First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

This time she looked right into his eyes, and he was nearly blown away by the amount of raw emotion he saw there. “Whether or not I was living in a dream world,” she answered. “If the reality could even come close to the years of fantasy.”


Ian was floored. She’d been fantasizing for years? About him? God help him, his central nervous system just about shut down. He found himself grateful that his autonomic systems were perfectly capable of functioning on their own without any explicit direction from his brain, because if they weren’t, he’d already be dead.

“And what did you come up with?” Jesus, was that his voice? That rough, raspy sound that sounded as though little to no air was making its way through his closed throat? He felt as if his entire future hung there in the air between them as he waited for her answer.

“Ah, there you are.” Jack Callaghan’s booming voice resonated through the kitchen as he entered from the private staircase, interrupting their little Q & A session. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

“Not at all,” Lexi said, her face instantly returning to the calm, pleasant mask she presented to the world. Shane was right. She had a core of solid steel, and he was one of the lucky few to have seen beyond it. “Ian was kind enough to keep me company.”

Jack shot a glance at his son, one that spoke volumes. In it, Ian could see both warning and promise, eerily similar to the one Kieran had given him only moments before. Given the opportunity, he was pretty sure he could have vocalized his father’s thoughts at that moment in one simple statement: Hurt her, they said, and I’ll have your arse. Since Jack Callaghan was not one to utter idle threats, Ian knew he was walking a thin line.

“The pleasure was all mine,” said Ian casually, rising. He took her cup, letting his fingers brush lightly against hers. One brief look promised her that they would finish their discussion later, before he wished them both a good morning and disappeared into the stairway.





Chapter Nine




Jack Callaghan was a well-known and respected staple in the Pine Ridge community. For all intents and purposes, he was a retired serviceman who travelled occasionally and tended bar with his sons. It was true enough; he did do those things. But no one was fool enough to believe that was all he did. The closest anyone ever came to the complete truth was a vague realization that they didn’t really want to know.

Jack and his boys all held respectable jobs in the community, though occasionally one or more of them would disappear, often for weeks or months at a time. They were all fine, upstanding, law-abiding citizens. Yet most people regarded them with a sense of wariness that bordered on awe. They knew instinctively that the Callaghans were the good guys, and most were more than content with that knowledge. There was no refuting the nearly non-existent crime rate in the area, either, not all of which could be attributed to the Pine Ridge PD.

It was precisely for these reasons that Jack accompanied Lexi to the official reading of her father’s last will and testament. Jack had always had a soft spot in his heart for Lexi, ever since Kieran dragged her home one day like a stray kitten. For a little while at least, when the boys had taken her under their wings a few years back, Jack felt like Lexi was the daughter he and his wife had always wanted but never had.

As much as it had pained him to see her go all those years ago, he knew it was probably for the best. Now that she was back, however briefly, he would do everything he could to ensure that she got a fair shake. He had no doubt Patricia O’Connell and her daughter would not be particularly magnanimous, as evidenced by their deplorable conduct during the previous day’s events.

Poor Brian was probably turning over in his grave.

Jack held her small hand in his as they sat across from Patricia and Kayla in the understated professional elegance of the lawyer’s office. The dark, polished wood desk and bookshelves complimented the antique-style brass fixtures and supple leather seating, creating an atmosphere that fostered a sense of professionalism and trust.

On the outside, Lexi looked as calm and unruffled as ever, but he knew better. He could feel her hand trembling in his, her pulse beating fast beneath his fingertips. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.