Souls ReAligned (16 page)

She tries to soak in as much as she can, knowing that tomorrow she’ll be heading home. It could be another very long time before she sees them again.

“Don’t look now,” Megan says to Olivia, as they walk along the property enjoying the garden. “I think your boyfriend has an admirer.”

Olivia looks toward the porch, where Rick and Ethan are enjoying a beer and doing some male bonding. Three-year-old Leila, with her long blondish curls, has climbed up on Ethan’s lap and stares up at him with her sparkling blue eyes. Leaning down, Ethan kisses her on the top of her head. Whispering something in her ear, he puts a mile wide smile on her face. Giggling loudly, she raises her hands to his cheeks, holding him still, while she reaches up and presses a tiny kiss on his lips. Olivia and Megan melt on the spot.

“That looks good on him,” Megan says, noticing her sister’s unsolicited maternal glow. “Have you found out any more about this girl who claims she’s pregnant?”

Olivia sighs and shakes her head softly, “No, he’s going back to Ireland on Monday to deal with it.”

“So how do you feel about it?” she asks curiously.

“Confused. Supportively conflicted in a possessive kind of way.”

Megan makes a face at her sister, “Okay, whatever that means.”

“He was so angry when he found out about it. We haven’t really discussed what it means for us going forward. He’s convinced that it’s not his baby, so I’m sure he’s hasn’t given it any thought. He’s made it perfectly clear that his relationship with his ex is over. I know him well enough to know that, if this is his baby, he’ll look after them financially. Up until now, I assumed that would be the extent of his involvement. But, look at him Meg. He may be angry that it’s a pregnancy that he didn’t plan for, but he’s
not
the kind of guy that walks away and has no involvement with his child.”

Megan glances back at Ethan and watches the way that he is with Leila, “I have to agree with you there. That’s a good thing right?”

“Yes, it’s good that he’s that kind of man. But that means that his ex will now be a part of his life for many years, and I’m going to have to find a way to deal with that.”

“I’m assuming you’ll find a way to do that after the conversation we had last night.”

“Do you really believe that soul mates exist, Meg?”

“Honey, you already know that I believe it. What do you believe?” Megan reaches down and takes her sister’s hand, swinging it between them as they continue to walk.

“I could probably dismiss the psychic as a lucky guess or coincidence. How do I explain the dreams; or memories, if that’s what they are? Ethan can’t explain it either.”

“I have to admit, it’s pretty freaky that he has had the same dreams as you,” Megan admits.

“He’s told me before that he feels like our souls are tangled together, like we’re marked for each other. At first, I just thought he was just saying that to try to get into my pants because… well, because he’s Ethan, and he’s the horniest Irish man I’ve ever met.”

Stopping to giggle, they look at each with the understanding and love that could only pass between sisters.

“I didn’t want to admit it before, Meg. But I felt something, the moment I saw him. I should have been running in the opposite direction, but something reeled me in. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not subtle at all, but then nothing about Ethan ever is. Sometimes I feel like the elastic on a paddle ball.”

Megan’s eyes start to tear up as she embraces her sister, “Olivia, I know it’s hard for you. Don’t keep trying to talk yourself out of it. If it feels right to you, then you need to stop fighting it and
believe
.”

Finishing their walk around the far side of the property, they make their way around the side of the porch. Olivia’s heart stands still. Leila is pressed against Ethan’s chest, tucked safely under his chin, sound asleep. He cradles her gently in his arms; occasionally brushing her curls away from her face, while he talks to Rick about cars, sports, and other manly stuff. Glancing over at Olivia, he smiles, making her fall even harder for him. At that moment there’s no denying what this feeling is. It’s love.

The girls serve an awesome dinner, ensuring that everybody’s stomachs are full. The conversation is full of laughter and embarrassing stories of Olivia’s childhood. Somewhere in the middle of the meal, Leila wriggles herself back onto Ethan’s knee. He finishes his dinner, eating with one hand; holding her safely on his lap with the other. He doesn’t complain once. He just does it as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him, but then, maybe it is. He had been left at an early age to raise three younger sisters, practically on his own.

