LOVE KNOT

The air was unusually warm for March. Snow was melting quickly, leaving puddles on the street and sidewalk. Strong green shoots of hyacinths and crocus pushed through the hard soil around the trees planted along the store fronts. Shopkeepers were preparing their store fronts for the day and were taking advantage of the mild weather.

He stepped out of an apartment located over the local shops. Walking along the sidewalk with determination in his step, his flannel shirt fluttered open.

"Well if it isn't Robbie Mac Donnell." The pub owner stopped sweeping the porch to lean against his broom. "Good to see you back, lad."

"It's good to be back, Mr. Murphy.

"Off to the coffee shop to see a particular young lady on this glorious morning?" The older man winked.

"Maybe," Robbie smiled, "I'll stop in for lunch."

"Maybe," Mr. Murphy laughed. "We'll see."

Robbie continued walking, smiling to himself. Life was good and could only get better; he was sure of it.

"Hey, Robbie, my boy! Think quick!"

He turned just in time to catch an apple that had been tossed in his direction from the grocer. Mr. Jennings came out of his door with a bin of fresh fruit to display in an effort to attract customers.

"Good to see you home, son!" Mr. Jennings put the bin down to clasp Robbie's shoulder.

"Thanks, good to be home." Wincing a bit from the rough grip on his shoulder where a wound from his adventure lay under his shirt.

"What's in the fancy box? A little gift for a little lady?"

"Maybe," he smiled and continued walking.

"Hey there, Robbie," boomed a large voice from a small woman fussing over a pot of polar pansies outside the book shop. "The book you ordered on Irish castles came in while you were gone."

"Thanks, Mrs. Stork." Robbie stopped to give the woman a kiss on her cheek. "It's a gift for my mom. I'll pick it up later."

"Off to the coffee shop, dear?" Mrs. Stork's eyes sparkled a brilliant blue.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. That's very good." She muttered to herself as she adjusted her worn sweater and turned her attention back to her plants.

Stepping around several women patiently waiting for the craft store to open and begin a quilting class, Robbie flashed a smile at them. He loved traveling but home was were his heart would always remain. During the last month spent in Ireland, he had plenty of time to look closely at his life. As a marine investigator, he enjoyed beautiful beaches around the world and women where ever he went. It was high time he settled down with a good woman and he knew exactly who she was.

Without pausing, he flung open the door to the coffee shop. Rows of tea nestled on shelves with various muffins made with dried fruits. The odor of fresh brewed coffee permeated the air. A couple sat huddled in intimate conversation next to the crackling fireplace. A little girl lay cuddled next to her mother on a couch. Several others focused on the morning paper or had their noses in a laptop. Mimi Cates owned the coffee shop where people enjoyed gathering. He felt himself smile, thinking of the petite spitfire of a woman.

Cory was standing behind the counter filling a customer's order. Tattooed with many piercings, Cory was popular around town not only for his friendly demeanor but his talent for writing folk songs.

"Hey, dude!" Robbie fisted Cory. "Where's your ole boss lady?"

"Shit man, if she hears you call her that, she'll cream you." Cory and the customer both laughed. "She's upstairs working on a painting. It's from one of those postcards you sent."

"Thanks," taking a cup of coffee from the young man, Robbie walked past the counter to a door that led to the stairs.


Mimi put her mug down and reached for a paint brush to add the finishing touches to the fantasy landscape. Several postcards from Robbie hung by clothespins on a line against the wall next to her table. She rarely left town but traveled vicariously through him. Combining the lovely scenes he picked out for her and a imagination full of folklore, she created fanciful works that not only filled the walls of the shop but also pulled in extra cash.

Touching the silver chain around her neck and fingering the tiny shamrock charm, her thoughts went to her neighbor who had given it to her. After years of friendship, she wondered if it would be possible to take their relationship to a different level. However, at thirty-four she was a homebody and needed stability; he just a couple years older suffered wanderlust and thrived on the unknown.

Satisfied with her work, she set her brush down and picked at some green paint left on a fingernail. A draft swooshed up the stairs as a door below was opened. Mimi recognized the heavy footsteps and turned just as Robbie entered the room.

"Well... you're a sight for sore eyes!" Mimi grinned.

