Cait checked her watch and got up for the second time to leave her apartment. Again, she hesitated. For years, she had stopped at Flynn's restaurant to pick up a Friday-night dinner for her mother. This week was different. Would Sarah expect her to bring dinner again? Or had she meant what she had said? Torn, Cait paced her living room.

Loyalty won out and with a sigh, Cait slipped a scarf over her shoulders. Friday night at the pub promised to be busy, and feeling a little down, Cait had decided to dress up a bit. In lieu of her typical jeans and tank top, she'd pulled on a fitted black skirt that ended far above her knees and a deep turquoise top. With a small smile, she'd pulled long, sparkly earrings from her jewelry box and put them on, admiring how they lined her face and swung below the line of her hair. With a last glance in the mirror to make sure that she'd applied her makeup the way that she'd been instructed, Cait left her apartment.

The sun hung low on the horizon, coating the village in a warm glow. Cait smiled at the various couples walking the street, looking for a pint and bite to eat. Trying not to think of the potential confrontation in front of her, Cait focused on the beauty of Grace's Cove on her walk.

Reaching Flynn's restaurant, Cait just shook her head. That man has a knack for business, was all she could think. A line twenty deep wound from the front door and several couples sat at outside picnic benches, enjoying a glass of wine in front of the harbor before dinner. She breezed past the front door and walked around the back to the kitchen door.

Sultry scents of garlic and butter reached her nose and Cait all but moaned. Flynn's restaurants were known across the country for the freshest seafood around. Cait knew that much of it came from the un-fished Grace's Cove. Most of Ireland was convinced that the cove was cursed and few dared to enter there, which made Flynn's daily catch even more precious.

"Aye, hullo there, Cait!" Terry, the chef, shouted to her from his stance at the grill.

"Hiya, Terry, how's Sharon?"

"Glowing, due any day! I'll be sure to bring the little one past the pub when he arrives," Terry said cheerfully. His first son was due to arrive any day.

"I look forward to that. I'll get him his first pint." Cait winked at him.

"To help him sleep, of course! I've got your order here." Terry nodded towards the bag of food on the counter.

"Thanks, Terry. Put it on my tab," Cait said and snagged the bag, easing carefully from the kitchen so as not to disturb the busy dance of the servers that rushed in and out.

Cait hefted the bag and walked past the window of the restaurant that was open to the sea breeze. She froze in her tracks. Shane sat at a cozy table for two, pouring a glass of wine for the blonde. He looked happy and relaxed, Cait thought. Envy filled her as the blonde laughed at something that he said and Shane gestured wildly with his hands to make a point.

Feeling sick to her stomach, Cait watched for a moment, frozen with anger and sadness. Just as she was about to turn away, Shane saw her.

"Cait!" Shane said from inside the restaurant.

Cait could only stare at him and shake her head. "No."

"Cait, wait!" Shane got up from the table.

Feeling foolish, Cait turned and ran around the back of the restaurant, berating herself for even bothering to stop for food for her mother. This whole week had just been stupid, she thought stubbornly. Picking up the pace, she made her way towards the street, hoping that Shane wouldn’t follow.

"Seriously, Cait? You're running from me?" Shane panted behind her and latched onto her arm.

Cait's heart pounded in her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. No need to get angry, she had nothing permanent with Shane, Cait thought. Pasting a smile on her face, she turned to him.

"I'm sorry, I need to get into work, Shane. No time for chatting," Cait said brightly.

"You're picking up food for Sarah?" Shane said, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

Cait stomped her foot and raised her chin a bit. "So? What's it to you?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that she ripped out your heart earlier this week would make me wonder why you would bring her food."

"She's my mother," Cait said, shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

"She's not a mother," Shane said fiercely.

"It's really none of your business, Shane," Cait said furiously. She felt like a fool getting caught bringing food to Sarah after the way that Sarah had treated her.

"None of my business, is it? When you cry all over me about her?"

"Hey, I didn't come running to you! You came to me," Cait all but shouted at him. Craning her eyes around at the sidewalks, she lowered her voice.

"Perhaps that was my mistake," Shane said stiffly.

"Well, either way, she's all I've got. I can't leave her," Cait said.

"She's not all you’ve got, you've got me," Shane said softly, his heart in his eyes. Cait squeezed her eyes shut against the unexpected clench in her heart.

"I don't at that, do I?" Cait nodded her head towards the restaurant where the blonde waited for him.

"Cait, Ellen's my employee, not my date," Shane said tersely.

Cait gaped at the restaurant for a moment as the realization that Shane hadn't been two-timing her settled over her. Warmth flooded her cheeks, and though she felt embarrassed, she couldn't help but smile stupidly at Shane.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I just took her to the wedding because I needed a date," Shane said.

