Chapter Six

Finnegan crouched behind the untrimmed shrubbery and said a prayer of thanks for lazy gardeners. Had this been a well groomed hedge he'd never have managed to hide so thoroughly behind it.

Now all he need was for the buxom beauty weeding her flower bed to call it quits for the morning. Finnegan had been crouched here for so long simply watching her that his legs had long since gone numb and his knees were beginning to talk to him... and by talk of course he meant scream obscenities and curse his soul to hell.

Thankfully a babe's wail came from inside the tiny house and the woman sighed as she stood, pulled off her gloves, swiped her forearm across her sweaty brow and walked inside.

Quickly Finnegan rose, shaking out his legs as he quickly entered her yard and prayed no one would see him. He took an apron from her line of drying clothes and carried it over to her garden. Wasting no time, Finnegan laid out the apron and filled it with cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries.

He saw a swatch of some satin fabric hanging from the line and he quickly tied up the apron to hold his stolen bounty and grabbed the satin as well. Cassandra wore no hat and while Finnegan did not either, his skin was tanned enough to be safe from the sun. Cassandra on the other hand was as white as the first snow in January. This would make a good head wrap to offer her a bit of protection.. as well as keep anyone from recognizing the senator's daughter.

Finnegan had a good bit of food now but needed more. Cassandra was not accustomed to missing meals and he had vowed to take care of her.

What had he been thinking?

Finnegan did well to take care of himself and now he had another person to worry about; a person who meant more to him than any other person, (other than himself of course). That was exactly why he hadn't been able to tell her no. She was his best friend and the one person who stuck by him no matter how much of a lost cause he was—that and she knew how to read the damn map and had blackmailed him into agreeing she could come!

Finnegan hid his stash behind the overgrown hedges and then decided he needed to find more food for his new travel partner.

He walked down one of the rutted streets of this run down village and heard children playing, dogs barking and men hollering as they pounded nails. Women were hanging up clothes, chatting on porches and calling out for their children to 'be careful' or 'be back before supper'. Finnegan smiled. Sometimes family life seemed nice... and other times it seemed like a prison that would surely kill an Irishman such as himself. His father had been no good at such things and had drunk all their money away and never been faithful to Finnegan's mother... Finnegan would never marry. He was just like his father and had all of the man's Irish vices, but he would never put a woman through what his father had done to his mother.

Finnegan ducked to the side of a home when the scent of fresh baked pie reached his nose. It certainly smelled as if he and Cassandra would be eating well today.

***

"I cannot hunt the man or your daughter down, Vincent," Police Chief Braynard said wearily as he sat behind his desk.

"Why the devil not? He kidnapped my girl!" Vincent bellowed angrily. He could feel his pulse beating behind his temples and the pain in his head was increasing with every throb.

"According to that letter I read she went willingly enough," Chief Braynard replied with a shrug. "And my crew is pulled in enough directions trying to keep order these days. It's been hard since the war ended."

Vincent flared his nostrils and clenched his fist. The damn war had been over for well over a decade now, "My daughter would not simply run away willingly."

Chief Braynard chuckled but sobered quickly at the glare on Vincent's face. "Vincent, we have been friends longer than we've been government official and law keeper. Let's face facts. Cassandra has a wild spirit just like her father. It has been your stubbornness and your tenacious drive to achieve what you want that has gotten you where you are today. Cassandra has the same drive, old friend, it is simply steering her in a different direction."

Vincent snorted. "Yes, directly into the bed of an Irishman!"

"Your hatred of all things Irish is getting old, Vincent. Just because your mother left your father for an Irishman and tore your family to pieces, nearly ruining your family name, does not mean that all the Irish are bad folks," Chief Braynard replied with exasperation. "Why I've been courting a lovely woman on and off recently that speaks with such a beautiful brogue that I find myself lulled into a peaceful trance every time she speaks."

"Good for you," Vincent snapped. "But how does that help my daughter?"

"Your daughter will be fine. She's a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders."

"If that was true than she would not have run away in the dead of night with the same man I caught her kissing in the barn loft five years ago!" Vincent winced when he realized he had just yelled that out in front of all the other men in the station. Looks were sent in his direction but quickly redirected when they met with his glare.

