Brothers, Hope & Hearts

Chapter 2-2

His phone buzzed, and for a split second, when he saw it wasn’t Elsa, he was disappointed.

“Took you long enough.” he answered, shoving the feelings aside.

“What are you talking about?” Killian exclaimed on the other end. “I’m not the one who c****d up.”

Liam immediately went on the defensive, “How’d I c**k up?”

Killian sighed, “You called me, remember?”

“So, I did,” Liam admitted. “Is she there?”

“Aye,” Killian grunted. “Showed up a bit after 9:00 p.m. and my evening plans went pear-shaped.”

So, she drove straight through, Liam decided, surprised as he knew how much she enjoyed meandering when she had the time.

“But you like Elsa,” Liam frowned. “How did she ruin your plans.”

“Let’s just say my plans didn’t include getting kicked out of my fiancée’s home because you couldn’t keep your girlfriend happy.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Liam automatically corrected. “But why do you say she was unhappy?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Killian’s dry tone came across loud and clear. “Perhaps it was the tears. But if she isn't your girlfriend maybe she was crying over Tyler.”

“Tyler?”

“Aye, Tyler,” Killian repeated. “The bloke I thought Emma had a thing for last fall. Turns out it’s Elsa who has a thing for him.”

“Who the hell is Tyler?” Liam snapped, wondering why this was the first time he’d ever heard of the man.

“Tyler James,” Killian supplied. “Owns Siren’s Song here in Swan Harbor. Nice enough looking, I guess. Maybe he’s why Elsa was blubbering.”

Elsa was crying? Why?

You know why.

“Maybe,” Liam conceded. “Thanks for letting me know she arrived. I was worried about her driving that far alone.”

Face it, man. You were worried about more than that.

Killian didn't say anything for several minutes, making Liam wonder what was going through his mind.

“I'll talk to you later. I'm getting another call.”

“Don't be a cockwomble, Liam,” Killian muttered, before saying goodbye and hanging up.

He wasn’t being a cockwomble, was he? He was behaving the only way he knew how.

Are you sure about that?

Swan Harbor

Veterinarian Clinic

August 1

11:30 p.m.

Elsa could hear whispering around her, but wasn't cognizant enough to open her eyes and see who was in the room with Emma.

“Did she say anything?” someone whispered.

“No,” Emma replied.

“Just came in, dropped on the sofa and zonked out?” someone else asked.

“Yes,” Emma responded.

It was quiet for several minutes except for a moan here and there.

“She needs to open her eyes,” the first voice murmured.

“Let her sleep,” Emma came to her defense.

“But if she doesn't wake up soon,” the second voice answered, “her ice cream is going to melt.”

“True,” Emma agreed.

There’s ice cream.

A part of Elsa would have rather kept her eyes closed and ignored her screw ups for a while longer. But ….

She opened her eyes to see four sets of green ones staring back at her. Elsa closed her eyes again and waited for a second or two before opening them. And just as before four pair of eyes, three human and one feline looked back at her.

“Does everyone who lives in Swan Harbor have green eyes?”

“What?” Emma frowned at her but held out a tub of ice cream.

“Green eyes,” Elsa sat up and reached for the carton. “Brownie Fudge. Yum!”

It was quiet for several seconds while she ate some of her ice cream and her brain added names to the voices. Sadie and Molly were voices one and two, and the feline was Millicent, Emma’s cat.

“I'm sorry,” Elsa shoved her hair behind her ear. “When I woke up, you were all staring at me with identical expressions. And your eyes are all green.”

“Well, to answer your question,” Sadie smirked. “Only the women’s eyes are green. The men all have blue eyes.”

“Really?” Elsa frowned at Emma. “Killian's are blue?”

“Yes,” Emma arched a brow, “just like Liam’s.”

“Ouch,” Elsa winced. “Way to bring the conversation to a screeching halt.”

Emma shrugged. “Sorry. You've been asleep for several hours and–”

“We’re dying to know what happened,” Emma's friend Molly added.

“It can't wait until the morning?”

“No,” Emma shook her head. “Remember what happened after the New Year's Ball?”

“I didn't make you talk,” Elsa tried to give herself a way out.

“Come on, El,” Emma scolded lightly. “You used that subtle guilt thing you do so well, until I spilled, and you know what?”

“What?”

“I felt better and,” Emma waved her ring finger around, “everything worked out as it was meant to.”

“But,” Elsa’s mind spun in circles as she crammed more of the ice cream into her mouth. “The guy wanted you … and you wanted him.”

“And you don’t think Liam wants you?” Emma frowned. “Or did you move here for Tyler?”

“Tyler?” Sadie glanced at Molly, who shrugged. “Tyler James?”

“Yes,” Emma nodded. “Tyler and Elsa met at summer camp when they were sixteen.”

“Oh,” Sadie’s eyes moved back to Elsa. “And then what happened?”

“He was the first guy to touch her boob,” Emma offered tongue-in-cheek.

“Emma!” Elsa cried. “Stop.”

“You know, I can go on,” Emma teased. “But El, you’ve acted weird since I saw you at my engagement party. Don’t you think it’s time you explained why?”

Could she?

