Protector (The Brannock Siblings Book 4) (11 page)

She made the call and waited. As always, Christopher picked
up on the third ring with an abrupt, "Hello."

"Christopher," she said between clenched teeth.

"Ah, Isabelle. A little earlier than usual today."

She rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on the phone.
"I'm turning in for the night once I have supper. Wanted to get this over
with."

His silence told her a lot more than she wanted to hear from
him.

"Where were you today?" he asked, his voice
deceptively calm.

"I went to the Vartry River and spent the day around
there."

"With whom?"

She didn't feel bad for always lying to him about who she
was with each day. A part of her wanted to tell him exactly who she was with
just to see how far she could push him. "Maggie was with me and we had a
picnic."

"You have made friends there, I see. Don't get too
close to them because you are returning in just over two weeks, Isabelle."

"I don't need the reminder,
Christopher
."

He chuckled, a sound that grated on her ears and made her
cringe inwardly. "Oh, I think you do."

She wanted the phone call done and over with so without
taking the bait he was clearly trying to throw at her, she ended the call with
an abrupt 'Goodbye'. Normally she would have to listen to him talk about the
wedding plans coming along fine and what her parents were up to. Not this time.
She didn't even give him a chance to respond.

She slammed the phone down and took several deep breaths,
forcing everything Christopher out of her mind. The thought of him would only
stain the happiness she'd already experienced in just nine short days.

Twenty more.

Only twenty days left.

Isabelle's chest tightened and her head started to swim.
What in the hell was she going to do?

A quick rap on the door pulled her out of the fog. The light
was fading quickly outside and even though Liam said he wouldn't see her until
after supper, she hoped he changed his mind.

She all but ran to the door and wrenched it open with a
massive smile on her face.

"Oh, I take it ye were expectin' someone else,"
Maggie said from her spot on the front porch. "Maybe someone with more
facial hair and possibly a little more meat on his arms instead of the mid
section here." She patted her own stomach and smiled at Isabelle.

"I'm just as happy to see you, Maggie. Please come
in."

The big basket in Maggie's hand didn't escape her notice and
the pleasant smell now wafting through the house made Izzy's mouth water.

"Aye, I can see the spittle fallin' from yer lips
already, love." Maggie's chuckle followed her into the kitchen. "I've
brought ye some supper from the Brannock's. Liam wanted ye to have something
tonight without the work since he couldna take ye out on the town."

"Oh."

"Aye. Oh," Maggie winked.

Izzy's mouth twitched, fighting a massive smile that little
bit of information wanted her to give. She felt her cheeks flush. "Did he
talk about me then?"

"Aye. The lad couldna
stop
blatherin' about ye,
dear. His brothers took notice so I wouldna be surprised if ye found yerself
surrounded by a few towerin' Brannocks in the mornin'. They would never pass up
a chance to jostle Liam a bit."

Izzy turned away and fumbled around the kitchen while Maggie
opened the basket to reveal an assortment of delicious food that was way too
much for just one woman to eat.

"Mary is quite anxious to meet ye," Maggie said
casually. As if that wasn't something completely terrifying. "I reckon
ye'll be doing so tomorrow at the festival."

"Festival?"

"Aye, Liam will most likely be asking ye to accompany
him, but I wanted to get to ye first."

Maggie sat at the table watching her fill a plate with
delicious food. The questions in her eyes put Izzy on edge and suddenly chased
away any appetite she may have had.

"Ye must tell me what yer runnin' from, child. Before
sweet Liam falls any harder for ye."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Izzy
replied raggedly. What would they all say? A spoken for woman traveling by
herself and developing feelings for another man. Sure the man back home wasn't
worth a pot to shit in - as Maggie would say - but still...

"Well isn't that a shame, because I have no doubt ye
are runnin' from somethin' or someone. Ye've no money that I've seen, no one
calling for ye since ye spend yer days with Liam. The boy says there is no
mystery to be had about ye, but I know better."

"He hasn't told you?" She asked the question
before she could stop herself. Had Liam kept her situation a secret from his
family?

