Page 5 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
“You’re doing it,” he said, his mouth tipping up on the right as their hands continued to touch. “Every time you take a step forward for yourself. It’s like watching a newborn foal take its first steps and then race across the fields with wild abandon.”
She was rather like a newborn colt, she supposed. A little unsure of herself but eager to explore her new freedom. She squeezed his hand again. Noted the clay staining his skin and rose to grab a rag. “Let me get that for you.”
She started rubbing the clay off his hand the same way she would Ollie’s face after ice cream—until she became aware of Kade’s stillness. He was always a contemplative man, but this kind of stillness was different somehow. Her gaze flew to his, and the banked heat she saw had her inhaling sharply, the sound audible in the studio.
Couldhebe attracted toher? No, it wasn’t possible. He was too wonderful. Too handsome. She was Megan, plain and dull.
“Maybe you should finish up,” she said, clearing her throat and laying the cloth on his hand. “I acted without thinking.”
“I liked it,” he said softly.
Her gaze flew to his again, and this time there was no room for doubt. Sheknewthat look. Sure, she hadn’t seen it in a very long time, but she knew it all the same.
Kade smiled ruefully. “It had to come out sometime, Megan. I’d like to trust this was the right moment, but there’s no reason for you to feel worried or rushed. I feel as I do about you. You know that now. It doesn’t change our friendship. Think on howyoufeel. We’ll talk when you’re ready.”
Warmth and a little giddiness washed over her as he stood and walked around until he was in front of her wheel. Hedidlike her!
“It really is the most beautiful bowl in the world, Megan,” he said, studying it. “Do you still want to work at the farm today, or do you need some time to yourself?”
“No,” she said softly, her heart beating hard in her chest. “There’s a child coming, and I promised you I’d help.”
He nodded. “Then I’ll see you soon.”
When he left, she sank onto her stool. Kade liked her. That made her feel special and priceless but also small becausehowcould he like her? She was…
The bowl caught her eye, and she put a hand to her chest. She didn’t want to act like this anymore—to feel lucky for being admired, to feel worthwhile only because she’d caught a man’s attention. No, she wanted to be like her new creation. Beautiful because she was herself.
Tension squeezed her ribs. This was too much, too soon. Wasn’t it? Tyson hadn’t even been dead a year. Even if their marriage hadn’t been great before he’d died, didn’t she need to wait a little longer to go out with another man?
Except this wasn’t justanother man. This was Kade.
He was the kind of man scientists should clone. The world would be a whole lot better if they had a bunch of Kade Donovans walking around.
Kade had helped her center her clay—and herself.
What had Tyson done? Rocked her center and left her alone, again and again.
Anger reared up, the hot, searing variety that made her head spin. She’d made Tyson the center of her life—the center—but he hadn’t taken care of her or Ollie the way he’d promised.
He’d left her like an uncentered lump of clay. She fisted her hands together again, feeling the urge to hurl something across the room so she could hear it shatter. Because that was how she still felt inside sometimes.Shattered.
She took deep breaths until she’d calmed, pausing to wipe the sweat at her temples, and reminded herself that all she needed to focus on was centering her clay and teaching her class.
That was true, and yet she couldn’t forget that look in his eyes and her response to it.
She needed to orient herself to this new possibility between them. Deep down she knew it had the potential of being even more beautiful than the bowl she’d formed today.
If only she was brave enough to explore it.
