Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

H er next thought was that she had to confess to Kyle. She had an obligation to tell him all that she'd remembered. As soon as breakfast was over, and his brothers volunteered to clean up, she turned to him and said, "I need some help bringing some of the desserts up from the basement freezer."

He took one last swig from his mug and said, "Of course."

"Meet me back here in a minute. I'll ask Millie to keep an eye on Daisy for me."

He nodded and she turned to lift her daughter from the bouncy seat, then went into the living room where she found Kyle's younger sister trying to get her nephews settled in to watch an episode of Bluey on the big screen.

"Can you hang on to this little one as well?" she asked. "I just need to organize the downstairs freezer. Won't take long."

"Of course," Millie said, taking the baby from Maeve. "At least she doesn't talk back yet! That's a blessed relief."

Maeve smiled. "True. I can feel that coming, though. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Once she knew that Daisy was properly cared for, Maeve turned and went to the basement door where she found Kyle waiting for her. The activity in the kitchen had ramped up even more, and she was grateful for the chance to speak to him privately in a quieter space. "Let's go," was all she said, and he followed her down the wooden steps without protest. When they reached the refrigerator, she said, "I have to tell you something. I've remembered more of my past."

"You did?" he asked, reaching out for her arm.

"I did. I can bake because I owned a bake shop, a successful one at that."

"Do you remember where? Was it in the US?"

She shook her head. "I wasn't visiting London. I live in London. It all adds up. This holiday and all that goes along with it is unfamiliar for a reason. I've never celebrated it before today."

"And…" he prodded.

"I baked the wedding cake for the King's younger brother and his wife. It was quite elaborate and…"

"Wait. What?"

"I baked the cake for –"

He interrupted her. "I heard you. That revelation is a lot to take in, don't you think?"

She watched him mull over what she'd told him and waited for his reaction. Then she saw acceptance dawn on his face.

"It would put the Interpol piece in better perspective, but it doesn't answer the question of why you left Europe. So, you baked a cake for famous people. What does that have to do with why you ran?"

"You don't know how it works, Kyle. Unfortunately, I'm involved with these people, and that's real trouble. The bride wasn't easy to work with on that cake. I had to make multiple samples for her to taste before I got the okay to move forward. I supplied hundreds of sketches of the design for her approval. Maybe she's had time to think about the final product and is unhappy. Who knows? That family is everything to England. They wield a ton of power."

He shook his head. "Yes, but Interpol is looking for Daisy. That's the key factor here." His eyes then widened with awareness. "It's Daisy that the royal family is looking for, isn't it?"

Maeve heard what Kyle had asked, the words he spoke, but everything around her seemed to spin out of control. Memories flashed in her mind like the reel of an old, silent film, choppy and in short bursts of random images. An angry bride. A late night as she was closing the bakery alone. An unexpected visit from an apologetic groom holding an expensive bottle of wine that he insisted they share to make up for his fiancé's rude behavior. Kind words. A handsome, famous man. A quick and drunken encounter in the back shadows of her shop. A positive pregnancy test. Finn helping her plot an escape, promising to wipe away all digital traces of her so that she'd be a ghost.

Finn! It was him on the driveway last night.

Blessed relief at that thought, then bone-chilling fear as reality settled around her. She had to leave now and find Finn before he showed up again. If he was here, then he must have risked his own life to find her. She was a fugitive; that was apparent. She'd kidnapped her own daughter and illegally transported her across an ocean.

"Kyle. As difficult as it is to believe what I've just told you, I know I'm right. I need to take Daisy and run. If I don't, The Firm will come here and find me."

"The Firm?"

"That's how the royal family refers to themselves. Everyone in England knows that. They'll have to leave no trace of me, of Daisy, or anyone I've met along the way. I'm disposable. They will protect the reputation of crown at all costs. That's why I ran in the first place. I knew that Daisy was a stain on the monarchy that had to be destroyed. Please, please, just let me go. I can't let them find me here. I pose a threat that must be put down before the public knows about me or worse, my daughter." She was shaking and becoming almost hysterical.

"Calm down, Mia. Let's talk about this rationally."

She could feel herself free-falling into panic. "When does it ever help to say ‘calm down' to a person who is having a breakdown, huh? I can't calm down. And by the way, I remember my real name. It's Maeve."

"I know," he sighed, clearly reluctant to tell her the rest. "I turned that bit of information up when I was on the Interpol site. I was afraid if I told you, I might push you over the edge. As it is, you're not thinking clearly. You can't just go, and besides, you're a danger to yourself and to Daisy in this state of mind. And if you think I'm letting you go anywhere alone, you have no idea who I am. We'll figure out a plan. I'm going to help you. Please, just let me help you."

Maeve saw the strength of his conviction in the way he looked at her. If she could, she'd fall into his arms and let him make this situation better, but there was no way that could happen. He had no idea the level of power and influence they were dealing with here.

