“He has a strange way of showing it,” Mick said, then glanced up just in time to see Connie and Thomas walking toward them. His brother leaned down to whisper something in her ear that wiped the panicky expression from her face. Connie beamed up at him, her eyes shining.
“Well, will you look at that?” Mick murmured. “I had my doubts, but it looks as if there’s something special going on there, after all.”
“Seems that way to me, too, sir,” Will said.
Mick stood up, shook his brother’s hand, then kissed Connie’s cheek. “Glad you could make it.”
Connie looked him square in the eye. “I was under the impression it was a command performance.”
Mick chuckled. “I suppose it was, at that. I figured you turning up here with this brother of mine would show what the two of you are made of. Come on inside. You’re here before most of the others, so there’s only the hurdle of telling Ma what’s going on.”
“I think I’ll do that on my own and out of the earshot of the rest of the family,” Thomas said. “Especially you.”
Connie looked up at him, her jaw set determinedly. “Hold on, Thomas. I thought we were in this together.”
“We are,” Thomas said, regarding her with concern. “I thought it would be easier on you if I paved the way.”
“The day I fell for you, I gave up on easy,” she said wryly.
Mick regarded her with delight, then slapped his brother on the back. “I’m beginning to get why this works. You’ve found a woman who doesn’t pull any punches.”
“Indeed, she doesn’t,” Thomas said, smiling down at her. “Let’s go, then.”
“I brought smelling salts,” Will said, then shrugged at Thomas’s startled expression. “Jess’s idea. She’s in the kitchen, too. Tell her to come get me if you need ’em.”
Thomas frowned at him. “Just what this family needs, another wiseass. I thought Mick had a lock on that territory.”
Mick laughed heartily. “I might have once, but it seems the next generation is following in my footsteps nicely!”
19
Despite the brave show she’d put on for Mick, Connie’s knees were knocking together as she and Thomas approached Nell O’Brien’s domain. Though she’d been in the kitchen dozens of times before, she had a feeling this time was going to decide whether she really belonged.
Thomas gave her a sympathetic look and squeezed her hand. “Ready?”
She gave him a shaky smile. “As I’ll ever be.”
She was about to push the door open, when he held her back. “Maybe I should make one thing clear before we go in there.”
“What’s that?” she asked tremulously.
“No matter what my mother says, no matter how she reacts or what objections she raises, nothing changes between us. We’re solid.”
“Don’t say that, Thomas. We’re talking about your mother. You may be a grown man who’s lived his own life for years now, but I know Nell’s opinion still matters to you. You wouldn’t be the person you are if it didn’t.”
“That may be so,” he agreed. “But you matter, too. What we have is new, and we still have things to work out, but this isn’t some passing fling. I’m not going to bolt if there’s the least sign of disapproval. I just want you to believe that.”
She touched his cheek, then withdrew her hand. “I want to,” she said wistfully, then forced a smile. “Now let’s do this, before I turn tail and run.”
Thomas laughed. “You’ve never run from a challenge in your life. I’d stake my bank account on that.”
“Don’t be so sure it couldn’t happen now. I’ve never faced anything quite like this. Nell’s a formidable woman.”
He smiled. “We’re talking about Ma. She barely comes up to your shoulder. You can take her.”
She gave him a horrified look. “As if I’d try.”
He laughed. “I’m just saying, there’s nothing to be scared of here.”
Then, before she could drag in a deep enough breath to steady her nerves, he pushed open the kitchen door and strode inside, her hand still securely in his. If he noticed she was lagging a bit behind, safely in his shadow, he didn’t turn to protest. Across the kitchen, Jess offered a supportive smile.
“Hi, everyone,” Thomas boomed in his heartiest voice. He went straight to his mother and kissed her cheek. “Ma.” He looked her over. “You look well.”
Nell gave him a suspicious look, then caught sight of Connie hovering behind him. “I imagine you’ve come to tell me that the two of you are getting serious about each other,” she said, her expression giving nothing away about what she thought of that.
“We have,” Thomas said, drawing Connie up to stand beside him. “Though how you’ve figured that out is beyond me.”
“I learned to read my sons a very long time ago. This handwriting has been on the wall for some time now.” She turned toward Megan. “And if it hadn’t been, Megan and Mick would have given it away with all their whispering when they thought I wasn’t paying attention.”
Megan cast an apologetic look toward Connie and Thomas. “Sorry. For once, we actually thought we were being discreet.”
Thomas just chuckled. “Mick should have known better. He, Jeff and I all knew Ma had supernatural hearing and eyesight. When we were boys, we never got away with a blessed thing.” His gaze returned to his mother. “So, how do you feel about this? I know it might seem complicated or unorthodox since I’m a few years older and have some baggage, but Connie doesn’t seem to mind that.”
“I have plenty of baggage of my own,” Connie was quick to add, then held her breath to await Nell’s verdict.
Nell looked from her son to Connie and back again. “You know my beliefs about divorce,” she said, her tone stern. “That said, I’ve never believed I could or should try to impose my beliefs on you, Thomas. I raised you and your brothers to think for yourselves and to follow your hearts. Connie’s
