by Terri Reed
“The DNA results are back.” Douglas interrupted Ryan’s concentration from the doorway of the office, holding what must be the report in his hands.
Anticipation kick-started Ryan’s pulse. “Finally. Was it Christina Hennessy’s blood on the rock?”
Douglas walked closer and consulted the paper. “Yes.”
Ryan let out a cynical laugh. “Why am I not surprised? She claims Burke did the deed.”
“Then how would her blood get on the stone?” Douglas countered.
“Good question.” One he wanted answered by the potential liar herself.
He ran a hand over his jaw. The bristles of a five-o’clock shadow scraped along his palm. He was tired. Tired of this investigation, tired of the unanswered questions and tired of feeling like he was failing Meghan Henry. Despite motive and her DNA on the murder weapon, they still didn’t have enough evidence to convict Christina for Meghan’s cousin’s murder. That bothered him. She wouldn’t have closure until the murder was solved.
“You up for a little road trip?” Ryan asked.
Douglas arched a black eyebrow. “To visit Christina in Rikers?”
“Actually Framingham. She’s being transferred to MCI Monday or Tuesday.” The Massachusetts Correctional Institute for women was located north of Boston. Christina would be held there pending her arraignment and trial. “Maybe we’ll catch a break, and she’ll confess.”
“You’re on. Just let me know the time and day.” Douglas checked his watch. “I’d better get going. Merry said she had something important to tell me before we head to the party.” His blue eyes twinkled. “I’ll see you and your date tonight.”
Ryan couldn’t stop the lopsided grin on his face. “Yes. You will.”
He had a date with Meghan Henry. He’d never counted on that. Hadn’t ever thought he’d find someone he would willingly bring into the family fold. But he had. Meghan was so much more than he’d first imagined. She was light and dark and every color in between. She painted his world with joy and hope.
He shoved away from the desk. There was no sense in trying to work. Not when all he could think about was Meghan and the upcoming evening. It wouldn’t be a romantic night, not with the whole Fitzgerald clan in attendance. But it would be a beginning.
In the hallway, he ran into his youngest brother, Owen. Hurt weaseled its way to the surface. He tried to ignore it. “Hey.”
“Hey, heard you’ve had a busy few days,” Owen said, his brown eyes twinkling in his normal good-natured way.
Love for his sibling warred with the sense of betrayal Ryan felt. Owen and Charles had kept the secret of Olivia’s parentage from him. This was the first time a secret had come between them. “Yeah. Busy.”
Ryan tried to slip past him.
Owen grabbed his arm. He stopped to stare at his brother.
“We hated keeping the secret from you,” Owen said. “From everyone.”
The contrition on Owen’s face made Ryan say, “Then why did you?”
Owen dropped his hand. “Dad asked us to,” he stated simply.
Ryan wanted to be angry with Owen for choosing his loyalty to their father over his loyalty to him. But when push came to shove, Ryan knew their father had put his brothers in a difficult position. “I don’t like secrets.”
Owen nodded. “I know, bro. I’m sorry we kept one from you. Truly. Can you forgive me?”
Ryan’s heart softened, the hurt soothed. Why was forgiving his baby brother so much easier than his father?
“I can still take you down any day of the week,” Ryan quipped, referring to the wrestling matches they frequently engaged in, especially when they were kids and Owen had wanted to prove he was as strong and big as his older brothers.
“Just you try,” Owen dared back. “This Sunday.”
The family gathered every Sunday at the Aiden Fitzgerald home for dinner. It was a time of connecting and eating and playing. Wrestling, too.
“You’re on.” Ryan clapped him on the back. “You’ll be at the party tonight, right?”
“Yep. I’ll be bringing Victoria and Paige.”
“When are you and Victoria going to set a date?” They’d been engaged for a few months now. Ryan didn’t understand why they were waiting. He narrowed his gaze on his brother. “You getting cold feet?”
