A commotion at the door drew everyone’s attention and sent a jolt of fear through Meghan.
“You gotta tell me what happened to my father,” a tall blond young man said, trying to push his way into the room.
Meghan let out a breath and worked to calm her racing heart. Douglas and Owen boxed him in. “This is a private party, Hennessy.”
Across the room, Ryan rose to join his brothers. The three of them hustled the younger man out the door.
A stab of sympathy hit Meghan.
“Who was that?” Demi asked at Meghan’s side.
“Burke Hennessy’s son, Cooper, from his first marriage,” Meghan replied. “He was in love with Olivia.”
“Oh, that poor young man.”
Meghan agreed. He’d lost the woman he loved and his father within the last six months. It would be a lot of trauma for anyone to take.
Thinking of traumas, Meghan turned to Demi. “I owe you an apology for trying to warn you off Charles.”
Compassion lit her green eyes. “You were concerned for my safety. I can appreciate that, even if you and the rest of the town were wrong about him.”
“I’m glad he’s no longer a suspect.” Meghan glanced at the beautiful ring gracing Demi’s finger. Longing caught her off guard. She touched her own barren ring finger. She wanted to marry again, maybe even a Fitzgerald. Ryan Fitzgerald.
“We will be,” Demi agreed with a big smile. She pulled Meghan into a quick hug. “I’m so glad you came.”
Tears sprang to Meghan’s eyes at the display of welcome and friendship. “Me, too.”
Ryan returned to the room, his expression troubled. Meghan excused herself from Demi and went to him. “Everything okay?”
He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Yeah, I think so. Cooper’s pretty distraught. He was asking about his little sister. Wanting to know that Georgina was okay.”
“Did you tell him Georgina was Olivia’s child?”
He shook his head. “Didn’t seem the right place and time.”
She studied him. “Something’s bothering you.”
“Cooper said something about Christina’s family being all insane.”
“I was under the impression that besides Dosha, Christina didn’t have any other family.”
“Exactly.”
Meghan’s reporter antennae went up. What did Cooper mean?
The dinging of metal against glass drew their attention. Aiden tapped a spoon against his water glass.
Ryan snaked an arm around Meghan and leaned in close. “Let’s not think about Christina or any of that tonight.”
She melted against him, loving the feel of possession and protection wrapping around her, the sense of belonging. Something she’d craved for a very long time. “Sounds like a good idea,” she whispered back.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Aiden said.
Everyone scrambled to grab his or her drinks. Ryan snagged two glasses of lemonade and handed one to Meghan.
“To Charles and Demi,” Aiden said. “May the Lord smile upon you, joy and peace be faithful companions, love wash away all sorrow and long life be yours so that you may see your children’s children.”
Glasses were raised, and a chorus of voices filled the room.
Meghan lifted her glass and repeated the Irish word for cheers. Then she clinked her glass with Ryan before sipping the tart drink.
Charles raised his hand until the room was relatively quiet again. “Thank you all for joining us in celebrating our engagement.”
“When’s the big day?” someone shouted.
Demi whispered something into Charles’s ear. He smiled, nodded, then turned to the crowd. “Soon.”
Claps and cheers went up.
Ryan leaned over. “A Fitzgerald wedding is a big deal.”
“I can imagine,” she said and hoped she’d be attending with Ryan. She wondered what being a bride and planning a wedding with so much family would be like. A Fitzgerald wedding would be in the beautiful sanctuary of the Fitzgerald Bay Community Church with the whole town in attendance.
“But this night isn’t just about us,” Charles said. “Douglas and Merry have something they’d like to share.”
Ryan snickered. “I bet I can guess.”
Curiosity piqued, she slanted him a glance. “Oh?”
He mouthed the word
“Merry and I are expecting.”
More cheers and clapping engulfed the party. A new child would be welcomed and loved by all of these people. Georgina would be welcomed and loved, as well. Maybe one day Meghan and Georgina could be a part of this family.
“How did you know?” she asked Ryan.
“Lucky guess.”
“What a blessing for them,” she said, her eyes on the happy couple as they accepted congratulatory hugs and kisses from the family. Yearning spread through Meghan, making her heart ache to hold Georgina.
Ryan pulled her close to his side. “Soon Georgina will be with us.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Tomorrow after church or Monday I’ll sit him down and find out what he’s thinking.”
He didn’t look too eager to do that. She could only imagine Ryan was still upset with his dad. She prayed he’d find a way to forgive his father so they could move on.
“Hey, I wanted to ask if you’d like to join the family for dinner tomorrow night,” Ryan said.
Pleased by the invitation, she nodded. Maybe she had found more than just Georgina here in Fitzgerald Bay. Finally, she was finding a place to belong. Once they had Georgina with them, her world would be complete. “Yes. I’d love it.”
Monday morning Meghan dressed in a tailored pantsuit and low heels for her meeting with the law firm of Schwartzmiller and Dean. She drove to Boston early, giving herself a buffer of time in case she ran into traffic. She hadn’t expected the reply to her email query to result in such a quick meeting.
When she’d returned home yesterday from the church services, the reply had been waiting for her. Who knew law offices worked on the weekend? An unusual occurrence as far as she knew, but she wasn’t complaining. She wanted the custody issued ASAP.
The email had listed information she needed to gather for her 9:00 a.m. meeting. That forced her to bow out of having dinner with Ryan and his family Sunday evening.
He’d understood, and to her excitement, asked her to have dinner with him Monday night. Just the two of them.
Life was looking up after the stress and trauma of the week before.
She parked in the law firm’s parking garage. Clutching her file folder of requested information, she walked through the parking structure toward the elevator.
The squeal of tires echoed off the concrete walls.
“Watch out!” A woman stepping from the elevator shouted a warning.
Meghan turned to face a dark sedan barreling toward her. She barely jumped out of the way before the car streaked past.
“You okay?” the woman asked with concern.
Heart pumping and fear tightening her muscles, Meghan nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
