Page 62 of Question Everything

“Something tells me that will happen,” Colleen replied.

“Did someone say something about bacon and eggs?” Conor asked as he entered the kitchen.

“I didn’t hear that, but if you’d like to get breakfast started, feel free, brother,” Sibby said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“I can do that,” he said. “Not much else going on. Can’t even start shoveling yet. It’s still snowing.” He reached under the counter for the large skillet that was stored there.

“Did anyone check the forecast?” Maeve asked.

“No. And does it matter?” Sibby asked. “We’re stuck here until further notice.”

Well,Maeve thought to herself,at least the weather will keep the paparazzi away for just a little bit longer. Silver lining.

By nightfall,the snow finally tapered off to flurries and after dinner Maeve volunteered to load the dishwasher and wipe down the countertops and table. She saw stars peeking out in between the breaks in the clouds in the dark sky and knew that although this storm had passed, a larger one was about to descend at their front door at some point tomorrow.

The children had been exhausted from a day playing in the snow and went to bed without a whimper. Even Daisy had experienced her first taste and feel of the cold stuff; Kyle had bundled her up and taken her outside with the boys for a bit that afternoon, and they all came back inside with rosy cheeks, clamoring for hot chocolate. Maeve grabbed the open bottle of red wine, knowing that everyone had taken their glasses into the living room already. Satisfied that the kitchen was now left clean enough to pass Sibby’s inspection, she went inside to join the others.

What she saw as she turned the corner took her breath away. Kyle was there alone. He had a bottle of champagne on the coffee table and two beautiful, tapered flutes sat alongside it. The fire was warming the room. When he saw her, he smiled.

“Maeve,” he began. “Join me, please.”

She looked around for the others, but they were nowhere to be found. “Where did everyone go?” she asked.

“Forget them for a minute. Come here, please.”

She walked over to where he stood by the fireplace. As she got to him, he dropped down on one knee.

“I don’t know if you’re ready for the question I’m about to ask you, but I’m going to ask anyway. Maeve Byrne. Will you marry me?”

While she shouldn’t have been surprised, she had to admit that his question took her breath away. “I love you, Kyle. I just –”

“Answer me, Maeve,” he said. “I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives. Just say yes.”

And in that moment, despite her fear that the tabloids were about to expose her ugly truth to the world, Maeve knew that if she followed her heart, it would not betray her.

“Yes, Kyle. Yes. I’ll marry you.”

He stood up and swiftly took her into his arms, kissing her deeply. In the next moment, Kyle’s family and her brother Finn entered the room, offering their love and congratulations. Kyle popped the cork out of the champagne bottle, and they heard toast after toast, celebrating their engagement.

An hour later, after the others had left the room and given the happy couple some space, Kyle turned to Maeve and said, “I’m sorry that I don’t have a ring to give you. We can go shopping for one once we get back to Boston.”

“I don’t need a ring, Kyle. But this doesn’t change my situation.”

“It does though, and yes, you do need a ring. What’s changed is that now we’re officially a team.”

“I still think it would be wrong to drag you into this scandal. It’s not fair.”

“Let me worry about that, Maeve. Together we’ll protect Daisy from the worst of it. I have a plan.”

“A plan?”

“Yes. Remember when I sent the tracker that had been placed in your bag to my buddy in Nova Scotia?”

“Of course.”

“We can go there. It’s a small place, but the people are friendly, and I am sure they don’t want a media storm. They will shut it down before it can be whipped into the frenzy you’re so concerned about. And this storm bought us time. My dad has an old army buddy who happens to be the Wellfleet town clerk. We can have a marriage license by tomorrow, once we dig ourselves out. Then we can have a ceremony here at the house. We’ll be on the road before the paparazzi finds you.”

“Who can marry us here?”

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