But he didn’t need any of it. Had he felt this connection all along? Had some primitive link driven him to live like a pauper until he’d saved enough to cross the ocean?
Lucky stared at him with the same fascination, the same wonder that kept Kieran glued to the spot, afraid to move in case he was dreaming.
Then the other fella—Rance—doubled over laughing.
Kieran snapped out of his daze. “Sorry!” Heat rose to his face. “I just decided?—”
“To scare the crap out of us?” Rance choked out, taking off his hat and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “Mission accomplished.”
“Don’t mind Rance.” Lucky’s intense gaze remained locked with his. “He’s easily amused.” Then he held out his hand and his voice roughened. “It’s like… it’s like I know you.”
When his fingers closed around Lucky’s hand, his throat closed and pressure built behind his eyes. He blinked away tears and managed a response. “Same here.”
Lucky’s grip tightened and he swallowed. “I guess because…” He cleared his throat. “You look like… me.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sara pulled a tissue out of her jeans pocket and quietly dabbed at her eyes. A glance at Oksana caught her doing the same.
Even Rance stood in subdued silence as Lucky and Kieran held their position, hands clasped, emotions bubbling below the surface. Sam parked himself to one side, his attention darting from one to the other.
Then Kieran’s shoulders slowly relaxed and the corners of his mouth tilted ever so slightly. “Fancy a hug?”
Laughter flashed in Lucky’s eyes. “Sure. What the hell.”
They embraced, held on for a second and then stepped away from each other, grinning. Sam pranced around them, tail wagging in approval.
“How about me?” Rance said. “Don’t I get a hug? I’ve been watching out for this guy, keeping him out of trouble while I waited all these years for you to get here.”
“Then I owe you.” Kieran gave Rance an enthusiastic hug.
“Oh, you definitely owe me.” Rance’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “He tested my patience many times, but somebody had to be the adult in the room.”
Sara laughed. “That’s not how I heard it. More like the other way around. Wasn’t Lucky the one constantly saving your ass?”
“Well, now that you mention it, I do recall?—”
“Whether I have or haven’t,” Lucky said. “You came through back in February, and that totally evened the score. Without you, I wouldn’t be with this wonderful woman.” Reaching for Oksana’s hand, he drew her up beside him. “Oksana, meet my brother Kieran.”
She smiled and shook his hand. “What a special day. You two do look a lot alike.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Yes, ma’am? Lucky, he even sounds like you!”
“You can thank Sara for that.” He gave her a quick glance. “She taught me that it was common around here. Where I’m from, it’s not.”
“Sara taught you, did she?” Rance gave her a wink. “Rumor has it there’s more than language lessons going on between you two.”
Her cheeks warmed. “I just happened to be buying a hat when he came into Hannigan’s looking for the same thing.”
“Classic cute meet. He wants your hat and is willing to wrestle you for it. After twenty minutes of rolling around on the floor of Hannigan’s, you fall madly in love and decide to share custody of the hat.”
Kieran chuckled “Well done. I couldn’ta described it better. I’m thinking you have Irish blood, yeah?”
“Sadly, I’m British on both sides.”
Sara latched onto that tidbit. Rance had never mentioned his father. Every other McLintock child knew their father’s name and had a story to go with it. She’d been hesitant to ask about his.
