He flipped the sign on her front door from OPEN to CLOSED as she gaped at him. “Really? I’m always there for bedtime, though. And the store—what if a customer comes in? I can’t lose any more business.”
“Fi, it’s one night. You’ve got to just let go every once in a while. If you keep looking for reasons not to do this, you’ll keep finding them.”
Looking around her empty shop with a mixture of apprehension and excitement, he watched her nod in agreement and empty the register, taking what little cash she had into the back office, where he assumed she had a safe. Finally, she grabbed her keys and purse and joined him at the door. As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he waited for her to finish turning off the lights and locking the door behind them.
“Hold on, I can’t do this.” Fiona paused, keys dangling from her fingers as she looked to him.
Kieran sighed, shaking his head in frustration. “Why not?”
“I don’t mean I can’t go out tonight, I mean I have to put Shea to bed. Her bedtime is in an hour. Can’t we just go back to your parents’ house for a bit and leave after she goes to sleep? I’m with her every night. Everything has been so hectic lately…I’d be too worried about changing up her routine like this to ever enjoy a night out.”
“Of course we can.” Kieran smiled, relieved that she still wanted to go out with him, and touched that she was so attentive to her sister. He helped her into the passenger’s seat of his car before climbing into the driver’s seat himself.
“Where are we going after?” she asked, pulling on her seatbelt.
He wiggled his brows at her. “You’ll see.”
“Am I dressed okay for it? I’m pretty casual right now. I could change when we get back to your parents’ house.” He glanced over and found her nibbling on the corner of her lips again, causing his whole body to ache in response.
“You’re perfect,” he assured her, squeezing her knee and letting his hand linger against her skin.
“You really think that, don’t you?” She said it as if it were a question, but he could tell it wasn’t. Her tone was sad, full of a grief he couldn’t identify. “You don’t think I’ve got just as many problems as everyone else?”
“Everyone has problems, but not everyone reacts to them the way you do. You not only defeat your problems head-on, but you help others carry theirs. So yes, I think you’re perfect, Fiona.”
She didn’t say anything during the rest of the short drive to the Kavanaghs’. True to her word, Fiona helped Shea with her bedtime routine, read with her for a bit, and then sat with her until she fell asleep. She even told Shea ahead of time that if she woke up and Fiona wasn’t there, Dee would be right down the hall to help her, and Shea seemed fine with that.
Once Fiona’s anxieties were calmed and her sister was asleep, Fiona seemed like a different person. Her shoulders relaxed, her smile came easy, and she even held his hand as they walked back out to the car. Her heart was shining through that smile, and he wondered how one woman could love so much.
He helped her into the passenger’s seat for a second time, and a few minutes later they were pulling up to a brightly lit building. Entering the valet area, Kieran stepped out and handed his keys to the young man in a vest before coming around and opening the door for Fiona.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around at the unidentified building facade.
He wiggled his brows a second time, not letting her in on the mystery yet. “You’ll see.”
She eyed the building as she stepped onto the sidewalk. “It looks weirdly plain and energetic at the same time.”
“Judging a book by its cover means you’ll miss out on the beautiful pages inside.” He kissed the back of her hand.
“That’s true. Some of my favorite flowers aren’t anything special to look at, but they smell exceptional.”
“Lucky for you, flower girl, you’re special to look at. Plus, you smell amazing.” He took an exaggerated sniff as he wrapped an arm around her and pressed his nose into her hair. She laughed and batted him away.
—
Pulling open the metal door, Kieran led Fiona from the dark, quiet street into a bustling, bright interior. She saw him give her a sideways glance, watching her face react to the pulsing lights and pumping music.
“We’re going dancing? That’s the big surprise?” Fiona raised one brow, her voice teasing. She did enjoy dancing, but it’s not something she’d had the time to do since before Shea had moved in with her.
“We’re not just going dancing.” He grinned, waving dramatically toward the room.