Merry & Bright: A Christmas Anthology (Nocturne Falls Universe) Read online

  Kaia changed the subject to avoid his eyes. “Oh, and thanks for the compliment.” She motioned to the artwork. “It’s for clients who should be back soon to pick it up.”

  “Mind if I take a closer look?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Help yourself.” Kaia was grateful for the chance to calm her overactive nerves.

  Kearney thoughtfully peered at the canvas, leaning in for a better inspection. He observed the details in silence, and after some time, he straightened up. “This literally transports me…” his voice faltered. Appearing to search for the right words, Ace thoughtfully continued, “I can’t recall the last time I’ve felt…I’ve felt such a personal connection from art. Your work showcases the most vulnerable aspect of a person through their own eyes. It’s their memories and their emotions shining through and everyone can relate to the message somehow.”

  Kaia blushed. She’d received many compliments for her work before, but this time, when he conveyed those things, like that, it sounded so intimate.

  WHOA. Her thoughts were taking off in a direction they shouldn’t. She crossed her arms, stepping back to distance herself from the man. He may be charming, but she wasn’t looking for a holiday fling. Kaia was only in Nocturne Falls for a few weeks and the chances of entertaining any romantic notions were out of the question.

  She glanced away and was relieved to see her client Nick approaching them.

  “We’re back,” the older man announced. His teenage daughter trailing behind, her eyes and attention glued to the cellphone screen.

  “Just in time.” Kaia smiled. “Have a look and tell me what you think, Nick.”

  The man seemed to mimic Kearney’s physical actions from earlier, taking his time on the details, yet his eyes grew misty as he stood silently staring at the canvas. The daughter had grown impatient of waiting and finally lifted her gaze away from the phone to address her dad.

  “Just pay the lady so we can go…” her voice trailed off as the artwork caught her eye. She clutched the phone, and as if in a dream, she walked over to stand beside her dad. Her eyes locked on the images.

  “How did you know?” Nick choked up as he spoke, “That was a memory I’ve always cherished.”

  The girl slid her cell into her back pocket and she hesitantly took her dad’s hand. “That was our last father-daughter date when I was nine-years-old. Remember?”

  Kaia couldn’t help grinning. The healing process was beginning. It wasn’t too late to mend their broken souls.

  “I’d never forget that. I’ve been wrong.” Nick squeezed his daughter’s hand. “I miss those days, Joss.”

  “Dad, can we do that again? Have a father-daughter day?” She leaned her head against his arm. “I think mom would’ve wanted us to.”

  Nick nodded. “I think you’re right, honey. Maybe this is her way of reminding us.”

  Precious moments like these never got old. Kaia turned her face away to wipe her eyes. She knew the piece revealed the last happy outing the father had spent with his daughter. That was also the year his wife had died. Seeing Joss was a painful reminder of the loss of his childhood sweetheart. He’d poured himself into his work and their father/daughter relationship had deteriorated. It never occurred to him that their love had carried on through Joss.

  Kaia tried not to get over emotional at witnessing the newfound connection between a parent and his child. Days like these made her cherish her gift even more. It was rewarding to see the reaction of clients when they acknowledged their true heart or dearest wishes. Sometimes they just needed a little nudge. A wake-up call. In fact, her magical paintings were meant to heal wounds.

  Too bad, it couldn’t heal hers.

  Nick turned to Kaia. “I can’t thank you enough. Your art is worth way more than you charge!” He grinned and pulled out his checkbook, filling it out before handing her the paper. “Do you mind if we take it with us now? You won’t need to deliver it to the hotel later.”

  Kaia shoved the check in her pocket without looking at the amount. “Yes, of course.”

  “Can I carry it, Dad? Please?” Joss begged.

  Nick approved, “You certainly can, honey.”

  “Just hold it by the hook when you carry it. You won’t drop it or get paint on yourself,” Kaia instructed, carefully demonstrating her technique. She then helped the girl to get a firm handle on the art. Afterwards, they exchanged hugs and goodbyes as she watched the happy customers go on their merry way.