Dressed in black jeans, black boots, black tank under a plaid shirt with hunky muscles peeking out. His reddish blonde hair was its usual mess as if he just crawled out of bed. Dark brows arched over beautiful green eyes and those lips...so kissable.

Without saying a word, Robbie placed the box he was carrying onto the table and walked towards her. His hand slipped under her hair to cup the base of her head, while his other arm circled around her. When his lips came down on hers, Mimi had to grab onto him to keep from falling over in surprise. With a tilt of his head, Robbie took the kiss deeper. The scent of milled soap and masculinity made her heady. Robbie slowly pulled away, tugging at her lip with his teeth as he did.

"Ah... welcome home?" She choked on the words.

"Happy to be home. I come bearing gifts." His face lit up when he smiled, his eyes danced like a child's as he lifted the box and removed a bottle of Irish whiskey.

"Sweet!" Mimi laughed, her heart still trying to catch her breath from that shocking kiss. "We'll have some tonight with some snacks."

"Why wait?" Robbie's voice was low. The sultry grin from him triggered the heat between her legs.

"It's way too early to start drinking, you dork."

Still looking at her, he reached into the box and pulled out a silk scarf. Emerald green with flecks of gold spun into it. He waved it around her, letting the material lap at her skin.

"This is beautiful," she took the scarf from him, entranced with the weightlessness of it.

"I see you are putting the post cards to good use."

Mimi looked up to see the postcard of her latest inspiration looked so small as it was held between his thumb and finger. She imagined her nipple between them and his tongue teasing it.

"I like the painting." Back to reality.

"Thanks." She enjoyed sharing her artwork with him.

"Is this supposed to be me?" he pointed at a tiny naked elf-like man.

"No... that's a fairy."

"It's naked! Most of the Fays wear clothes."

"This one is a nudist."

"But..but..." Robbie stammered and continued to point. "It's cock is green. Why is it green?"

"Maybe because all of him is green."

"Is his cum green too?"

"How would I know?" Mimi couldn't hold in her laughter as her sides bust. "I don't go around having sex with mythical Irish fairies. Now quit being silly and tell me about your trip."

"Don't get your knickers in a bunch. It's just weird, a green cock... that's all."

"You wouldn't think it weird if I painted a naked female fairy with green boobs."

"That'd be hot!"

"Oh brother," Mimi slapped her forehead with her palm.

"Why is your place always so hot," Robbie complained as he slipped out of his flannel shirt.

"That's not the only thing here that's hot," Mimi murmured.

"What?"

"Uhm... sit on the couch. Do you need a refill on your coffee."

"Nope, all set. Thanks."

Mimi slid onto the couch cushion farthest from Robbie. His tank hugged his rock hard abs and chest. A Celtic cross hung low on a chain around his thick neck. His bulging biceps seemed even bigger than when he left. An ugly cut that was healing, marred his perfect skin. A large black tribal cross with a rock style edge lay on his skin from shoulder to just above his elbow. Her fingers itched to touch the tattoo and dally among the contours of the muscles. The kiss he had given her was certainly more than a usual friendly kiss but a promise of decadent pleasure.

"Earth to Mimi," Robbie waved his hand in front of her face. "Where did you go?"

"Sorry," she blushed. "How did you get that cut?"

"While diving. I made a wrong turn in a shipwreck and got sliced but a rogue piece of iron. It's not so bad, but messed up the wet suit pretty bad."

"Diving is so dangerous."

"So is walking."

"I was wondering if I'd ever get to see some of those landscapes," she changed the direction of the conversation, " from the postcards you sent, the country is extraordinary!"

"Next time I go, I'll take you and you'll see for yourself."

"Sure," she rolled her eyes. "So did you spend any time in Dublin? Did you kiss the Blarney Stone? Did you find the Pot of Gold? How many women did you charm? Did you get into a brawl at a pub? "

"Actually, it was a rather quiet trip." Robbie placed a leather boot on the table then dropped it back to the floor when Mimi frowned at him. "I'm getting too old for that shit."

He loved teasing her until that wonderful smile of hers made the room brighter. Her full lips were beyond temptation. He had almost forgotten how luscious they were and he didn't attempt to control himself from kissing her. Actually he planned on kissing her more.

