Page 80 of Up In Smoke

“I'm a mess,” she told Luke. “I can't tell anyone about her. We have to get her birth certificate and social security number. She has to file for divorce. I don't know if her husband is on the way here to find her.” Her hands were out of her pockets now, gesturing wildly in front of her as Luke grabbed them to steady her.

But his expression had changed. His eyes had softened.

“If you can keep a secret, I'd love to have you come back. Move in with me—well, right now with me and Lily.” She watched as he smiled.

“I love you.”

The sound of those three words spoken with conviction bloomed inside of her, heat against the cold of the day, strength against everything to come.

“Good, because I fell in love with you some time ago.”

They sat on the bench and, despite everything that was still wrong, everything she still needed, she felt hope.

She’d have to explain more about Lily and her family. They needed to have hard discussions about Carlos and everything he'd done. But she could do that if Luke was with her. She had everything she needed.

Luke's hands moved from hers up to where they gently cupped her face. Though the cold and the snow swirled around them, Luke kissed her.

And Ivy felt Life Number Four begin.

Chapter Sixty-One

“I’m heading home,” Ronan pulled out his money and tossed it onto the table for Tierney.

“You sober enough?” Luke looked up from where he sat, his arm draped around Ivy’s shoulders.

The two of them seemed much more relaxed without an arsonist out for their blood. Hell, the whole town was sleeping better now. He grinned, stood up straight and tipped his head. “I’m good.”

He was Irish. He hated to embrace a stereotype but a man named Ronan Kelly had to be able to hold his liquor, didn’t he? And he didn’t need to get a DUI.

It had taken another several minutes to say goodnight to everyone.

“Night, Ronan,” Tierney called from behind him.

He turned to say it back, but she’d already gone back to polishing the bar as though it offended her. What was up with her lately?

He should ask. She was Siorse’s sister after all and looking out for her was the right thing to do. But he didn’t have it in him right now. Everyone else got to sleep in the next morning, but he had errands to run bright and early.

His dad wanted him to check on the house and fix a few things before he and Ma got back from their cruise in a few more days. Though if that was just because his Pop was trying to keep him busy with the anniversary coming up, Ronan didn’t know. His pop did that every year, and every year it half worked and half didn’t. Every year Ronan wished he didn’t hold his liquor so well and that he could get rip roaring drunk.

But it was still several weeks away. Maybe his dad just actually needed something done around the house that he didn’t want to ask his Ma for. Ronan didn’t like to admit they were getting old, and neither did they.

Getting into the car, he started the engine as he once again pondered his dad’s future. There were always more firefighters than chiefs. Taggert had been promoted to the position long before Patrick Kelly had even passed his tests to apply. But Taggart was good in the job and he wasn’t going anywhere. His pop was still on the line a lot, and though the man was a damn good firefighter, Ronan was beginning to wonder how long he had before he tapped out … or before the boys had to force him to.

He aimed toward the newer section of town, in a small area slowly getting populated with suburb type neighborhoods. Ronan hadn’t been able to bring himself to move out after Siorse and Paddy … after them. And tonight, heading home felt bittersweet for some reason.

He pulled up under the damn light.

He must have seen it coming and that was the reason for the sudden hit of nostalgia. But he hated this intersection. The wistful thinking turned into too-rapid breathing and the wholly unnecessary flood of adrenaline at nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The last thing he needed was a damn panic attack.

Redemption was too small to have much traffic and that meant he was sitting at the first spot under the light. That was the place that still got to him.

He’d grown beyond avoiding this spot. He was able to pass under a green light without hyperventilating or sit and wait calmly if he was a few cars back. He didn’t even think of her then. But when he was first—especially when he saw another car coming up behind him—the old feeling hit again.

Anger, resignation, and despair swamped him.

But Ronan told himself that it was just memory, not prophecy. What had happened to Siorse and Paddy wouldn’t happen to him. Some days he told himself it should and then he could join them.

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