The Last Rose of Summer Read online

  Chapter Four

  A summer storm came in over the mountains and brought with it a cold driving rain. The sky was a murky shade of gray and dark ragged clouds hung low over the small mountain chapel.

  As an icy rain tapped on the church windows, grieving mourners filled the pews weeping for the loss of a young man who had been taken from them much too quickly.

  It had only been a year since that terrible day in August, a day that none of them could forget. Joanna had arranged a memorial service marking the anniversary of her son's death. The pews were crowded with family and friends dressed in black—Nick hated black.

  Nick was Joanna’s fair haired child—her baby boy. His dreamy eyes and blonde hair gave him a movie star quality, and he had a smile that seemed mischievous, leaving everyone to wonder what he was up to. He was easily bored, always off on some new adventure, and he had a way of making people laugh. If there were one thing that could be said about Nick Kincaid, it was that he always lived his life to the fullest.

  Myles scanned the pews, looking for Katelin, but she was noticeably missing. It had been a long and difficult year for everyone, especially Katie, and as much as she wanted to be there she couldn't bring herself to go. Knowing she would never see Nick again had twisted her pain, guilt, and anger into an emotion that had isolated her from those she loved.

  The moon was full as Myles sat on the front porch remembering that terrible day and how it had changed the course of all their lives. His mother would never hold her youngest son again; Katie didn’t know how to go on with her life, and Myles was doing his best to hold it all together.

  He couldn't stop thinking of Katie; she had become firmly fixed in his mind. Needing to know that she was all right, Myles made his way across the street to the Quinn's pool house to check on her. Crossing the street he thought about Nick and their trips to Lookout Mountain. The two of them spent hours lying among the rocks gazing at stars. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed that the front door of the pool house was open just a crack.

  Cautiously walking into the house he called out, “Katie?”

  When there was no answer, he walked towards her bedroom. Pushing the door open, he saw Katelin sitting on the floor in the corner of the room crying, her tears glistening in the moonlight. Myles walked over to her and held out his hand to help her up.

  Katelin looked up at Myles and said, “I miss him.”

  “I know. I miss him too.”

  Kate stood and touched Myles' face with her hand as if to say she understood what he was feeling. Her eyes were sad. Lovingly Myles wrapped her up in his arms and for a moment his embrace seemed to comfort Katie. The moment filled him with a desire for her that he could no longer control. Gently he began kissing her tear stained cheeks, each tender kiss made it impossible for Kate to hold back any longer. Her yearning for Myles had become stronger than her reluctance. She missed being held; she missed feeling close to someone—Kate missed how it felt to be in love. Swept away by his passionate kisses, she slid her tongue between his parted lips and pulled him closer to her. Katie was aroused by the warmth of his body against hers. She could feel her heart pounding as it echoed in the recesses of her head, the intense excitement of the moment left them both breathless.

  Stopping to regain his composure he placed his forehead against Kate's and whispered, “Wow.”

  Katelin took a deep breath and said, “Myles?”

  “Yes?”

  “Please don't stop.” Tenderly running her lips over his she whispered, “I need you.”

  Myles couldn't resist her invitation and pulled her body close to his. While softly touching his lips to hers, he unzipped the little summer dress she was wearing and slowly pushed it off her shoulders. The dress gently fell to the floor, stepping out of the pool of fabric at her feet Kate moved into the moonlight revealing the black lace bra and panties underneath. Myles began tenderly caressing her shoulders with his warm lips causing Katelin to quiver slightly. He could see her hard nipples thru the flimsy fabric of the bra, cupping her breasts in his hands; Myles ran his thumbs over their hard tips.

  “You're beautiful,” Myles said stopping to admire her.

  She looked picturesque standing in the light that shone through the bedroom window.

