“Don’t worry.” Zaira bumped his shoulder with hers. “You’ll be able to sit here again with Alannah someday soon.”
He’d explained to his family that he was keeping Alannah at the city house in order to hide her. He hadn’t told them she’d rejected him again and wouldn’t be coming back. He could at least admit it to Zaira, couldn’t he?
He released a tight breath. “Alannah doesn’t want me, Zaira.”
She snorted a laugh. “Oh please. I was there when you kissed in the shed. And Alannah wants you as much as you do her.”
“I’d hoped to make the announcement of our match tomorrow at Liam and Shelia’s engagement party. But before returning to Oakland this week, I asked her to marry me. She said no.”
“How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Propose.”
He furrowed his brows. “What difference does it make?”
This time Zaira released a full laugh. “It makes a big difference, silly. You have to show her she’s more important than anything else, that you’ll sacrifice everything for her, and that you’ll go to the ends of the earth to be with her.” She sighed blissfully.
Kiernan slanted her a look. “You’ve clearly been reading too many romance novels.”
With a quick shrug, her lips turned up into one of her impish smiles.
Even if Zaira was being overly romantic, what if there was more he could do?
The honest truth was that he would doanythingand sacrificeeverythingto be with Alannah.
He sat up straighter. What if he really did sacrifice everything to go to the ends of the earth with her? He’d already started the process of selling his glass factory. And with the loss of his business, he’d proven that he didn’t have what it took to become a savvy and prosperous businessman like Da.
It was time to admit he’d failed in his ventures. He wouldn’t live up to his da’s reputation and wouldn’t make the Shanahan name successful in his own right.
His mind began to spin. He’d sell his portion of the brickyard to Liam, give him full ownership. He’d take any profitsthat were left after helping with the repairs and follow Torin and Alannah to California. He’d wait for Alannah to be ready for a relationship with him. He’d spend his life waiting if need be. And when she was finally willing to have him, he’d be there.
He scrambled to his feet. “I have to get her a message as soon as possible.” Did he dare visit her tonight and tell her not to leave St. Louis with Torin, not until he had the chance to get his affairs in order?
Zaira stood. “I’m going into the city tomorrow morning. I can deliver a message to her.”
He started to shake his head, needing to see Alannah and speak forthrightly for himself. But he stopped himself. With how he’d failed to convince her so far, maybe he had to prove himself first. “All right. I’ll give you a note to deliver.”
He smiled wryly. He’d been wondering why Bellamy had given Alannah his list of requirements for a wife that day at the pond. He’d been frustrated that Bellamy hadn’t just destroyed it.
Now he knew why the wily matchmaker hadn’t. Bellamy had saved it to spur Kiernan into confessing what he really needed—a new list of requirements for a wife.
It was time to do what Bellamy had wanted all along.
31
Alannah paced the length of Zaira’s bedroom. With its lovely white furniture and soft yellow and white linens, the room was summery and bright and cheerful—just like Zaira’s room at Oakland. Even so, Alannah felt trapped, and her heart was knocking against her chest with a need that was keenly desperate.
Kiernan hadn’t returned to the city since the day earlier in the week when she’d rejected him. The longer he was gone, the more frantic she was becoming to tell him she was sorry for pushing him away. In fact, she wanted to see him so badly that today she’d even considered riding out to Oakland.
But she’d pushed aside the possibility because she couldn’t risk Shaw finding out she was staying at the Shanahans’ city home. If he came looking for her here, he’d find Torin and finish killing him.
After almost a week since the attack at the brickyard, Torin was walking around and getting restless. Donahue was visiting him again and had brought several pieces ofmachinery that they were working on together in Kiernan’s bedroom.
Torin didn’t need her tending to him anymore. And Winston shooed her away every time she tried to help him with the chores.
Of course, she’d had plenty of time to read the newest book Kiernan had given to her. But this time, reading hadn’t brought her the usual satisfaction. She sensed that nothing would satisfy her until she had the opportunity to talk with Kiernan again.