“I’ve really made a mess of things,” Elsa admitted. “Everything seemed to snowball and … here I am. In Swan Harbor with no place to live, no job, and no boyfriend.”

“This is going to be good,” Molly grinned. “Anyone want chips and dip?”

“Reminds me of all those hen parties in college,” snickered Emma.

“Me too.” Elsa glanced toward the kitchen where Molly and Sadie could be heard giggling, “Looks like you've made some good friends here in Swan Harbor.”

“Yeah,” laughed Emma, “busy bodies, just like you.”

‘You'd better believe it, Sister.” Sadie plopped down on the floor and crossed her legs. “Okay, Elsa, spill.”

“It really started when Killian called and invited me to be a part of your proposal, and … something inside broke.”

“Broke?” Emma frowned. “I thought you were happy for me.”

“No no,” Elsa apologized. “I am incredibly happy for you. But something in me broke. It seems I wanted what you were getting. A man to love me, who wanted to spend his life with me.”

“You didn't feel you had that with Liam?”

Elsa looked back on her relationship with Liam, “Putting a label on Liam and I was impossible. We were more than friends, but while his eyes and his actions said and did things sometimes, no promises were made. After your engagement, I wanted those promises, and there were moments when I thought maybe, but …”

“Is this where Tyler comes in?” Sadie asked softly.

Elsa felt a corner of her mouth quirk, “I’m not going to deny I looked the night of the engagement party.”

“He is pretty fine,” Sadie grinned. “But he didn't make your heart flip?”

“No.”

“You've lost me, El,” Emma reined the story back in. “We were talking at Sally's and Liam walked up–”

“And, I lied about having multiple job offers,” Elsa admitted.

“You lied?” Emma grinned, and almost as if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard, repeated, “You lied?”

“I know,” Elsa acknowledged. “I don't lie.”

“Nor lose your cool.”

“And I did both.”

“Then she stormed off,” Emma told Sadie and Molly. “And Killian had to hold on to Liam to keep him from going after her.”

“Really?” Elsa smiled. “He never told me that.”

“It’s the truth. But what happened while you were gone?”

“I ran into this quirky older gentleman and his dog.”

“Captain Jack and Bandit?” guessed Sadie.

“Right.” Elsa thought back on that night. “He told me I was lost, and he knew what I wanted.”

“Captain Jack did?” Sadie frowned. “That's interesting. And then what?”

“He led me back to the diner, on a very circuitous route through Swan Harbor.” Elsa remembered thinking that night, it could be her town, and her friends. “And he told me that the heart wants what the heart wants, and I just had to listen to it. And then he took me to Sally’s and introduced me to Tate Doolittle.”

“Doctor Tate?” Sadie frowned. “I thought he retired.”

“He did,” Molly inserted. “But I heard the son was moving back home to take over. Right?” She looked to Elsa for confirmation.

“I'm guessing I met the son.” Elsa hesitated a bit, “He looked to be in his forties or fifties, and was talking to your mom, Emma.”

“My mom?” A curious look crossed Emma’s face, “maybe he's her Flynn Ryder.”

“Her Flynn Ryder?”

“Never mind.” Emma waved away the question. “Go on with your story.”

“Tate painted a picture of the perfect job, but I brushed it off. And then, Liam and I went back to the hotel … and,” her voice faded, unsure about continuing.

“And?” Emma prompted.

“My heart wanted, and I thought, this is it. But once back in New York City everything changed.”

“Wait,” Sadie held up her hand, “are you saying before that night, you and Liam had never …?”

“No,” Elsa shook her head.

“Never?” Sadie prodded.

“No,” Elsa grinned. “Maybe a little petting here and there. But our schedules were erratic and I,” she glanced sideways at Emma, “I'm cautious.”

“Elsa prefers the once burned, twice shy attitude when it comes to men,” Emma offered.

“But when the heart wants,” grinned Sadie.

“I guess.” Elsa hesitated to reorganize her thoughts, “Hindsight though, I wish I hadn't listened, and then maybe I wouldn't be in this situation.”

“I'm sorry, El,” Emma murmured. “But what happened when you returned to New York?”

“I tried to play a con game and lost.”

“A con game? With Liam?”

“Yes. I told Liam I wanted to move to Swan Harbor.”

“And what did Liam say?”

“He laughed.” Elsa sniffed, remembering the conversation as if it were yesterday. “Told me I'd hate small town life and be on the first plane out.”

“But how does he know that?”

“I don't know.” Elsa looked down at the melting ice cream in her hands and shook her head. “I even thought if I told him I was leaving, he'd ask me to stay.”

“He didn't?”

“No.”

“So now what?” Emma asked the question Elsa, herself had been trying to figure out. “Do you want to go back to New York?”

The more Elsa thought about it, there was no denying the truth. “No,” she smiled when with the realization a sense of relief poured over her.

“How did you leave things with Liam?”

“I challenged him to figure out why I was moving. But,” Elsa grinned. “I need a plan.”

“Lists are good,” laughed Emma, “or so I've been told.”

“Maybe I'll give it a try,” Elsa decided. “Flying by the seat of my pants certainly didn't give me the answers.”

“Things will work out, Elsa.” Sadie stood and started gathering the remnants of their hen party. “You're in Swan Harbor now, and the heart always wins.”