"Sounds like love, Vincent."

"Go to hell, Braynard."

Braynard only laughed and waved his hand. "There is nothing I can do. If you want her found you'll have to search yourself."

"Then I suppose that's what I'll do. And I'll kill that Irish bastard if my daughter is not in the same condition she was in when he took her!"

"Don't threaten to kill folks in front of me, Vincent!" Chief Braynard warned. "You'll have me in an awkward spot if that bloke winds up dead."

"Well I wouldn't want to do that now would I?" Vincent intoned dryly. He placed his cap back on his head and strode from the station, squinting in the sunlight beaming down on the cobblestone streets. He would find Finnegan Callahan even if he had to hire it done and he would see that the man paid for taking away his daughter. There was no way that Cassandra had been of sound mind when she had agreed to leave with him! He must have drugged her or, even worse, seduced her.

Vincent shivered and then went on his way to find men who could help in the search for Cassandra.

***

Finnegan was quite proud of his findings. Two pies, a rigged up sack full of fruits and veggies, a loaf of bread, the head scarf for Cassandra and even a bottle of whisky, for himself of course because he would never share his whiskey, not even with a pretty lass.

He walked down the road swinging his prizes on his way back to Cassandra. He began to whistle a happy tune as he strolled but the tune became a little less happy and a lot more cautious as a tremor of unease passed over him.

He forced himself to continue whistling and keep his head pointed straight even while his eyes scanned his surroundings. Someone was watching him.

Was it someone from town? Had Morgan and his men caught up to him already? Or perhaps Seamus was going to hang him again... oh the possibilities. Normally Finnegan would be feeling up to whatever trouble they brought along with them, after all it kept life interesting, but not when he had Cassandra to consider. He couldn't allow her to be caught in the crossfire. If that happened he'd never find his treasure.

Finnegan continued walking and though he never could shake the feeling that there were eyes watching him from somewhere, he made it to Cassandra and Theo without incident and found them both looking alive and well—perhaps a bit bored.

"Finnegan!" Cassandra said brightly as she stood from the rock she'd been sitting on. Finnegan felt himself taken aback by how beautiful she was. Her porcelain skin seemed to glow in the sunlight and her golden curls shimmered in the warm rays. She made his heart seem to swell up every time he laid eyes on her; so beautiful she was......

Finnegan shook his head roughly and cursed himself a fool. Of all the ridiculous thoughts he had in a day thinking such things about Cassandra had to be the worst.

"Hello, Little Cass. Did ya miss me terribly?" he inquired, his senses still focused on their surroundings. That feeling of being watched had faded some but he wasn't ready to relax just yet.

"No, actually Theo is wonderful company. We were discussing current events and interesting things such as the weather and the effect the racing industry has had on horses everywhere..."

"Aye that Theo has always been quite the talker," Finnegan laughed. "Now let's be on our way and find a nice wee place to camp so we can see to that stomach of yours."

"Let's eat something here, Finn," Cassandra laid her hand over her stomach and winced which of course only made Finnegan look down at her body, and what a nice body it was. Large firm breasts beneath a pretty white blouse, a flat stomach and rounded hips that no doubt trailed down to mile long legs. Finnegan had known she'd be a beautiful woman and he had always had a fondness for women of all shapes and sizes....

Again he cursed himself. This was not just any woman. This was Cassandra. He would not lay with her and run as he did with other women, she meant too much to him. So no matter how her desirable little body inspired him, he would not act on those feelings. She was his best friend and the only person in the world who truly liked him.

"I think t'would be best to be movin' on," Finnegan countered as he readjusted his cumbersome load of goodies.

Cassandra frowned as she looked at the pies and then her eyes came back to his face. He could see the suspicion in her green eyes, "Where did you get those?"

"The village," Finnegan replied quickly as he approached Theo and set the pies on the ground, balancing the loaf of bread on top of them.

"You hadn't eaten in two days, are you telling me you had money to buy all of that?" Cassandra demanded.

Finnegan flashed a grin and shook his head, "I never said a word about buyin' any of it."

