, Mum. I know.”

T
he night before Kate went home to Rhode Island for Christmas, Reid took her to dinner in an out-of-the way place over in Rutherford County. They’d managed to spend every night together for more than a week without anyone questioning them and had begun to feel more confident that they could exist in their own little bubble. After a candlelight dinner, he reached into his suit coat pocket and withdrew a wrapped box. He nudged it across the table to her.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and find out.”

“I have something for you, too, but I have to give it to you later.”

He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Open your present.”

He wore a dark gray suit with a cranberry tie and was so handsome Kate couldn’t take her eyes off him. “I’m nervous,” she said, sensing a significant gift.

“Don’t be.” He took the box from her and slid the paper and bow from it. “I think this talent of yours will one day take you far away from me, so I wanted you to be able to take my heart with you.” Inside the box was a gold locket with a diamond inset in the heart.

“Oh, Reid,” she said, her eyes swimming with tears. When she was unable to stem the flood, she reached for his hand. “Can we go?”

He signaled for the check and had them out of there a few minutes later. As they walked to his car, he kept an arm around her. A bitter chill frosted the air, and a full moon rose in a night sky sprinkled with puffy clouds. “What is it, baby? I wanted to make you happy,” he said, brushing at her tears.

“You did. I’m sorry. I just can’t imagine leaving you for two days to go home for Christmas, let alone my career taking me away from you. I don’t want that.”

When they reached his car, he leaned in to kiss her and took the box from her. Turning her around, he lifted her hair to hook the locket and kissed his way down her neck, making her shiver. “I love you, and I’ll be right here waiting for you no matter where your career takes you.”

She turned to lean her forehead against his chest. “I came here looking for stardom, but I found you. The rest doesn’t seem so important anymore.” Brushing her hands over his lapels, she looked up at him. “At the party we played Saturday night, a producer gave me his card. He wants me to call him after the holidays.”

“That’s fantastic, Kate! Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged.

He tilted her chin up. “Sweetheart, listen to me. You can’t abandon all your dreams because you fell in love with me. That would break my heart. You have such a rare and special talent, and you need to find out where it’ll take you. As much as I want you here with me, I’d never forgive myself if I held you back.”

“Let’s go home. I want to give you my gift.”

He opened the car door for her and kept his hand wrapped around hers on the ride home. At his house, Martha waited for them. Reid had told her Kate would be staying with them so he could take her to the airport early the next morning.

“Good evening, Mr. Reid, Miss Kate. The guestroom is all set for you, Miss Kate. I’ll have breakfast ready for you in plenty of time to make your flight in the morning.”

“Oh, you don’t have to, Martha,” Kate said. “I can get something at the airport.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said and retired to her quarters off the kitchen.

Reid carried Kate’s overnight bag up to the guest room.

“Oh, I forgot. I need my guitar, too.”

“I’ll go out to the car and get it.”

“Thanks.” Toying with her new locket, she watched him go.
God, I love him
. She wondered if it was normal to feel almost sick from the riot of emotions that stormed through her every time she was near him.

He came back with her guitar. “Let’s go light a fire in my room.”

“Bring that.” She nodded to the guitar. “Part of that gift I mentioned.”

“I’m intrigued,” he said with a smile as he held out a hand to her.

Kate loved Reid’s bedroom. He’d knocked out a wall to make two bedrooms into one large room. The walls were painted a rich chocolate brown that matched the leather furniture arranged in front of the fire. His laptop and briefcase sat on a small desk where he sometimes worked at night. His bed was on the other side of the room, which was connected to a master bathroom.

He took off his suit coat and tie, released his top button, and rolled up his sleeves. After he lit the fire, he joined her on the sofa.

“Are you ready for your gift?”

“I’m dying of curiosity.”

“Well, it’s nothing spectacular, so don’t get too excited. I wanted to get you something special, but since you already have an airplane, I thought, what else can I get the man who has everything?”

“I only have everything now that I have you,” he said, drawing her into a kiss.

