She continued walking. He wasn’t sure if she truly hadn’t heard him or was ignoring him. He wouldn’t blame her if she ignored him. He’d been a jerk to her.
“Ryan Fitzgerald, tell us about capturing Christina Hennessy.” A reporter jabbed a microphone at Ryan.
“Has DNA proven that Georgina Hennessy is a Fitzgerald?” another voice in the crowd asked.
Ryan watched Meghan walk out of sight. He sighed. He’d have to wait until the press conference was over to talk with her.
Meghan Henry had wormed her way into Ryan’s heart. He only hoped she’d give him a chance to prove himself to her. Prove he was a man worth taking a chance on, worth loving. He’d made her promises. Promises he intended to keep.
Meghan walked listlessly through town, past the ice cream shop, past the bookstore and the pharmacy. A chill chased down her spine despite the warm June humidity. She stopped and spun around. No one was paying her any attention. Still…she should have told Ryan about almost being run down yesterday, but the evening had turned into a disaster before she’d had a chance.
When she’d seen the email notice pop up this morning about the impromptu press conference called by the Fitzgerald Bay police chief, she’d hardly believed it. She’d hurried to the courthouse along with more than half the town and journalists in this part of the state. She appreciated that Aiden Fitzgerald had finally and very publicly taken ownership of his part in her cousin’s life and death.
She ached for what it would cost him and his family. Contrary to what Ryan thought, she cared about them all. About Ryan. She was sure Ryan blamed her, probably hated her. The thought was like a knife to the chest.
Ryan hadn’t even tried to talk to her at the press conference. He’d stared at her from his place behind his father like a stone statue. His inscrutable eyes revealed nothing. She might as well not exist to him. She supposed she didn’t.
Heartsick, she couldn’t deny she loved Ryan Fitzgerald and he didn’t love her back.
His last words to her echoed flatly inside her chest.
If he’d loved her, he wouldn’t have said those horrible words. He didn’t love her. A sad fact she had to accept.
She’d known falling in love again was madness. Had thought she’d never go down this road again but then she hadn’t figured on Ryan Fitzgerald. He’d gotten past the barricades she’d erected around her heart. Made her think her heart was safe with him.
But he’d hurt her. Not physically as her ex had. Ryan would never be that guy.
This hurt went deeper and made her bleed inside.
She headed back to her lonely cottage by the sea. There was no question she had to leave Fitzgerald Bay. Being here hurt too much. Seeing Ryan hurt too much.
Even though she’d turned in an article that she was proud of, it wasn’t the one Ryan had read. After he’d left she’d taken a good long look at her work and viewed the story from Ryan’s point of view. She hadn’t like what she’d read. The words sounded vindictive and crushing.
Not the person she wanted to be.
So she’d revised the story to reflect the heroism of a certain deputy chief and the rescue of innocent lives.
As a freelance journalist Meghan knew there would be other stories, other chances to gain recognition and higher wages.
What she needed at the moment was to show a judge that she had a steady income and stable home to provide for Georgina. And that meant heading back to Boston and finding a well-paying job. Now.
Her lawyer, Mr. Dean, had said she could visit Georgina soon. The only bright spot in a rather dismal week.
When she arrived at her cottage, she dragged her suitcase from the hall closet and laid it open on the blue- and-red toile printed comforter and began systematically packing her clothing. As she emptied each drawer and slid it shut, the hollow sound echoed in the stillness of the cottage, magnifying the hollow feeling in her heart.
What would Ryan think when he read her revised article today?
She wouldn’t be here to find out.
A noise stilled her hands. Was that a knock she’d heard? Hope flared. Had Ryan had a change of heart and come to see her? She hurried to the door trying not to let her expectations fly too high.
Wood splintered as the front door gave way to the man forcing his way in.
Terror crashed over Meghan, engulfing her in its smothering intensity like a tsunami wiping out everything in its wake. A scream tore from her lungs. She turned to flee, to find an escape.
Roman Wykoski grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backward. Dragging her out the front door, he growled, “You thought you were so smart, you and your boyfriend. No one makes a fool of me and lives.”
Frantic, Meghan kicked and screamed as he hauled her from the cottage.
Despair underscored the terror. No one would come looking for her. Georgina would grow up without her. No one else would miss her.
Especially not Ryan.
FIFTEEN
Ryan saw his father slip away. After the press conference the family was gathered in the living room of the family home. Ryan followed his dad to the study.
The sounds of his siblings muted as he closed the door behind him. “I’m proud of you, Dad.”
His father’s confession of his affair, his mistakes since and his heartfelt apology to his family and the town rang with sincerity. Humbly taking ownership of his faults had endeared him to his family. And Ryan hoped to the town.
Aiden sat in the recliner by the window. His favorite reading spot. “Thank you, son. That means a lot to me.”
As a young boy, Ryan used to love to climb onto his dad’s lap and listen to him read from the stack of books Ryan would drag in. The memory evoked affection. For all his faults, Aiden Fitzgerald had been a good dad to him. “I owe you an apology, Dad.”
Aiden shook his head. “No.”
“Yes. I let my anger and hurt cloud what’s important.” Family, loyalty, love.
“I wish I’d done things differently. I wish I’d exercised better judgment.”
“The past is over and done with,” Ryan stated, remembering when Meghan had shared this wisdom with him. He hadn’t bought it then, but now he understood. Dwelling on what had already been only robbed him of what could be. “We have to figure out how to live in the now, then the future.”
“When did you become so wise?” his father asked.
Ryan couldn’t claim the credit. “Since I allowed Meghan Henry into my life.”
His father arched a gray speckled eyebrow. “Ah. The lovely Meghan. You care about her.”
So much more than cared. “Yes. I love her.”
“Have you told her?”
Ryan heaved a heavy sigh full of self-recrimination and guilt. “No.”
In fact she probably thought he despised her. Which was far from the truth. “Dad, Meghan wants custody of Georgina.”
“I thought she might,” Aiden said. “It’s what Olivia wanted.”
“Can you help make it happen?”
Aiden smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
A wave of relief lifted some of the weight bearing down on him. “Georgina’s in emergency foster care. Probably
