Page 93 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
She kissed the top of his head. “I’ll just go and say goodbye to Angie and Carrick. And Liam.” Her cousin had come over to see her parents, but he’d almost immediately retreated to the kitchen.
“I’ll join you,” Kade said. “Ollie, can you check on Pip in the jeep?
Her son raced off after giving Kade a big grin.
“The drinks are taking an awful long time, probably because Angie feels so ill,” her mother said. “My God, her color is downright sallow from morning sickness. I’ll have to do something about that.”
Megan hoped her mom could, being a nurse. She patted Kade’s arm as she walked away. When she reached the kitchen, Angie had her hand to her head while Carrick stood beside her, tapping his boots hard into Bets’ ancient wooden floors. Liam was banging around in the kitchen.
“It won’t have to be murder, Yank,” Carrick said. “Any of our friends would agree to serve as witness and say I killed your dad in self-defense.”
“You can count me in,” Liam said, slamming the cupboard door.
Megan bit her lip. She didn’t know what her father had said to Angie’s face, but the comment he’d made earlier had been bad enough.
“He actually used the phrase ‘knocked up.’ Why did I agree to have them come to our wedding?”
“Because you like your mother,” Carrick said, “and it’s not like you can only invite one of them.”
Kade firmly closed the kitchen door behind her. “I might serve as a witness too, Carrick. He’s the first man I’ve ever wanted to punch.”
“A flaw in St. Kade,” Liam said, arranging the cups on a tray. “I’m glad I’m not staying here. Poor Mum, although I expect Donal will be at her side whenever Dan is around. Patty’s not too bad. She’s a busy one though, isn’t she?”
“She wants to help with your wedding, Angie,” Megan said.
Angie blew out a breath. “I might let her. Liam’s right. She needs to keep busy. It’s Dad I’m worried about. What are we going to do with him?”
“He’s going on a run now,” Megan said.
Kade put his hand to her back again. “He mentioned drinking beer at the pub. Let him go down there. There’s plenty of men who will talk to him. They’ll either be insulted or they won’t. What did your mother see in him, I wonder?”
“He was a high-ranking soldier with a lot of charisma,” Angie said. “You should have seen him back in the day. Straight out ofAn Officer and A Gentleman.”
“I like that movie,” Liam said, “but it’s really fucked up.”
“Word,” Angie said. “Mom deals with sick people all the time, so she likes a strong man who knows his own mind. Plus, he doesn’t talk to her like that. He respects her work as a nurse. He gets almost emotional talking about all of the nurses who saved the men who were injured under his command. He’s an asshole but not a psychopath.”
“That’s a hell of a distinction, Yank,” Carrick said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “and it doesn’t make me want to punch him any less.”
“Me either,” Kade said.
“Same here,” Liam agreed. “I’m going to have to release all this pent-up anger somehow. Anyone up for a holiday meditation at Summercrest Manor?”
They all groaned.
“What are we going to do?” Angie asked, tipping her head up to the sky.
A loose plan suddenly formed in Megan’s mind. “Keep Mom busy. Encourage Dad to go to the pub. And don’t talk to them alone. Ollie doesn’t want to be around them either.”
“Who can blame him?” Liam pushed the tray aside. “We’ll look out for him, cousin. Not to worry.”
“We will,” Carrick repeated, and she heard the vow in his voice.
That made her tear up. “Thank you. We’ll keep him busy with the fair. After that, we’ll figure things out.”
“I have plenty of fencing that needs tending,” Carrick said with a grin. “Kade, aren’t your ponies hungrier around the holidays? I could have sworn you give them some extra hay to see them through these long, cold Irish nights.”
Angie laughed. “We sound like we’re planning for the Battle of the Bulge.”
Megan had never liked talking military. Tyson had done it all the time and driven her nuts. “Do you know what? I just realized another good thing about moving to Ireland.”
“We’re far away from Mom and Dad?” Angie laid a hand over her belly. “It’s sad, really. Part of me still wishes it could be different.”
“Wishing is one thing,” Kade said softly, “and it’s not a bad thing. But when it doesn’t present itself, you need to make other arrangements.”
They shared a look. “So let’s make them,” Megan said.
No one was going to ruin her first holiday with Kade, the St. Stephen’s fair, or her and Angie’s weddings. For the first time in her life, Megan Bennet was going to rebel against her parents.
God, it felt good.
