She allowed herself a smile. “Truthfully? I can’t wait.”
For the first time, she wasn’t terrified about the future. She found herself actually looking forward to it. Some of that, of course, was due to Megan’s feedback. Most of it, though, was because of Luke. Right at this moment, she actually felt optimistic about all of it. The sensation was as wonderful as it was rare.
11
The speed of the O’Brien grapevine was astounding, even on a slow day. Once Mick got involved, it apparently worked at warp speed, at least as far as Moira could tell.
Mick came bursting into the pub within an hour of Megan’s departure, followed by Shanna and Kevin as well as Heather and Connor. Megan trailed along behind, her expression sheepish.
“When Mick came in from his trip to Baltimore with your grandfather and Nell, I mentioned that you had taken pictures of Davy and little Mick earlier today,” Megan said apologetically. “Naturally, my husband promptly told their parents. Moira, would you mind terribly showing them the photos?”
Moira chuckled, despite a lingering hint of embarrassment over all the hoopla. She supposed if Megan was right about her potential, she’d have to get used to this sort of thing. It was good that her first critics on American soil were basically friendly.
She turned on the computer and opened up the files, then left the small group to scroll through the shots she’d taken, hovering in the background as they looked.
“I want that one on the wall in the quilt store,” Heather said when she saw the picture of little Mick. “Trace has all sorts of enlargement capabilities. Do you suppose he could make a blowup for me?” She turned to Moira. “Would you mind? I absolutely love it. It’s the best picture I’ve ever seen of our son.”
“And this one of Davy is priceless,” Shanna said. “He looks as if he’s about to race right off the screen. Could I hire you, Moira, to come by sometime to take pictures of him, Henry and the baby? Not stiff, formal shots, but candids like these?”
“You don’t have to hire me. I’d love to do it,” Moira said at once. “I need more shots for my portfolio, anyway, according to Megan. You’d be doing me the favor.”
She caught Megan rolling her eyes. “Young lady, you do not just give away your work.”
Moira regarded her steadily, her chin up. “I do for people who’ve been kind to me. Now if the neighbors start lining up, I’ll have to reconsider.”
Megan chuckled. “Well, I can see that you have a stubborn streak to match any O’Brien’s, so I won’t argue.”
Shanna beamed at the resolution of the argument. “Would tomorrow afternoon work? It’s Henry’s birthday and I’m throwing a party. He wasn’t used to much commotion when he first came to live with me and Kevin full time, so last year’s celebration was just a family affair. This year, though, I’ve gone all out. We’re having not only family, but also his friends from school. I’m even taking a rare Saturday off from the store to try to manage the chaos.”
Kevin grinned. “Which means since you’re in charge, I’ll get to leave, right?”
“Not on your life, pal,” Shanna said to him firmly. “You can have the morning to yourself, but from noon on you’re mine. And if the thought of a couple of dozen little kids scares you, maybe Connor will come along to protect you.”
Connor’s expression immediately brightened. “Will there be cake? If there’s cake, count me in. Is Gram baking it?”
“I asked Gail to do it at the inn,” Shanna admitted. “There are way too many people coming to the party. Your grandmother could never have baked a cake big enough for this crowd.” Her expression turned worried. “I think Nell was okay with that.”
“Don’t count on it,” Connor said direly, then brightened. “But Gail’s cake is pretty darn good, too. I suppose that could get me there to help out.”
Heather grinned at her husband’s reaction. “You are such a kid. Did no one ever throw you a party when you were Henry’s age?”
“Of course we did,” Megan said, then frowned. Before Connor could say a word, she amended, “At least we did before I left. I can’t imagine that Nell broke tradition while I was away.”
Connor regarded her evenly. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m past thinking about what changed when you left. You’re here now. That’s what matters. And I had my share of birthday parties, even when I misbehaved and Gram threatened to cancel them.”
“Still, I can’t help thinking about how much I missed, especially with you and Jess,” Megan lamented. “You two were the youngest. I should have made sure you had magical celebrations every single birthday.”
Connor circled an arm around her shoulders. “How about this? You can plan little Mick’s party every year and deal with all the kids to make up for it. Heather and I will go out and have our own private, quiet celebration of the day our son was born.”
“As if,” Heather protested. “Our boy is not having a party without his mommy and daddy.”
Connor shrugged. “Oh, well. It was a thought. I don’t have nearly enough excuses to have you all to myself.”
Moira listened to the exchange with a sense of wonder. The dynamics in this family were a constant source of amazement to her. People bickered and fought. They struggled to overcome the fallout from Megan’s apparently ugly divorce from Mick all those years ago. And yet they were united by unquestioning, unwavering love. She couldn’t help wondering how they’d managed that when she and her mum still struggled to be civil, as did her mum and her grandfather.
The O’Briens were still bickering as they left after getting Moira’s agreement to take pictures at tomorrow’s party. She turned to Luke.
“How do
