hurried toward him, her heart swelling with hope as she neared. But before she could reach him, he turned and stepped into one of the other shops lining the strip mall. She followed him into the crowded store, looking up and down the aisles, but somehow she’d missed him, and now he was gone.
Chapter Eight
I T was nearly dusk when Sean finally saw Danni come into the park. She’d changed her work clothes for soft gray velour pants and a matching jacket that looked both comfortable and warm, though it didn’t feel the least bit chilly to him this evening. She is going to freeze to death in Ireland , he thought.
He remained sitting on the park bench as she and the crazy dog came toward him, just watching her walk. The clingy fabric molded to her slim frame and accented her shapely curves. For the hundredth time that day, he wanted to touch her.
She looked tense, and he couldn’t help the triumphant feeling that filled him. He’d spent the rest of the day frustrated and uptight. He couldn’t have stood it if she’d been strolling happily along with her little mutt on its leash and not a care in the world.
She was a good twenty feet away before she noticed him. She slowed, and the tension became wariness. But not surprise, he noted. Once again, she’d been expecting him.
When he stood, the little dog charged him, growling and snarling, too fierce a beast for the compact little body. He’d hoped the dog would grow used to him, but at this rate he’d be an old man first.
Danni held Bean’s leash tight, stopping her before she could sink her teeth into Sean’s ankle. “Bean, be nice,” she scolded. The dog strained at the end of the leash, ignoring her command.
To Sean she said, “What do you want?”
There was nothing suggestive in the flat tone of the question, but still it filled him with a host of very graphic images portraying exactly what he wanted. As if she’d read his mind, she blushed and looked away.
“I’m sorry about how I behaved earlier,” he said, contradicting his own wild imagination. “I wanted to apologize.”
She looked at him for a moment, and he was glad he could look back without fear of her seeing what was on his mind. He was sorry, but only because it had ended before he was ready.
“Don’t worry about it,” she mumbled.
The soft gray of her jacket brought out the flecks in her eyes and made them even more striking, more mysterious. He stared deeply into them.
“Are you here alone, Sean?” she asked suddenly.
Confused, he glanced over his shoulder, wondering what she meant. “I came here alone,” he said.
“You didn’t come with my father?”
He almost laughed at that but managed to control the urge. “No, I didn’t. Why are you asking?”
“I saw him today. When I went to the store.”
“Your father?” he repeated, unable to hide his shock. “Are you certain?”
“Yes. No. He looked just like him. Could have been his twin. His clone.”
Sean shook his head, a sinking feeling hitting him hard and low. This was not good. He didn’t even know why, but it was not good. “He can’t be here.”
“And why is that?”
He didn’t have an answer, but he was almost certain she couldn’t have seen Cathán MacGrath. He didn’t know about Danni, Sean was sure of it.
“I don’t know who you saw, Danni, but I’d swear it wasn’t your father. He’s a busy man and he rarely leaves Ballyfionúir these days.”
She let out a deep breath. “And the man I saw, saw me back. If it was my dad, he would have spoken to me, not just walked away.”
He nodded in confirmation. But he was bothered by the idea of Cathán being here.
Without another word, she started back the way she’d come, and he walked with her, thinking her silence felt like a void he couldn’t seem to fill. He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her, but he didn’t trust himself to stop there. He doubted she’d trust him to either.
“Who is the white ghost?” Danni asked softly.
Chapter Eight
I T was nearly dusk when Sean finally saw Danni come into the park. She’d changed her work clothes for soft gray velour pants and a matching jacket that looked both comfortable and warm, though it didn’t feel the least bit chilly to him this evening. She is going to freeze to death in Ireland , he thought.
He remained sitting on the park bench as she and the crazy dog came toward him, just watching her walk. The clingy fabric molded to her slim frame and accented her shapely curves. For the hundredth time that day, he wanted to touch her.
She looked tense, and he couldn’t help the triumphant feeling that filled him. He’d spent the rest of the day frustrated and uptight. He couldn’t have stood it if she’d been strolling happily along with her little mutt on its leash and not a care in the world.
She was a good twenty feet away before she noticed him. She slowed, and the tension became wariness. But not surprise, he noted. Once again, she’d been expecting him.
When he stood, the little dog charged him, growling and snarling, too fierce a beast for the compact little body. He’d hoped the dog would grow used to him, but at this rate he’d be an old man first.
Danni held Bean’s leash tight, stopping her before she could sink her teeth into Sean’s ankle. “Bean, be nice,” she scolded. The dog strained at the end of the leash, ignoring her command.
To Sean she said, “What do you want?”
There was nothing suggestive in the flat tone of the question, but still it filled him with a host of very graphic images portraying exactly what he wanted. As if she’d read his mind, she blushed and looked away.
“I’m sorry about how I behaved earlier,” he said, contradicting his own wild imagination. “I wanted to apologize.”
She looked at him for a moment, and he was glad he could look back without fear of her seeing what was on his mind. He was sorry, but only because it had ended before he was ready.
“Don’t worry about it,” she mumbled.
The soft gray of her jacket brought out the flecks in her eyes and made them even more striking, more mysterious. He stared deeply into them.
“Are you here alone, Sean?” she asked suddenly.
Confused, he glanced over his shoulder, wondering what she meant. “I came here alone,” he said.
“You didn’t come with my father?”
He almost laughed at that but managed to control the urge. “No, I didn’t. Why are you asking?”
“I saw him today. When I went to the store.”
“Your father?” he repeated, unable to hide his shock. “Are you certain?”
“Yes. No. He looked just like him. Could have been his twin. His clone.”
Sean shook his head, a sinking feeling hitting him hard and low. This was not good. He didn’t even know why, but it was not good. “He can’t be here.”
“And why is that?”
He didn’t have an answer, but he was almost certain she couldn’t have seen Cathán MacGrath. He didn’t know about Danni, Sean was sure of it.
“I don’t know who you saw, Danni, but I’d swear it wasn’t your father. He’s a busy man and he rarely leaves Ballyfionúir these days.”
She let out a deep breath. “And the man I saw, saw me back. If it was my dad, he would have spoken to me, not just walked away.”
He nodded in confirmation. But he was bothered by the idea of Cathán being here.
Without another word, she started back the way she’d come, and he walked with her, thinking her silence felt like a void he couldn’t seem to fill. He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her, but he didn’t trust himself to stop there. He doubted she’d trust him to either.
“Who is the white ghost?” Danni asked softly.