| �So, you still playing the field?� Harold placed the coffee cup upon the table. It�s not that he was worried about his brother, but Brian did have a reputation with the ladies and he couldn�t help but notice heads turn when they had entered the restaurant over an hour ago. �Mom, right?� Brian questioned him. Harold nodded. �You can�t blame her Brian.� Harold defended their mother�s request. �She�s concerned about you.� The waiter came and refilled both their cups. �You think I enjoy this?� Brian wagered and noting the look on his brother�s face he countered, �don�t answer that.� �Look, I�m not going to tout the Christian perspective on your sex life, but don�t you want to settle down, start a family?� �Of course I do. Honestly, Harold, this dating thing is highly overrated. I�ve actually not been out with a woman in a few weeks and I don�t feel like I�m missing anything.� He looked across the room to see some girl staring at him. She waved and he turned his attention back to his brother. Harold watched the exchange and grinned. He would have never thought that his baby brother would be so eagerly pursued by the eligible female population of Lexington. Brian hadn�t been out since that fiasco a few weeks ago. He�d been so busy at the farm that he didn�t have the energy to pursue any female companionship. Besides there was no use, when Moire�s face was dotting his dreams. �Tell mom, not to worry about me. I�m fine.� The words had no sooner left his lips than a shapely red head approached the table. �Brian, where have you been? I thought you would call me.� She pouted a bit and turned and smiled at Harold. �Hi, I�m Lisa.� �Harold,� he extended his hand. �Brian�s brother.� �Oh the minister, Brian has spoken about you.� Harold raised his eyebrows at Brian and the younger man just shrugged his shoulders and grinned. She turned back to Brian. �I miss you, sweetie. Call me, we always have such a good time.� She winked at him and leaning over kissed his cheek. Brian�s face flushed at her overt gesture. She smiled at Harold. �Nice to meet you.� And then she was gone. �Sweetie?� Harold mimicked and Brian glared at him. The people sitting around them had observed the display and once Lisa left they all resumed their respective conversations. �So you two have a good time together.� Harold was enjoying giving Brian a ribbing as he watched his brother squirm in the chair. �Oh Lisa knows how to have a good time, that�s for sure.� Brian gulped down half the glass of water and pulled at the collar of his shirt. �Let�s get out of here.� He motioned for the waiter to bring the bill. �So how many girls have there been?� Harold went to take the check but Brian got it first. �My treat and too many. I�m tired of the superficial conversation and big egos. I�ll stay single before I get involved like that again.� He threw some bills on the table and they headed for the door. As they neared the entrance there was a bit of a commotion in the small lounge to the left of the door. Brian happened to look in and see the bartender arguing with a young woman. �Let me have another one, please,� the girl leaned over the bar, �I have plenty of money, see?� She opened her purse and withdrew a wad of bills, which the bartender quickly stuffed back in her bag. �Sorry young lady, but you have had enough. I�ll need to call you cab. Where do you live?� She ignored him as she leaned over the counter to try and get the bottle. As she did so, the stool went out from under her and she landed on the floor. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ She felt the stool give way and luckily didn�t hit her chin on the edge of bar as she descended to the floor. She was dazed partly from the fall, but the alcohol she had consumed was beginning to take its toll as well. Damn her father! He had returned home, invigorated from his time away and, as if he had never left, he picked up his regime of hits on the small landowners. They had argued again and Moire stormed out of the house. She had driven around for a while and stopped here with the intentions of one glass of wine. But when she walked up to the bar she threw caution to the wind. She downed quite a few scotches even though she hated the stuff and now the room was spinning. She tried to stand but found her legs to be unwilling to support her. In the midst of her stupor she felt someone grasp under her arms and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes. Brian didn�t hesitate and rushed to her side as she fell to the floor. It was only when he reached her that he recognized Moire. Harold watched as his brother hovered over the girl and noticed that there was more than common concern involved. �Is she okay,� Harold inquired as he came upon them. �I think so,� Brian said as he looked over Moire. �Seems she had just had a bit too much to drink.� He looked up at the bartender, who nodded. �What does she owe?� Brian asked him. �Nothing. She was paid up. I was going to call a cab.� �Don�t bother. I�ll see she gets home.� With Brian taking over, the bartender nodded in agreement and went back to tending his customers. �Want to give me a hand,� he looked at his brother. Harold helped him get Moire to her feet but no sooner did they have her standing than she began to collapse again. They caught her in time to prevent a second fall and Brian gathered her into his arms and they left the restaurant. �You sure you want to do this?