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His heart slammed a rapid beat against his ribs. Blasted Houston traffic. He needed to get to Siobhan—now.
The minutes ticked away as Jack kept her talking. Asking why she was at the park? Had she gotten any good pictures? She answered each question as he ignored the speed limit and took the turn into the parking lot on two wheels. Shoving the car in park, he had the door open and bolted toward the playground, desperately searching for her.
A sigh of relief struck when he spotted her on a bench, still talking to him, followed by a rush of adrenaline as the two men in question seemed to be closing in on her.
“Hey, honey. Sorry I’m late.” He waved his arm and eased his pace to a slow gallop.
She smiled his way. The fear in Siobhan’s eyes scraped his heart into pieces. He touched her arm and relief sprung into those beautiful eyes.
The two men froze in place and turned to look him up and down. At least, if this was about to get messy, he had size on his side. And a few pounds.
Choosing to pretend he wasn’t here to rescue his damsel in distress, he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet, planting another all too brief kiss on her lips. As much as he wanted to keep her pressed against him, he needed to keep an eye on the reason he was here. To his relief, both men took a few steps in retreat. Jack’s fingers skipped down her arm and grabbing her hand, laced their fingers together, ready to make a run for it if needed.
“I want to go home.” She kept her eyes leveled with his. “Can we get out of here?”
“Absolutely. Stick with me.”
She nodded, and he surveyed their surroundings. The two guys had fallen back to the park periphery and away from them. “Thanks, Jack. I appreciate you coming to the rescue for what was probably nothing.”
“Know that you can always count on me.” Taking another moment to watch the two men walking away toward a crop of trees, somehow, Jack had no doubt those two were up to no good. He didn’t even want to consider what could have happened to Siobhan if he hadn’t been working from home today.
“Just what I needed.” She forced a stronger smile. “Another big brother.”
“Not at all.” He closed her small fist in his. “You got any plans tonight?”
She sighed. “Whole family is going to Mitch’s fundraiser.”
“Come with me?”
“With you?”
He nodded. “Be my date?”
“Date?”
Again, he nodded, trying not to feel horribly insecure at her hesitant reaction. “I promise to behave.”
That elicited the deep laugh he was hoping for. “Not so sure that’s a good thing, but yes. I’d be happy to be your date. Only, I have a bunch of things to take care of, is it okay if I meet you there?”
“Whatever the lady wants.” As much as it went against his mother’s upbringing to not pick a date up at her door, having a bit of time to speak with her siblings would be a good thing. Or, if things went south, at least she wouldn’t have to witness her brothers committing murder.
Chapter Twelve
The first stop after the park for Siobhan was the gallery. Overflowing with trendy cafes, boutiques, and new-age stores, the ever-growing arts section of Houston was on her way home. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, fueled by her excitement over today’s photos and tonight’s prospects; she simply couldn’t wait to show Veronica. Loaded with a stack of photos and what was on her camera, she pushed the front door open.
The dinging of the front door brought the gallery owner out from her office in the back. “Siobhan, so good to see you.”
“Glad you were available to see me on short notice. I’m excited about a few pictures.”
Siobhan laid out the ones she’d printed on a table in the office. The woman mulled over them, nodding and sighing and pressing her lips together, she looked up at Siobhan. “What else?”
Now she wished she’d waited to call Veronica until after she’d printed the photos from the park. Pulling out her camera, she scrolled to today’s shoot and handed it over to Veronica.
A little brighter with each swipe through what Siobhan had taken that day, a slow smile hovered on the woman’s face. “I love these.”
Siobhan let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you.”
“I have a Belgian artist scheduled for a one-woman show in three weeks. She’s had some trouble with her visas. We’re going to have to cancel.” Veronica strolled around her desk and flipped through a calendar. Her finger still on the page, she lifted her gaze to meet Siobhan’s. “Want her spot?”