"Told me what?"

Maggie's eyes were boring into Izzy's, as if attempting to
read her mind.

"Nothing. There is nothing to tell, Maggie."

Izzy watched the woman purse her lips. Then a line appeared
between her brows. She didn't believe her.

"I understand that what ye left back home must be dark.
A woman yer age shouldna be travelin' alone, but sometimes life ends up a bit
crazy. I, of all people, know this to be true. But Isabelle, yer not the only
one that darkness will be affectin'. Liam is a good boy. A good man. He cares
for ye, as he should. I fear that once the darkness catches up to ye, he'll be
pulled in with ye and I do nah wish to see my nephew crumble."

Maggie couldn't have been more right and Izzy suddenly found
herself panicking.

"Calm yer breaths, child. I'm nah going to chase ye off
just because ye have secrets, but I will say this. Ye've come to Ireland for a
reason and not the reasons yer thinkin'. My house is just a house," she
said, glancing around the cozy home and grinning. "Tis no mansion and no
summer getaway. The fact that ye ended up sitting at my table in the middle of
my kitchen is no coincidence."

It's exactly what Izzy had been thinking all along. There
was a reason she came here, a reason she ended up in that small house in
Rathnew.

Maggie stayed a few minutes longer until she was finished
moving her food around her plate. They cleaned up the kitchen and, without
warning, Maggie pulled Izzy into a tight hug before patting her cheek and
saying, "Don't ye dare give up on yerself. Ye have just as much right to
happiness as anyone else, love."

Izzy followed her to the front door and wished she would
have just come clean. But her fear of making everything more complicated won
that battle.

Maggie said another goodbye and opened the door only to find
Liam walking towards the porch with a grin on his face. His hair was wet and he
had changed his shirt.

"Oh, he's askin' for it," Maggie mumbled before
spreading her arms wide and hugging Liam. "Yer just in time, boyo."

Liam kissed her cheek and returned the hug. "I'm always
just in time, Maggie."

"Aye, more so these days I take it," she said,
shooting a wink toward Izzy. Maggie firmly patted her nephew on the cheek and
smiled up at him. "She's all yours now, my boy. Take care o' her."

Izzy felt her cheeks heat with the meaningful look Liam sent
her way. He stood before her, not moving a muscle until Maggie drove away.

"Your aunt asked me a lot of questions tonight,"
she finally said, not really knowing what else there was to say in that moment
with his eyes on her.

Liam shrugged, a not so innocent grin on his face.
"I've no idea why she would be so curious about ye, Izzy. Yer so
boring."

At first she wasn't sure if he was joking, then she saw the
gleam in his eyes and burst out laughing. "You must be pretty boring
yourself to always spend time with me."

"Nah, that just makes me the luckiest man in
Ireland."

She turned away to hide the blush that completely overtook
her face. He usually started out their encounters by flirting with her. His way
of breaking the ice or any awkwardness she may feel. It worked for the most
part, but he was clueless to the effect he had on her heart.

"I didn't think I would see you until tomorrow,"
she said, keeping her voice steady and her eyes pointed away from him. She sat
at the table gesturing for him to sit with her, but he politely declined.

"I'm only staying a moment. I wanted to ask if ye would
like to accompany me to the festival tomorrow. There will be music and games as
well as art. I thought ye might enjoy it. My family would like to meet ye as
well."

"They will be there?"

"Aye, they go every year."

"I would like that. Thank you, Liam."

He nodded and shifted on his feet. "I'll come for ye
early. Do ye think ye can be ready by eight?"

She chuckled when he winked at her, obviously teasing her
about her habit of sleeping in. "I think I can manage."

He turned away and she followed him back to the door.
Standing together in the open doorway felt somewhat intimate. Liam smiled down
at her, watching her for a moment longer. His expression changed from teasing
to something else entirely. Then his eyes dropped down to her lips like they
had the night before and she saw him swallow thickly. Was he going to kiss her
this time? She hoped he would and at the same time, dreaded it.