� Harold asked as Brian put Moire into his car, buckling her in. Her head was tilted back and resting on the headrest of the seat. �I�ll take her home. She�ll be fine.� He held out his hand to his brother. �Thanks, Harold.� �Come here,� Harold took him into his arms and gave him a hug. �I know you are all grown up, but you are still my baby brother. So if you need anything,� Brian laughed, �I mean in it Brian, anything, you call.� He looked in the car at Moire. �You know her, don�t you?� �Yes.� Brian followed his gaze. �She�s Colin Fitzgerald�s daughter.� Harold raised his eyebrows at the revelation. �Oh boy,� Harold said concerned at Brian�s involvement. �Maybe this isn�t such a good idea considering the relationship between you and her father.� �I�ll be fine. Go ahead, you have a family waiting for you.� Brian hugged him again. �Give my love to everyone and kiss mom for me.� Harold nodded and watched as Brian got in his car and waved. He sure hoped Brian knew what he was doing. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Moire had fallen asleep. Brian started the car and she roused a bit but then he could hear her snoring as once again sleep overtook her. He knew he had to take her home, but driving onto Fitzgerald property could cause some problems and if she wasn�t ambulatory, he knew he couldn�t very well carry her into the house. All this ran through his mind as he drove out of town. It was a clear, warm night, almost perfect. He glanced across at his passenger; it seemed that they were destined to keep meeting each other. She was mumbling something and then slowly opened her eyes. �Where�what�O God I think I�m going to be sick.� Moire put her hand to her mouth. Brian pulled over to the side of the road and Moire opened the door and got out but not before she soiled her clothes as she threw up. She gulped in some fresh air. �I�m okay now, I just want to sleep.� She turned towards the car. �Well, we are almost to your house,� Brian said as he helped her in the car. �I�I can�t go home. Please.� Her breath nearly knocked him over and he stood up and took a deep breath as he walked around the car and got in. �Well then where do you want to go?� He looked over at her and could see that she was falling asleep again. �Moire?� He touched her arm but she didn�t respond. �Moire?� �Can�t go home,� she murmured. �Hate my father, can�t go home.� He didn�t know any of her friends and he couldn�t just leave her on her father�s doorstep. And obviously something had transpired between them. Not knowing what else to do, he bypassed the Fitzgerald farm and headed on home. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Brian turned out the light. Moire had curled up on her side. In all probability she would now sleep through the night. He closed the door and went downstairs. When they arrived at his place he carried her into the house. Her clothes reeked and he had to hold his breath until he set her down on the bed in the guestroom. But as soon as Moire lay down, she woke, feeling sick again. She ran into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later looking the worse for wear. He suggested she removed her clothes but she ignored him and got into bed. So he gingerly took off her slacks and blouse holding them at arms length. The sight of her in only her lace bra and panties caused his blood to pulse rapidly through his veins. He pulled up the sheet and thin blanket and reluctantly left the room. She would have some headache in the morning. Brian rinsed out Moire�s clothes and hung them outside. They would need a good cleaning but at least the smell was gone. He took a beer from the fridge and went out on the back porch. He settled into the wooden chair and sipped from the bottle. He was definitely in a precarious situation. For all their good intentions of not seeing each other, somehow circumstances kept bringing them together. The moon slipped behind a cloud casting darkness across the yard and barns. Obviously her argument with her father had been significant to cause her to bring on a drinking binge. Brian closed his eyes and the image of Moire in her underwear floated in front of him like she was right there in his midst. He felt his heart beat faster and his desire rise. There had been so many before her, but none haunted him like she did. She was only a woman, like any other woman. He laughed. Who was he kidding? Maybe this was some kind of omen, but where could it lead. Fitzgerald would never tolerate him dating his daughter. He had to admit that up until now he had never looked beyond his companion�s physical attributes. But Moire, as much as he would like to feel her supple curves, she offered more than any other he had been with in a long time. Maybe it was time to forget about the consequences and see if there was really something between them. He thought back to a few weeks ago and how he had almost kissed her in the meadow. She had seemed willing; almost anxious as he remembered her head tilted and her eyes closed in anticipation. He would have to move cautiously but spending more time with Moire wouldn�t be a hardship. His next move would depend on how Moire reacted in the morning. He went back into the house and locked up. He checked in on his guest and found her sleeping soundly. Brian closed the door and went down the hall. Yes, tomorrow would give him a better idea of how he should proceed. |