"You stole all of that?!" Cassandra exclaimed. Finnegan shushed her as he glanced around them but she was beyond hearing him. "Finn, that could have been someone's last bit of food! You can't just go and steal whatever you want—"

"Little Cass, calm yourself," Finnegan cooed as he dropped the rest of his bounty on the ground and swept her into his arms. He had only meant to tease her and jar her from her bad mood with a bit of innocent flirting but holding her in his arms felt so good.....

"Finn, let me go," Cassandra growled as her body stiffened.

Finnegan merely held her tighter and kissed the top of her golden curls, "Not until I know ya will not kill me."

"Since I have no idea where we are it would probably be unwise of me to kill you," Cassandra informed him.

"Aye, but that does not mean ya will not do it. After all, ya did choose to run away in the night with me. That don't speak too highly for your decision makin' skills, Little Cass."

Cassandra jerked and Finnegan released his hold, choosing to ignore the emptiness he felt without her close. He simply needed to bed a pretty lass, that was all. He'd been too long without one and his body was playing tricks on his mind. Cassandra was Cassandra. She was his best friend and the same girl he'd shoved into the cow pond countless times as children despite the fact that she'd complain about smelling like manure for a week afterward. She was not anyone for his body to be wanting.

"So you stole all that?"

"Borrowin' with no intention of seekin' permission or returnin'," Finnegan countered as he picked up a pie and held it under her nose. He saw her nostrils widen and her eyes slid closed as the smell of cinnamon and apples teased her senses, "Are ya sure you're angry at me for it, Cass? I can always take it back...."

"No!" she exclaimed quickly as she reached out and grabbed Finnegan's wrist. "I mean..." she let go of him and adjusted her skirt, "I am angry that you stole all of the food, Finn, but I'm more hungry than I am angry. Just promise me you won't steal anymore while we're together okay?"

Finnegan frowned, "I'm not much for makin' promises. Ya know that."

It was Cassandra's turn to frown, "Please? For me?"

Finnegan sighed, "Fine. But ya better get real good at goin' hungry because money is a luxury I never have."

"Why?" Cassandra questioned, "And how are we going to eat this?"

"I'm unlucky I suppose and with our fingers."

"Our fingers? Truly?" Cassandra wrinkled her nose. Finnegan nodded as he smiled. Not a grin, not a smirk, but a true smile. She was adorable when you took her out of her comfort zone. She always had been. Cassandra shrugged and offered him a shaky smile of her own, "Oh well, I did say I wanted adventure didn't I?"

"Aye, ya did, Little Cass."

Cassandra sighed, "How exciting," she muttered before breaking off a piece of crust and plopping it daintily into her mouth.

"Ya call that eatin' pie?" Finnegan demanded. "Ya gotta really get your hand in there!" He shoved his fingers in, pulled out a handful and shoved it into his mouth. Crumbs ran down his chin and his stomach rumbled loudly at the first sign of food heading its way after so many days without it.

"You look like an animal when you do that!" Cassandra scolded as she pinched an apple slice between her fingers and placed it between her lips. Juice dripped off her lips and ran down her chin and Finnegan felt his pants get a bit tighter when she moaned and sucked the apple into her mouth, clearly enjoying the flavors. He truly needed to find him a lass soon.

He let out a growl and lunged for Cassandra as if preparing to bite her and she squealed and jumped away from him. Finnegan laughed, nearly choking on the giant bite of pie still in his cheek. He lunged again and this time Cassandra's foot connected with his gut and sent him reeling backward with surprise.

"Damn, Cassandra! That hurt!" he muttered as he rubbed at his stomach. He was certain there'd be an imprint of her dainty foot there for years to come.

"Then stay away from me with your dirty mouth, Finnegan," Cassandra shot back. He saw her green eyes twinkling and felt his temper fade. "I'm not helpless you know. I had an Irishman that taught me how to fight."

Finnegan frowned, "I never taught you how to fight."

Cassandra winked, "I know, and you weren't my first kiss either. I told you I know other Irishmen."

Finnegan wasn't sure what that uneasiness in his gut was all about. He didn't like the feeling as it made him feel a little angry and possessive which weren't emotions he was accustomed to.

"Who?" he asked quietly as Cassandra continued eating and seemed oblivious to his suffering.

"I can't tell you that, Finn," she winked. "I can't let you be the only one with secrets."