  Katelin began to unfasten his belt and quickly unbuttoned his pants without hesitation. Myles pulled his t-shirt off over his head. Moving her hands along the curve of his ass, she pushed his pants and briefs to the floor while flirtatiously running her tongue around his nipples. Katelin was so excited by the sight and taste of him she could barely control herself. After removing her bra and panties Myles lowered Kate to her bed, his lips slowly making their way down her body. Arching her back she softly moaned inviting him to prolong the pleasure.

  “You taste good,” he said looking up to watch her delight.

  Her eyes met his and Myles knew that he could never feel this desire for anyone but Katie. Returning to her, he gave her a long passionate kiss. Myles hesitated for a moment. Could this really be happening? Should this be happening? This was his brother's girlfriend, but he couldn't help himself. He had fallen in love with her, making a night like this impossible to avoid.

  Kate drew him closer and said, “Don't stop—please don't stop.”

  Myles had dreamt of this moment since that warm summer day in July when Katelin first captured his heart. Slowly he slid into her again and again taking pleasure in the warmth of her body.

  “Oh God,” Katelin moaned as she placed her hands on his bare ass pulling him deeper inside her.

  “You feel so good,” Myles proclaimed, closing his eyes to relish the moment.

  Katelin could feel her excitement building as Myles continued to move in and out of her, creating a sensual rhythm that only lovers dance to, the moment had reached a crescendo when they were no longer able to hold back their pleasure from each other.

  “Oh, my God!” Myles cried out as his body tensed with excitement.

  Lowering his body onto Katelin's, he buried his face in her auburn locks and took a deep breath; Myles was immediately intoxicated by her scent. His feelings for Kate went beyond anything he had ever felt before, he wanted to hold on to her and never let go. Rolling to his side Myles placed his arms around Katelin's waist and pulled her to the curve of his body. Nuzzling her cheek with his nose Myles softly whispered her name, “Katie.” She smiled at him as his fingers idly fondled her curls while the soft glow of moonlight filled the room. They made love several times before they surrendered to exhaustion and fell asleep in each other's arms.

  Katelin could feel a cool August breeze from her open window. She smiled as images of making love to Myles floated around in her subconscious. Was it a dream? There were so many things going through her mind as she woke to the soft morning light. She quickly realized that Myles was no longer lying next to her.

  “Myles?” Katelin called out.

  She quickly put on her jeans, a t-shirt, and in her bare feet went to find him. Searching for him, Kate found Myles sitting on a bench next to the swimming pool.

  “Myles,” Katie said as she sat down next to him and began lovingly running her fingers through his sandy blonde hair.

  Myles had a somber look on his face. Refusing to look at her, he said, “Katelin.” There was a long and uncomfortable pause before he continued. “What happened last night was a mistake.”

  “What?” Katelin couldn't believe what she was hearing. “A mistake?” She repeated the stinging words with disbelief.

  “Yes, a mistake. You still have feelings for Nick.” He sighed and continued, “I shouldn't have betrayed my brother's memory by sleeping with his girlfriend.”

  With one cold irreversible sentence, Myles had reduced their night of love making to a meaningless one-night stand.

  Katelin took a moment to catch her breath, she felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. “Myles, I won't deny that I still have feelings for Nick. I know it's going to take time to get ov
er him, but for me, last night wasn't a mistake.”

  Straining to hold back her tears, Katelin stood up and walked back to the pool house. Myles didn’t want to make her cry, but the guilt of sleeping with his brother's girlfriend had negated the memory of making love to Katelin. He waited for a moment, before retrieving the clothes that had been strewn across Kate's room. Myles could hear the muffled sound of crying coming from the bathroom. Katelin was seated on the cold tile floor; her face buried in her hands while she wept. An unbearable loneliness filled Kate; her mother was gone, Nick had left her, and now Myles had abandoned her too—she felt all alone.

