Seems the two of them had something in common: a lack of faith in their fellow man. Or woman.
Same cause, of course. Some wounds never healed.
Conall frowned. Desmond had lost his father, but he would grow up secure, knowing he was loved. So would Anna and Fiona. Rowan and Niall’s baby, when it came along. Conall identified one of those strange emotions that had been pressing against his breastbone as if making a place for itself, even though he still didn’t know what to call it. Faith? Belief? Not in God, but in a truly loving family. The one thing he’d been most cynical about. Probably it shouldn’t have surprised him that Duncan the perfect had been able to form a family like that. After all, he was the man who would never fail anyone who depended on him. But Niall had managed the trick as well.
And then there was Lia, giving her all to frightened kids who had no one else.
He moved restlessly, not wanting to think about this.
Neither of his brothers had said anything, but both were watching him.
“We going to finish this game or not?” he asked, his edgy mood coming out in his voice.
Niall rose from his chair, whacked Conall on the back and called, “Hey, team! Let’s get back on that field and prove what the MacLachlans are made of.”
A sharp cramp of envy disconcerted Conall. He was the only MacLachlan on his team. And, damn it, for a split second he wanted to change that.
He laughed and raised his voice. “Come on, gang, let’s keep kicking their butts. Seems to me I’m up to bat.”
Duncan snorted and said, “Guess I’d better step in as catcher so Niall could put some heat on those pitches.”
Conall snorted. “Does he have any?”
The boys had gotten close enough to hear the exchange. They hooted, and Desmond stuck his chin out. “My dad’s a good pitcher.”
Niall pulled him close for a one-armed hug.
More of that funny feeling Conall didn’t want to think about. He grabbed a bat and called, “Better get ready to visit the cow pasture again, Jane.”
Everyone got into position. Conall took a few practice swings then stepped up to the plate, cocky, ready for his brother’s first pitch.
CHAPTER NINE
CONALL HAD NEVER been obsessed with a woman before. He thought about Lia as he was waiting for sleep, and first thing in the morning. He could hardly wait to see her. The sound of her voice coming from another room was as tactile as a touch. Every other day, when it was Jeff’s turn to eat dinner downstairs, Conall felt resentful and sulky, banished to the attic.
It was ridiculous and embarrassing. So, okay, he wanted her. There had been women he’d wanted and not had. Maybe not one he had to share quarters with for weeks on end, but he could have avoided her more than he did. He was the idiot who’d taken to playing house with a beautiful woman and a couple of boys who reminded him uncomfortably of himself at their ages, not to mention a pretty, sometimes shy teenage girl who also, if he wasn’t mistaken, was suppressing a whole lot of anger and anxiety.
What he should do was start spending more time in the attic and less downstairs. He could do it gradually, so as not to hurt the boys’ feelings.
Conall couldn’t make himself do what he should do. Damn it, he was having fun with Walker and Brendan. What’s more, he was good for them. They were blossoming by the day. Truth was, he’d miss them when he left.
And Lia. Damn it, he’d miss Lia. He’d never missed a woman before, either. Not even his mother.
He relived the scene in the dark hall a hundred times, but in his imagination his mouth caught hers. He found out what she tasted like, what sounds she’d make, whether her mouth would soften, how she’d feel pressed up to him. Unfortunately, his fantasies weren’t healthy for a man trying to fall asleep. They weren’t great when he was spending so much time around a bunch of kids, either. He was willing to talk about almost anything with them, but would prefer not to include sex as one of those topics.
Today, he was pouring his usual late-morning bowl of cereal when he heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. Conall stiffened slightly, bracing himself for his reaction to Lia when he turned around. It was the boys, though, not her, and he relaxed. “Hey.”