Lilac Lane (Chesapeake Shores #14)(36)

She brewed her first cup of tea for the day, wrapped herself in a luxuriously soft robe that Moira had given to her, and walked outside to to sit and watch the sun creep over the horizon, splashing the bay with the bold colors of a dazzling dawn. A workboat made its way slowly along, the chugging of its motor breaking the silence. She’d been told there weren’t as many watermen anymore, but the catch of rockfish and hauls of Maryland blue crabs still kept some in the seafood business as their ancestors had been before them.

She glanced up just as Bryan came around the side of the main house, dressed in running clothes that showed off a body that was still toned and fit. It was a display she’d been better off not seeing, given the nerves he stirred in her as it was. Even so, she couldn’t seem to drag her gaze away.

Something must have given her presence away, because he looked in her direction. She held her breath, awaiting a sarcastic comment.

“You’re up early,” he said, his tone surprisingly pleasant. “Especially for your day off.”

“It was the birds. They seem to have a lot to be cheerful about this morning.”

“You could close your windows.”

“And miss this beautiful morning breeze? An early wake-up call is a small price to pay for this.”

He nodded in agreement. “I like to get my run in early, so I can be back in time for this,” he said.

“Would you like to join me?”

He regarded her cup with skepticism. “Is that more of your chamomile tea?”

“No, it’s Irish Breakfast Tea,” she said with a smile. “But I have one of those fancy, single-serving coffee machines. I could brew a cup for you in no time.”

“Let me do it,” he said. “That is, if you don’t mind my invading your space. I wouldn’t want you to miss a minute of the sunrise.”

She started to argue on principle, but didn’t see the point to it. “If you don’t mind, then. The kitchen’s not exactly hard to find. There are cups and a ridiculously huge variety of coffee pods right by the coffee maker.”

She watched him go inside, puzzling over his amenable mood, then shrugged. It was something to be grateful for, so best not to examine it too closely.

When he returned, he took the seat next to hers on the lawn.

She gave him a quick sideways glance, trying not to linger too long on those impressive muscles. “Do you run every morning?”

He nodded. “Almost daily. It clears my head.” He gave her a wry look. “And before you comment, some days it does a better job than others. What about you? What do you enjoy doing for exercise?”

“I’ve never seen the need to be in such a rush, so running holds no appeal. I walk, something I need to get back to doing more before I lose the habit. Riding to work with you has changed the routine I rely on to keep me fit.”

“I haven’t noticed that it’s changed the way you look,” he said, then immediately looked as if he regretted his words.

“Was that a rare compliment I heard in there?” she teased.

“I suppose it was. Was I out of line?”

“There’s not a woman on this earth who doesn’t want to hear a bit of flattery from a man on occasion. The surprise is that you know how to do it.”

“To be honest, I’d almost forgotten how,” he conceded.

Kiera studied his face, then dared to ask, “Who was she, Bryan?”

He looked confused. “Who was who?”

“The woman who broke your heart. Or is that too personal a question for me to be asking?”

“I doubt I could stop you asking anything that’s on your mind, Kiera,” he said ruefully. “But it’s not something I care to talk about.”

“Perhaps it’s time you did,” she countered. “If not with me, with someone. Wounds that deep are dangerous if they’re allowed to fester. I know that as well as anyone.”

“You had your heart broken? Was it by the man who died?”

“I saw Peter’s death as an abandonment, to be sure,” she said. “But it was Moira’s father who broke my heart a very long time ago. I allowed it to change my life in ways I never should have. I lived half of a life for far too long and allowed my pain and bitterness to affect my children. And, so you know, I’ve only recently discovered the difference between the half of a life I led and a full one. It’s easy to mistake contentment for living. I’d hate to see you waste as much time as I did.”

Bryan stood then, and the rare companionable moment was lost, quite likely thanks to her pushing her opinions on him again.

“Thanks for the coffee, Kiera.”

“And the unwanted advice?” she asked. “I’m sorry for overstepping yet again.”

“I’ve heard that’s what friends do,” he said, though he didn’t look terribly happy about it.

“And are we friends now?” she asked, surprised.

“It looks as if we’re heading in that direction. We’ve shared a sunrise together.”

She chuckled. “You sound as if that’s only slightly more acceptable than the chamomile tea I forced on you.”

He laughed then. “It’s several steps above that,” he said. “I can see a time when I might come to appreciate the friendship, while that tea will never grow on me.”