First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

His eyes told her he didn’t believe that for one second. “You’ll always belong here. It’s part of who you are, where you come from. And you’ve got people here who love you, who’ll take care of you.”


“Maybe I don’t want anyone to take care of me anymore, Kieran,” she said, her eyes flashing. “Maybe I don’t want to be anybody’s burden. Maybe I just want to be left alone to live my own life without everyone feeling the need to interfere.”

Lexi regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth and she saw Kieran’s face harden. She’d hurt him. Deeply. “Kieran, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that”.

He held up his hand and stood, cutting off whatever she was going to say. “Fine. You know what? Go. Run away again. You’re really good at that. And I promise I won’t interfere anymore.”

“That’s harsh, Kier.”

He stood up, making the room seem much smaller. “No, Lexi. What’s harsh is you not giving a damn that people care about you. You think you have to do everything on your own, like some freaking martyr, leaving the rest of us feeling like we don’t even matter enough for you to care.”

“Kieran, that’s not –“

“Save it. I’m outta here.”

Yep. This day just kept getting better and better.





Chapter Fourteen




The faint glow of flickering candlelight both relieved and terrified him at the same time. Relieved, because he’d found her. Terrified, because she’d come all the way out here by herself and hadn’t told anyone. Pine Ridge wasn’t exactly a hotbed of criminal activity, but a young, beautiful, vulnerable woman like Lexi out here, alone? Ian had seen enough evil to know that even here, in this sleepy mountain valley, there was no such thing as “safe”.

Keeping his distance from her at the house that afternoon had been more difficult than he’d ever imagined. To be so close and not speak with her, touch her, kiss her – it had nearly driven him mad. At least he got to see her, though. To know that she was alright. To hope that some small opportunity would present itself that would allow him to rectify the misunderstanding between them.

Lexi was under the impression that he and Kayla had something serious between them. That was something he had to change, and soon, because he was quickly coming to realize that there was only one woman with which he wanted a future. She, and everyone else for that matter, would just have to come to grips with it.

She had looked so lost that afternoon. Oh, she’d smiled and said all the right things at the right times, but when she thought no one was watching, he saw the anguish, the sadness. Maybe he recognized it so easily because he was miserable himself and was putting up the same kind of front. One thing was clear, though. Neither one of them could keep it up for very long.

As difficult as it had been to keep his distance from her at the house, it had been even more so when she’d left with Taryn. Something had gone down, and Kieran wasn’t talking. Kieran was overprotective, sure – they all knew that. But to freak out because Lexi was picking berries?

What did Kieran know that the rest of them didn’t?

When he’d finally returned to the Pub, Lexi was gone and Taryn had been upset. Like Kieran, Taryn refused to say why. That excuse that Lexi just wasn’t feeling well was a load of total bullshit, but Jake had warned him off loud and clear when he pressed for more info. A short time later, Kieran had taken off like a bat out of hell, looking both angry and worried, presumably to see Lexi.

It was enough to send chills down Ian’s spine.

Kieran was only gone for about two hours. When he did return, he looked even worse than when he’d left. Ian overheard his clipped answers when Taryn cornered him. Yes, he’d found Lexi. Yes, she was safely at her hotel. Kieran refused to say anything else, grabbing his keys and tearing off on his Harley the way he always did when he was upset and needed some time alone.

Ian wasted no time heading out after that, leaving Jake and Taryn to tend the bar. He didn’t care who saw him, either; he was beyond that. All he knew was that he needed to see Lexi with his own eyes. Needed to know that she was safe.

It had been a shock to find her room empty, her bed completely untouched. After checking the few eateries still open at this time of night, Ian went to the only other place he could imagine her going. No matter what she said, Ian could tell she truly loved her grandmother’s house.

His approach was silent out of habit, but he wouldn’t have wanted to startle her anyway. He made a sweep around the perimeter, stopping briefly at the patch of raspberry bushes. The sweep was more for his benefit than hers. No one had probably stepped foot on this property for years, but you never knew. Ian had learned a long time ago not to trust in the innate goodness of human nature; he’d seen too much of the other side. Maybe that was one of the things that drew him to her so strongly. Lexi had a goodness, an innocence about her that was completely outside his own reality.