  Kearney’s deep baritone broke through her thoughts, “What would it take to have one of my own?”

  Her eyes widened. “You?”

  “Yes, me,” he laughed. “How could I pass up on the chance of having an original custom piece after seeing that?”

  She chewed on her lower lip. A part of her wanted to refuse the request, but the other part reminded her that nothing was a coincidence. This man needed healing and it was her job to take on the mission. Her mentor had emphasized that she couldn’t turn away anyone who was led to her. That was the number one rule she couldn’t break, or else her gift would be taken from her. If that happened, she would never be able to recover her memory. She’d never know where she came from or what she truly was.

  Kaia gave him a big smile. “It’s your lucky day, I just had a cancellation and you earned the spot.”

  “’Tis lucky, indeed.” He winked. “How does this work? I mean, I’ve never worked with an intuitive artist ‘who heals the soul’.” He had recited some of the verbiage from her sign.

  “First…” She took a step toward him. “You have to be open to the truth that’s in your heart.” She swallowed and continued in a soft voice, “You also have to be completely vulnerable so that I can paint the answers that you’re searching for.”

  “Wow. That sounds profound, and somewhat terrifying.” His eyes locked on hers.

  “Oh, believe me, we’re just getting started,” she announced.

  He chuckled. “I’m intrigued.”

  “Second…” She pulled off her glove and took another step closer. “You have to trust me.”

  Kearney’s face grew serious. She may not know what he was thinking, but even through his smile, she could see the raw pain buried deep within those ocean-blue depths. She’d had a taste of his anguish and she wanted to delve into those dark waters.

  “If I must trust someone, I suppose it should be you,” his voice practically dripped honey.

  OH, BOY.

  Kaia shivered, feeling the magnetic pull between them, and she suddenly questioned the no fling thing. What was the harm in a brief winter romance? They’d both get something out of it, and when their time together came to an end, they’d go their separate ways. Easy peasy.

  “Ready to begin?” She wanted to give him a fair chance to change his mind. Or maybe hers.

  His eyes flashed in interest and he bared a perfect smile. “Oh, I’m more than ready. Are you?” he challenged.

  Game on.

  Kaia chose to ignore the tiny voice in her head that screamed she was in way over her head. Wasn’t she on vacation, after all? She mentally convinced herself to follow the advice she’d given others. Live a little. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually done anything for herself.

  She supposed she’d been searching for answers for years now, without a break, and there was nothing in the rule book that said she couldn’t have some fun. As long as she continued to pursue the truth, she knew every person she encountered, every story she unraveled through a painting would lead her one step closer to the right person, someone who’d eventually know something—anything—about her.

  Besides, she wasn’t one to retreat from a challenge. Not as long as the memories of her past were on the line.

  She held Kearney’s even gaze. “There’s no going back,” she warned, more for her own benefit.

  “Aye, lass,” he agreed. His blue eyes turned a shade darker as if he, too, wasn’t about to back down.

  Chapter Three

&nbs
p; Kearney expertly threw a flat stone and watched it skip across the surface of the water, creating tiny ripples where the object had briefly touched. He needed something to do to calm his racing heart. No matter how many times he replayed the meeting with Kaia, he couldn’t shake off the uncanny resemblance.

  Saoirse was dead.

  He needed to accept the truth. When was he ever going be free from the guilt of losing her?

  “Yet—” he paused.

  He shook his head at the ludicrous thoughts. He was definitely going mad. How many times had he met someone who resembled his late wife during the past century?

  Too many to count.

  The interaction with Kaia earlier had been entertaining. One thing was for sure, her carefree nature and candidness was nothing like Saoirse. They were total opposites. Where Kaia offered warmth, his wife had been cold.

  Kearney expelled an agonizing breath as he stared off into the calming waters. He’d always been fond of the lake that separated the homes, yet still connected the neighbors through a single path. The residents of this private community were essentially like family. That’s why he enjoyed the visits to Nocturne Falls. It was also a short distance into town when he needed to escape the solitude for a few hours.

