“What the fuck, Cashel,” I heard the voice say. It belonged to Cash, but it was coming out of another man’s mouth. His brother, Killian. “I don’t want to see your wanker before I’ve even had my porridge. Ach.”
“Best to knock and wait then,” Cash said, his voice low. He must’ve been picking up his clothes. A minute later, I heard the front door again, and then another minute or two, he came back into our room with our suitcases and all of my clothes from last night. “Get dressed.”
I nodded and moved with more energy in my blood. I took a quick shower and dressed in a black maxi dress that came close to sweeping the floor. A row of buttons ran down the front of the dress, which was open from my knees down. I completed the outfit with a tiger-print belt around my waist.
My hair was fluffed up, a wild storm of red, and I didn’t even bother trying to tame it, but I did do some light makeup to help my face. Then I stood back, looking myself over. I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted to make a good impression on his brother.
I went to touch the necklace, the heart pendant, and as usual, I felt hollow when I found it missing. When I’d taken it off and left it on his pillow, it almost felt like I’d stolen a piece of myself back from him. I hated it as much as if he’d taken a piece of himself from me.
Love should’ve been spelled I. N. S. A. N. I. T. Y.
I must’ve been quiet when I entered the kitchen, because his brother didn’t hear me. He sat in his wheelchair, at the kitchen door, watching something going on outside. An old song played quietly from a record player in the corner.
When I stood in front of the sink and looked out of the window, my view was the same as Killian’s. Cash was unloading the groceries from the car. It didn’t seem like Killian wanted him to know, because when Cash started to make his way back to the farmhouse, Killian rolled his wheelchair back, faster than he’d moved the night before.
“Have mercy!” he said when he noticed me. “For a tall girl, you walk with no noise.”
“What do you expect me to do?” I lifted a brow at him. “Stomp like a horse in a wooden house?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Tell me what you’re doing with my brother, woman.”
There it was—if the twin thing didn’t give it away, the demanding attitude came shining through as family resemblance.
“I’m his wife,” I said. “That’s what I’m doing.”
Cash shoved the door open, setting the bags on the counter. I turned away from his brother, going through them, starting to put the groceries away.
“I’m going to shower.” Cash patted me on the hip. Then he looked between his brother and me. “Don’t fall in love with him.” He nodded toward Killian. “If I steal hearts, he fucking breaks them.”
A moment passed and something moved between them—the twin thing—and then Cash shook his head and went to take a shower.
I knew how Cash liked his oatmeal and started to make it. “You like your oatmeal the same way as your brother?” I asked Killian.
“If it’s the same way he took it over ten years ago.” He shrugged. “The same.”
I told him how Cash took it and he nodded. He became quiet after, watching as I worked around the kitchen. The cabinets were empty, but someone had filled the fridge with butter and milk. They looked farm fresh, probably from one of the places around here.
“You’re either the most powerful being in the world or the dumbest, woman.”
I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. “I have a name. Keely.”
“Keely Kelly.”
“It’s a nice start to a riddle, I think,” I said.
“Let’s starts the riddle with a question. Most powerful woman in the world or the dumbest?”
“The first,” I said, turning to stir the oatmeal.
“You know what he does.”
I nodded.
“You know he’s more animal than man.”
I nodded.
“I’m having a hard time believing the first, then, if you know him.”
