Desiring the Reilly Brothers. Maureen Child

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СКАЧАТЬ right in there,” the woman said, reaching for the leashes. She spared a sniff as she added, “I’ll take your dogs to the backyard while you talk to Father.”

      Before Tina could agree or not, the woman had Muffin and Peaches in hand and headed down a long, narrow hallway toward the back of the house. Shrugging, Tina crossed the hall to the door indicated, knocked and pushed it open.

      Liam was sitting in an overstuffed chair, his feet up on a magazine-littered coffee table. He dropped the book he was reading, grinned and jumped to his feet when he saw her. “Tina!”

      He crossed the room in a few long strides and enveloped her in a fierce, tight hug. Tina held on for a long minute, grateful for the warm welcome. Brian had certainly made it a point to let her know she wasn’t wanted. Getting this kind of reaction from Liam soothed her bruised feelings.

      When he grabbed her shoulders and held her back for a long look, he grinned. “You look terrific. And it’s so good to see you.”

      “Thanks, Liam. Good to see you, too.”

      “Come in, sit down.”

      “Sure you’re not busy?” She glanced around, but all she saw were the magazines and the open book, now lying on the carpet.

      “Nope. Just reading a murder mystery, but it can wait.” He took a seat beside her on the couch. “When did you get in? How long are you here for?”

      “A few days ago and three weeks,” she said, smiling. Priest or not, Liam Reilly was the kind of man women noticed. His black hair, longer than his brothers’ military cuts, was thick and wavy and his deep blue eyes were framed by long, black lashes. Tall and lean, he walked with an easy grace and his mouth was usually curved in a grin designed to win female hearts. There’d been a lot of disappointed women in Baywater when Liam entered the priesthood.

      He looked at her carefully, tipped his head to one side and asked, “What’s wrong?”

      She laughed shortly. “You must be psychic as well as a priest.”

      “Nope,” he assured her with a grin. “Just incredibly handsome and charming.” Then he added, “But I know my people and my instincts are telling me there’s something bothering you.”

      “Score one for Father Liam.”

      “Good. Now why don’t you tell me what it is.”

      Where to start? It had seemed like a good idea at the time, coming here, to talk to Liam. But priest or not, he was also Brian’s brother. Would he really side with Tina against his family? Or would he just clam up and keep whatever secrets Brian was hiding?

      “You’re thinking,” Liam said softly. “I can practically see the wheels turning behind your eyes.”

      “I’m just wondering if maybe I shouldn’t have come.”

      “Of course you should come to see me.” He reached out and took one of her hands with both of his. “Especially if there’s something bothering you.”

      A knock at the door sounded and the older woman poked her head into the room. “Would your guest like some tea, Father?”

      Covertly, Liam shook his head at Tina, but she ignored him. It had been a long walk. “That would be great, thank you.”

      When the woman was gone again, Liam sighed. “Mrs. Hannigan makes the world’s worst tea, poor woman.”

      “Sorry.”

      “Doesn’t matter,” he said on a sigh. “I’m almost used to it now anyway. But it may kill you.”

      “I’m tough,” Tina assured him.

      “Not tough enough to hide whatever’s bothering you. So spill it.”

      She did. Right or wrong, she’d made the choice to come to Liam, so she would see it through. She started at the beginning and hit only the high points. How she’d decided to become a mother and how the only man she wanted to father her child was Brian and how she was now starting to worry about it all because Brian was so determined to stay away from her and “…so,” she said, winding the story up, “Brian had Connor try to get rid of me, and then refused to tell me why he wants me out of town so badly. I know something’s up, I just don’t know what.”

      Liam laughed.

      Throughout her story, he’d watched her eyes and she’d noticed first, understanding, and then the amused sparkle in his concerned blue gaze. But outright laughter seemed a little harsh.

      “Hello?” she said, reaching out to slug his upper arm. “I came here for comfort, you know. And some answers.”

      “I know, I know,” Liam said, still laughing as he rubbed his arm and then stood up to greet Mrs. Hannigan as she reentered the study. He took the tray from her and set it down on the coffee table. Once the woman was gone again, Liam poured a murky brown liquid into one of the tall glasses filled with ice. Giving it a wary look, he passed it to Tina. “Drink that, if you’re feeling brave, and I’ll explain.”

      She did and at the first sip, she shuddered and felt a caffeine reaction punch through her like a bunched fist. The woman must have brewed the tea for days. It was almost thick enough to chew.

      “I did warn you,” Liam said, obviously watching her reaction.

      “Right.” She set the glass onto the tray, then turned to face her ex-brother-in-law again. “Start talking, Liam.”

      He did. And when he was finished, she just stared at him for a long minute.

      “You bet your brothers that they couldn’t abstain from sex for three months.”

      “Yep.” He grinned again and leaned back into the faded floral couch.

      “You’re a priest.”

      He held up one finger. “I’m also a Reilly. And I know my brothers. They’ll never make it.”

      “And you’re enjoying this.”

      “Oh, yeah,” he said with relish and rubbed his palms together. “And,” he said, “with you back in town, the odds just went even higher in my favor.”

      “How do you figure?”

      Liam smirked at her. “Please. You and Brian are meant to be together.”

      “We’re divorced, remember?” Tina cringed inwardly at the word. She still didn’t like it. Still hadn’t accepted it, even five years after the event.

      She’d dated over the past five years, but Brian had always been there. In her heart. In her mind. He was the shadow she couldn’t quite lose. The memory she couldn’t quite forget. He was the love of her life. Or, at least, he had been.

      Liam waved one hand at her, waving away her objections. “I blessed your marriage,” he said. “And the marriages I bless don’t dissolve.”

      “Nice in theory,” she said.

      He СКАЧАТЬ