"I'll be back in the morning," he said roughly
then quickly descended the porch steps. He  looked back a few times until she
walked inside and closed the door.

She fell back against the door and took a deep breath,
unable to hold in the smile that stretched her lips.

"Get a hold of yourself, Izzy."

Needless to say, she dreamed of Liam that night.

Liam

"I didn't realize there would be so many people
here."

Liam glanced over at Isabelle and smiled at the look of awe
on her flawless face. Her cheeks were a rosy pink from the heat of the day and
wisps of hair flew around her face from a warm breeze. That dark hair shined in
the sunlight, finding traces of gold to reflect off of. She had no idea just
how beautiful she was to him and it was getting more and more difficult to
not
touch her.

"Aye, they come from all over. We Irish know how to
throw a good party," he replied, gently bumping her with his elbow.

She graced him with a coy smile and turned back to the men
on stage. There was music throughout the entire day and she loved to listen and
watch. The entire festival was held in a giant field surrounded by trees along
the Vartry. There were more people than he had seen there before, but there was
still a lot of room to move around. Entertainment never stopped and the nearly
endless amount of booths always stayed busy.

They'd only been at the festival for an hour and already he
was getting anxious. The looks people were giving him and Isabelle were
starting to grate on his nerves. He was well known in town and that came with
its negatives. Over the years, he dated often, but rarely did he ever show up
to a family gathering with a woman.

He didn't purposely keep them away from his family, plus,
they were usually always women his family already knew. And maybe that was why
he kept his distance. Too many expectations and too much familiarity. It just
never really appealed to him.

With Isabelle, he couldn't seem to help himself. He wanted
her with his family and he wanted all of them to see the woman that he was
falling fast for. Not that he was really admitting it to anyone. He already had
to deal with his brothers and their nonstop prodding about Isabelle. Plus, his
mother already told him that if he didn't introduce Isabelle to them soon, she
would kick him out of the house.

She wouldn't really do it, but Aunt Maggie had peaked her
interests and there was no getting out of it even if he wanted to.

And he
didn't
want to.

"Is your family here, yet? I can't wait to meet
Fiona," Isabelle said anxiously, wringing her fingers together. Her eyes
crinkled with her smile and Liam wanted to kiss those small lines at the
corners.

He looked around knowing his parents would be arriving at any
moment and he wanted to be ready for them. When he spotted his father in the
crowd, his pulse kicked up a notch. "Come with me, Izzy."

She let him take her hand and he appreciated that she seemed
to have a permanent smile on her face whenever he touched her. A smile he just couldn't
get enough of. Not when her lightly freckled nose wrinkled and her cheeks
turned scarlet. It sent his blood racing. Every. Single. Time.

The feel of her tiny hand in his was so right. Letting her
go always left a bitter feeling, but he knew this was nothing permanent. Her
stay in Ireland was halfway over and he couldn't expect her to give up her life
to stay in a foreign country where she knew absolutely no one.

They still didn't even know
each other
well enough anyway,
and that scared him. His feelings for her had already fixed themselves so deep,
he wasn't sure he could stand being away from her for long. A part of him wanted
to push for more. Her innocence wasn't something he would ever take advantage
of, but the pull between them made it nearly impossible to keep his distance.

He wanted to tell her. God, he wanted to tell her a lot of
things. But Isabelle was already hanging on by a thread. Pushing her too much
might cause him to lose her forever. The problems she still had to face back
home were not minor and he had no idea how
she
would handle them let
alone himself.

Liam's mother saw the two of them coming her way well before
they were close enough for introductions. Her grip on his father's arm
noticeably tightened - not to mention the grimace on his father's face when he
felt her nails dig into his skin - and she sent a beaming smile their way when her
eyes landed on Isabelle.

"Oh dear, I think I've lost my breath, son. Please tell
me this is the Izzy you have told us so much about," his mother exclaimed
and immediately reached for Isabelle's hand, tugging her closer so she could
get a better look at her.

"Aye, Ma. This is Isabelle Moore. Izzy, this is my
mother, Mary Brannock."

