Page 10 of The Irish Rogue

She paused, feeling an unanticipated rush of elation that their interlude wasn’t over. “How long are you in town?”

“A few days. Longer if I find something worth sticking around for. Shorter if there’s nothing to do.”

She tapped her chin with her finger, then her eyes lit up. “There are several ante-bellum homes that you could tour on Englewood Street. They are absolutely beautiful! I visit the houses at least once a year, drooling over the stained glass windows and the glorious details that were built into them. There’s a library in one of the homes that has floor to ceiling shelves that are absolutely filled with books! And the gardens in the old Foster home?” She sighed as if she’d gone to heaven. “The herb garden alone is awe inspiring! I like touching the herbs, smelling the scents as they drift up on the air and stick to my hands.”

“That sounds great. Are ye ready?”

He stood up and took her empty coffee cup, tossing it into the trash along with his own.

Kennedi blinked, startled by his question. “Ready? For what?”

“To tour the old homes. Ye’re coming wi’ me, right?”

Go with him? Spend several hours in this man’s company? “No! I couldn’t! I was just suggesting that you tour the homes.”

“But you’ve seen the homes before. Several times. If ye don’t take me on a tour, then I’ll miss somethin’ important.”

She stepped back, startled by his assertion. “Yes, the homes are lovely and–”

“Ye don’t want to see them again?”

She blinked, staring up at him with confusion. “Of course I do. But…I can’t go with you!”

His eyebrows went up in surprise. “Why not?”

“Because…well, because you’re…you!”

He glanced down at his clothes and Kennedi almost laughed at his confusion. “Is my outfit wrong? I’m not familiar with ye’re southern ways. Is there a certain kind of clothing one wears when touring old homes?”

She laughed, surprisingly delighted with him. His confusion made him seem a little more…approachable. “It isn’t that. It’s just that…well, don’t you want to experience the tours with a professional? There’s a docent who can guide you through the rooms and explain everything to you.”

“If ye have something more important to do, then I’ll get someone else to take me on the tour. But if ye are interested in taking me, I’d be delighted with a little more of your company.”

Put that way, and with that irresistible accent that he kept trying to hide, Kennedi couldn’t resist. “You’re too charming for my peace of mind,” she muttered under her breath, but Sean heard her and chuckled softly, a rumbling sound coming from deep in his chest.

He considered that for a moment. “I think I like being called ‘too charming’,” he replied with a teasing glint.

Sean watched as Kennedi smiled slowly, then turned on her heel and walked out of the coffee shop. At the last minute, he turned, glancing toward the coffee shop’s counter. The line of customers had diminished while they’d been talking. Now, there were only a few people left in the café. Still, it was a shock to discover that all four café employees were watching.

“I think we might have started a bit of gossip,” he warned her, putting a hand to the small of her back as he guided her down the sidewalk.

“Why’s that?” she asked, slipping her sunglasses on.

“The coffee shop will be abuzz with the fact that ye came out wi’ me.”

She twisted around, staring back at the coffee shop. She stopped for a moment, her mouth hanging open. Quickly, she closed it, then shrugged dismissively and turned back. “It will be fine,” she assured him. “Ella will tamp down on any gossip. She’s a good friend. I’m meeting her and some others later for a ladies night.”

“I’d be fascinated to learn what actually happens during such evenings,” he replied, looking both ways before leading her across the street.

For the next few hours, they toured three of the five houses, then stopped for lunch. Sean appreciated Kennedi’s knowledge, not only of the houses, but also of the town’s history. The past wasn’t always pleasant, but Newnan wasn’t just a fly-by-night town either. Every town had a past that might be considered less than savory. But Kennedi was a perfect tour guide. She explained not only the interesting facts about the houses and the town, but also the history that most places didn’t like to advertise.

When they stopped for lunch, he listened with fascination as she told him about growing up in a small town where the most interesting thing to do was the Friday night high school football game. When teens grew bored, they got into trouble. The high school students of Newnan were no different than so many other small town teens and he laughed heartily at her amusing stories of bonfires gone awry, night-time raids on friends’ houses, and fleeing from the principal when a group were caught under the bleachers playing poker.

“I have to go,” she finally sighed, and Sean was comforted by the disappointment in her tone and the reluctance in her pretty, blue eyes.

“Ladies night?”

“Exactly,” she replied. “Will you…?”

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