Killian reached down and grabbed myhand, pulling me after him. I stared at our interlocked fingers for a minutewhile he weaved through cluttered aisles and clumps of shoppers inspectingproduce as thoroughly as Killian had.
His hand wrapped around mine, hotwith his body heat, strong with all those sinewy muscles. I shouldn’t have lethim get his way so easily. I should have put up some kind of fight or stood upfor myself or something, but I couldn’t do anything besides let him lead me.
My past had damaged me. This wassomething I was well aware of. But for whatever reason, Killian Quinn felt likehealing.
My last year in Europe had been abuffet of available men; men that hadn’t been looking for something serious orcommitted. Men I could have used to help me move on after Derrek.
And I’d been unable to open myselfup to any of them. I couldn’t risk being vulnerable with someone again. Icouldn’t gamble with my heart and lose, falling right back into an old pattern.I couldn’t trust myself not to choose another loser.
So, I’d remained withdrawn, whollyfocused on working on my craft. That’s what I should be doing now.
Instead, I let Killian drag mearound without a fight. I couldn’t muster up the same fears that had poisonedme since Derrek.
I even, maybe just a little, feltsafe with his hand holding mine.
Felt healthier than I had in years.
It was a stupid feeling to have.Dumb. Idiotic.
And yet there it was. I wasn’tafraid of Killian.
Not even a tiny bit.
The vendor saw us approach when wewere still a few stalls away. She stepped from behind her crates of lushproduce and smiled at Killian like he was the sun in her sky. She was an elderlywoman with richly tanned skin, leathery and lined from days spent outside. Shewore a faded denim shirt, rolled up to the elbows and a similar pair of wornjeans with gardening gloves sticking out of her back pocket. Her salt andpeppered hair sat in a tight bun at her nape, a neatly folded scarf hung aroundher neck.
She was farm-life personified.
Killian let go of my hand, but notbefore her shrewd eyes noticed that he’d been linked to me. Momentarilyforgetting about me, he stepped up to her and wrapped her in a tight hug,crushing her against his chest.
She wasn’t a short woman, but shelooked tiny against him. Her gray-streaked hair vanished beneath his beard ashe momentarily rested his cheek against the top of her head. He gave her aquick kiss before pulling out of the hug, keeping one arm around her shoulders.
“Vera, I’d like you to meet Jo, myfoster mom. Jo, this is VeraDelane.”
Jo left Killian’s side and extendeda calloused hand to me. I took it, intimidated by her strength and direct gaze.“It’s nice to meet you, Vera.”
“Yes, you too,” I told hergenuinely. I wanted so badly to ask Killian about his childhood. I hadn’t knownhe had a foster mom. I hadn’t known he didn’t have parents. Or maybe he’d beenadopted at some point? Despite everything I’d learned or discovered viacyberstalking his rise to greatness, there was so much about Killian I didn’tknow.
Killian stepped in before thesilence between us grew awkward. “Vera opened a food truck across the streetfromLilou. She needs a good place to shop.”
Jo’s grin stretched across her face.“Well, you’ve come to the right place.”
“I’ve been looking all over the cityfor a market like this. I didn’t know it existed until Killian told me aboutit.”
“He must like you then,” shechuckled. “He doesn’t usually share.”
I nodded. “I’ve noticed.”
“Alright,” he interrupted. His handfell to my lower back, and he nudged me forward, toward perfect lookingproduce. “Don’t you have shopping to do,Delane?”
I could have grilled Jo for hours onKillian. What was he like as a kid? Has he always been a genius in the kitchen?Has he always been this cocky? Focused? Intense? Can I see pictures???
“Take a look around,” Jo encouraged.“Killian’s helped me plant over the years, so I should have whatever you need.”
I raised an eyebrow at Killian.“That was nice of you.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t mean for it tobe. I wanted Jo to be my personal gardener, but she’s bound and determined tomake money from other people. It’s annoying.”
She looked at the sky, slappingKillian with the back of her hand simultaneously. “Heaven forbid I pay thebills.”