Mary was known for her self control. She only lost it when
something was just too much to handle, which was rare. The woman could handle
just about anything, but Liam didn't miss the way she held Isabelle's hand
longer than normal before pulling her into a hug. He
also
didn't miss
the way her smile trembled. She was feeling emotional, which couldn't be good
for anyone.

Mary looked completely different from her sisters who each
had bright red hair. She was blessed with a dark chocolate color that Maggie
and Aivy always envied - according to
her
. Her soft blue eyes were clear
and bright and saw
everything
. The Brannock siblings never got away with
anything and they saw her wrath when she turned it on them. Most of the time,
she didn't need that wrath. She could move mountains with a sweet smile that
usually had to do with one of her children or their father.

Liam's mother was only slightly taller than Izzy, but one
would think she was a queen with the way she held herself. Confidence. She
believed in herself and in her children. That's what made her so beautiful to
all of them.

"It is so wonderful to finally meet you, my dear. Liam told
us so much about you already and I feel like I've known you a life time. That
and my sister cannot stop blatherin' about the fine bird staying in her house. You've
made quite an impression on dear Maggie." She leaned in closer to Izzy and
mumbled, "Which is not easy to do these days."

Izzy laughed nervously and nodded at her. "It's a
pleasure to meet you as well. I have heard so much about your entire family and
you haven't seemed real until now."

"Aye, dear. We are quite real. Just wait until you meet
the rest o' them. You'll probably be changin' your mind," his mother
winked and gave Izzy a crooked smile.

Liam easily saw the adoration Isabelle had for his mother
and felt a pang in his chest for what she had missed in her life. What would it
be like to grow up with a mother that wasn't entirely grateful for her child?

The moisture in his mother's eyes didn't escape his notice
either and a lump formed in his throat. Ma wouldn't understand when he had to
let Isabelle go. She would be heart broken right along with him.

Perhaps it wasn't the brightest idea introducing her to
your family!

"It is my turn, love. You can't take her for yourself
just yet," Liam's father teased with a smile and offered Izzy his hand.
"William Brannock, a pleasure to meet the notorious Izzy."

Isabelle looked up at Liam's father. Way up. The man towered
over her like he towered over all his children. His salt and pepper hair was
full of tight curls that would puff up at the end of a long day and the vibrant
green of his eyes brightened whenever Liam's mother was around. William Brannock
was a strong man with massive shoulders and an even bigger heart. Patience
wasn't his strong point when it came to his children, but the love he had for
Liam's mother rivaled any other. So, he spent his life trying.

Liam heard Izzy gasp. "You are an older version of your
son, Mr. Brannock. You two look so much alike."

He burst out laughing and elbowed Liam in the ribs. "You
hear that, son? She thinks I'm juicy."

Liam rolled his eyes. His father was usually a pretty
serious man, but today he seemed lighter on his feet. There could only be one
reason for that.

"Da, she does not think your juicy. She
did
say
'older'."

Isabelle looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her
head and Liam laughed at her scandalized expression. "You think my Da is
juicy?"

Her mouth popped open then closed, then opened then closed,
as if she just couldn't form the words. "I-I am sorry. I don't really know
what that means. If I offended you, I'm-"

Liam wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her
back to his side, "It means you think he is cute, as you would say. Good
lookin'."

She smacked him in the chest when he wiggled his brow up and
down. Then her face went bright red. "Oh, you are going to pay for that."

The firm warning didn't have any effect when her blush made
her look so incredibly sweet.

 "I hope so," Liam whispered in her ear.

He only meant to tease her a little more, but her body practically
molded against him and her eyes glimmered with heat. God, he wanted to kiss the
living daylights out of her. Did she have any idea what that look did to him?

"I thank you for the compliment, Izzy, but I am a taken
man," his father said with mock firmness as he wrapped his arm around Mary's
waist. "I prefer the older women."

"Older? You've a mind to get yourself clattered,"
his mother replied with a scowl.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead sweetly. "If it's a
clatterin' from you, love, I admit I do." He lightly patted her bottom,
thinking no one else could see, but
everyone
could.