  He wiped his hands on his jeans and decided to head back to the Winthorpes’ house to retrieve the presents from the trunk of his rental car. He shivered despite wearing a heavy jacket. The temperature had dropped a few degrees as evening approached. He wondered where Rock and Keke were. They hadn’t made an appearance yet, so he opted to find the spare key to settle in. If he had to wait any longer he’d surely freeze to death. He’d bring the gifts over in the morning and sort things out.

  As he walked to his cottage carrying an arm full of boxes and gift bags, he looked forward to starting the fireplace to cozy things up. Maybe catch up on some reading. There were plenty of options from the stack of novels Agnes had given him. The idea of a low-key evening sounded exactly his pace after the long day he’d had. He spotted the spare in its regular spot and quickly made his way in, kicking the door shut behind him with his booted foot.

  “A hot shower would be good,” he announced to the empty room as he pivoted around to put the presents on the hardwood floors. That’s when he glanced up and caught a flash of very sexy legs running down the stairs.

  Apparently, someone had already beaten him to the punch.

  “Who the h—” the woman gasped in mid-sentence. “KEARNEY!”

  He knew that voice.

  His eyes moved slowly upward, finally resting on her face. His breath caught in his throat. How could he not stare at her beauty? Kaia was barely clad, wrapped tightly in a fluffy white towel. Her damp hair clung to her tanned skin as droplets of water dripped onto her shoulders.

  He didn’t question why she was there because, at that moment, she was the most gorgeous creature he’d ever seen. Kearney’s face split into a boyish grin. “Well, this is one heck of a welcome.”

  Rearranging the logs with the iron poker, Kearney wanted to keep the fire burning steadily. He watched the dancing flames while he waited for Kaia to get dressed and return to the living room. He hadn’t gotten much information out of her except that she was visiting from Hawaii, and that she was a childhood friend of Keke’s.

  “Tell me again why you’re in my cottage?” Kaia asked from behind him.

  He stood up and turned to face her. “Seeing as I’m friends with Keke and Rock, I had pre-arrangements for the use of this place for a couple weeks.”

  “Is that so?” She quirked a brow, looking unconvinced. “Then why didn’t I know you were coming? They’d promised it to me.” Her arms were crossed in an effort to appear intimidating.

  Clamping his lips together, he tried not to laugh at her attire. She was adorably dressed in a matching thermal pajama set printed with cats in Santa hats.

  Kaia threw up her hands in irritation. “Fine. Let’s try to figure this out.” She kicked off her cat slippers and took a seat on the sofa, tucking her legs under her.

  “How about some herbal tea? It’s organic.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Very funny.”

  He enjoyed teasing her to keep things light. Kearney had brewed some from her stash while she’d been upstairs. He reached for the two steaming mugs on the fireplace mantel and handed her one before taking the recliner across from her.

  Kearney cleared his throat. “Seeing as I’ve arrived a few weeks earlier than scheduled, I’m prepared to find alternate accommodations.”

  She took a sip of the drink and gave him a guilty look. “It seems that I’m also at fault. I haven’t told Keke I wanted to extend my stay. I’d planned on leaving a few days after Christmas which would’ve coincided with your visit.”

  “So we’re both in a bit of a pickle,” he noted.

  “I guess in all fairness, since this cottage has five bedrooms, I’m willing to share.”

  “That’s mighty generous of you.”

  “It’s plenty of room for the both of us.” Kaia’s lips curled into a seductive smile. “After all, we’re both adults.”

  Kearney swallowed hard at the invisible lump in his throat. “Yes, we are.” Was it suddenly hot in here or maybe he was wearing one too many layers?

  “Hope you don’t mind that I’ll be doing most of my work from home.”

  “Not at all. I’ll do my best to stay out of your hair,” he promised. “Don’t think you’ll be getting out of my commissioned order, though.”

