Lilac Lane (Chesapeake Shores #14)(26)
“The house on Lilac Lane,” Bree O’Brien Collins guessed, her eyes lighting up. “Jake always took care of the landscaping there. He still does most of it, but now—”
She was clearly about to say more when a sharp look from Susie silenced her. Whatever the message between the two women, Bree stumbled over her words only slightly before adding, “There’s no place in town that has more beautiful lilacs this time of year.”
“It sounds lovely,” Kiera said, letting the awkward moment pass. “There’s nothing more wonderful than the scent of lilacs filling the air on a spring breeze.”
“If it appeals to you, Kiera, let’s go see it,” Susie said at once. “Rental properties in Chesapeake Shores never last long. Once the listing is out there, it won’t take long to rent. You’ll want to grab it right away. I’ll get the key from the office and drive you over.”
“Kate and I are coming, too,” Moira insisted. “I don’t want you rushing into something just to avoid being underfoot.”
Kiera rolled her eyes, but agreed to have an entourage as she inspected the cottage.
A half hour later as she roamed through the cozy, freshly painted, furnished rooms, all of them filled with natural light, new hardwood floors and with the scent of lilacs drifting through the front door they’d left open, Kiera was charmed. Her daughter questioned the size of it, but Kiera found it perfect for her needs. It even had a tiny guest room, should her granddaughter ever spend the night. It reminded her of quaint cottages by the sea in Ireland. And there was, indeed, that glimpse of the bay that Susie had promised. The view was no doubt better from the main house, but this would definitely do.
“This is perfect,” she said happily.
The rent was a delightful surprise, too, low enough to be easily covered by what Luke had insisted on paying her at the pub now that all of the legalities were settled. He’d handed her the first check just last night. There were absolutely no drawbacks that she could see, at least not until she walked outside and saw Bryan Laramie stalking across the lawn, a scowl on his face.
“What’s this?” he demanded.
Oblivious to his brusque demeanor or choosing to ignore it, Susie beamed at him. “I’ve found a renter for the cottage,” she announced cheerfully. “You and Kiera will be neighbors. Isn’t that perfect? You’ll be able to ride to work together.”
Bryan looked not one bit happier about that idea than Kiera was. She whirled on her daughter. “Did you know about this?” she asked Moira. “Were you just playing devil’s advocate to trick me into agreeing to this house before I realized who I’d have as a neighbor? After our talk last night, I’d think you would know better.”
“Mum, that would be far too devious, even for me,” Moira replied, though the feigned innocence in her tone was defied by the laughter she was trying to keep contained.
“And you?” Kiera said to Susie. “Is this the reason you silenced Bree so quickly back at Sally’s? Was she about to mention my new neighbor?”
“I rent properties, nothing more,” Susie said, though her grin gave her away, as well.
There had been a plot afoot, no question about it, one of those O’Brien conspiracies she’d heard so much about. Apparently Moira had seen this day coming and conspired with Susie to make this happen. She wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Moira’d had a hand in choosing paint colors, since they suited her so perfectly.
If she hadn’t fallen in love with the cottage at first glance, Kiera might have walked away from the deal, from the whole sneaky lot of them, in fact. One glance into Bryan’s challenging gaze had her changing her mind, though. She would not be chased off by his dark scowl or by the exchange of knowing glances between her daughter and Susie. No matter their roles in planning this, the mere thought of making Bryan’s life uncomfortable provided the possibility of more entertainment than she’d had in years. If there were other reasons for planting herself quite visibly in his path, well, it was probably best if she didn’t think too long or hard about those.
*
Bryan drove down the winding narrow road that was Lilac Lane, still stewing over the discovery that his new neighbor was to be Kiera Malone. She’d moved in the day before. He’d watched her taking a few suitcases into the house and fought the temptation to offer help. He knew her well enough to realize she would have taken it as an insult. She took her desire for independence to amazing heights, and any offer of help from him would have been regarded with special disdain.
This morning, as he rounded a curve, the very woman plaguing his thoughts appeared from nowhere in the early-morning haze. Muttering a curse, he hit the brakes.
“Do you have a death wish?” he inquired, his heart still racing from the close call. “Only an idiot would walk down the middle of the road on a day when the visibility is next to zero.”
“It’s not exactly a road, now, is it? It’s a private lane. You’re the only person living on it with a car.”
“So you thought you’d test your luck with me? After all the encounters we’ve had at the pub, didn’t it occur to you that I could be the most dangerous driver of all, at least where you’re concerned?”
She shrugged. “My Moira believes you’re a gentleman. And Luke sings your praises. While my own opinion is less enthusiastic, I can’t imagine you’re any more dangerous behind the wheel than you are in the kitchen.”