“Yeah they’re in there.” I point to the storage closet in the corner where there’s a whole batch of pink towels courtesy of a red flyer that was overlooked in the wash. I had originally planned to bleach them but changed my mind. I use bleach enough with my side gig so the smell irritates me when I’m in my day to day.
She skips over like a little girl. “You’re extra peppy today,” I state while leaning back in my chair. “May I ask what’s got you so happy?”
She shoots me a grin before she reaches in, grabbing the bag of pink towels. When she spins around to face me, she’s blushing. Only one thing could be the cause of that. Caleb.
Ugh, he’s so annoying.
“I am sort of seeing someone. We’re going to help down at Our Lady of Sorrows. He’s the friend of the priest. So, we’re going to help in the soup kitchen.”
She’s going to be with my Aingeal.
The thought instantly perks me up.
I heard what he said about staying away. And I’ve made him believe I listened. So, what if I sometimes still sneak into his apartment? Sit on his couch? Look at the blank walls? Have I laid down on his bed and sniffed his pillow? Possibly. Or the time I was there and his cat brought me a dead mouse. He looked so proud of himself I gave him a bunch of treats.
That’s when I realized I didn’t know the furball’s name and dubbed him Murder Mittens. He and I were the same. We felt calm with death.
Leaning forward and placing my elbows on my desk, I ask, “How long have you been ‘seeing’ each other?” I even do the air quotes. “And what exactly does volunteering have to do with the pink towels?”
She straightens her spine and shoulders, appearing to be more firm. A sure sign of her standing up to me. “Caleb and I have just been keeping things casual. He’s going through a divorce and works a lot at the hospital. So, nothing major to report right now. As for the towels, I’m donating them. Pink towels are better than no towels. You know the church does everything off of donations so things are limited.”
Fiona leans down and flings the bag over her shoulder.
“Volunteering, you say?” My brain starts making plans to see my favorite priest. There’s no way he’d turn me away. I’ll just be a kind local, offering my time and services to the community. He’d look like a terrible man if he did that. And one thing I’m sure of is Ewen loves his church and the community.
Fiona is out the door, shouting, “Yep.”
I jump up from my chair and follow her. “Hey, wait up.”
“Don’t you dare scare him off or do anything you’re notorious for when it comes to guys I like.” Fiona stabs her finger into my chest.
Chuckling, I lift my hands in defeat. “I have no knowledge of what you’re referring to.”
She rolls her eyes. “Mmhmm, sure. Like you and Ciar haven’t chased off any guy I’ve ever shown interest in.” She spins around, giving me her back. Her head starts moving left to right, probably scanning the street for the dorky doctor. “I won’t even give the example of what you all did to my prom date.”
Her prom date was a necessary action. He was known for using girls for sex and filming them. We might have kidnapped him from the prom, duct taped him to a wall, and left him for everyone to see. He never had the chance to mess with Fiona.
Two years later he tried to join the O’Sullivan clan. We were never going to let him in but still put him through the trials. He failed miserably. He started flapping his lips the moment he thought he had juicy intel. Again, it was all fake info and was meant to test him. I found pleasure in eliminating him. He screamed so loud when he knew he was going to die.
Fiona starts bouncing on her toes once a black Range Rover turns the corner. By the time it parks, she’s practically vibrating. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this into somebody. Which could be good, but I need to do a deep dive into Caleb and his history before it gets serious.
“Hey gorgeous.” He winks at her while he rounds the car. He hugs her and I growl. His eyes shoot straight to me in fear. Good. He needs to know I’m protective of her. “Hi. Declan, right?” He puts his hand out for me to shake. I have to remember I’m Declan, business owner. I’m not Declan the Reaper in this moment.
I give him a firm shake in return. “Hi, yes. And you’re Caleb. Fiona was telling me about you earlier.”
He looks at her with his goofy grin. “I hope nothing negative.”
“There’s nothing negative to say.” Fiona smiles even bigger.
Gag!
Caleb looks nervous but before we can continue with this boring conversation Fiona chucks the bag of towels into my arms. “Let’s go.” She turns back to Caleb. “Dec here also volunteered his time today. So we’ll have extra hands.”
“That’s great. Ewen has been saying they can always use more help. I know I try to get over there whenever I’m free.” Caleb and his good heart shine through every small kindness he has to offer.
We all climb into his car. Not going to lie, it’s nice. I might have to look into getting one for myself. The drive is less than five minutes and we probably just wasted gas for this short trip. Oh well.
He pulls into the back lot and parks next to Ewen’s Jeep. It’s covered in pollen and clearly hasn’t been driven lately. Ewen does little driving. He prefers to walk or take the T whenever he goes somewhere.
