Once (Gypsy Fairy Tale) (10 page)

“Okay,” I said sarcastically. “Then what did the bird seed do to tick you off?”

“I’m fine, okay?”

“Well, you're obviously not fine”" I snapped back. “So what’s the problem?”

“You really want to know?” He huffed, “I saw you walking home with that gypsy last night.”

My heart skipped a beat before I could stop it. What did it matter if Alec saw Kieran walking me home? Half the town probably saw us together.

“So what’s wrong with that?” I asked, trying to regain my composure.

Alec shrugged, but didn’t look up.

“Tell me Alec,” I demanded. “What’s so wrong with him walking me home?”

“You just need to be careful that’s all.”

“Why?” I asked even though I was losing my patience.

“I’ve just heard some things,” he mumbled with only a quick glance in my direction.

“Like what?” I asked, preparing myself for anything.

Alec swept up the last of the birdseed into the dustpan, “I don’t think I should get into it with you.”

“Too late,” I snapped. “You’re already into it.”

He emptied the seed into the trash and shook his head.

“My uncle just told me some stories from the old country about the travellers and their kind,” he said.

I gripped the edge of the counter, trying to fight the urge to claw his eyes out.

“Their kind?” I hissed. “What would your uncle know about their kind?”

“Don’t get mad,” Alec pleaded. “I was just trying to warn you.”

“You don’t have to warn me about anything.”

“But I –“

I turned away from him and waved my hand toward the door.

“Why don’t you just take the rest the day off?” I told him, unable to imagine even trying to finish the day with him.

“Harmony, I –“

“Just go,” I snapped.

He didn’t say anything else. He propped the broom against the wall and left, slamming the door behind him.

I spun around and stuck my tongue out. I knew the door was closed and that Alec couldn’t see me, but I needed to do something.

I didn’t do anything wrong... What is it with people in this town...? Why can’t they just mind their own business?

At five o’clock, and I came out from behind the counter to lock up for the day. The setting sun coming through the windows intensified the heat of the building held from the day.

I stopped at the dilapidated air conditioner. The unit wheezed and sputtered, barely blowing. I twisted the knob back and forth, only succeeding in shaking a few drops of condensation ways.

Perfect... One more thing I don’t have the money to fix...

The door opened with a ring of the bell and a gentle knock. I looked up just as Kieran walked in looking too good to be true.

How does he do it? How does he make a jeans and tee shirt look so good?

I smiled as if he could somehow read my thoughts by my expression.

“I just stopped by to see what you were doing tonight,” he said.

My heart jumped at the idea that he had even been thinking about me. I knew it was silly, but I couldn’t help the way that my pulse quickened.

“I thought you’d be performing tonight,” I said in an odd, controlled voice.

“No,” Kieran said with a shake of his head. “Most people don’t come to a carnival on a Sunday. I guess they think that it’ll make God angry or something.”

“Oh,” I mumbled. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

Did I imagine everything? Why is he standing so far away and why is he acting like he never kissed me?

Kieran went on as if he wasn't torturing me with this normal and polite conversation.

“I don’t know why they worry so much about making God angry,” he said. “I’m sure he put your little town directly on top of hell.”

“What?”

“I was referring to the heat.”

“Oh,” I mumbled and looked down at my feet.

Now were talking about the weather? I guess I really did overestimate that kiss...

A surge of excitement ran through my veins as I got an idea.

“How about a swim?”

* * * *

The bumpy dirt road leading out to old man Macready’s farm was dark, but still I turned off my truck’s headlights and slowed down to a crawl. I leaned forward and peered out at the darkness, squinting to see anything at all.

I could feel Kieran watching me from the passenger seat. I didn’t turn to see his expression, but I could feel him near and close.

“What?” I whispered without taking my eyes off of the road.

“I get the feeling that we’re not supposed to be here.”

“You would be right,” I said with a laugh. “A bunch of us kids used to come out here back in high school and more than once he chased us off.”

Kieran laughed as well and moved closer on the seat, “How would he chase you off?”

“He’d shoot at us with bird shot,” I said glancing over at him and just being able to make out his shocked expression.

I pulled the truck to a stop just as the road ended. I shut off the engine and got out, standing in the tall woody weeds.

“The pond is just on the other side of the trees,” I said as Kieran came around the truck.

Not giving myself time to think about it, I reached over and took his hand and started walking through the trees.

Easy Harmony... It’s just his hand... You’re just showing him the way... It doesn’t mean anything...

Despite the conversation in my head, I still trembled as our fingers intertwined. I didn’t look back at him, but I held his hand a little tighter.

“When I graduated from high school, and everyone else went off to college, I used to come out here by myself before Grandma got so bad.”

“What was that like? Coming out here all alone?” Kieran asked as he followed close behind.

“It was great,” I said with a quick glance back. “It was so quiet I could just forget everything else. I didn’t have to think. I didn’t have to take care of anyone. I didn’t have to do anything and there would be all these butterflies just flying around. I could sit and watch them for hours.”

“Sounds beautiful.”

“It was,” I said. “Have you ever noticed you never see butterflies that much anymore? I miss them.”

