"You have to ask?"
She laughed and headed to the door. "As if I could forget. The bottomless pit." She shot a playful smile over her shoulder. "Wanna keep me company while I feed you in the kitchen?"
She pushed through the swinging door and pulled a chair out from the table. "Sit. Ham sandwich okay? Mill-, or cider?"
His eyes followed her as she raided the icebox. "Ham's great. And milk."
She busied herself with the preparations, her cheeks warm from his piercing gaze. She looked up. "You're awfully quiet for a dear friend I haven't seen in over a year." She tried to concentrate on slicing two thick slabs of Marcy's homemade wheat bread. "Care to discuss what's bothering you?"
He leaned back in the chair. "No."
She paused, knife in hand. "Have you prayed about it?"
His jaw compressed, shifting back and forth the slightest bit. "Yes."
She slapped the ham on the bread, then wiped her hands on a towel. She crossed her arms and gave him a look that made him smile. "Well, then, did you listen for his answer?"
He kneaded his forehead with his fingers. "Yes. No. I'm not sure."
"Mustard or horseradish?"
He looked up. "Huh?"
She lifted her brows. "On your sandwich."
"Oh. Mustard."
She slathered the sandwich with care, then patted the bread on top. She put it on a plate and set it in front of him. Hesitating for just a moment, she put a shaky hand on his shoulder. "You're talking about Charity, aren't you? You're not sure?"
He reached up to put his hand over hers and clutched tightly, his head bent and his voice strained. "No."
She squeezed his shoulder and padded back to the icebox to pour him a glass of milk. She pushed it toward him and sank in the chair. "It doesn't matter, Mitch. God is faithful. You're married now. He'll help you make it work."
"No."
Faith blinked. "What do you mean 'no'? Of course he will."
"I mean we're not married."
The blood drained from her cheeks. "What?"
Mitch picked up the sandwich and took a bite, heaving a sigh as he did. "She lied. Something she has a true talent for, I'm discovering."
"You're not married?" Faith sagged in the chair, mouth gaping.
"Nope." He continued to chew, staring straight ahead.
"But she said you got engaged on the boat ..."
He took a swig of milk. "That much is true."
"But why lie about being married? What's the point?"
He swallowed a big bite of the sandwich and glanced at her. "She's afraid."
"Of what?"
He studied her as if to gauge how much to divulge, his cheeks stuffed with food as he chewed. He swallowed and picked up his glass, then drained the milk.
She rose to get him a refill. He clamped his hand on her arm and pulled her back. "No. We don't have much time. I need to talk. And pray. Charity's in trouble."
Faith stared at his hand on her arm, then up at his face. Her chest tightened. "What do you mean in trouble'?"
He inhaled, then released it in one long, agonizing breath. "We think she's pregnant."
Her gasp echoed in the room "No ... you didn't. .
A hurt look clouded his eyes. "No, not me. You know me better than that. How much did Bridget tell you?"
"That Charity was beaten by a man she was engaged to briefly, the man from your past, Rigan Gallagher."
A hard veneer settled on his face. "Yeah, otherwise known as scum of the earth. At any rate, she led Bridget and Mima to believe that he only beat her, but she was lying about that too."
Faith's eyes widened in shock. "He raped her?"
Mitch glanced up, his expression grim. "Apparently. She started throwing up on the boat the last few days, sick with nausea, especially in the morning. Said she was late, that her time of the month never came."
Heat scalded Faith's cheeks. "Dear Lord."
Mitch expelled a halting breath. "I started thinking about Anna, what Rigan had done to her and how it ended. I was afraid. Afraid that Charity might do something ... hurt herself ... like Anna." He looked up. "I swear I had no intention of marrying her even though I love her. I can't trust her, Faith, and that scares me to death. So much so that I planned to return immediately to Ireland and make a go of it with Kathleen. Until this."
Tears stung Faith's eyes. She stood up and put her arms around Mitch's shoulders, clutching him tightly. "Oh, Mitch, I'm so sorry. For both you and Charity. And Kathleen. I know how much she's always cared for you."
