Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

I t was as if after the day's events, the family did not want to be apart from one another. Tim and Millie were sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table playing Scrabble. Geoff, Sibby, Conor, and their parents were engaged in a rousing game of Monopoly. Finn was sleeping on the couch after refusing to go to bed before the party ended.

Maeve and Kyle were curled up together in the loveseat, quietly watching the fire burn low, both silently wishing that they could retreat to his bedroom and the privacy it afforded them but knowing that they should stay for propriety's sake. Finally, when the Monopoly game ended with Sibby once again the big winner, everyone started to stand and disperse. Kyle and his brothers had to wake Finn and help him up the stairs to the room that Maeve had once stayed in; it was pretty much unused these days. No one questioned that development.

She had gotten to his room first and went into the ensuite bathroom to wash her face. She didn't hear him come in and when she lifted her head from the sink, she saw him in the mirror, standing behind her.

"You startled me," she said.

"Were you expecting someone else?" he teased.

"I'd be disappointed if it wasn't you," she replied, turning and easily fitting into his embrace.

She reached up with one hand and caressed his cheek. "Have I told you how much I love you? You were truly my knight in shining armor today."

"I guess I'll take that over being your Prince Charming," he said with a wry smile.

"Very funny," she said, reaching down now to acknowledge his reaction to her closeness as he strained against his jeans.

"Maeve," he whispered in her ear. "I will always be in your corner."

She stepped back and looked up at him once more. "I know. And when this scandal has passed, we can be together. But for now, let me go. It's time to let me go."

The wind rattled the window, and both turned their attention to the increasing intensity of the storm outside. "I don't think it matters tonight, or even tomorrow. We're going to be snowed in here for a bit, so for right now, let's go to bed. I have big plans for us."

Knowing that the time for conversation was ended, she simply replied, "Do you? Lead the way."

It continued to snow throughout the night, a surprise storm that blanketed the Cape with over two feet of snow. Maeve had to admit that the blizzard might not have been a shock to the weather forecasters, but it was to Kyle's family since they had been so focused on the holiday and then on the swirling scandal involving Daisy's biological father that they'd missed the bulletins that had apparently scrolled along the bottom of television sets the day before. It didn't matter. The discussion at the breakfast table surrounded the fact that no one was going anywhere until the roads were cleared, and that could take a day or two.

"And this is why everyone needs a second refrigerator in the basement," Sibby said to Maeve. "We have plenty of food to feed this crowd until the roads are drivable. We can finish off the leftover turkey with a pot pie tonight. After that, we'll raid the freezer and go from there."

"How did you get to be this organized, Sibby?" Maeve asked. "I owned a bakery and often had to call in an emergency order for flour or sugar to one of my suppliers because I unexpectedly ran out."

"My mother trained me well," Sibby said, smiling at Colleen who was sitting at the table, sipping at her coffee.

"When you start with nothing, you learn to adapt. We had a lot of mouths to feed on a policeman's salary when the kids were young. I made do with less and we all survived, right?" Collen responded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Sibby replied. "And had a lot of fun along the way. I never realized how much scrimping and saving you had to do until I was married with kids of my own. It was a targeted and well-thought-out effort to keep us all clothed and fed and we all appreciate what you and dad did for us."

"That's what family does, Sib. You know that."

Maeve knew that Colleen's statement was truly meant for her. "You're lucky to have each other. Finn and I lost our parents when we were young. Getting to know all of you over the past two months has been eye-opening for me. I can only hope to aspire to the same thing for me and Daisy as time moves on."

"Something tells me that will happen," Colleen replied.

"Did someone say something about bacon and eggs?" Conor asked as he entered the kitchen.

"I didn't hear that, but if you'd like to get breakfast started, feel free, brother," Sibby said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"I can do that," he said. "Not much else going on. Can't even start shoveling yet. It's still snowing." He reached under the counter for the large skillet that was stored there.

"Did anyone check the forecast?" Maeve asked.

"No. And does it matter?" Sibby asked. "We're stuck here until further notice."

Well, Maeve thought to herself, at least the weather will keep the paparazzi away for just a little bit longer. Silver lining.

By nightfall, the snow finally tapered off to flurries and after dinner Maeve volunteered to load the dishwasher and wipe down the countertops and table. She saw stars peeking out in between the breaks in the clouds in the dark sky and knew that although this storm had passed, a larger one was about to descend at their front door at some point tomorrow.

The children had been exhausted from a day playing in the snow and went to bed without a whimper. Even Daisy had experienced her first taste and feel of the cold stuff; Kyle had bundled her up and taken her outside with the boys for a bit that afternoon, and they all came back inside with rosy cheeks, clamoring for hot chocolate. Maeve grabbed the open bottle of red wine, knowing that everyone had taken their glasses into the living room already. Satisfied that the kitchen was now left clean enough to pass Sibby's inspection, she went inside to join the others.

What she saw as she turned the corner took her breath away. Kyle was there alone. He had a bottle of champagne on the coffee table and two beautiful, tapered flutes sat alongside it. The fire was warming the room. When he saw her, he smiled.

"Maeve," he began. "Join me, please."

She looked around for the others, but they were nowhere to be found. "Where did everyone go?" she asked.

"Forget them for a minute. Come here, please."

She walked over to where he stood by the fireplace. As she got to him, he dropped down on one knee.

"I don't know if you're ready for the question I'm about to ask you, but I'm going to ask anyway. Maeve Byrne. Will you marry me?"

While she shouldn't have been surprised, she had to admit that his question took her breath away. "I love you, Kyle. I just –"

"Answer me, Maeve," he said. "I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives. Just say yes."

And in that moment, despite her fear that the tabloids were about to expose her ugly truth to the world, Maeve knew that if she followed her heart, it would not betray her.

"Yes, Kyle. Yes. I'll marry you."

He stood up and swiftly took her into his arms, kissing her deeply. In the next moment, Kyle's family and her brother Finn entered the room, offering their love and congratulations. Kyle popped the cork out of the champagne bottle, and they heard toast after toast, celebrating their engagement.

An hour later, after the others had left the room and given the happy couple some space, Kyle turned to Maeve and said, "I'm sorry that I don't have a ring to give you. We can go shopping for one once we get back to Boston."

"I don't need a ring, Kyle. But this doesn't change my situation."

"It does though, and yes, you do need a ring. What's changed is that now we're officially a team."

"I still think it would be wrong to drag you into this scandal. It's not fair."

"Let me worry about that, Maeve. Together we'll protect Daisy from the worst of it. I have a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yes. Remember when I sent the tracker that had been placed in your bag to my buddy in Nova Scotia?"

"Of course."

"We can go there. It's a small place, but the people are friendly, and I am sure they don't want a media storm. They will shut it down before it can be whipped into the frenzy you're so concerned about. And this storm bought us time. My dad has an old army buddy who happens to be the Wellfleet town clerk. We can have a marriage license by tomorrow, once we dig ourselves out. Then we can have a ceremony here at the house. We'll be on the road before the paparazzi finds you."

"Who can marry us here?"

"Millie. She just became a Universal Life Minister with an online application. It's legal and once she pronounces us married, it's binding. What do you say?"

"I say you're crazy. But that's just one of the things I love about you," she smiled and nodded her head. "Let's do it."

"I was hoping you'd say that," he said, leaning in to kiss her. "There's no backing out now."

"I was about to say the same thing to you," she replied.