Lilac Lane (Chesapeake Shores #14)(53)

“What was that?” Bryan asked, trying not to laugh.

She tilted her head up and met his gaze, her expression still defiant. “I said you’re stubborn.”

Unable to resist, he bent down and touched his lips to hers. “Right back at you. Good night, Kiera.”

Despite a day filled with unexpected revelations and uncomfortable questions, he felt surprisingly lighthearted. He tried assuring himself that it had nothing to do with that impulsive kiss that could barely be described as such, but he had a feeling he’d only be lying to himself. A quickly stolen kiss between a man and woman their age didn’t amount to much, but he couldn’t help thinking that between them, it was a beginning.

*

The audacity of the man, Kiera thought indignantly, even as her fingers touched her lips, which still seemed to burn from that faint, but unmistakable kiss. What had he been thinking? She’d done nothing to invite such a liberty. She hadn’t even wanted him to walk her home, much less kiss her outside her door like a schoolgirl on a first date. Had she sent some signal without meaning to that the kiss would be welcomed?

Maybe American men were different. Maybe a quick peck was no more than a courtesy at the end of an evening. Hadn’t she seen many a casual acquaintance exchange a kiss on the cheek at the pub since she’d arrived? And this was no more than that. Maybe he’d even landed on her lips by accident.

“You’re being a silly old fool,” she chided herself aloud. “It meant nothing, no more than a handshake.”

Then why had her blood seemed to heat and her pulse started to race? “Because you’re a silly old fool,” she said again, hoping the message would sink in.

Tomorrow it would all be forgotten.

Unfortunately, that meant she still had to get through what turned out to be an unexpectedly restless night. After tossing and turning and remembering and precious little actual sleep, she got out of bed early and decided to leave the house quickly before she was likely to cross paths with Bryan. She needed to clear her head, shake off this odd, unfamiliar restlessness.

Even as she slipped away, feeling like some sort of thief stealing through the dawn, she was making up excuses for her behavior. She reasoned that she needed to see her father and Nell, anyway, and one of Nell’s scones and a cup of bracing tea would be welcome. That those were likely to be accompanied by a few probing questions still seemed more alluring than another disconcerting encounter with her neighbor.

*

“My goodness, we haven’t seen this much company this early in the morning in quite some time,” Nell said when she opened the door to Kiera. “Come in. The sky looks as if it might open up with an early-morning shower any minute now.”

Kiera hesitated. “You already have company? I had no idea. I didn’t see a car. I can come back later.”

“Nonsense. Dillon and I love starting our day with some good company and lively conversation. And I’ve just taken a fresh batch of my orange-cranberry scones from the oven. You’ll have one while it’s still warm.”

Since Nell was already heading toward the kitchen, Kiera was left with no choice but to follow. Before she’d even reached the doorway, though, she heard two male voices, one with the distinct Irish lilt of her father, the other with what she’d come to recognize as the lingering hint of New York. Bryan! The very man she’d been trying to avoid. Her step faltered.

“Kiera?” her father called out. “Come in and join us. What brings you by?”

Her glance landed on Bryan long enough to note the running clothes that suited him so well and to see the spark of amusement twinkling in his eyes. He knew she’d been avoiding him. Of course he did, because he was arrogant enough to think she spent more time thinking about him than she did.

She scrambled for an excuse that had nothing whatsoever to do with Bryan. “Nell’s been searching for a project for me. I’m here to see what she’s found.”

Nell nodded as if it made perfect sense. “And your timing couldn’t be better. I have a committee meeting coming up tomorrow that I’d very much like you to attend. It’s for the Chesapeake Shores fall festival.”

Kiera was unfamiliar with all of America’s special holidays. “Is this an American holiday, then, like your upcoming Fourth of July celebration?”

“Actually it began years ago as a way to extend the summer tourist season into the fall months,” Nell explained. “It’s sponsored by my church, but the whole community gets involved. It had gotten a little stuffy with the same old activities year after year, but I added some fresh voices to the committee last year, and the new additions they came up with were a rousing success. I think you’d bring in even more exciting ideas.”

Before Kiera could answer, Nell turned to Bryan. “What about you? It’s time you got more involved in the community, as well. This will be the perfect way to meet some new people and share your ideas.”

Bryan looked about as enthused as if Nell had invited him to join the circus. “I work in the pub. I know plenty of people.”

“You hide out in the kitchen the majority of the time,” Nell responded.

“Would you have me cooking on a hot plate behind the bar?”

Dillon choked back a laugh and even Kiera had to fight a smile, but Nell merely leveled a stern look at Bryan. “I’ll expect to see you tomorrow.”