He leaned against her and closed his eyes. "I had to tell you. Charity begged me not to say anything to anyone. She's ashamed and embarrassed. But I need your prayers. We both do."
Faith sniffed and sat back down, taking his hands in hers. "I'm glad you could confide in me. Prayer is the only thing that will chase the hurt and fear from your souls. God will work this out for good, you mark my words. He's so faithful."
His smile was gentle. "I know. I had a good teacher."
She closed her eyes and lifted her chin. An assurance flooded her senses that she hoped would transfer to Mitch. "Dear Lord, what would we do without you in our times of need? Charity and Mitch need you, now more than ever. Give them peace and wisdom in this situation. Show them exactly what to do. Help them to get through this, and Kathleen too. And if for some reason," Faith swallowed hard, "this marriage isn't what you want ... we ask you to stop it. Amen."
Faith opened her eyes to see Mitch watching her. She smiled. "Feel any better?"
"Yeah. Until I have to go upstairs and sleep in that room with her."
Faith jolted upright. "No, you can't!"
"Yes, I can. Do I have to remind you that I learned restraint from the master? Besides, we're going to sneak away and get married in the morning." He hesitated, his brows puckering. "City Hall is open on Saturdays, right?"
Faith bit her lip, thinking. "I think so, till noon, but I'm not sure."
He groaned. "Well, either way, this is our secret. You can't tell your family." He squeezed her hand. "Sorry to kick you out of your room."
She bit her lip. "Maybe I should stay."
He grinned. "No. Your praying would keep me up."
He stood and tugged her to her feet, his expression tender. "You were absolute murder getting over, Faith O'Connor, but I'm in love with your sister now, against my better judgment. But I sure could use a hug from the best friend I ever had." He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tightly, his head buried in her neck. "God knows how I've missed you."
She closed her eyes and smiled, hugging him back. "I've missed you too, Mitch."
"Not too much, I hope."
Her body went stiff at the sound of Collin's voice.
She jerked out of Mitch's arms as blood whooshed into her cheeks. She put a shaky hand to her face. "Collin! I didn't expect you this soon."
He stood with a hand on the door, one hip slacked. A muscle jerked in his cheek. "Apparently."
"Mitch and I were just praying."
"Is that what you call it?"
Mitch's jaw hardened. "It was perfectly innocent, McGuire. The woman's engaged to you, for pity's sake. What more do you want?"
Collin singed him with a look. "To stay out of the clutches of her former fiance would be nice."
Mitch took a step forward. "You're a moron, McGuire. You don't deserve her."
Collin rushed across the room, his fists knuckled tight.
Faith threw herself against him with palms to his chest. "Stop it! Mitch is a guest in our home. I'll not have you ter rorizing him because of your pig-headed jealousy. He's in love with Charity now."
Collin's chest heaved and his teeth clenched tight. "Yeah? He's got a strange way of showing it. Crammed against you so hard, you'd need a crowbar to pry him off."
Faith swung around to face Mitch, one hand still pressed against Collin's chest. "Mitch, would you mind excusing us, please? There's cider and cookies in the parlor. Help yourself."
Collin lunged as Mitch left the room, but Faith yanked him back. Her eyes burned hot. "You were way over the line."
He pushed her hand away. "Don't sling this on me. You're the one plastered against your old fiance, doing only God knows what."
Shock stilled the blood in her veins. In a knee-jerk reaction, she slapped him hard across the face, the sound deafening in the silent kitchen. "Don't you dare accuse me or that man of anything tawdry. He's got more restraint in his little finger than you have in your entire body, Collin McGuire. And how dare you accuse either of us of any unseemly behavior when I've had to fend you off for the last month, your commitment to God or no."
She spun around. He grabbed her arm and jerked her back, his eyes crazed. "Don't you dare walk away from me." The anger in his eyes suddenly melted, and he crushed her to his chest, pressing his lips to her hair. "Faith, forgive me. I don't know what gets into me. You're right, I have no reason to suspect you of a thing other than Mitch Dennehy scares the living daylights out of me."
