Glancing to the side, it wasn’t as though she didn’t want to hold his hand but wanted it to happen only if he really wanted it.
After a moment of silence, he was the first to break it. “So, hanging about streets alone outside of bars at night isn’t typical for you?”
“With my family? That’s what’s so crazy about what I was doing. Believe me, safety has been drilled into me since I was very young.”
“From your family?”
Nodding, she rolled her eyes. With her hands in front of her, she ticked off her fingers one by one. “Let’s see, my father is a former FBI investigator. My oldest brother, Detective Sean. My next oldest brother, Detective Kyle. My next brother, Paramedic Rory. My brother-in-law, Detective Carter.” Looking up at him she laughed. “Getting the picture?”
“Oh, hell yeah.”
Shaking her head, she added, “That’s not all.” Continuing to tick off her fingers, she said, “Our closest family friends and nextdoor neighbors are Hope City Police Commissioner Chauncey King, and his sons and a few daughters-in-law are all in law enforcement as well. Believe me, as the baby of the group, I’ve had all the lectures and all the warnings.”
“So, you’re the baby. That’s why you remind me of my youngest sister.”
Reminding him of his sister was hardly the effect she’d hoped to have on him. The last thing she wanted him to feel for her was brotherly.
12
As soon as the words “you remind me of my youngest sister” left his mouth, Griffin winced. His attraction to Caitlyn was definitely not sisterly. Quite the contrary. Even in the crowded pub, it was as though an electrical vibration moved through him that caused him to search the crowd for its source. When his gaze had landed on the dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
The Celtic Cock was not a bar he generally frequented, but when Andrew had asked him to join a game of pool before taking them home, he’d discovered the pub vibe to be welcoming. A great number of patrons appeared to be first responders, something that boded well for the pub being able to handle the crowd and keep everyone orderly.
A tingle hit the back of his neck, and he’d turned to discern the cause. As soon as he’d spied Caitlyn, his attention was no longer on the pool game but riveted on her. He’d noted she was with friends, not a date. He’d watched the four women catch the eyes of many men, but no one approached. Now that he knew her connection to the Hope City law enforcement, he could easily assume she was well known amongst the patrons.
He couldn’t tell if her blue silky blouse was the same color as her eyes or if her eyes reflected the color perfectly. Either way, he was mesmerized. He watched her smile, her eyes warm on her friends. She’d laugh, throwing her head back with enjoyment. Her dark hair swung about her shoulders with the movement.
The stylish blonde at her table left first, shortly followed by another. As Caitlyn and the last woman left, he imagined they were related considering they looked so much alike.
No longer interested in the pool game, he told Andrew that he was going to step outside, wanting to make sure she made it to her car safely. When he did, he watched Caitlyn walk the other woman to her car before she crossed the street. But instead of getting in immediately, she stood and stared into the distance. The expression on her face, illuminated by the streetlight, made him think that she was miles away. He couldn’t believe that she was so lost in thought that she barely heard him approach. He hated that she thought he was a grouch, but the idea of who might have caught her unaware and vulnerable… His jaw clenched tight at the thought. If that had been his sister… Shit…
Caitlyn was now staring up at him, disappointment moving through her eyes, and he quickly amended his last statement. “It’s just that my youngest sister often gets lost in her imagination and sometimes doesn’t notice what’s going on around her. I never knew if that was just her personality or if she was always so sure that one of us would be around to help her out if needed.” With his hands jammed into his pockets, he sighed. “I suppose I used to always fuss at her to make sure she stayed alert. “
A smile had replaced Caitlyn’s disappointment. “Oh, I see. You’re an older brother. Yep, I can definitely understand that now. Do you just have one sister?”
Laughing, he shook his head. “No, there were five of us.”
Now it was her turn to laugh, and he loved the sound. Realizing that so many of their previous conversations had not included any laughter, he hoped it was something that would change.
“I told you about my three brothers and the detective brother-in-law who’s married to my oldest sister. The woman that I walked out with is my other sister. So, yep, that makes six of us. And I was the baby.”
“I was going to ask if you were spoiled, but for once, I thought about my words before I said them.”
Still laughing, she said, “I’m glad. I would’ve been horribly offended. But while I don’t think I was spoiled, I was the youngest. Growing up, either everyone had already done something before me, or they were watching me closely because they’d done something before me.”
They stepped off the curb, and he reached out to take her arm until they crossed. The material of her blouse was silky underneath his fingertips, and he reluctantly let her go as they reached the other side.
The Inner Harbor was bordered by the water on one side and shops and restaurants on the other with a wide walkway in between. The shops were closed but the restaurants were still open, lively music and conversations drifting over the area. He looked around, making sure they were still in the light and scoping out the people walking around.
“Oh, don’t you just love the harbor at night? The twinkling lights on the water. The sound of the waves hitting the edge. It’s been ages since I’ve been here,” she enthused.
Her expression matched the tenor of her words as she looked around, her smile wide. He tried to look at the scenery through her vision. The streetlights were close enough together that their path was easily illuminated. Concrete pylons lined the harbor, and the dark water slapped against their sides. The undulating water captured the lights from the lamps as well as lights from the boats twinkling in the distance.
They walked close to the edge, and as they stood there looking out over the harbor, she moved a little closer to his side. “My brother Kyle married one of my college friends, Kimberly. She and I used to come out here at night just because we both loved it so much. Then, one night, we saw the biggest rat in the world. Scared us silly!”
“I’ve seen some big rats, but I can’t swear that they were the biggest in the world,” he quipped, grinning as she laughed. He reached down and took her hand in his, leading her over to one of the unoccupied benches. Quite a few people were strolling along the Inner Harbor, and they saw the occasional police officer on patrol. Giving his attention to the beautiful woman at his side, he slid his arm around her shoulders, wanting to know more about her. “With your siblings all around, I take it you were raised in Hope City?”
“Born and raised here. My parents still live in the big house in the north part of the city, still next door to the King family. What about you?”