The kids have taken off to play, leaving everyone to relax. After a few short minutes, five-year-old Trent comes around the corner of the house crying and dragging his bike. Ethan and Rick immediately jump into action. Picking up the bike, Rick takes it into the garage to fix the chain. Ethan follows, lifting Trent up to set him on the workbench, instinctively tending to the scraped knee. The girls watch from the porch.

“Olivia, that man is amazing and I’m begging you right now… Marry him.”

Olivia’s mouth drops open and her eyes widen in shock. “WHAT?”

Suddenly the baby’s crying comes through the monitor. Megan laughs, as she excuses herself to go tend to him. Olivia watches as Ethan sets Trent back down on the ground, roughing up his hair in that manly way of letting a boy know that he’ll survive his injury. Following Trent out of the garage, he keeps an eye on him while Rick fixes the bike.

Olivia takes a good long look at her man. His pocketed cargo pants fit loosely over his hips and thighs. A fabric belt is cinched tightly at the waist to help keep them up. The cotton military designed shirt is buttoned all the way down, but untucked. It has pockets and straps adorned with bright brassy buttons and a silkscreened military sergeant rank that matches the mark on the front of his cap. All of that on his well-defined muscular body.
Holy Hell, the man looks HOT!

Rick walks around the far side of the garage and down the bike trail to go looking for whatever it was that caused Trent to fall.

Ethan stands alone, leaning against the fence rail with his legs crossed at the ankles. Holding a bottle of beer, he watches the kids play in the warm sunshine. Olivia stares at him for quite some time before he senses her gaze and looks towards her.

Approaching him with all the grace of a woman on a mission, she gives him a sweeping kiss on the lips. When he stands upright, she darts under his arm quickly moving behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she presses herself firmly against his back.

Moving her lips to his ear, she whispers, “You look very sexy, Mr. O’Connell.”

His body immediately responds to her touch, “I’m glad you like what you see.”

She bites playfully at his earlobe, before brushing her lips along his neck, gently exhaling her warm breath against his skin. The hair on the back of his neck stands straight up as he becomes aroused.

“Oh, I really like what I see.” Scanning the yard, she quickly makes sure that no one’s paying attention. Rubbing her hands down the hard width of his back, smoothing her palms over his perfectly round ass cheeks she gives them a firm squeeze. “I like it so much… it makes me want to
report for duty,
SIR!”

Ethan lets out a feral growl, “Do you know what it does to me when you talk like that?” Cautiously looking around to make sure they’re alone, he grabs her hand and pulls it around him, rubbing it down the front of his pants, “See how hard you’ve made me?”

Olivia can’t help herself, she rubs her hand along his hardening cock with more pressure, “I’ve been a naughty girl, and I should be punished, Sir!”

Ethan looks around, painfully aware of their surroundings, “What’s your sister going to think if she comes outside and sees me with this raging hard-on?”

Olivia smiles and presses her lips against his ear again, “Well, I suppose she’ll think… look at that guy with the giant boner. He must have it bad for my little sister.”

She laughs as he pulls her around in front of him, moving in for a long sensual kiss that sets her on fire.

“She would be right. I have it bad. So bad I might just have to drag you into the woods and try to relieve this aching hard-on you’ve given me.”

Just then, Trent calls out in excitement, “Auntie Olivia come and see... we found a frog!”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

Olivia stands in front of Ethan using her body to shield his
predicament
. She’s surprised at how quickly it softens, as Trent approaches.

Trent takes her hand and tugs on it firmly. Quickly she turns to Ethan with a smile, “Well, at least I know how to turn you off now.”

“Kids are definitely a turn off for me,” he says with an odd expression.