She put her hands on his chest in a halfhearted attempt to push him away. “You’re making me lose my train of thought.”

“Sorry.”

“So,
anyway
,” she said with a stern look that made him laugh, “I thought of the one thing I could give you that you couldn’t get anywhere else. This is where the guitar comes in. I wrote a song for you.”

His face lit up with surprise and delight. “You did?”

She nodded, tuning her guitar and taking a deep calming breath. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever been nervous about singing.”

“You’ve never had a more appreciative audience. Ever.”

His smile of encouragement put her at ease. “Here goes.” She launched into a complicated guitar intro that had his eyes widening with amazement.

I thought I knew

what love was,

but then there was you…

I thought I knew

how it would be,

but now I see,

And now it’s true…

I didn’t know

until there was you…

Until there was you…

Until there was you…

I thought I knew

And now it’s true…

I thought I knew

what peace was,

then there was you…

I thought I knew

what dreams were,

then there was you…

I thought I knew

how it would be,

but now I see…

I thought I knew

what love was,

but then there was you

Then there was you…

She played the final notes of the song and propped her guitar against the sofa.

“Kate,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion as he brought her into his arms. “That was the most amazing gift anyone has ever given me.”

“Anytime you hear me sing that song, I’ll be singing it for you.”

“Thank you.” He kissed her softly. “Do you know when I fell in love with you?”

She shook her head.

“That first day in the dining room when Ashton dared you to sing. For days afterward, I’d be at work or riding Thunder or lying in bed, and I’d hear you singing
Crazy
. You have the most exquisite voice. The voice of an angel.”

“Take me to bed, Reid.”

“Kate, honey, wake up.”

Kate awoke from a sound sleep to find Reid sitting on the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong?” She noticed he was dressed in a black sweater and jeans. “What time is it?”

“Three thirty. Come on, get dressed. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Curious, Kate stretched and yawned before she got up. She dug a pair of jeans and a sweater out of the bag he had brought from the guest room.

They put on heavy coats, tiptoed downstairs and out the kitchen door. Kate was surprised to find it snowing lightly but accumulating fast enough to have coated the lawn and driveway.

Reid took her to the stable, led Thunder out of his stall and gave Kate a leg up.

“We’re riding bareback?” she asked.

“We do it once in a while. He’s used to it.” Reid used a slat in the fence to boost himself up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, Reid gently touched his heels to Thunder’s sides and guided the horse to a path through a thicket of trees where the click of hooves was the only sound in the otherwise still night.

“Close your eyes,” Reid whispered.

Kate rested her head against his shoulder and did as he asked. She could feel the snowflakes clinging to her eyelashes.

They rode for a few more quiet minutes before Reid squeezed her hand. “Okay, open them.”

Kate gasped. “
Oh!
Reid!” They had emerged from the trees into a meadow lit by a moon so full it gave the aura of daylight, the open expanse frosted with snow that sparkled in the moonlight. Thunder stood still and quiet while they took in the glorious scene.

Kate reached back for Reid. “I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “So will I.”

T
he O’Malley house buzzed with speculation while the family waited for Declan to arrive with his new girlfriend. Aidan thought Dec was nuts for subjecting the poor girl to the family on a holiday, but he hadn’t been consulted.

“Now be nice and don’t act like jackasses,” Colleen warned her other three sons, who sat together on the sofa in the living room.

“We’re not the ones Dec needs to be worried about,” Brandon muttered under his breath when she moved past them.

Aidan elbowed him. His brother looked like hell, with a two-day beard and bloodshot eyes—a sure sign he’d been out drinking into the wee hours. Lately Aidan had heard from other family members that Brandon’s drinking was becoming an issue. When they were younger, Aidan and Brandon were often mistaken for twins. They shared the wavy brown hair their father had as a young man and their mother’s green eyes. The similarities between them faded as age and life had taken a toll on both of them. Their younger brothers and sister had Colleen’s reddish blonde hair and Dennis’s blue eyes.