“I suppose not,” he conceded.
In a way his agreement was a disappointment. A part of her wanted to stay—no question about it. Her real hesitation had far less to do with any work commitments than it did with worry about what Luke’s reaction might be. Ironically, she could justify staying here for work just as easily as she could going home, thanks to Megan’s interest in her photographs. No, the real issue was Luke.
Thankfully, though, her grandfather backed off. “The offer is on the table, if you change your mind,” he said. “Nell’s more than willing to have you as a houseguest for as long as you like. We’ve already discussed it.”
She smiled. “Do I sense a bit of matchmaking at work in that?” she asked. She wouldn’t put it past either of them.
“Nothing more than a gracious invitation,” her grandfather insisted, his expression all innocence.
Moira laughed. “You’re not fooling me!”
“I just want to see you happy, darling girl. That’s all.”
He headed off to find Nell, and Moira once more turned her attention to the beautiful scenery. She could fall in love with this place, she realized. It was a good thing, since she was already madly in love with one of its residents.
Luke stood off by himself at Henry’s birthday party, smiling at his young cousin’s delight at all the attention. A year ago, Henry would definitely have been too shy to enjoy it, but now he was as much an instigator of trouble and noise as anyone else.
Luke’s real focus, though, was Moira. Watching her work was a revelation. She insinuated herself right into the middle of all the kids, teasing them, her demeanor as carefree as theirs. It was extraordinary to see, as he’d not yet forgotten their uneasy introduction when she’d barely spoken a word to anyone. No wonder she excelled at taking photos of people. She transformed herself, especially around children. He realized for the first time what a wonderful mother she’d be.
To be honest, he’d had his doubts about that. Her moodiness, which was merely challenging to him, would be daunting for a child. Just thinking about it had given him pause every time he’d had a fleeting thought about taking another step in their relationship. Seeing her like this, though, reassured him.
Not that he was ready to take another step, not toward marriage, much less toward parenthood. As the pub’s opening crept closer and closer, his nerves were increasingly frayed. Every day was a battle between him and his endless lists of details. Truthfully, he had no idea if he even had all the necessary details on his lists. He just added things as he thought of them, crossed them off when they were done.
He should probably be at the pub right now, attacking a few more chores, but he hadn’t been able to pass up the chance to stop by Henry’s party. Like Connor, he was a sucker for cake. And, to be honest, he hadn’t wanted to miss the chance to glimpse Moira in her element.
She broke free, laughing, and headed his way. Sunlight caught in her hair, and her face was alight in a way he’d too rarely seen it.
“Having fun?” he asked as she neared.
“The best time ever,” she admitted. “I’ve never been around a more rambunctious group of kids. The best part is seeing Henry at the heart of it. He was already coming out of his shell when I met him at Christmas, but clearly he’s taken even more strides since then.”
Luke chuckled. “You should have been here when he first came to live with Shanna, before she and Kevin married. He practically faded into the woodwork because of the circumstances at home.”
“I heard his father—Shanna’s ex-husband—is an alcoholic. Is that right?”
“And has several serious related health issues. Henry was left to tiptoe around trying not to disturb his father. He had only a nanny to look out for him once Shanna divorced his father. It was his father’s parents who realized he’d be far better off with Shanna and negotiated the arrangements so she and Kevin could adopt him. Shanna sees that he still has frequent visits with his father and his grandparents, but they’re carefully controlled so that his dad is having his best possible days while Henry’s there. It’s worked out well all around.”
He smiled. “When he first arrived here, they actually thought quiet, studious Henry would be a good influence on Davy, but it’s turned out to work the other way. Davy’s given Henry back his childhood. And with a new baby in the house, I imagine there will be even more changes ahead.”
Moira glanced back toward the impromptu soccer game going on across the lawn. “It’s wonderful to see, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Luke said, but his gaze was fixed on her. “Are you happy with the pictures you’ve been taking?”
“I won’t know till I’ve a chance to look at them later,” she said with a shrug. “But there are bound to be one or two special ones.”
He regarded her with surprise. “But you must have taken hundreds.”
“At least,” she agreed, then grinned. “Special’s rare.”
“You’re already thinking like a professional,” he said. “Megan would be impressed.”
She drew in a deep breath, as if she were contemplating returning to a battle of some sort. “I suppose I should get back out there,” she said.
“Don’t you want time out for cake, at least?” he asked. “I could grab a slice for you. It came from Jess’s chef and it’s excellent, even if Gram has been muttering all afternoon about being relieved of cake duty.”
“Grab me a piece and save it for later,” she said. “I don’t want to miss any potentially great shots. Will you be around till the end?”
He
