Read Online Irish Eyes (Stolen Hearts Romance) by Annie Jones - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Annie Jones
Tags: Romance
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added a smile and two eyes, one of them winking to the doodle.
Her eyes went wide. She knew that he knew that she was making a study of him and had the good grace to act just embarrassed enough to pull back a fraction of an inch, but stubborn and committed enough not to give him too much space.
Around them the sounds of the lunch crowd had begun to fade but Cameron hunkered in even closer, creating an intimate circle between the two of them.
“And it so happened that Devin’s spring break coincided with the next occurrence of that self same moonbow.” Fiona gave a worry-burdened smile and Cameron had to edit his thoughts to force himself not to forget the circle was the three of them. “There was a part of me that found the very idea of that almost too charming to resist myself.”
“But you hadn’t agreed that Michael could take Devin?” Julia asked insistently.
Cameron scowled at her to imply she had begun to tread on family business.
“Excuse me for butting in,” she said. “But my experience in social service makes me ask. Do you realize that the kidnapping charge might be nullified if Fiona gave Michael permission for a trip?”
“Of course I didn’t give Michael permission to snatch my child, or to take him anywhere.” Fire flashed in Fiona’s eyes. “These last few weeks I haven’t allowed Devin to go off at all with Michael. With all this gold nonsense building up so, I didn’t feel right about it.”
“So, you’d say the gold adds an element of danger to the situation?” Julia acknowledged Cameron’s none too subtle throat-clearing with a glance, lowered her voice to a whisper and pressed on. “I wouldn’t ask, but I do understand the ins and outs of kids and the system. Having all the facts could make a critical difference.”
“Tis a curse on this family, that blasted gold is, I say.” Fiona hissed the last words, spilling out her anger against the source of her trouble.
“It and all the hoopla that surrounded it,” Cameron agreed, clenching his pen in one fisted hand while resting his other hand protectively over his sister-in-law’s wrist.
“Hoopla?” The word seemed to cast a cloud of confusion over Julia’s lovely face.
The waitress arrived and asked if she could clear away their plates. Cameron used the interruption to his advantage and asked her to box up his food. Not for him but for Julia, who he thought could do with another good meal between now and pay day.
As the waitress worked, Cameron pressed his back to the seat, tapped his pen to the paper and took a moment to weigh the situation.
Julia’s fine gaze never wavered from his. He’d seen his share of tough women, of smart women, and of kind to the core of their being women. The last kind got to him the most, probably because he felt they needed him the most. He stole a glance at Fiona who had just seen a lifetime of loyalty to Michael Shaughnessy repaid with treachery then at Julia again.
She had folded her arms, leaned back and fixed her eyes on him, waiting for him to explain. She wasn’t going to budge until he did. Tough, smart and kind all in one. And sexy even in jeans, a shabby sweater and shoes that should have gone to that great shoe tree in the sky months ago. It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself the luxury of finding any woman sexy.
Who was he kidding? He hadn’t allowed himself to see Julia that way, he couldn’t help it. Her hair, her skin, her lips, her…
“Hoopla?” The moment the waitress disappeared, Julia made a gesture to prod him to on. “You can’t say something like that and just leave it hanging, O’Dea.”
He laughed. It was time to tell her. She’d earned it. With her involvement, with her steadfast service of others, with her kind and caring heart and with her unwillingness to let him ‘leave anything hanging’, she had earned his trust. Well, for the most part.
The soft cushion sighed with the shift in weight. He folded his hands between his open
Her eyes went wide. She knew that he knew that she was making a study of him and had the good grace to act just embarrassed enough to pull back a fraction of an inch, but stubborn and committed enough not to give him too much space.
Around them the sounds of the lunch crowd had begun to fade but Cameron hunkered in even closer, creating an intimate circle between the two of them.
“And it so happened that Devin’s spring break coincided with the next occurrence of that self same moonbow.” Fiona gave a worry-burdened smile and Cameron had to edit his thoughts to force himself not to forget the circle was the three of them. “There was a part of me that found the very idea of that almost too charming to resist myself.”
“But you hadn’t agreed that Michael could take Devin?” Julia asked insistently.
Cameron scowled at her to imply she had begun to tread on family business.
“Excuse me for butting in,” she said. “But my experience in social service makes me ask. Do you realize that the kidnapping charge might be nullified if Fiona gave Michael permission for a trip?”
“Of course I didn’t give Michael permission to snatch my child, or to take him anywhere.” Fire flashed in Fiona’s eyes. “These last few weeks I haven’t allowed Devin to go off at all with Michael. With all this gold nonsense building up so, I didn’t feel right about it.”
“So, you’d say the gold adds an element of danger to the situation?” Julia acknowledged Cameron’s none too subtle throat-clearing with a glance, lowered her voice to a whisper and pressed on. “I wouldn’t ask, but I do understand the ins and outs of kids and the system. Having all the facts could make a critical difference.”
“Tis a curse on this family, that blasted gold is, I say.” Fiona hissed the last words, spilling out her anger against the source of her trouble.
“It and all the hoopla that surrounded it,” Cameron agreed, clenching his pen in one fisted hand while resting his other hand protectively over his sister-in-law’s wrist.
“Hoopla?” The word seemed to cast a cloud of confusion over Julia’s lovely face.
The waitress arrived and asked if she could clear away their plates. Cameron used the interruption to his advantage and asked her to box up his food. Not for him but for Julia, who he thought could do with another good meal between now and pay day.
As the waitress worked, Cameron pressed his back to the seat, tapped his pen to the paper and took a moment to weigh the situation.
Julia’s fine gaze never wavered from his. He’d seen his share of tough women, of smart women, and of kind to the core of their being women. The last kind got to him the most, probably because he felt they needed him the most. He stole a glance at Fiona who had just seen a lifetime of loyalty to Michael Shaughnessy repaid with treachery then at Julia again.
She had folded her arms, leaned back and fixed her eyes on him, waiting for him to explain. She wasn’t going to budge until he did. Tough, smart and kind all in one. And sexy even in jeans, a shabby sweater and shoes that should have gone to that great shoe tree in the sky months ago. It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself the luxury of finding any woman sexy.
Who was he kidding? He hadn’t allowed himself to see Julia that way, he couldn’t help it. Her hair, her skin, her lips, her…
“Hoopla?” The moment the waitress disappeared, Julia made a gesture to prod him to on. “You can’t say something like that and just leave it hanging, O’Dea.”
He laughed. It was time to tell her. She’d earned it. With her involvement, with her steadfast service of others, with her kind and caring heart and with her unwillingness to let him ‘leave anything hanging’, she had earned his trust. Well, for the most part.
The soft cushion sighed with the shift in weight. He folded his hands between his open
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