heroes since childhood. It made pleasing them harder. More often than not, she ended up traveling multiple times before completion. She loved her job, but right now it was slow down or burn out.
“Hey, love. Sorry to keep you waiting. It was hell to find a parking space tonight.”
She turned toward Keir and smiled. “No worries. I was enjoying the view.”
“It’s quite a sight,” Keir agreed with a grin.
Her stomach flipped. She’d been spending a lot of time with Keir over the past few months. It was easy with him—he understood her humor, her language, and they had the love of art in common. He’d made it no secret he was interested in more. So far, she’d resisted, but Irish men were notorious for their charm, and Kier especially, had it in spades. She’d enjoyed it. But tonight felt different. Things were shifting between them, and they were on the cusp of what could be considered dating.
“How’s your new sculpture coming along?” she asked, hooking her arm into his as they slowly did a lap around the square.
“Good. Everything here is so new. I feel inspired, and part of the longing for home works toward creativity, too. I’ve got an Emerald Isle theme going.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” she said.
“How’s your new contract going?”
“It’s fun. I love doing indie comic books. They’re always so interesting, creative, and fresh. It’s not the storylines I’ve grown up with.”
“Have you ever thought of making your own?”
She smiled. “I have. Never had the right story, though.”
“You should start working on one. I’ve seen your work. You’re brilliant, Aibhlinn.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me,” she chided.
“Simply speaking the truth.”
“Uh huh,” she replied as they paused to examine handcrafted wooden toys.
“My nephew, Patrick, would love this,” Keir said, picking up a small wooden train car with brightly painted red wheels.
“You could put your own design on it. Give it a hometown touch and then send it,” she suggested.
“Oh, you’re brilliant, love.” Keir purchased the train car with a smile and a sparkle in his eyes. He loved his family with a fierceness she couldn’t help but find sexy. There were a lot of things to like about him, and that’s what scared her. If she let herself, she could fall for this man.
“Where to next? There are so many booths to choose from,” Keir said.
“Well, there are two we have to hit. The Strudel Ship and the hot chocolate booth. So which would you like first?”
“Lady’s choice,” he said.
She laughed. “Oh no, not this time. You’re the first timer. I defer to you, in this case, sir.”
“Well it’s nippy out, so I say hot chocolate.”
“Wise choice.” Grinning, she grabbed his hand, and quickly pulled him through the crowd toward the site where the hot chocolate stand was always set up. More than a simple cup of cocoa in a Styrofoam cup, this place had a build your own station. It offered numerous flavors, types of chocolate, marshmallows, and the pièce de résistance, whip cream.
“Oh, this is much more than a cup of hot cocoa,” Keir said.
She laughed at the awe in his voice. “Now you begin to understand, my young padawan,” she joked.
As they waited in line, she dreamt up her concoction. Ten minutes later, her peppermint monstrosity was piled high with whipped cream, pumped full of flavor, and finished with shaved bits of peppermint candies.
Keir’s colossal caramel creation was drizzled with caramel and tiny pieces of Heath bar. “Okay, new Cincinnati tradition.”
She laughed. “We haven’t even had strudel yet.”
“If it’s half as good as this, I’ll be running two extra miles tomorrow,” he said.
They paused in front of the ice skating rink and watched.
“Do you skate?” he asked.
“Not well. I’m about as graceful as a bull in a china shop.”
He snickered. “I used to in a pond by my house when it got cold enough.”
“Don’t try
“Hey, love. Sorry to keep you waiting. It was hell to find a parking space tonight.”
She turned toward Keir and smiled. “No worries. I was enjoying the view.”
“It’s quite a sight,” Keir agreed with a grin.
Her stomach flipped. She’d been spending a lot of time with Keir over the past few months. It was easy with him—he understood her humor, her language, and they had the love of art in common. He’d made it no secret he was interested in more. So far, she’d resisted, but Irish men were notorious for their charm, and Kier especially, had it in spades. She’d enjoyed it. But tonight felt different. Things were shifting between them, and they were on the cusp of what could be considered dating.
“How’s your new sculpture coming along?” she asked, hooking her arm into his as they slowly did a lap around the square.
“Good. Everything here is so new. I feel inspired, and part of the longing for home works toward creativity, too. I’ve got an Emerald Isle theme going.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” she said.
“How’s your new contract going?”
“It’s fun. I love doing indie comic books. They’re always so interesting, creative, and fresh. It’s not the storylines I’ve grown up with.”
“Have you ever thought of making your own?”
She smiled. “I have. Never had the right story, though.”
“You should start working on one. I’ve seen your work. You’re brilliant, Aibhlinn.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me,” she chided.
“Simply speaking the truth.”
“Uh huh,” she replied as they paused to examine handcrafted wooden toys.
“My nephew, Patrick, would love this,” Keir said, picking up a small wooden train car with brightly painted red wheels.
“You could put your own design on it. Give it a hometown touch and then send it,” she suggested.
“Oh, you’re brilliant, love.” Keir purchased the train car with a smile and a sparkle in his eyes. He loved his family with a fierceness she couldn’t help but find sexy. There were a lot of things to like about him, and that’s what scared her. If she let herself, she could fall for this man.
“Where to next? There are so many booths to choose from,” Keir said.
“Well, there are two we have to hit. The Strudel Ship and the hot chocolate booth. So which would you like first?”
“Lady’s choice,” he said.
She laughed. “Oh no, not this time. You’re the first timer. I defer to you, in this case, sir.”
“Well it’s nippy out, so I say hot chocolate.”
“Wise choice.” Grinning, she grabbed his hand, and quickly pulled him through the crowd toward the site where the hot chocolate stand was always set up. More than a simple cup of cocoa in a Styrofoam cup, this place had a build your own station. It offered numerous flavors, types of chocolate, marshmallows, and the pièce de résistance, whip cream.
“Oh, this is much more than a cup of hot cocoa,” Keir said.
She laughed at the awe in his voice. “Now you begin to understand, my young padawan,” she joked.
As they waited in line, she dreamt up her concoction. Ten minutes later, her peppermint monstrosity was piled high with whipped cream, pumped full of flavor, and finished with shaved bits of peppermint candies.
Keir’s colossal caramel creation was drizzled with caramel and tiny pieces of Heath bar. “Okay, new Cincinnati tradition.”
She laughed. “We haven’t even had strudel yet.”
“If it’s half as good as this, I’ll be running two extra miles tomorrow,” he said.
They paused in front of the ice skating rink and watched.
“Do you skate?” he asked.
“Not well. I’m about as graceful as a bull in a china shop.”
He snickered. “I used to in a pond by my house when it got cold enough.”
“Don’t try
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