Pulling her knees to her chest, she looked like a child getting ready to hear a fairy tale be told. Except she certainly wasn't a child, but a sexy petite woman with all the right curves. The silk scarf draped over her shoulders and nestled against her breasts. He had to shift a little as he grew hard for her.

"The team spent most of the time studying geological features around Rathlin Island. I spent so much time in the water, I thought I was going to grow fins and gills. Oh! While we were doing that, we found a new species of anemone and some fan mussels that were thought to be long gone from the region."

"Oh my god!" He loved how she always listened to every word and shared the excitement of his adventures. "That is so cool. I'd love to see pictures. You did take alot of photos, right?"

"I still have to download them on to my computer. Maybe later we'll take the whiskey and head back to my place." Robbie moved slightly closer to her. "We explored a few shipwrecks as well for fun and I actually saw the HMS Drake that sank in 1917. We even found some of the famous sea caves but were disappointed that none of them were haunted."

"Really?" Mimi's eyes flew wide. "Ghosts?"

"Ghosts or the devil himself. At least that's what the local legends say." He shrugged. "Oh, remember when Richard Branson did that cross-Atlantic flight in a hot air balloon?"

"Yeah." Mimi nodded. "That was in 1987, I think."

"I saw the site where he crashed his balloon into the sea." He moved closer again. "In the evenings, sometimes I'd borrow a bike and go for a ride. I wish you could have been with me." He watched her smile. "I hooked up with a couple guys who were there studying Rathlin's bird colonies and we took a few days off to visit Northern Ireland. Spent a whole day at Dunluce Castle."

"Oh, I have something for you." Robbie jumped up and pulled a box from a pocket in his flannel shirt, then sat next to Mimi.

His hands were large and rugged from spending so much time diving. A silver Celtic knot ring circled his left thumb while a silver Eternity knot graced his right ring finger. He used to say that would be his wedding ring; he'd just switch it to the other hand. He placed the box into her hands and looked into her eyes with excited anticipation.

Unwrapping the paper from the box, then lifting the cover exposed two matching black silk bags. Opening one, she found a silver Celtic knot hanging from a black silk cord.

"Oh, this is so beautiful."

"I thought it was time to get you something new," Robbie reached over to unclasp her current necklace and place the new one around her neck. "The shamrock is rather childish now. I wanted something a bit more...I mean...something that meant more..uh.."

"Thank you, Robbie." Mimi placed a hand on his cheek.

His lips brushed hers and a low groan rose from his throat.

"Open the other bag, Mimi." He nuzzled her neck and nibble on an earlobe for a moment before pulling away.

The other bag held a silver Eternity knot ring; similar to his but smaller. He took it from her and placed it on a finger of her right hand.

"This is actually white gold and I bought it at the same shop mine came from." His voice was husky as he looked down at his hand still holding hers. "It's also known as Lovers' Knot. The interlacing lines of the Celtic Knot stands for no beginning, no ending, the continuity of everlasting love and binding together or intertwining of two soul or spirits."

Mimi's heart was stuck in her throat when he raised his head, his eyes reflecting his soul. A wave of heat rushed over her; love filled her heart. His lifted his other hand to caress her cheek.

"Mimi, there is more to us than just our friendship. I know you know it. I spent a lot of time while I was in Ireland thinking about my future and us. I believe our lives have been interlacing with each other and have formed a knot. I want to be with you and only you."

"Robbie, I want to be with you too. I guess we've made our own lovers' knot."

Wrapping his arms around her, Robbie pulled her hard against his body. He was praying she would feel the same way. The time had come for him to settle down. He loved the small town and the people who were his neighbors. He was ready to stay, raise a family and spend most of his time in one place. When the time came for him to return to the water, he wanted to be able to take Mimi with him.

Robbie felt a shiver run through Mimi as he kissed her. Gently at first but then the hunger for her took over. His hand slid under her shirt, along the soft skin of her ribcage, to touch her breast. Her arms clung to his neck as their bodies were only separated by simple clothes. A soft moan of approval from her, sent him over the edge. With a single motion, he swept her into his arms, the silk scarf fell to the floor as he carried her to the bedroom.