Liam looked up at the sky and sighed in exasperation. His
parents were not the most subtle people.

His mother shook her head at his father, a coy grin on her
face before she turned back to Liam. "Have you seen Cara and Colin yet,
Liam. I do not want your brother makin' another mess of Cara's day. Jerry is a
fine lad and you boys need to give him a fighting chance, you hear me?"

She shook her finger at Liam and gave him a look only a
mother could pull off.

He sighed heavily and nodded his head. "Aye, Ma. I
remember. I'll go find him."

Liam took Isabelle's hand to lead her through the crowd, but
his mother latched onto her other hand. "Izzy can stay with us. I've a
mind to find out more about this bird before she steals my son's heart
forever."

This time, it was Liam's cheeks that flushed with heat. He
refused to look Izzy's way when he nodded at his mother, but he felt her eyes
on him.

"I'll meet you by the fountain then."

His mother nodded with a wink and he saw his father's
shoulders bounce up and down with silent laughter. He needed to be quick about
finding Colin, or Mary and William Brannock would be the ones to chase Isabelle
off. There was no question as to where he and his brothers learned to chase off
boys who were after Cara. It was in the genes.

It only took him a few minutes to find his youngest brother.
The key was to follow the lines of young girls and Colin was sure to be at the
end of it.

Sure enough, Colin was sitting at a table surrounded by
those very girls, both his age and older. Liam shook his head. His brother was not
only a hellion, he was a charmer. Always chasing girls and running from them.
Well, he didn't ever really run from them and they always just seemed to be
hanging from his shoulders.

Colin looked more like Brian than Liam. He was a tall boy
for his age, but he still had a young look about him. His dark hair was longer
than it should be according to their mother, but he insisted the girls loved
it. His blue eyes were just like their mother's, but with a touch of green like
their father's. The only difference between Colin and the other Brannock men
was that Colin could talk his way out of anything.

Liam spent a lot of time smacking his little brother on the
back of the head for being an idiot. A smart idiot. An idiot that usually got
what he wanted and laughed his way through life. Something that Liam admired,
but knew it would end up getting the boy into more trouble than he could handle.
Eventually.

Everyone had to grow up at some point.

"Colin, Ma wants to speak with you," Liam called
through the group of giggling girls. The endless see of blondes, brunettes, and
redheads made him want to throw his hands in the air and let the boy do what he
would.

Colin's head popped up and he gave Liam a wicked grin.
"Did you finally introduce them to your woman?"

"She isn't my - " he stopped suddenly. The sound
of those words pulling his lips into a similar grin.

Colin about went into hysterics. "Aye, of course not.
That's why you look like you've found the end of a rainbow."

"Shut it. Get your arse up and follow me or I'll be
sure Ma knows you've got plans for Jerry. She'll crack you silly if you mess
this up for Cara again."

Colin shook his head. "She just loves to suck the joy
out of life, doesn't she."

Liam smacked his brother on the back of the head playfully.
"Only yours you dope. I've no doubt Jerry will have a go with you so do not
worry about that. He'll knock your noggin clean off."

The girls giggled and Colin shot him a death glare with no
power behind it. "You've no faith in me, Liam."

"Aye, I have faith in you. I just paid attention all my
life. Bigger is bigger and you're no Jerry."

Colin seemed to be processing that information, almost as if
he was trying to invent a way to get around that little obstacle. Then he
shrugged and stood to follow Liam.

It was almost comical. The group of girls collectively
sighed and Liam looked around to find almost every single one of them pouting. Colin
just ignored it and walked away. He had no problem letting them down and if
Liam didn't know any better, he would worry that Colin lost his chances with
most of them.

Not a chance. Colin would have one of them in the trees
within the hour and her father would probably catch them like the fathers
always did.

They found his parents and Isabelle at the fountain behind
the stage. The sun's reflection off the water lit up Isabelle's face as she
laughed at something his mother was saying. It was as if the angel's were
pointing down at her any way they could.