It was easy to picture Aidan here. As down to earth as he was, Kane also knew that he was insanely wealthy. Aidan was always dressed impeccably; even his casual clothes were designer. His manners, polished and well-studied. It only stood to reason that he would surround himself with the best of the best, tasteful as it was.
Rebecca was another story. She had all of the class of the privileged, all of the poise, all of the manners; but her tastes were much simpler. Instead of designer fashions she wore Levi’s and cotton tops, fleece hoodies, and flats from Payless, when she bothered to wear shoes at all. Her hair was cut into simple layers that she usually pulled back loosely into some sort of clip. With her youthful face and her big, brown eyes she looked more like an undergrad than an heiress.
Kane was forced to re-evaluate those thoughts a few minutes later when she emerged, draped in a designer sheath of cashmere and low-slung heels. A light application of makeup had her face glowing with radiance.
This was no undergrad. This was a goddess. He was speechless.
His brain raced. He should probably say something, but hell, words failed him. She grabbed a light wrap and looked at him expectantly.
“Ready?”
“Yeah,” he managed. “You look nice.”
A rosy glow suffused her cheeks as she dropped her eyes. “Thank you.”
Kane almost grunted. Apparently she was as uncomfortable receiving compliments as he was giving them.
“Thank you,” she said when he pulled up in front of the Goddess, the trip woefully brief.
“For what?” His deep voice sounded even rougher than usual. Kane was very comfortable with who he was, most of the time. But in the presence of this exquisite creature he felt almost shy.
“For lending me your shirt. For the ride. For your company. It was... nice.”
Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him chastely on the cheek before opening the door. And when she disappeared safely into the entrance of the restaurant with a final glance back at him, Kane Callaghan lifted a large, calloused hand to his face.
And the Iceman smiled.
Chapter Seven
Professional football blared in brilliant display from the massive flat screen in the Callaghan private quarters, known among the wives as the “man cave”. Ian’s customized, digitally enhanced surround sound system created the illusion of actually being there, live and in person.
It had been a long standing custom for the Callaghan men to gather here on Sundays whenever possible, taking turns tending the downstairs bar in two-person shifts every hour or so. The season didn’t really matter. Whether the screen displayed football, basketball, hockey, or baseball wasn’t important. It was an opportunity to come together on a regular basis; to bond and gain strength from one another. In a family of men who played hard and worked harder, it was practically a religious experience. The fact that some of them had wives and children didn’t matter in the least; it only enriched the practice.
Grandpa Jack sat in his favorite chair, sneaking candy to the little ones while their fathers pretended not to notice. Wives ventured in and out of the viewing area at will, taking advantage of the opportunity to congregate among themselves for a little girl time. Kane was on the sofa, legs propped up on the coffee table in front of him, head back, eyes closed. He had missed more than his share of these gatherings over the years, but was definitely making up for lost time these last few weeks. He had to admit, being surrounded by his loud, raucous family was not entirely unpleasant. Sometimes. In small doses.
It had taken a bit of adjusting on his part, but little by little he’d increased his level of tolerance for noise and general mayhem to where he could last for several hours before feeling the need to bolt for open air and quieter pastures. All he had to do, he found, was think about Rebecca and he felt much calmer inside. He’d picture her gentle smile, the way her eyes lit up when she saw him. Hear her soft, lyrical voice and the musical way she had of laughing. Feel her whisper light touch as she inevitably found some way to connect with him, whether it be by laying her fingers on his arm, or brushing her leg against his. He found it better than Mick’s pain meds for the soothing effect it had on him.
Even now, Patrick had fallen asleep against his side, and Kane had to be careful he didn’t inadvertently drop his arm and crush him. Not wishing to be left out, his little niece Riley scaled him like a mountain, snuggling against his chest for her afternoon nap. She, like Patrick, had become quite attached to him over the past few weeks.
“Will you look at that?” Lexi said softly, peeking around the corner. “How is it that the same man who instills terror in adults is so damn irresistible to kids? Patrick is crazy about him.”
Kane’s lips twitched. Because kids hadn’t learned fear yet.