“No way,” Owen said. “We’ll get to it.”
“Make it soon, brother. Victoria and Paige have waited long enough to become officially part of the Fitzgerald family.”
Owen’s eyebrows rose. “I didn’t realize you were such an advocate for marriage.” A wicked gleam entered his light blue eyes. “You meet someone recently?”
“Not recently, no.” About six months ago. The day Meghan Henry walked into his life.
“Ah. So the rumors are true?”
Ryan frowned. He disliked gossip almost as much as he did secrets. “What rumors?”
“You and Meghan Henry getting chummy. Having dinner dates and running all over the place together like a couple of superheroes, saving children and…who knows what else.”
His brother winked.
Ryan’s mouth worked to deny the accusation but nothing came out. Yes, they had become “chummy” for lack of a better phrase. He felt a connection to her he’d never felt with anyone else. “I’m bringing her tonight.”
Owen’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s big. Huge.”
A little annoyed by his brother’s overreaction, Ryan held up a hand. “I’m telling you now so you don’t make a scene when we arrive.”
“Scene? When who arrives?” Keira Fitzgerald asked as she joined her brothers in the hallway. Her dark straight hair was pulled back in her customary low ponytail. Her uniform was crisp and clean.
“When he arrives tonight with Meghan Henry,” Owen said with relish.
Keira’s eyes widened. “You’re bringing her to Charles and Demi’s engagement party?”
Better to get the razzing over with, Ryan thought. “Yes. I am. You have a problem with that?”
A wicked grin broke over her face. “Naw. No problem. Wow, Mr. Commitment-shy is bringing a date to meet the family. What about Sunday dinner?”
“Maybe.” He hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. But the thought bounced around his head. “I’m not sure.”
Keira chuckled. “I think you should. She’s one gutsy woman.”
Pride infused Ryan. “Yes, she is. She went through a lot this past week and held up admirably. Now Christina’s in jail, and little Georgina’s safe.”
“I’m glad you found Christina. I was tired of answering the tip lines. There sure are some wackos out there,” she said.
A tight fist of apprehension lodged in Ryan’s gut. “What do you mean, wackos?”
“You know, the ones who call to say aliens abducted her or that she’s with Elvis in Graceland.”
Regular wackos. There was still one very mean and dangerous threat out there. Ryan would feel a lot better once they caught Roman Wykoski. Having him roaming around on the loose made Ryan edgy. He wouldn’t rest until Wykoski was captured. He’d probably already fled the country; crawling back to whatever hidey-hole he’d come from.
At least Ryan could be confident the man wouldn’t come anywhere near Fitzgerald Bay.
Or Meghan.
* * *
Meghan hoped the jean skirt, ruffled blouse and strappy sandals weren’t too fancy or too casual for an engagement party. She was hoping for just right. She’d changed clothes at least three times, nervous over spending time with Ryan’s family in such a social setting.
Footsteps sounded on the porch. She smoothed her hair and checked her lipstick in the mirror hanging on the wall beside the front door. Her flushed cheeks had nothing to do w
ith the temperature and everything to do with the man who would be her date tonight.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
Her heart did a little skip of joy at the sight of Ryan. He wore cargo pants, a T-shirt that stretched over his muscled chest and hugged his biceps attractively, and loafers. His grin made her tummy do a cartwheel.
“Hi,” she said and stepped onto the porch to close the door behind her.
“Hi, yourself. You look great.”
Pleased by his compliment, she smiled. “You, too.”
Since the marina, where the party was being held, wasn’t that far they walked. “How’s the ankle?” she asked, noticing he wasn’t limping.
“Good as new.”
“Amazing, considering the abuse you took this week,” she said, fighting back a shudder at the memories threatening to ruin this beautiful evening.
“What can I say? I’m a fast healer.” He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm.
She relished the connectedness of the gesture.