Oh God... That was a stupid thing to say...

Kieran pulled at my hand to stop me just as we reached the edge of the trees.

“Is something wrong?” I asked as I turned around.

“No,” Kieran said as he took my other hand as well and then tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Just wait.”

Suddenly, into the air rose a cloud of orange and black butterflies. They fluttered all around us, landed on my arms and shoulders.

I looked at him amazed, “How did you do that?”

Kieran stepped forward and brought his lips down on mine in a feathery soft kiss. When I opened my eyes, the butterflies were gone.

“Magic,” he whispered and backed away.

I wasn’t sure what to do next. It was more difficult to think with the moon reflecting on the pond and making it so that I could easily see him standing next to me.

Kieran peeled off his shirt, exposing his broad chest. My knees began to shake uncontrollably when his fingers went to the zipper of his jeans.

He stopped, “Would you turn around?”

“What?”

“I know it’s old-fashioned,” he said with a shrug. “But the travellers have very strict rules about what goes on between men and women.”

Seriously?

I turned so that my back was to him. I could hear him getting undressed and there was something very thrilling about knowing that he was getting naked just behind me.

I heard him running toward the water and I turned just as he dove into the water in a flash of bare skin.

Watching him swim in circles, I began to get undressed. I was glad then that Kieran did have such old-fashioned ideas. I was self-conscious enough getting naked behind a screen of trees, I couldn’t even imagine doing in front of him.

I covered myself the best I could with my hands and started walking out from the trees, my skin naked and tingling.

Kieran saw me coming and immediately turned away. I hurried out into the water.

“Okay,” I said as I slid deeper into the water to hide my nudity. “You can turn around now.”

He turned around, “My ideas must really seem strange to you.”

“Not really.”

“Liar.”

We circled each other, both of us careful to keep a safe distance. It was awkward and uncomfortable.

Well this idea sucked...

Kieran took a deep breath and disappeared below the surface of the water. I thought he would come immediately back up, but he didn’t.

“Kieran?”

I felt very vulnerable, all naked under the water, with him swimming somewhere nearby.

Suddenly something had my ankle and was pulling me under. I went to scream, but water filled my eyes and mouth.

I came up right beside Kieran he was laughing as I coughed. I splashed him repeatedly until he swam away for cover. From then on we relaxed and enjoyed the night, forgetting that we were naked and miles from prying eyes.

“This was a great idea,” Kieran said as we got dressed with our backs to each other. “So how often did you come here?”

“Back then I guess it was most summer nights.”

I heard Kieran turning around, the rustle of his feet in the dried leaves coming right up behind me. He took my hand and turned me to face him.

“Was it always like this?” He asked.

“It was
never
like this.”

Chapter 13

The glaring light of the morning sun woke me. I blinked a few times before I realized I was in my own room and in my own bed.

I sat up, realizing I was still in my clothes from the night before. I could still smell the earthy scent of the pond on my skin and on the strands of my hair that fell over my face.

It all came back to me as I yawned and stretched. I remembered the butterflies, swimming naked in the moonlight, and another kiss.

Why did Kieran have to be so perfectly amazing?

I forced myself out of bed and into the shower. Standing under the stream, I closed my eyes. My mind immediately went back to last night and the feeling of Kieran’s hand in mine, his lips on my mouth...

Thanks to my fantasies, I didn’t realize how long I was in the shower until the water began to run cold. I got out of the shower and got dressed, combing my wet hair back into a quick ponytail.

I ran out the door, eating my breakfast as I hurried next door to the feed store. Shoving the last of the burnt toast in my mouth, I unlocked the door and went inside.

Flipping on the lights, I went to the counter and put down my empty coffee cup and keys. Still yawning, I went on to the back room and unlocked that door and switched on those lights as well.

I continued my morning routine going back to the front and changing the sign to read OPEN. I then went back to the counter and began making a fresh pot of coffee.

Just another day...like any other...except...

“We should talk.”

I gasped and spun around, startled and expecting anything.

There, just a few feet away and dressed all in black, stood Kieran’s father.

I breathed a sigh of relief, “What is it with the men in your family getting such a kick out of scaring me?”

“I do apologize,” he said with a slight bow. “But you do know who I am then?”

“Yes,” I said as I switched on the coffee pot. “You’re Kieran's father.”

“Niall.”

Doesn't anyone in that family have a normal name?

I shifted from one foot to the other and bit my lip nervously. It just seemed like he had this quiet energy that seemed to take over the entire room, it should have been comforting, but it made me self-conscious.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, twisting my hands.

He raised his eyebrows at my fidgeting, but was kind enough not to mention it.

“It seems that you and Kieran have been spending a lot of time together,” he said in that soft polite tone and enchanting accent.

Instantly, I blushed and dropped my eyes. “Yes.”

He sighed and shook his head, “This is becoming problematic.”

I looked up at him confused, “How so?”

“I don’t want to go into that now,” he said as the back door slammed. “Could you come out tonight after the show?”

There was something about his somber tone the made me uneasy.

“I guess,” I mumbled.

He smiled softly and bowed again, “Very good. I'll see you then.”

I nodded and he left just as Alec came from the back room.