Page 113 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
The phrase formed by Keegan O’Malley’s cattle came to mind.
She found the strength to smile. “Goodbye, little girl.”
Then she blew her a kiss and wished her a grand send-off. Picking up her Dream Jar, she shook it for all she was worth, watching the colors sparkle and dance.
After putting it down, she stepped into her bathroom and washed her face. She needed to find Kade.
She heard a knock as she was changing into herVisualize SunshineT-shirt. As she made her way to the front door, she prayed it wasn’t her mother. But if it was, she would handle it. Her. The woman.
She planned to tell her mother she could come to the wedding, but not her father. Not after what he’d said about her and Kade. People were supposed to stand up with you at a wedding, as the Irish would say, not bring you down. She wasn’t going to let her father do that to her or her family ever again.
She took a breath as she reached for the door handle. Opening it, she felt her throat catch. “Kade.”
His brown eyes were filled with love, and his beautiful smile was back on his face. “If you’re wearing that shirt, then I’m hopeful I won’t need to say what I’d planned.”
She felt joyful tears fill her eyes as the scent of oranges touched her nose.Ah, Sorcha.“No, you won’t have to convince me that you’re not better off without me. Or persuade me to see the best in myself. I have to do those things on my own.”
“And you have.” He held out a hand to her. “It looks good on you, love.”
She took his hand, but it wasn’t enough. She rushed into his arms, and they came around her in a gentle and yet powerful embrace. “I love you, Kade. So much. I can’t wait to marry you and be your partner. In every way. But it does hurt me something awful to think about what you lost.”
He pressed back and cupped her face. “The loss was ours, love, but thankfully it’s no more. Let me tell you what’s transpired since you left my shed.”
She hadn’t imagined crying again as they sat beside each other on her settee, but tears trailed down her cheeks when he told her what his father had done. He wiped away his own tears. “So not all is lost.”
She remembered Sorcha’s words. “We’re back to how everything was yesterday.”
His brow rose at that. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
Linking her hands around his neck, she said, “That’s how I want to look at it.”
He studied her before nodding. “I see the wisdom of it. Any other wisdom you feel like sharing?”
“Only that I plan to love you and our family as the woman I am.” She smiled. “Let me tell you how much that woman really loves you. In fact, I’d like to show you. Right now.”
“I’d like nothing better,” he said, rising and locking the door. “We’ll hope and pray no one comes knocking and looking around. Although after everything, we might be granted some space for a while.”
She took his hand and led him to the bedroom. “But this is Ireland so who knows who might pop by.”
Oddly, she mostly liked that. In her other life, she’d never had good friends pop by to see her. She’d never been close enough to anyone for that.
“We’ll hope any callers will see my jeep and leave us in peace just this once,” he said as he shut the bedroom door and proceeded to love her.
She loved him back, letting the woman inside her surround him.
When she lay in his arms later, she lifted up on an elbow. “How do you thank a ghost?”
Kade caressed her arm, his brow knitting. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought of spirits wanting thanks. Are you thinking of Sorcha?”
“I am,” she said, touching his face. “She came to see me earlier. She helped.”
“She helped me as well,” Kade said, “but the last words she gave me were about men being eejits. I wonder if that will be her parting salvo.”
“I wonder.” Sorcha would call the men that, Megan thought with a chuckle. “I think we’d have been friends.”
“I suspect so,” Kade said, pulling her on top of him. “We’re lucky she was here to help us.”
“We were.” Megan grinned. “Me especially. Wait! I just got it. I know how to thank Sorcha.”
