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“Thanks.” Startled out of her ruminations over Jack, she returned her attention to the photographs staring blankly at her. “I’m just not sure I like them enough to show them to Veronica at the gallery or even bother entering at the State Fair.”
“They are good.” Her grandmother stepped into the room. “But you want something better.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Perhaps,” her grandmother smiled at the photos before turning to face her, “you might consider something with more of a statement?”
That made Siobhan frown in thought. Statement? Her mind ran to grittier, darker, meaningful. At the park where she’d taken the photos of the curious squirrels, there’d been a playground. A bit run down, but still in use. Yes. Siobhan nodded, deciding at the moment to hurry out. “I’ve got an idea. I won’t be home too late. I need to take a few more shots and add them to the portfolio before my meeting tomorrow afternoon.”
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Lila Conroe Baron smiled at her. “It’s the Baron way. We’re never satisfied with mediocre.”
Tucked away at one end of the park, the forlorn playground stood empty. Already she could picture the shots she wanted. Hopefully, these would do the trick. She set her camera bags on a nearby bench while she considered the light, the equipment, and what she hoped to achieve. A woman with a dog on a leash and a little girl in a stroller walked by the perimeter of the playground. The little girl stretched her arm over the side of the stroller, calling for her mom to stop.
“Five minutes,” the woman told the little girl.
Siobhan watched as the child climbed onto the rocking hippo that had seen better days, then scurried over to one of those old-fashioned carousels. The kind that had been removed from most playgrounds in more upscale neighborhoods. The little girl grabbed onto the handle and ran around making it spin, giggling like, well, a happy little girl. Siobhan couldn’t resist and snapped a photo, one after the other. She’d have to get a release if she intended to use these for professional purposes. As the mother notified the child that she had one minute left, Siobhan ran up to her and handed the mom a business card. At the end of the minute, she had the woman’s name and phone number to contact in the event she did indeed choose one of these photos for the show. That is, if Veronica agreed.
The playground empty again, Siobhan began clicking away at the paint chipped monkey bars, imagining the day when the equipment was shiny and new and most likely crawling with neighborhood children. Over her shoulder she heard voices and glanced behind her. Two young men in jeans and ball caps were walking in her direction from the parking lot. A little old for the playground was the first thing to cross her mind. The next thought she reminded herself, whatever they were up to was none of her business.
Returning to her camera lens, one of the guys muttered a hello, and she barely dared to nod at them. A moment later they took seats on a bench across from where she was. They could have chosen ten other benches. Why did they need to be by her? The hairs on the back of her neck rising, she gathered her equipment and moved to the other side of the playground. The light would be more challenging, but at least she’d put some distance between herself and the two guys.
A few mediocre photos later, another muttered word she couldn’t quite make out and she realized the men were seated across from her again. What flustered her more than their presence was that they were perfectly planted between her and the exit route to her car.
Using her lens to examine her exit routes without drawing suspicion, something in her gut told her she really should have brought someone with her. Letting her camera dangle around her neck, she pulled out her phone to call…who? Speed dialing the Governor, the call went straight to voicemail. The men stood and moved one bench closer. She didn’t like that one bit. Tapping hard at her keyboard, she called the one person she knew she could trust as much as her own kin. Jack.
Feeling like a heroine in a cheap horror flick who was too stupid to save herself, she linked her arm through the camera bag strap, ready to wield it like a weapon. On the other end, the phone rang once, twice, and she looked away from the men. No one else in view, her car so far out of the way, her palms beginning to sweat. “Come on, Jack.”
That kiss. Jack wished he could stop thinking about Siobhan and that mind-blowing kiss. If he somehow managed to push away the memory of how her lips felt against his, then other visions of Siobhan crept into his head. The way she smiled when she held a baby, the way her voice softened and her eyes sparkled when she talked on the phone to her mama, the way she willingly jumps in where needed, whether helping a mom with a stroller or saying a silent prayer. All of it made his insides go soft and his heart want to dance.
Everything new he learned about her continued to highlight just how special she was. Not that it mattered. Days had gone by and he hadn’t called her. Instead, he’d dunked himself in work. Those same Irish eyes that drove him crazy with light and laughter were probably spewing daggers at the thought of him. Who kissed a girl then went silent? And his best friend’s sister, no less. There was no excuse for crossing the line and kissing her, never mind going silent afterward. He was behaving like a teenager.
What he needed to do was make time to talk to her brothers. There would be no going forward without declaring his intentions to them first. Of course, that required he knew what his intentions were and right now, he couldn’t be more confused if he really were still a teenager. Tonight. At the benefit. Normally, a public gathering was not the ideal place for this type of conversation, but the risk of one or all of her siblings killing him in front of witnesses was greatly decreased.
On his desk at his side, his phone buzzed, pulling him out of his thoughts. Siobhan’s name came onto his screen, making him smile. Maybe she wasn’t mad at him after all. “Hello.”
“Jack. I need your help.”
The desperation in her voice grabbed him by the throat and propelled him to the edge of his seat. “Always. What’s wrong?”
“I’m back at the playground near the park not far from your place. There are some men here and they are making me nervous.”
Phone to his ear, he’d already grabbed his keys and was halfway to the front door. “I know where you are. Put me on hold and call 911.”
“But they haven’t done anything, I mean, besides creep me out.”
“Trust your instincts. Can you get to your car?”
“No, that’s the problem. They keep shifting to stay in between me and the parking lot.”
“Hold tight. I’m getting into my car now. Be there in five minutes.” A sense of panic raced up Jack’s spine. A simple visit to the park could easily turn into tonight’s six o’clock news headline. He didn’t like it one bit. “Don’t hang up.”
“I won’t.” Her voice sounded so small, so unlike the bright vivacious woman he’d gotten to know over the last week. “Jack?”
Silently, he cussed at the last red light between him and the park. “Yes?”
“I’m scared.” She spoke so softly, he almost couldn’t hear her.
“I’m almost there. It will be fine.” It has to be. Suddenly, he knew exactly what his intentions toward Siobhan were; everything he’d ever avoided, commitment, home, hearth, and lots of children with her fiery red hair and bright smile.
