Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(70)

The honesty of his words pierced her. She didn’t want him to long for Rosemarie and the life he could have had with her. She didn’t want him to think about anyone else.

She wanted him to love her.

The truth spun through her aching heart. For the first time in her life, she’d met a man she desired, a man whose love she craved.

Was it possible she was falling in love with him?

“Did you love her?”

With the tip of his boot, he dug into the plush rug that ran the length of the hallway. “Dad had arranged my marriage to her. And as the daughter of one of his wealthy friends, it was a good match for both our families.”

“Then you didn’t really love her?” She held her breath. From the guest room, she could faintly hear Daisy’s agonized retching again.

“I’ve known her all my life and always thought she was a sweet girl. When my dad told me of the plans, I was more than willing to do what was best for me and our family. Especially with Rosemarie. She was easy to love.”

Lily pushed away from the wall and stepped toward him. Her body was tense with the need to know how he felt about Rosemarie, about her, about everything. “Do you still love her, Connell?”

She looked deep into his eyes, unwilling to let him hide from her. Her heart demanded the truth.

“Maybe I was in love with the idea of being married, of having a family, of settling down. And if we’d gotten married, I would have done my best to devote my life to her and to love her.”

The ache in her heart swelled. He was such a good man. He would have made Rosemarie a very fine husband. Had the woman guessed how much she’d lost when she’d given up Connell for Tierney?

“But how do you feel about her now?”

Connell finally grinned. “You’re sure nosy tonight.”

“Just tell me. Do you love her or not?”

“Do I detect jealousy?” His grin inched higher.

She was terribly jealous. It was pouring through every vein in her body, tightening every muscle, making her want to pound her fists into his chest and demand his answer. “I just want to know whether she stole all of your love. Or if you still have some left that eventually you might be able to give to another woman.”

“Rosemarie doesn’t have my love—not anymore.” The green of his eyes lightened to the shade of meadow grass. “I think whatever she stole has finally been recovered.”

The warmth in his eyes spread through Lily, and she allowed herself to breathe again.

His smile seemed made just for her. “In fact,” he said, his voice turning to a whisper, “I’m beginning to wonder if maybe someone else is stealing my affection.”

Hope unfurled in her middle like a wild flower.

She smiled in return and reveled in the beauty of his words. And she ignored the doubts that buzzed in and out among the flowers—the nagging thoughts that told her no matter how much he cared for her, their differences were too great and love could never fully blossom between them.

For now, she wanted to believe anything was possible.





Chapter

21



Connell was trapped. With Dad at one end of the dining-room table and Tierney at the other, he couldn’t escape.

Dad took a puff of his cigar and blew out a thick cloud of spicy smoke. It swirled in a haze around the angry lines grooved through his forehead. “Ye better start thinking with yer head instead of yer pants.”

“I have been using my head,” Connell retorted, hating that he felt like a twelve-year-old boy instead of a twenty-six-year-old man.

Tierney took a slurp of coffee. His eyes were bloodshot, his shirt wrinkled, his cravat askew—as if he’d spent the night at the tavern instead of home in bed with his wife.

The ticking of the silver clock on the mantel echoed through Connell’s mind. He’d been sitting listening to Dad and Tierney cuss him out for the past fifty-two minutes for stealing one of Carr’s prostitutes and bringing her to their home. Not only did Connell want to avoid arguing with them, he needed to get back to Harrison.

In the early hours of dawn, he’d meant to sneak down to say good-bye to Mam. But somehow in the process, she’d convinced him to have a cup of coffee and fresh buttermilk pancakes and bacon and bread with jam. And then of course, he’d wanted to tell her about Lily and all that had happened so she would believe his innocence. The last thing he wanted to earn was her disappointment.

Then Dad had joined them, almost as if he’d anticipated Connell’s early morning escape. Not long after, Tierney had shown up.

Of course Dad had nodded for Mam to leave the room, taking away any hope of support.

Dad dug into the pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a crisp stack of hundred dollar bills and slid it across the polished table toward Connell. “Deliver this to Carr and tell him I’m compensating him for his losses.”

Connell’s gut twisted. Part of him wanted to take the money and pay Carr for peace. But another part of him wanted to stand up to him once and for all. Why did they have to bow to a man like Carr?

“Tell him ye won’t interfere again.” Dad sat back in his chair and took another puff of his cigar.

“Can’t we get along without having to grovel at Carr’s feet?”

“Are ye daft?” Dad shoved away from the table and rose to his feet. With his broad shoulders and thick arms, he was an intimidating man—just like he’d always been. It didn’t matter that his once dark hair was now completely gray. He was still as strong as a team of oxen. “We rely on men like Carr. They feed our camps. The saloons and illicit houses are a necessity.”