“Lost her already, did you?” Ian chuckled into the phone. Kieran let loose with a few colorful expletives. He was so not in the mood for Ian’s shit.
“Relax, little bro. Just activate the GPS in your phone. I chipped Matt’s cell. As long as it’s on, you’ll be able to find him.”
“You couldn’t have told me this earlier?” Kieran grumbled into the phone.
Ian’s laughter was rich. “And miss the groveling? Not a chance in hell.”
Sometimes being the youngest sucked.
*
It wasn’t hard to find Ethan Longstreet’s final resting place. The aboveground vault bearing the Longstreet name was noticeably larger than anything else around it, and there were still plenty of greens and flowers placed around the exterior. Faith kneeled just before the structure, placing the small bouquet they’d purchased in front. She murmured a few soft words, a prayer maybe, as she and Matt held hands and bowed their heads together.
Pappy’s was just close enough to the interstate to be filled with tourists and travelers, but not a lot of locals. It was for primarily that reason that Faith had chosen it. She had been gone a long time, but Faith didn’t want to take the chance of being recognized. An added benefit was that Nathan wouldn’t be on his home turf. Faith would take any advantage, no matter how slight.
After some consideration, Faith thought it might be better for her to speak with Nathan alone first before introducing Matt. That way she could feel him out and decide whether or not to move forward. As much as she wanted to fulfill Matt’s wish to meet his father, she wouldn’t hesitate to leave if Nathan was acting particularly nasty.
She explained this to Matt. He agreed, reluctantly, but only on the condition that he remain close enough to intervene if necessary. Faith didn’t think it would come to that, and tried to convince him otherwise. If this meeting went anything like the last time she saw Nathan, he might have some less than kind things to say, and she didn’t want Matt to hear those kinds of things about his mother.
But Matt was adamant (a trait he seemed to develop after spending several months around a certain willful Irishman) and assured her that he knew the truth, no matter what he would hear. Sighing, Faith agreed to the compromise. Sometimes it was hard for her to remember that her little boy was growing up, and that he had one heck of a protective streak in him.
With that in mind, Matt took a seat at the counter, while Faith slid into a nearby booth. Faith ordered a cup of coffee and a muffin, though she doubted she could eat anything. She was so nervous her stomach churned. She alternated her glances between the front door and where Matt sat. Matt’s face was shadowed by the brim of the ball cap he wore, but he was close enough to hear every word.
Promptly at ten, a familiar looking figure came into the diner. Familiar, though the passage of time had definitely left its mark. He still had his blonde hair, but there was significantly less of it than there once was. His form, while athletic, had softened somewhat over the years. He was handsome enough to turn a lot of feminine heads, in any event, and the expensive cut of his suit didn’t hurt, either.
As he looked around the diner, Faith held her breath, waiting to feel.... Something. Anything. Some spark, some interest, some residual tenderness, but found ... nothing.
When Nathan’s eyes finally settled on her, they widened perceptibly.
“Faith,” he said, his voice every bit as rich as she remembered, though it had deepened slightly. “You look positively – stunning. Christ. You still look like a teenager.”
The color rose in her cheeks a little bit. Nathan had never called her stunning, had never complimented her on her appearance at all, actually, she realized. Of course, then she’d been fourteen, only on the cusp of womanhood. Motherhood and time had changed things significantly. Though she remained on the slim side, she had more than her share of womanly curves, thanks in large part to her pregnancy early in life.
But then Nathan wouldn’t know that, because he’d never believed her, and she’d been long gone before she’d shown a baby bump.
She smiled, just a little one, and inclined her head at the compliment as Nathan slid in across from her with athletic grace, bringing with him the scent of expensive cologne. It was a struggle not to wrinkle up her nose. Kieran always smelled so fresh, so naturally masculine; she had become so accustomed to it that she found this offensive. She wondered idly if Kieran even wore cologne at all, then decided he probably didn’t. He was just naturally delicious.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, wrenching herself back to the situation at hand.