“Good to know.” She wonders, as she’s dragged away, what he means by that. He’s so good with kids, could he possibly mean that he doesn’t want any of his own? Ever? It might be too late for that unfortunately, thanks to Jessica.

Olivia hurries over to pick up the baby when Megan joins them outside, “I’ve been waiting to see you, little one.” She’s glowing as she plays with him, kissing and tickling and making him giggle. Ethan stares at her, admiring her beauty. The browns and golds overpower the shade of green in her eyes as they sparkle under the filtered sunlight. He can’t get enough of those hazel eyes. Every time he looks into them, it’s as if some magical metamorphosis has taken place. They’re like colors in a kaleidoscope. He’s intrigued by each change, as if it somehow unlocks dark secrets that she’s been guarding. He wonders if she’ll ever tell him the entire truth about those secrets.

The baby squirms to get down and fusses, “What do you want, Marcus?”

“Down.” He points to the other kids.

“Ah, okay, let’s go play.” She stands him on his feet, taking his hand as he toddles towards his siblings. Olivia sits on the grass beside them playing with the frog, leaving Megan and Ethan alone. Megan begins to stack up dirty dishes and clears the table.

“Let me help,” Ethan offers.

Joining her in the kitchen, he scrapes plates into the garbage as she fills the sink with warm soapy dishwater.

“My sister looks very happy, Ethan. I suppose I have you to thank for that?”

“I find that hard to believe,” he muses. “She doesn’t seem to like me very much most of the time.” He leans in closer and confides in her, “She’s always angry at me for some reason,” he jokes.

“Don’t be fooled by her sharp tongue and stubborn ways. I hear that, all of a sudden, she’s going to soccer games and meeting with her friends at the bar. That’s because of you! She can’t take her eyes off you. And she doesn’t stop smiling when you’re near.”

“She has a beautiful smile,” he acknowledges.

“You have no idea how good it is to hear her laugh again,” Megan takes a deep breath starting to feel a little emotional.

“Yeah, well… she’s laughing AT me most of the time.” Shaking his head as he passes her dishes, he gives her that charming smile.

Megan smiles back at him then her expression changes, conveying her concern.

“Ethan… do you know what happened to her? Has she told you about Sam?”

He’s somewhat unnerved by the sudden change in subject. “I know how he hurt her, yes. I’ve comforted her through the nightmares, and I’ve seen the scars.”

Megan sighs and shakes her head. She stops washing dishes and turns toward him, “There’s so much more than the physical scars, Ethan.”

Putting down the tea towel, he gives her his full attention. Thankful that he’s about to get insight into Olivia James, that only a sister could provide.

Megan hesitates, wondering what consequences might follow if she tells him the truth, but he needs to know. “Olivia believes that she’s not worthy of love.”

“What?” Her statement hits him full force, like a punch to the stomach that he didn’t see coming.

“She believes that there’s a reason that all the men in her life have been cruel and vicious. That it’s some kind of punishment.”

“Punishment for what?” Scowling, he can’t even fathom the thought.

Meghan sighs and her shoulders slump, her eyes looking sad. “For some kind of horrible character flaw that nobody sees but her.”

He’s dumbfounded. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Maybe so, but she actually believes that she’s done something, in this life or another, to deserve a life void of love.”

Ethan curses under his breath, his shoulders tensing at the thought.

“After Sam, Olivia was different,” Megan continues to explain. “Distant. She stopped going out, except for work. She barely ate. Never smiled. She gave up sports and her friends. She stopped living.” She looks up at Ethan to find him listening very attentively. “Until she met you Ethan,” she chokes on the emotions stirring inside her. Reaching over, Ethan takes her hand and grips it tightly, trying to console her.

“She was only a shadow of the woman she used to be… until you showed up.” “When you’re around her, I can see it… it’s like new life has begun. Like, she’s learned how to breathe again.”