The sound of the waves crashing on shore swirled around them as they headed toward the marina. An unnerving sensation slithered into her awareness. The feeling of being watched—followed—gripped her. She glanced behind them. There was no one there.
“You okay?” Ryan asked.
Dismissing the feeling, she laughed. “Yes. Just a bit spooked still.”
“Understandable.” He pulled her closer. “Did you catch the score for the Red Sox game today?”
Forcing herself to relax and focus, she shook her head. “I didn’t. I slept most of the day,” she confessed. “Who were they playing? And more importantly, did they win?”
“I don’t know.” He laughed. “I was hoping you’d know. I slept half the day and worked the other half.”
“We’re a pair, aren’t we?” she said.
“Yes. We are,” he agreed with a smile.
The conversation turned to books and movies as they made their way to the restaurant, discovering they shared similar tastes in both. But the whole while, she couldn’t shake the sensation that someone was watching them.
Ten minutes later they climbed the wooden steps to the front door of Connolly’s Catch restaurant. Lively music came from inside. Meghan drew in a nervous breath.
“It’ll be great,” Ryan assured her as they stepped inside. She glanced one more time behind her. Shifting shadows beyond the glare of the restaurant lights made her uneasy. Then the door closed, blocking out the night and the threats it hid.
The delicious aromas of spices and sauces tantalized her senses. As did the tacky nautical decor of the restaurant. Somehow the decorations worked, though, making the place entertaining rather than gaudy. Nets draped in the corners were dotted with blue-and-green antique glass sails. Crossed harpoons draped the walls below paintings of whalers in longboats and seaside landscapes. The jawbone of a whale, jerry-rigged with well-seasoned corded ropes, hung suspended above the dining area. The tabletops and wooden benches were reminiscent of the worn plank decks of sailing ships from days gone by.
Ryan led Meghan through the main dining hall, waving to various patrons on the way to a private room in the back. Decorated much like the center room, a glass roof gave not only a more open feel to the space but also a spectacular view of the twinkling night sky overhead. In the multiple windows in the room, moonlight captured the white caps of waves as the ocean lapped at the shore of the bay.
The room quieted as they entered. Meghan fought the urge to hide behind Ryan’s broad back. His wide shoulders were strong, and she needed every bit of strength they could provide. But no sense cowering. Instead, she lifted her chin and smiled. She’d been invited to this family gathering, rightfully so this time.
A middle-age, brown-haired woman with an infectious grin, blue eyes and a smattering of freckles weaved her way through the group. She stopped in front of Meghan and Ryan. “Well, it’s about time Ryan brought a date.”
Meghan’s cheeks flamed. She’d met Vanessa Connolly months ago, back before she’d known the Connollys and Fitzgeralds were related. She liked the older woman.
“Aunt Vanessa, this is Meghan,” Ryan said.
“I know who she is. The whole family’s abuzz about it.”
Beside her Ryan groaned. She looked at him. His cheeks had turned red, too. She grinned. He arched an eyebrow.
Meghan turned back to Vanessa. “Thank you for having me.”
“We are so glad you came.” Vanessa drew her away from Ryan. “Come have something to eat and mingle.”
Meghan threw a glance over her shoulder at Ryan. He winked. She winked back and was delighted by the surprise widening his eyes.
“You know my brother Aiden, but have you met our other brother, Mickey? He’s the fire chief.” Vanessa stopped in front of a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair, blue eyes and a trim beard.
Over the next hour, Meghan met four generations of Connollys and Fitzgeralds. Firefighters and cops dominated the professions of the adults. Kids of all sizes and ages ran around the room, laughing and giggling. A little overwhelmed, Meghan let her gaze wander toward Ryan. He sat at a wooden table, arm wrestling with a younger man with the same black hair and blue eyes as the rest of the Fitzgerald clan. Meghan thought she remembered his name as Jamie Fitzgerald, one of Mickey’s sons.