She relaxed in his arms, sinking against him with a frustrated sigh. "Collin, I love you. Don't you know that by now? Aren't you secure in that? I chose you over Mitch, and I'd do it again. And that man walked away and let me." She pulled away and cradled his face with her hands. "Because he knew. Knew deep down that my heart belonged to you. Not him."
He pulled her back, burying his face in her neck. He gave her a gentle kiss. "I know. He's right. I am a moron. I'll apologize, I promise."
She wriggled out of his grasp. "Good. You owe him one."
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "I owe you one too. For accusing you of something I know you would never do." He attempted a smile. "How well I know."
Her cheeks heated. She pulled her hand away.
He sighed and shifted, digging his hands in his pockets. She saw a rare blush of shame creep up his neck into his face. He avoided her eyes. "And I apologize for pushing you this last month. God forgive me, it was wrong." He looked up. "If you hadn't been strong, we could have gotten into serious trouble."
She folded her arms. "It wasn't easy."
"I know. But I'm grateful you're a forgiving woman. And I'm especially grateful it's a short-term problem. You have my word, Faith-I promise to be a good boy until the wedding." He hooked her waist to pull her back into his embrace, his breath hot against her face. "And after that, I just promise to be good. Very, very good."
Charity stretched in the bed, feeling wonderful despite the cramps bubbling in her stomach. She sighed and tugged the cover up to her chin. The nap had done her a world of good. Her time of the month always made her so tired. She glanced up at a sound at the door.
Mitch poked his head in. "Finally-the princess has risen! Your mother's cooking up a storm. She said twenty minutes. Need anything?"
Charity flashed him a sleepy smile. "Yes. Everybody knows a princess doesn't wake up without a kiss."
His mouth twisted into a wry smile as he propped against the door. "Forget it. I intend to stay out of harm's way until we're safely married. I'm here to carry you downstairs and nothing more. Do you need to use the loo?"
"No," she said with a teasing pout, "but if you would be kind enough to hand me my skirt and blouse off the other bed, I'd be most grateful."
He strolled in and snatched the items, then handed them to her with a patient smile. "I'll be waiting outside. Call me when you're ready." He turned to go.
"And the hairbrush off the bureau, please, if you don't mind. The hand mirror would be lovely too." She fluttered her lashes.
He deposited both on the nightstand and turned toward the door.
"Oh, and I almost forgot ... Faith has the most wonderful perfume she said I could use. It's right there on the bureau in the blue bottle. See it?"
He glanced at the bureau, then back. He squinted. "Are you going to be this much trouble after we're married?"
She grinned and sat up in bed, the blanket tucked tightly to her chin. "Oh, way more, I assure you! But, don't worry ... I have every intention of making it well worth your while."
He grunted and retrieved the perfume, then set it on the nightstand. He cocked a brow. "You better," he mumbled, then gave her a dangerous grin before striding from the room.
The door clicked shut and she sighed. Goodness, but she was crazy about that man! Humming under her breath, she quickly dressed, then brushed her hair to a high sheen. She dabbed a touch of perfume to her neck and wrists and set the bottle back on the table. With a low groan, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped on one shoe and then the other. She swept her hair over her shoulders and folded her hands in her lap. "I'm rea ... dy," she called in a singsong voice.
The door swung open and Mitch grinned. "That didn't take long. You look nice." He picked her up in his arms and sniffed. "Mmm ... you smell nice too."
She tossed her head back and grinned, then fingered the back of his collar. "Thank you. And how do I taste?" she asked.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and she saw his throat shift. "Not willing to find out, little girl," he said with a twist of a smile. "While we're in this house, you're off limits ... until tomorrow, when we become man and wife."
She started to grin, then caught her breath. Tomorrow. He wanted to get married tomorrow.
His brows dipped into a frown. "What's wrong?"
She drew in a deep breath, realizing that tomorrow night, nothing would keep him from her bed. She put a hand to her stomach, feeling the cramps.