In a measured tone, she said, "Kyle. I can never repay you for the kindness you've shown me, shown Daisy. I cannot in good conscious place you and your wonderful family in harm's way any longer. I can sneak out of here right after dinner, when everyone is busy cleaning up. I'll come up with a story. A headache. A stomachache. I'll be quiet and just run."

He pulled her into his arms. "I told you this before, but I'll say it again. I love you. We're in this together until the end. If you go, I go."

She shook her head against his chest. "No, Kyle, I can't let you –"

"We're done discussing it, Maeve. If you have to run, then I'm coming with you. We'll make it work."

Maeve knew that there was no way she was going to win this argument. Now it was up to her to figure out how she was going to leave him behind. She didn't want to do it, but she loved him too much to let him come with her and risk his own life. He had a family and a career here that he was just getting back to.

No.

This was her problem, and once again, she was on her own. Her mind spinning, she stalled the inevitable by saying, "Okay, Kyle. Let's not ruin the holiday for your family. I guess there's no harm in waiting until we have the DNA test results, anyway. Once I prove to everyone without a shadow of a doubt that Daisy is my daughter, I'll feel better. I don't want your parents to think that I'm a child abductor. I have made some poor life choices, but Daisy isn't one of them."

Maeve watched as relief washed over him and she wished that she didn't have to lie. She was firm in her resolve to leave – just not with him in tow. Let him think that I've calmed down and agreed to his plan. It's the only way that I'll be able to get out of here without him.

She reached into the freezer for the tray of brownies and the apple crumb pie she'd baked the week before when she was still blissfully unaware of the truth. She balanced them together and then passed everything over to Kyle to carry back up the stairs.

"Got it?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, turning to return to the warmth of his family. He took two steps away from her and paused. "Are you coming up?"

She smiled to make it seem like their difficult conversation was now behind them, closed and agreed upon. "Of course. Let's go."

She followed his solid form into the bright light of the busy kitchen. She directed him to an empty space on the counter and he put down the desserts.

"Mia," Sibby said, "can you help us with the potatoes? They should be ready for mashing."

"Yes. I'll just check that Millie doesn't need help with Daisy…"

"I can do that," Kyle interjected. "Don't worry about the baby. I can take over inside."

Maeve locked eyes with him and knew that he was on to her. She understood that he was smart enough to know that if left alone with her daughter, there was a good chance she'd try to make a run for it, despite what she'd just said about waiting for the DNA results. But the truth wasn't all she saw in his steely gaze. There was possessiveness, desire, and love there as well. It made her knees weak and her heart race faster.

Maybe I should let him help me get away and find Finn. Besides, I love Kyle, that's real and true. I don't want to leave him.

She blinked first, nodded her agreement, and took the ricer out of the drawer which she knew housed the larger utensils. This kitchen was familiar now, this family one she wished she could call her own. After all they had done for her, the least she could do was whip up a large batch of mashed potatoes. That was one side dish she did not need her memory to know how to prepare.

By three o'clock that afternoon, the dining room table was set with the Walsh's best china, crystal wine glasses, and silverware. Candles were lit and placed down the center of the table, alternating with pretty seashells from the beach outside the windows, giving the room a warm glow. Sibby had brought along some of the boys' Thanksgiving crafts from school and they were used as cheerful decorations, scattered on the sideboard and hung from the curtain rods -- colorful turkeys, an overflowing cornucopia, and a variety of somber looking Pilgrims helped mark the day.

The true centerpiece was the enormous cooked turkey, deeply browned and resting on a heavy ceramic platter, brought out to be carved by Kyle's dad right after they all offered at least one thing that they were thankful for this year. When it was Kyle's turn, he simply said, "I'm grateful for the accident that brought Mia to me." She took note that he still called her by the name that would be familiar to his family and could feel her eyes well up with tears, which threatened to spill out onto the tablecloth. She mouthed, "thank you," and when it was her time to speak, she stammered out, "all of you," before succumbing to the emotion that she felt deep inside.

Kyle, who was sitting next to her, grabbed her hand underneath the table and squeezed it hard, as if to let her know that he was not going to ever let her go. Maeve wished that she could accept what he was offering. She wanted to stay here with him, with his family, forever and always. If only she could.

By the time they'd completed the turn around the table, the boys were clamoring for the toasted marshmallows that sat on top of the sweet potato casserole.

"Turkey and green beans first, then you can have two marshmallows each."

Squirming in their seats, the boys waited patiently to be served, then made fast work of their dinner so that they could have the coveted treat.

"Slow down! It took me three days to cook this meal. I'll be damned if you're going to choke on it," Sibby said. She turned to her husband. "Geoff, please, a little help here."

Maeve smiled as she watched Geoff work some magic and devise a quick game to distract his sons. For as unfamiliar as she was with today's holiday and its traditions, she felt a warm rush of recognition that Finn was somewhere nearby, and that she would soon see him again.

She just never could have guessed that it would be so much sooner than she could have expected.