his face as he looked back up at her. ‘Recently?’
The word was almost choked.
Keelin swallowed hard, her eyes shimmering as she nodded. ‘Six weeks ago.’
‘I’m sorry, child.’
She nodded again, her gaze dropping to her hands as she took a moment to control herself before she pushed the letters towards him. ‘I thought you might want these.’
This time Dermot nodded. And even though Garrett now had a million and one questions, he didn’t ask. It felt as if he would be intruding somehow—maybe already was simply by being there.
He watched as his father’s fingers closed around the letters, drawing them closer to him on the table top before he smoothed his hands over them in the same way Keelin had. As if they were something very precious; something beyond any monetary value.
‘Thank you, for bringing them.’ His eyes rose to look at her face again, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth as he spoke in a husky tone. ‘You look like her.’
‘I know.’ Keelin smiled tremulously in return. ‘I get told that all the time.’
‘Aye, well you do. She was your age—’ He stopped and cleared his throat. ‘Garrett, get Keelin something to eat, would you? I’m sure she’s hungry after that long walk.’
‘I’m fine, really.’ She flashed a small smile his way. ‘I ate very early at the hotel.’
Garrett nodded. He couldn’t seem to think of anything to say in the sight of her sparkling eyes and small smile. Damn but she was beautiful, really, an absolute stunner. What looking at her did to him took him back in time, reminded him of who he’d been a lifetime ago. And whoever it was she looked like must have had equally big an impression on his father.
Because the next thing he knew Dermot was pushing his chair back from the table, his fingers closing around the letters. ‘You’ll have to excuse me for a minute.’
Garrett watched in stark amazement as he left the room. What—?
There was the sound of chair legs scraping over the floor again as Keelin stood up and Garrett’s gaze immediately returned to her face as she gathered her bag to her and spoke in a low voice. ‘This was a mistake.’
‘Wait.’ His hand caught her smaller one on top of the bag, fingers curling round hers as he stood up. ‘I’m sure he’ll come back. This isn’t like him.’
But then he wouldn’t be the first Kincaid male to act strangely around this woman, would he?
Keelin untwisted her fingers from his and stepped back, her eyes avoiding his. ‘No, really. I shouldn’t have come here. I think I maybe knew that before I came.’
He could hear the tremor in her voice, could see the shimmer in her eyes as she glanced towards the door. And without thinking he knew he didn’t want her to leave, not when she was so obviously upset.
Her being so upset was partly his fault, after all. He was the one who had told her his father wouldn’t blame the messenger for whatever news she brought. Even though he still didn’t really know what that news was.
‘Who was he talking about?’
She swallowed again, frowning hard as she looked down at her flowered wellingtons. ‘My mother.’
Six weeks ago.
Garrett put some of it together. ‘She passed away?’
A single nod. ‘Breast cancer.’
He flinched inwardly, floundering as he searched for something to say to her, annoyed with himself that he couldn’t. He of all people should have been able to find some words. After all, she wouldn’t be the first one he’d had to find the right words for when a mother had gone.
But while he frowned at the sudden flash of regret from his own past she turned, and was out of the door before he even had time to react.
When he did, without thought, he was immediately on her heels. ‘Wait!’
Her hand was on the gate when he caught up with her, his hand on her shoulder, forcing her round to look at him. And when she did she wasn’t able to hide the tears that streamed down her face.
Garrett swore.
She turned away again, fighting with the latch on the gate. ‘I have to get out of here.’ She shook the gate again as her voice cracked. ‘What sort of a damn stupid gate is this, for crying out loud?’
He watched her struggling, a battle waging inside him between what propriety dictated he should do and what she might need most in that moment.
When her breath caught on a sob, he frowned hard, decision made. ‘Leave it, Keelin. Stop.’ He took a deep breath and stepped towards her. ‘Come here.’
And even though it was entirely inappropriate with someone he had barely met, he drew her into his arms. ‘I can’t let you go running off in this state.’
She struggled in his arms. ‘It’s not your problem.’
‘Maybe not, but if you run in the wrong direction and fall off the island, then I’ll feel responsible.’
She struggled again. ‘Let me go Garrett.’
‘No. Just give yourself a minute.’
When she continued struggling, he spread his feet wider to support them both, even though she was so small in his arms. Then he waited, his arms firm around her waist until she went still, and sobbed against his chest, directly above his heart, so that the sound vibrated through him.
After a moment she seemed to soften, and Garrett felt his shoulders relax, knowing she wasn’t going to fight with him any more. So he waited again, his arms moving so that he could smooth his hands over her back as if he were soothing a wounded animal, trying to gain trust.
Her voice was muffled but stronger when she spoke. ‘Well, this is a first.’
‘Crying?’ He tilted his chin down to study the top of her head as he attempted to inject a little humour. ‘Don’t all women do that?’
‘No.’ She lifted her head back a little so that her voice was clearer. ‘I mastered that one the first time I saw a Lassie film. I’ve just never bawled all over someone within twenty minutes of meeting them.’
‘You lost your mother. You have every right to cry. I just happen to be here, that’s all.’
She stiffened in his arms again, then drew back, stepping away from him as she swiped at her cheeks with her palms. ‘I really shouldn’t have come here, I almost didn’t make the trip. And now I know I shouldn’t have. This was a bad idea.’
Garrett watched as she shook her head, his arms suddenly feeling redundant at his sides. So he shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘I take it Dermot knew her?’
‘A long time ago.’
‘Well, he