  “I never turn away a paying gig.” She sat up and placed the mug on the coffee table. “So we’re good, right?”

  “Aye, roomie.” He raised his mug in salute when a loud noise grasped their attention.

  The front door swung open as Keke and Rock tried to squeeze their way through the narrow space at the same time. It would’ve been comedic if he hadn’t detected the apparent baby bump she was sporting.

  Kearney jumped to his feet. “Feck, there must be somethin’ in the water.” He threw his hands up, “I’ll have none of that.”

  Keke laughed, then squealed and rushed toward him for a hug. He gave her a gentle squeeze.

  She pulled away and pursed her lips. “You’re early!”

  “You’re glowing!” he beamed. “Motherhood has done you good.”

  “And you’re forgiven.” She smacked him on the chest. “For now.”

  He stepped away briefly to shake Rock’s hand, then changed his mind and yanked the guy in for a manly bear hug. “It’s been a while, my friend. I see you didn’t waste any time.”

  Rock chuckled, “You’re next, old guy. You did catch the bouquet at our wedding.”

  “Bouquet? Breaking tradition, huh?” Kaia walked over to join in on the hug fest.

  “C’mon, now.” Kearney rubbed the back of his neck. “I was only minding my own business.”

  Keke turned to her husband and gave him a goofy smile. “I told you they’d be able to figure something out.”

  He wrapped his arm lovingly around her and nodded. “Yes, dear.”

  Everyone laughed and they spent the next few minutes catching up and discussing the misunderstanding. Kearney arranged to bring the presents from Luna and Ace over in the morning.

  The married couple was about to leave when Keke exclaimed, “Oh, I’m having a holiday dinner at my house tomorrow night. Now that both our dear friends are in town at the same time, there’s just so much to celebrate.”

  “She’s right. It’s not often that we have guests, now that the baby is coming and my winter schedule has slowed down,” Rock agreed.

  “Don’t you mean you need some ‘bromance’ in your life before you’re elbow deep in baby spit and dirty diapers?” Kaia joked.

  “Guilty.” Rock chuckled. “On that note, I better get Keke home before she scratches the whole thing and turns it into a lady’s night.”

  “We can’t have that.” Kearney held the door open for them. “Goodnight, kids.”

  The room was fil
led with awkward silence once the couple left. He turned around but hadn’t expected Kaia to be standing so close. She stumbled back and his arm shot out to catch her, pulling her against his body.

  She expelled a half-gasp, half-sigh. Tipping her chin up, her eyes locked on his.

  All his senses were on red alert and he couldn’t deny how good it felt to hold her in his arms. They may have just met this morning, but when he looked at her, he saw the similarities and doubts they carried. He could see a woman who was guarded yet wasn’t afraid to take chances. The fire in her eyes was every reason for him to want to get to know her better.

  He wasn’t a fool. The chemistry was blistering between them from their first meeting. Yet this time, his wants and needs were different. He wasn’t searching for a passing fling. He wanted Kaia, that’s true, but in a way that was beyond the physical. His eyes raked over her face as he cradled her soft body in the folds of his arm. He knew her tremendous worth and wasn’t about to let her go. That’s why he planned on getting to know everything about this woman.

  Kearney was willing to let go of the past…a destructive love that had only been filled with heartache, in order to finally heal his broken soul.

  Her lips parted, then Kaia licked her lips before speaking. “A—are you hungry?” Her question came out as a breathless whisper.

  His mouth stretched into a broad smile and he quirked a brow in interest. “That depends on what’s on the menu.”

  Chapter Four

  Kaia wiped at her forehead and realized she’d smudged paint across it with her pinky. She’d been up all night working on the artwork since she’d had trouble falling asleep. Darn the man! Every time she closed her eyes, she’d see Kearney’s devilish grin and the suggestive response he’d given.

  “Ugh.” She rubbed her hand on the worn fabric, caking on another layer of color to the already paint-stained apron. “Focus, Kaia! FOCUS.”