To Love A Wild Irishman

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cassandra had no idea what to do. Finnegan had been gone for two hours. She had run out of tears though not out of pain. Her eyes were burning, her throat was raw and she had a pounding in her temples.

She had to find Finnegan. She was certain he hadn't really left town--surely he wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't just abandon her. Then she remembered the hurt in his voice, the tears in his eyes, the way he had truly seemed broken and fear clutched at her already pain-filled heart.

There was a chance that he had done just that.

He needed to listen to her. She had to find a way to convince him that she did love him. He was what she wanted. He was all she wanted. It killed her inside to know she had hurt him so badly. She hadn't realized that her faith in him had meant that much. She hadn't realized just how deeply he had believed every word she had ever said about him being good.

And then she had all but spit in his face upon admitting her reasons for not telling him the truth about the map sooner. She'd been a fool! The man didn't even care about the treasure! He had give her the map and that alone proved that her reasons had been misguided.

Finnegan loved her. He loved the real her. The stubborn-headed, strong-willed, impulsive woman who did not care for the restraints that society wished to place upon her. Finnegan Callahan was the one person who had never seemed to want her to be anything different.

Meanwhile he had changed. He had grown up so much in the last month or so. He had become the man that Cassandra had always known he could be.

Dear God she had to find him! She had to make this right.

Cassandra splashed a bit of water on her face to clean away her tears, stuffed the map pouch into the deep pocket of her skirt and headed out the door.

She ran into Seamus in the hall and his eyes narrowed. "Why have you been crying? Where's Finnegan?"

"Why do you always assume that Finnegan is the cause for everything bad that ever happens!?" Cassandra exclaimed.

Seamus' eyes widened and he held up his hands. "I didn't think that!" he insisted. "I just figured if he knew someone had made you cry then he was probably at the jail for kicking their ass."

Cassandra bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears once again. "Yes, well, he'd have to kick my ass I'm afraid."

"Your ass?" Seamus was clearly confused. "I don't understand."

"I've been lying to him about the map. I know it's Montana but I don't know anything else... I told him the truth tonight."

"And he abandoned you?" Seamus shook his head, "That bastard. I thought he was better than that."

"He is, you great oaf! That's not why he's not here and I'm a mess."

"Then what is it?"

"Not only did I tell him the truth about the map but I also told him why it took me so long to tell him. I told him that I thought the treasure would mean more to him than me. That he would change his mind about being with me if he knew the truth...."

"You foolish woman," Seamus clicked his tongue.

Cassandra smacked his chest and glared up at him. "Me foolish? Aren't you the one who was telling me that very thing over and over to convince me to leave and go home?"