Cait dug her toe into the ground and tried not to do a happy dance. She hadn’t realized just how much it had hurt her to see Shane with another woman. Feeling awkward, she looked down at her feet.

"So, now what?' Cait said.

"Now you apologize and tell me that you can't wait to go on a date with me."

"What! Apologize for what?" Cait demanded, meeting Shane's eyes.

"Um, how about apologizing for walking out on me at my stables…and in the condition that I was in?" Shane said, deliberately referencing their sexy moment.

Cait felt a warm hum start to throb through her as she thought about that day and his hands all over her body. Unconsciously, she licked her lips.

"Oh, I see that you're trying to tease me now," Shane said, his eyes fastened on her lips. Cait hiccupped out a giggle.

"I, no, I'm not. I swear. But, I certainly don't owe you an apology as I was operating under the assumption that you were with the blonde," Cait said, still refusing to say Ellen's name.

Shane stepped close, until their bodies almost touched. Forced to look up into his eyes, Cait gulped.

"You know what they say about assumptions," Shane said softly, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers.

"That they make an ass out of you?" Cait said deliberately, poking him.

"You and me, Cait, You and me," Shane said and eased his lips over hers softly. Cait sighed into his mouth and swayed against him, allowing herself to feel the warmth of this moment. His lips teased hers softly and when Cait moaned into his mouth, Shane slipped his tongue between her lips to tease her. Heat shot through Cait.

A wolf whistle from across the street interrupted the moment and Cait jumped, realizing where she was. Stepping back from Shane she gathered herself, refusing to turn and see who had whistled.

Shane pinned Cait with his eyes.

"I'll stop by the pub later. We can pick this up after?" Shane asked.

"I'm not that kind of girl, Shane, you'll need to wine and dine me just like your fancy Galway ladies," Cait said cheekily and turned away, feeling a lightness enter her that hadn't been there all week.

"I'll be sure to do that, Cait Gallagher. Save a dance for me later," Shane said.

Grateful that she'd decided to dress up this evening, Cait put an extra bump into her hips as she walked away, knowing the view would be nice. Hearing his soft curse, she chuckled to herself. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Cait hummed to herself up the hill and towards her mother's apartment. The light feeling stayed with her all the way until she was about to buzz her mother's door. Nervous now, she fumbled a bit with her bags before finally buzzing the door.

"Who is it?"

"Ma, it's me, with your fish," Cait said nervously.

Silence answered her. Cait was about to turn away when the door buzzed. With her stomach in knots, Cait climbed the stairs.

Sarah stood at the door, looking disheveled. Cait wondered when the last time she had left her apartment had been. She held up the bag of food silently to her mother.

"Yes, bring it in, put it on the table." Sarah gestured to the table in the middle of the room. Cait walked in and put the bag down. She turned towards her mother and waited silently for the typical invitation for her to sit.

Sarah averted her gaze and stood by the open door.

"So, it's like that, then? You'll take my food but won't invite me to sit?" Cait said bitterly. Not caring anymore, she let her shields down and reached out to her mother's mind. Finding a mass of confusion and anger, Cait jumped. Her mother didn’t know what she felt and was certainly slipping towards crazy. When had Sarah's mind started to decline? Feeling a little less angry, Cait walked to her and patted her arm.

"Okay, Mom. I'll let you be. Enjoy your dinner," Cait said.

"Is this the devil's food?" Sarah said, gesturing towards the bag.

"No, Mom. You can feel that for yourself, can't you?" Cait asked.

Sarah reached out and clutched Cait's arm.

"I can feel that you've been with him. The rich one. You'll never make him happy. He'll plant his seed in you and leave you forever, especially when he finds out you're touched by the devil. You'll be stuck with a bastard child, just as I was," Sarah hissed, staring over Cait's shoulder.

Cait felt a shiver run through her. Her happiness dashed, she allowed the insecurity to creep back in. Maybe her mom was right, she thought. Shane might not want anything to do with her bloodline. He could easily leave her.

Feeling hopeless, Cait gently removed her mother's hand from her arm.

"Enjoy your dinner, I have to get to work," Cait said quietly and left without a backward glance.

She stepped into the crisp night air and drew a shaky breath. Nothing like being called the devil's spawn to get a Friday night started, Cait thought ruefully. She knew that she was good and not evil. Cait also knew that the time approached where she would have to figure out a place for her mother to stay. Sarah was moving towards needing some sort of daily assistance. Thinking of the cost of care for her mother, Cait shuddered and picked up her pace to the pub. It may be a few more years than Cait had thought before she could purchase the pub's building.