"Charity, what's wrong?"
Her lips trembled into a smile. "Nothing. Mother just said something about a big brunch at Mrs. Gerson's, and we'll probably be there most of the day. I'm not sure we'll have time to get married tomorrow. It may have to wait."
He hefted her in his arms and headed to the door, his jaw stiff with intent. "We're getting married tomorrow, and nothing is going to stop us. I'm not going to sleep two nights in a room with you and lie to your family in the process. I'll buy you breakfast out. After." He gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head. "Come on, little girl, your father is anxious to see you."
She swallowed hard as he carried her from the room and down the hall. "Uh, Mitch, I better stop off in the bathroom after all. Sorry."
He halted on the top step and gave her a droll smile. "Yes, ma'am." He turned and deposited her in the bathroom. "I'll be right outside."
She nodded and watched as he closed the door. Her stomach cramped again, and she pressed her hand to her abdomen. She bit her lip and glanced in the mirror. Maybe it would work. Her time of the month would be almost over. And if not, she could tell him it had just come, mere hours after they were married. Nothing more than a false alarm. A smile flickered to her lips. And no baby to take care of. Just Mitch. She sucked in a deep breath and smiled. Yes, that could work-she was sure. The perfect scenario for the perfect life.
The smile faded from her lips and she closed her eyes. Except for one minor flaw. Her stomach tightened into a knot on top of another bout of cramps as she realized what waited at the bottom of the stairs.
Facing her father again.
Faith looked up as Collin stood and pushed in his chair. "Mrs. O'Connor, dinner was wonderful. But I have an early day tomorrow, so I'm going to head out."
Marcy blinked. But we haven't even had dessert yet. And you'll miss trimming the tree. We waited all this time for Charity to be here before we decorated, and now you're leaving?"
He smiled and tugged Faith up from her chair. "If I want a honeymoon with your daughter the week after next, I have to get a lot done this week. Brady can only do so much."
Patrick leaned back in his chair and unbuttoned his vest. "Hate to see you work a Saturday, Collin, but at least your business is thriving. See you tomorrow night for dinner?"
Collin grinned. "Honestly
, Mr. O'Connor, when's the last time I missed one of Mrs. O'Connor's Saturday night feasts? I'll be here." He shot Charity a smile and nodded at Mitch. "Congratulations, you two, and welcome home. Good night, everyone."
Faith followed him to the front door. "I hate to see you work so much."
He backed her against the wall and pressed in for a gentle kiss. "You're worth it, Little Bit. A week with you in New York-sheer heaven."
She kissed him back, clinging tightly to his waist. "Oh, Collin, I can't wait. And I'm not talking about New York."
He smiled and pushed her away. "Me too. Now get back in there and have some fun." He lifted her chin. "Just not too much without me, okay?"
She stifled a yawn and smiled. "Nope, I think I'll go upstairs and change my sheets for Mitch, since he's sleeping in my bed tonight. Then I'm going to turn in myself."
"Where? With Katie?"
Faith groaned and sagged against Collin's chest. "Yes, with Katie. Which is why I need to go to sleep early. Once she gets done trimming that tree, she'll probably keep me up all night."
Collin kissed her nose, then brushed her lips. "I love you, Faith."
"Me too, Collin. Good night."
She closed the door and leaned against it, listening to the laughter floating out from the dining room. She smiled a sad smile, her mood melancholy. It was hard to believe she'd be leaving this house soon, this family she loved, if only to move into Collin's flat a few blocks away. And now with Charity home, and Mitch, things seemed even stranger yet. No, she definitely needed a good night's sleep, if only to drive this edgy feeling from her soul.
She popped her head in the dining room where she caught the tail end of one of Mitch's stories. Marcy looked up. "Faith, are you all right? You look pale."
She smiled. "Yes, Mother, I'm fine. Just really tired. I think the wedding is taking its toll on both Collin and me. If you don't mind, I'm going to go up and change the sheets on my bed for Mitch, then turn in, in Katie's room."
A Passion Redeemed Page 30