  It had been a long and agonizing week since their night together. Katelin felt hurt and angry as she placed her favorite pink sweater in the suitcase and zipped it shut. She felt anxious about her move to New York, but she knew that the only way to forget Nick and Myles, to forget the pain and confusions she felt, was to leave. Going to Julliard, living in New York City, making new friends was just what the doctor ordered Kate thought, as she closed the last suitcase. Besides, Kasey had already left for Ireland to complete her architectural degree at their father’s alma-mater in Dublin—there was nothing to hold her here.

  “This is the last one,” Katelin assured Bryan as he walked into the pool house.

  “I hope so,” he laughed. “We'd better get going. You don't want to miss your plane.”

  “Give me a minute, I'll be right there.”

  Bryan took the last of Katelin's luggage out to his truck. As Kate looked around her room, she remembered her night with Myles. Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if she was trying to inhale their moment together. A tear rolled down her cheek as she pushed the memory back and turned to walk out of the pool house. Closing the door behind her Katelin swore she would never let anyone hurt her like that again.

  “Cailin,” Meggie called to her. “Don’t forget these,” she said, handing her a box filled with oatmeal cookies.

  The smell brought back memories of all the times they had spent in the kitchen together. “Thanks Meggie,” Kate said placing the box in her bag.

  “Well now, our little girl is grown up,” Meggie said wiping a tear from her eye. “I don’t know what I’ll be doin’ with myself now that you and your sister won’t be underfoot.”

  Katelin gave her a big hug, “I'll miss you too Meggie.”

  As she turned to get into Bryan's truck, she heard Myles call her name, “Katie.”

  Kate turned to see him coming up the driveway toward her.

  “You weren't going to tell me you were leaving, were you?” Myles asked.

  “No, I didn’t see the point. What do you want Myles?” Katelin asked with a cold and angry tone.

  “I just wanted to say good-bye.” Myles reached for Katelin's hand.

  Refusing his gesture, she said, “Good-bye Myles.” Kate got into Bryan’s truck, and as he drove away Katelin looked back at Myles one last time, watching as he disappeared from the horizon—disappeared from her life.

  Chapter Five

  Katelin stood in front of the large window and marveled at the purplish hue of the Rocky Mountains, as her fellow passengers rushed past. She didn't realize how much she missed Colorado until that moment.

  Kate had left for New York City four years ago, although it seemed like a life time. From the moment, she arrived in the Big Apple; Kate embraced the hustle and bustle, the bright lights, the loud noises, and the unusual smells. She liked doing the New York Times crossword puzzle on a lazy Sunday morning, while eating bagels from the deli up the street. Katelin loved to run in Central Park on sunny Saturday afternoons. She even enjoyed her subway ride to and from Julliard five days a week. Her curiosity and sense of adventure made her the perfect New Yorker. Kate had a new routine, made new friends; she finally felt as though she was moving on with her life.

  But as hard as she tried Katelin couldn’t put the memories of Myles and their night together behind her; it had gnawed a hole in her heart. Even though their night of passion had been the culmination of all the things they had gone through together, Kate convinced herself that their brief moment of passion was indeed a mistake. It was a mistake that had destroyed her friendship with Myles, and she regretted that.

  As Kate made her way through the airport terminal, she thought about her reason for being here. She had decided to come home for the summer when Joanna and her father surprised the family with their plans to marry. Katelin might have disapproved if it had been anyone other than Joanna, she was happy for them—happy that they had both found love again.

  Pushing her way to the crowded baggage area, she spotted Bryan and her sister. Kasey had arrived home only a few days before Katelin; it was good to see her again; it was good to see them both. Bryan gave his sister a hug lifting Kate off the ground like he had done so many times before.

  “I missed you Kate,” Bryan said squeezing her a little tighter.

  “I missed you too,” she replied returning her brother’s embrace.

  “How was Ireland?” Katelin asked, giving her sister a hug.

  “Wet,” Kasey responded with a smile.

  “What is that?” Bryan sounded shocked as he pointed to Kate’s pierced belly button.

  “You probably shouldn't tell him about your tattoo.” Kasey playful smiled at Kate.

  “A tattoo?!” His eyes widened, and the alarmed look on his face was priceless.

