Page 90 of Priestly Sins

I keep failing.

* * *

The next morning,I run. Still nothing.

I drink my coffee and kiss the top of Clara’s head as I head to the car.

“Have a good day, princess!”

“You too, Poppa!”

“I love you.

“I love you, too!”

Sirona stands like a deer in the headlights at our exchange. I walk past her, rubbing my hand down her arm to her hand and lean in and kiss her cheek.

Her small flinch kills.

“Have a good day, love.”

She simply nods and goes to her daughter, who now happily sings along withMoana.

Forty-One

Killian

The front door to my cottage swings wide and in flies Clara, chest heaving. She waives a bouquet of flowers in my direction. “Look, PawPaw. Aren’t these flowers pretty?”

What’s she doing here? I look down at a bouquet of pink blooms.

“Whatcha got there, lass?” I ask, fighting to keep the panic out of my voice.

“Daisies!”

“Did your da get those for you?”

“Nope. A man came to the door and said they were for me! Yay!”

I stand and begin to pace, trying not to hover over her.

“Yeah? Tell me everything, lassie.” Dangerous statement but something’s bang out of order.

“Well…”

“Rabbit on.”

“Huh?”

“Get on with it, lass.”

“Well… I was at the house and playing with Hagrid and we heard a knock on the door. And Mommy said I should go see who it was. I thought it was you.” She pauses like I have all day.

I swirl my hand to say “go on.”

“And there was a man there, he looked like a leprechaun. But he didn’t have a green suit. His suit was black.”

“What made you think of a leprechaun? The pot o’ gold?”