Ryan lifted his eyes. Their gazes locked. A silent bond arced between them that excluded anyone else. She felt special, cared for. He grinned. Her breath caught. He held her gaze and pinned his opponent’s arm to the table. Meghan laughed, amused by his he-man display, and clapped. He was so handsome and strong…and her date tonight. A sigh of pleasure welled up inside her. She hoped to have many more dates with him.
A commotion at the door drew everyone’s attention and sent a jolt of fear through Meghan.
“You gotta tell me what happened to my father,” a tall blond young man said, trying to push his way into the room.
Meghan let out a breath and worked to calm her racing heart. Douglas and Owen boxed him in. “This is a private party, Hennessy.”
Across the room, Ryan rose to join his brothers. The three of them hustled the younger man out the door.
A stab of sympathy hit Meghan.
“Who was that?” Demi asked at Meghan’s side.
“Burke Hennessy’s son, Cooper, from his first marriage,” Meghan replied. “He was in love with Olivia.”
“Oh, that poor young man.”
Meghan agreed. He’d lost the woman he loved and his father within the last six months. It would be a lot of trauma for anyone to take.
Thinking of traumas, Meghan turned to Demi. “I owe you an apology for trying to warn you off Charles.”
Compassion lit her green eyes. “You were concerned for my safety. I can appreciate that, even if you and the rest of the town were wrong about him.”
“I’m glad he’s no longer a suspect.” Meghan glanced at the beautiful ring gracing Demi’s finger. Longing caught her off guard. She touched her own barren ring finger. She wanted to marry again, maybe even a Fitzgerald. Ryan Fitzgerald. Whoa, don’t get ahead of yourself, she thought. Aloud, she said, “I know you two will be very happy together.”
“We will be,” Demi agreed with a big smile. She pulled Meghan into a quick hug. “I’m so glad you came.”
Tears sprang to Meghan’s eyes at the display of welcome and friendship. “Me, too.”
Ryan returned to the room, his expression troubled. Meghan excused herself from Demi and went to him. “Everything okay?”
He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Yeah, I think so. Cooper’s pretty distraught. He was asking about his little sister. Wanting to know that Georgina was okay.”
“Did you tell him Georgina was Olivia’s child?”
He shook his head. “Didn’t seem the right place and time.”
She studied him. “Something’s bothering you.”
“Cooper said something about Christina’s family being all insane.”
“I was under the impression that besides Dosha, Christina didn’t have any other family.”
“Exactly.”
Meghan’s reporter antennae went up. What did Cooper mean?
The dinging of metal against glass drew their attention. Aiden tapped a spoon against his water glass.
Ryan snaked an arm around Meghan and leaned in close. “Let’s not think about Christina or any of that tonight.”
She melted against him, loving the feel of possession and protection wrapping around her, the sense of belonging. Something she’d craved for a very long time. “Sounds like a good idea,” she whispered back.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Aiden said.
Everyone scrambled to grab his or her drinks. Ryan snagged two glasses of lemonade and handed one to Meghan.
“To Charles and Demi,” Aiden said. “May the Lord smile upon you, joy and peace be faithful companions, love wash away all sorrow and long life be yours so that you may see your children’s children.”
Glasses were raised, and a chorus of voices filled the room. “Sláinte!”
Meghan lifted her glass and repeated the Irish word for cheers. Then she clinked her glass with Ryan before sipping the tart drink.
Charles raised his hand until the room was relatively quiet again. “Thank you all for joining us in celebrating our engagement.”
“When’s the big day?” someone shouted.
Demi whispered something into Charles’s ear. He smiled, nodded, then turned to the crowd. “Soon.”
Claps and cheers went up.
Ryan leaned over. “A Fitzgerald wedding is a big deal.”
“I can imagine,” she said and hoped she’d be attending with Ryan. She wondered what being a bride and planning a wedding with so much family would be like. A Fitzgerald wedding would be in the beautiful sanctuary of the Fitzgerald Bay Community Church with the whole town in attendance.