Page 92 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
Chapter Twenty-Three
Her father wasn’t any different.
But Megan had changed, and she stared back at him instead of looking away. He still had the thick neck of a man who lifted weights daily and did the calisthenics he’d learned in the military. No emotion had shown in his flat eyes, the size and shape of hers, as he delivered his jab, although there was a charming smile on his face that suggested he’d done her a favor. Because, after all, he knew better. He had the medals of distinction to prove it.
She’d once believed that.
She didn’t anymore.
But Kade’s hand came to rest on the center of her back, a silent reassurance, and she decided to ignore her father’s insult. “Did you have a pleasant drive?”
“I can’t say I like driving on the left-hand side of the road, but I mastered it. All it takes is focus. Ollie, you remember that when your time comes. Are you doing the calisthenics I taught you to make you strong?”
Tyson had joined her father in supporting that lunacy, she remembered. Ollie had only just turned six, and his face had gone white when his father and grandfather had dropped into push-ups and gone through a series of exercises in front of him, showing him what he “needed” to do to be strong. He hadn’t felt accepted by either of them. Neither had she.
“Ollie’s helping Carrick and Kade out at their farms,” she said, putting a protective hand on his shoulder.
“I can do the fencing and chase down sheep,” he said, lifting his chin proudly.
“He’s an incredible helper,” Kade said at last. “I’m Kade Donovan. Megan’s fiancé.”
Her father looked him straight in the eye. “You’re the pony guy, right?”
Megan’s throat burned with anger. How dare he say that to Kade. “He’s—”
“I own a pony therapy farm, and I help championship horses heal when no one else can help them,” Kade said, his mouth tipping up on the side. “Welcome to Ireland.”
Again, his father took Kade’s measure. “Thank you. My wife has been wanting to come back for a long time. I imagine the girls will want to go off and do girl stuff, especially since Angie is in the family way before the wedding. Not that I’m surprised by that. I did my best to take the hellion out of that one. Maybe we can have a beer at the pub.”
Megan dug her fingers into her palms at the insult to Angie. In the past, she’d gone along with him calling Angie things like that in the hope of gaining his approval. She’d even started to believe it was better for her sister to fight her so-called artistic tendencies. How could she have been so blind?
“I imagine there’s plenty of time for a beer,” Kade said. “Megan, am I remembering correctly that you and Ollie needed to check on a few things for the St. Stephen’s fair?”
Megan looked over to where her mother stood, talking to Bets and Donal in front of the fireplace. Angie and Carrick had offered to help Liam with the tea and coffee in the kitchen. She envied them, but she would take Kade’s tactical retreat and run with it.
“Kade is right. We have some pressing items to attend to for the fair. We’ll see you later.”
“Fine. Be good to get a run in before it’s too dark.” Raising his voice to be heard over the chatter, he said, “Patty, Megan and Ollie are taking off, and I know you’ll be chatting with Bets until I drag you off to bed. I’m going for a run. Bets, if you’d show me where we’ll be bunking…”
Bets pasted a smile on her face, but Donal put a hand on her arm. “I’ll show you, Dan. We can haul the bags up together.”
The two men left the room. Megan relaxed immediately. Her mother came over, her short silver hair frizzed as much from the plane ride as the humidity in the air.
“You’re leaving already?”
“We have some last-minute matters that need attending for the fair,” she said, telling herself not to feel guilty. She loved her mom. They just weren’t close.
“I understand,” her mom said, smiling at Ollie. “You have a full plate, what with the fair, Angie’s wedding, and your own. But I’m here now. I can help.”
She’d heard these words all her life. The old Megan would have ceded to her, presuming her mother could do it better. Heck, her mother could run circles around her. But not this time.
“You and Angie can talk about what she’d like help with for her wedding.” That was her sister’s prerogative. “As for me, I’m good with the fair, and we’re fine on the wedding front. You just enjoy yourself.”
Her mother’s unpainted mouth parted. “Oh, I see. Well, if you change your mind… Ollie, why don’t you stay here with Grandma while your mother does her errands?”
He clutched Megan’s leg, which squeezed her heart. “He can’t, Mom. Ollie is vital to our efforts. Aren’t you? He’s helping with the pony rides.”
He raised his head and gave her the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. “Yes, I am. Come on, Mom. Let’s go. We have important things to do.”
