Page 80 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
Chapter Twenty
Kade thought a puppy could change just about any situation, and he was happy to see Pip work his magic on Megan and Ollie, who took to carrying the puppy around everywhere after school. The little boy was more excited about the puppy he’d named, truthfully, than the news that Angie and Carrick were expecting, but that was to be expected. The puppy was a tangible thing, whereas the baby would not arrive for many months.
Kade trained Pip to nestle against Megan’s feet as she threw pot after pot to replace those that had been destroyed. He and Carrick built shelves against the wall of the tack room so she could dry her pots there while the arts center dried out. Being Ireland, it took over a week, especially when the rain came in for three straight days.
Long term, he thought it might be nice to have her work around him at the farm. Carrick, he knew, watched Angie paint while he did his work in the fields or the shed. Perhaps he could install a small studio at their new house when the time came.
His additional delight came from the continued improvement of his relationship with his father. Having listened to Kade about Sutter’s Mill, Killian had asked his opinion about Red Zephyr being a good horse for breeding. When Kade responded in the affirmative, his father called the stallion’s owner and made an offer, which was accepted. It had felt like another stepping stone in their relationship.
Seeing his father standing beside the pasture where Legend and Sutter’s Mill were penned was one of Kade’s favorite moments of the day. Kade would walk out with him. Sometimes the sun would be shining on the horses, making their coats bright, and at others, the mist would come, darkening their color. Either way, the pair was beautiful to behold, and they clearly liked each other from the way they carried on, prancing and nuzzling each other. Still, Legend boarded with his lot in the shed, and his father always took the stallion back to stay with the other thoroughbreds, which now included Red Zephyr.
Sutter’s Mill wasn’t the only one Legend had warmed to—she’d taken to nuzzling both Duke and the new puppy, which warmed his heart. The mare had found a home with them as surely as Megan had.
His clients enjoyed watching Megan throw pottery when they arrived for their pony rides. Some kids were mesmerized by the rotation of the wheel while others peppered her with questions, which she gladly answered.
She was thriving again, and while he knew the loss of her pottery weighed on her, she fought through it. Her bravery inspired him, and when he told her so one night after they’d put Ollie to bed, she’d teared up and wrapped her arms around him before kissing him softly and telling him how much she loved him.
They found times to be together and deepen their intimacy, and the passionate woman he’d known was hiding in the shadows continued to emerge, piece by piece. Together, they both climbed to new heights of pleasure and love, and he had to remind himself to be patient for the right time to ask her to marry him. The other moments he’d hoped for had appeared. This one would as well.
When the arts center reopened, he was excited to return to pottery class, so much so that he brought home some of his own clay and threw a new coffee mug while the sun was coming up. His horses and Duke gave him strange looks in the beginning. It was Megan’s spot, after all, but they soon settled back into their rhythm, the ponies grazing on hay and Duke chasing swallows from the shed.
They took Ollie trick-or-treating to their neighbors’ houses as a waning crescent moon rose in the night sky. The little boy had delighted everyone by dressing up like a sheep farmer, looking like a miniature of Carrick in work clothes and wellies. After Ollie’s bag was full of candy, Kade helped Carrick light a bonfire behind the cottage while Angie and Megan brought out cups of warm apple cider flavored with cinnamon and clove. Ollie chased Pip, whose bark sounded more like a squeak.
When he finally sat down in one of the chairs he and his friend had brought out for the occasion, Kade was surprised—and pleased—by Megan settling onto his knee instead of the nearby chair.
“I like this,” she said, snuggling into his side as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
He wondered whether she was contrasting it to past Halloweens, when Tyson hadn’t been home. Her face had gone blank with shock when Kade had mentioned wanting to take Ollie from house to house, but she’d shaken it off and rewarded him with a radiant smile. Although she wasn’t dwelling in the past, sometimes the differences between past and present were such that she couldn’t help taking notice. She’d said as much the other afternoon. And she’d also confessed that she’d never initiated lovemaking with any of her previous partners. He’d only smiled and told her she could initiate anything, anytime, which had made her eyes sparkle. All her blushes were gone, and he was glad for it.
When two people loved each other, there was no room for barriers in the bedroom.
“I like this too,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I never much cared for Halloween myself before tonight. I never believed in the reason for it.”
Her brow knit in the firelight. “What do you mean?”
Sorcha appeared by the fire and pointed to herself, prompting an eye roll. Angie and Carrick didn’t see her, since her time helping them was over, but his heart warmed as he beheld her radiant smile.
“It started because people dressed up like ghosts or witches around the Harvest moon so the spirits wouldn’t recognize them as mortals. But I always knew spirits could recognize a person no matter what they wore.”I could wear a clown wig and paint my face white, and you would still know me, Sorcha.
She laughed. “The person who invented Halloween in Ireland didn’t know anything about the supernatural.” Then she waved at him and disappeared.
Megan took a sip of cider. “I’m glad I didn’t know that was the real reason. It’s a little creepy.”
He leaned into her ear and whispered, “Do you think it’s creepy that Sorcha is helping us?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. I’m really grateful to her, in fact. Tell her so when you see her again.”
He only smiled. He imagined Sorcha had heard.
November blew in with a storm but also a piece of good news. Ryan called to say he was coming home from Dublin to meet Kade’s girl. When his dear friend arrived at the farm on a bicycle, Kade waited for him to dismount and take off his helmet, then wrapped him up in a tight hug.
“I still remember how to come here,” Ryan said. “My mum was a little worried. I need to text her to tell her I’m fine.”
“It’s so good to see you,” he said as his friend sent the message, scanning Ryan for any changes.
Ryan’s muscles were still strong, thanks to the push-ups and sit-ups Kade had suggested he do daily. If you didn’t study his face too carefully, you’d see a six-foot-three man with a healthy build. But his eyes were those of a young boy, a boy Kade remembered all too well, running with him and laughing as they chased crows away from the grain bins. Ryan couldn’t run after the accident, but he could bike. Fortunately, he had few other physical issues. Most of his problems had been with mental retention and emotional sensitivity, something Kade had done his best to help him with.
Ryan hugged him hard again. “I missed you. Kade, I can’t wait to meet Megan and her boy. If you don’t watch out, she might leave for Dublin with me. Especially after I make her my new cocktails.”