  “Gotcha,” Kasey said, beaming from ear to ear.

  Katelin snickered; as she watched her brother roll his eyes. The two sisters were amused whenever they were able to fool their brother, the prankster.

  “Very funny,” Bryan replied.

  As Kate turned to retrieve her bags from the carousel, she noticed Myles standing a few feet away. Katelin was surprised to see him; she hadn't prepared herself for the possibility that he might be there with Kasey and Bryan.

  She almost didn't recognize Myles; his face had matured; his hair was darker, and the similarity to Nick had faded. Was it a deliberate change? He was still handsome and even now his piercing blue gray eyes had a way of making her feel like she was sixteen again.

  “Katie,” Myles said, she missed the way he said her name, and even though Kate wouldn’t admit it—she missed him.

  “Myles! How are you?”

  “I’m Okay. It’s good to see you.” The communication between them, which was once so effortless, now seemed awkward and stilted.

  Kate’s happy affect wasn’t fooling anyone as she forced a smile.

  Trying to break the unease of the moment, Myles gave Katelin a hug that was as clumsy as their greeting. As he pulled away from her their eyes met, Kate was more beautiful than Myles remembered. Her gorgeous blue-green eyes and wavy auburn hair were the same, but she seemed different, as if life in New York City had changed her.

  “Let me take those.” Myles picked up the two large suitcases Kate had retrieved from the baggage carousel.

  After loading her luggage into Myles’ Jeep, they headed for Kasey and Katelin's temporary home. The pool house had been reserved for out of town wedding guests, so they had agreed to stay with Bryan and Myles in the apartment above their garage. Her brother pulled in front of his house; Myles jumped out of the jeep and ran up the front steps to open the door. Out came Lucy who ran rings around Myles before she caught sight of her old friend. Katelin fell to her knees and with outstretched arms greeted her Irish setter. Lucy had been a gift from her father for Kasey and Katelin's 15th birthday. It was the year Kathleen Quinn had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The news was hard on the girls, and James thought that Lucy might be just what they needed.

  “Lucy! I missed you girl,” Kate said as she embraced her dog.

  “Thank you for taking care of her Bryan.”

  “Thank Myles. It turns out Lucy's favorite place is at the end of his bed.”

  Kate looked up at Myles, “Thank you.”

  Myles smiled at Katelin acknowledging her gratitude.

&nbs
p; “Joanna is expecting us for dinner,” her brother announced.

  “The two of you meet me down here at 5:00 and we'll go together, Okay?"

  “Okay," Kasey and Katelin chimed in unison as they ran up the long flight of stairs to the apartment with Lucy following closely behind.

  “They scare me when they do that,” Bryan remarked to his friend.

  Like most Irish Catholic families, the Quinn’s attended mass weekly followed by a family meal. But their gatherings hadn’t been the same while Kasey and Katelin were away. It was good to have them home; all his children under one roof, James thought to himself as he sat down in his chair at the head of the table. Watching them interact with each other, made him think of Kathleen; each one carried a little piece of her with them. Christopher, the oldest, had her sensibility; sensitive to others, always careful not to offend—the diplomat, as Kasey put it. Michael the blonde haired, blue eyed child to whom life came so easy had her smile, her love for life. Bryan, the rebel, was always trying his father’s patience, but James could see Kathleen’s mischief in his eyes, which made it hard to stay mad at him for too long. Kasey and Katelin’s blue-green eyes, auburn hair, and freckles were exactly like their mother’s. Meggie said the two of them were like peanut butter and jelly; they complimented each other, but were as different as night and day. Kasey was responsible, never making waves and always doing what was expected of her. She had her mother’s inner beauty and grace. Katelin, on the other hand, was a free spirit, creative, and adventurous; traits she shared with her mother. In a few days, Joanna and Myles would be a part of this interesting group of people they called family. The Quinn’s understood that friends come and go like the seasons, but family is forever.