Ethan feels an odd sense of relief. Finally, the honest truth about the real Olivia James! Now he knows what he’s dealing with. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”

Megan can’t end the conversation without making a plea on her sister’s behalf, “Please, Ethan, if you’re not looking for… well, if you’re not in it for the long haul, then please let her go now, before it’s too late.” Suddenly feeling the weight of the conversation, Megan feels horrible for springing this on him during their first meeting, “Well, now that I’ve completely ruined the mood, let’s have cake and ice cream.” Opening the drawer, she reaches for forks, then stops, glancing back over at him, “Ethan, thank you for bringing her to visit.”

“It’s the least I can do. I wish that she would let me do more.” He offers his own confession, “Megan, I want you to know that I love your sister. I live only to make her happy. I’d be incomplete without her.”

Megan believes everything he says. She would have, even if he didn’t have that sincere Irish brogue. She can see it in his eyes. Her heart swells with his confession of love for her sister. Throwing her arms around him, she welcomes him to the family with a warm embrace.

“Ahem,” Olivia clears her throat. Crossing her arms in front of her, she announces that she’s standing at the door witnessing their embrace.

Startled, Megan lets go of him and turns to see her sister’s annoyed gesture.

“Seriously, Ireland? I’m out of sight for ten minutes, and you’re hitting on my sister?”

Ethan smiles, knowing that she’s teasing.

Megan on the other hand begins to panic, “Olivia, it’s not what you think. I was just welcoming him to the family.”

Ethan pushes past Megan and grabs Olivia around the waist. “Come on, Baby. You know I’d never leave you for your sister.” He turns and winks at Megan.

“No?” Olivia asks, playing along and trying not to smile.

“Of course not! How could I choose between you two beautiful women? If anything I’d take you both on… maybe a little threesome action.”

Olivia covers her mouth with her hand. She can’t hold in the laughter when her sister gasps out loud.

It takes Megan a minute to catch on, “Oh, I get it. It’s hilarious to tease poor naïve Megan.” Narrowing her eyes, she looks between the two of them. “Obviously you two were made for each other.”

Olivia laughs and turns to Ethan, “John said the same thing to me the other day.”

“You must have been giving him a hard time,” Ethan chuckles.

She flutters her eyelashes at him innocently, “Possibly.”

Smiling, Ethan shakes his head. When he returns his attention to Megan, she’s scowling at him with her arms crossed. Turning on his thick Irish brogue, he uses his charm to get him out of trouble, “I’m so sorry, Love. I couldn’t help myself.” Grabbing a piece of cake off the plate with his fingers, he takes a bite as he follows her outside to the patio table. “Mmmmm. This is the most delicious cake I’ve ever had,” he says, licking his fingers. “How do you get it so moist and fluffy?”

Megan melts and forgives him, just as he’d intended. She rants about her recipe and cooking techniques, while Ethan pretends to be enthralled with the conversation. Occasionally he looks over at Rick who is desperately trying not to laugh. Olivia sits back in one of the patio chairs and smirks. This is her man. All hers. She has no idea what she’s done to deserve him… or why he stays with her, but she’s through with questioning it.

Everyone is enjoying dessert and talking about what a lovely visit it’s been when Megan starts to get emotional, and tears trickle down her cheeks.

“What’s the matter Meg?” Olivia asks concerned, as she gets to her feet.

“I just wish…” she’s all choked up and Rick moves to her side. “I just wish that Mom and Dad could be here. I miss them so much and it breaks my heart that my kids will never know them.” Rick pulls her into a hug and consoles her gently.

Ethan reaches down and grasps Olivia’s hand, squeezing it tightly. It’s a very private and emotional moment. She tries to fight the tears, but one escapes and rolls down her cheek. Watching her struggle to contain her emotions he slides behind her and wraps his arms all the way around her rib cage. Lowering his chin to her temple, he gently rocks her in his arms. When she leans back, letting him support her, he kisses her neck and her shoulder, holding her tighter.