Lilac Lane. Sherryl Woods

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      Nell turned to Moira. “If he were half as uninvolved in that business as he claims, you’d think by now he’d have let me educate him about the difference,” she said tartly. “I think he finds it convenient not to know.”

      Moira laughed. It was obviously a familiar argument. “Something tells me you’re right, Nell. My grandfather has mastered any number of skills over the years. If he’s not grasping this one, there’s a reason for it.”

      Nell took off her gardening gloves. When she went to stand up, Moira started to her feet to assist her, only to be waved off.

      “The day I can’t get up on my own, I’ll have to give this up,” Nell said. “And since I don’t intend to do that until I’m dead and gone, I’ll manage.”

      “At least you got her to take a break for a cup of tea,” Dillon said. “I’ve been trying since I came out here. It’s probably stone-cold by now.”

      Still he poured her a cup and set it on the table beside her chair. “If you’d like a cup, you’ll need to run into the house for one,” he told Moira.

      “Nothing for me. I just dropped Kate off at day care and stopped by here to give you both an update.”

      “You’ve talked to Kiera, then?” Nell said.

      “No, only to Luke. He’s agreed to the plan.”

      “I’ve no intention of asking how you persuaded him,” her grandfather said. “I’ll just accept the outcome as a blessing.”

      “He’s promised to speak to Connor this morning to get him started on the paperwork. Now, if you’ll make an airline reservation for Mum, I think we can put our plan in motion,” Moira told him.

      Dillon nodded at once. “I’ll go straight in and do that now, though I’d probably best buy the kind that’s refundable just in case she balks,” he said. He touched Nell’s cheek. “Shall I warm that tea for you?”

      “I’m fine with it as it is,” she said, covering his fingers with hers and giving them a brief squeeze.

      Moira watched the two of them with a catch in her throat. Would she and Luke have that same sort of devotion after so many years? Of course, Nell and Dillon had fallen in love as teenagers, then separated and had families before being reunited. Perhaps that was why they were so grateful for their second chance.

      She turned and caught Nell studying her.

      “You’re pleased by the prospect of having your mother here?” Nell asked. “I know the two of you haven’t always had an easy time of it.”

      “True enough,” Moira admitted. “But I think I understand the choices she made a little better now. I want her to finally have some of the happiness she deserves. I think she may find that here. There’s a lot to be said for a fresh start.”

      “Especially in Chesapeake Shores,” Nell said.

      “Yes, especially in Chesapeake Shores.”

      Which was why later that very afternoon, as Kate conveniently cried in the background, Moira called her mum and, with a note of desperation in her voice, pleaded for Kiera to come to Chesapeake Shores for an extended visit.

      “I don’t need to be at loose ends in a strange country,” Kiera argued. “Peter’s children have offered me a place at the pub for as long as I want to stay on. They’ll even boost my pay if I’m willing to take on managing it, so they can go blissfully on with their own lives.”

      “And you’re willing to accept their charity?” Moira asked, putting the worst possible spin on what had no doubt been a genuine and well-meant offer that would benefit all of them, including her mother.

      Her comment was greeted with silence, which told Moira her mother had considered the very same thing. They were very much alike in questioning the real motive behind any kindness they might feel was undeserved.

      “We’re your family, not them. You won’t be in the way here,” Moira said, pressing her tiny advantage. “I truly need the help, and you should spend a little time with your first grandchild. And with me traveling so much lately, Luke could use your presence at the pub. The customers like chatting with someone with an Irish lilt in their voice. It provides a touch of authenticity.”

      “So I’m to be the Irish window dressing?” Kiera asked, the once-familiar tart sarcasm back in her voice. “How is that an improvement over accepting charity from the McDonoughs?”

      “The job here would be much more than that,” Moira promised. “This is a family business, and you’re family. It would be almost the same as if it were your own restaurant.”

      “I doubt Luke would see it that way. Wasn’t this pub his dream? Besides, it’s not as if I can waltz in and take a job in America,” Kiera protested. “I know there are laws about that sort of thing.”

      “Luke’s cousin Connor will handle the legalities of a work visa, just as he did for me,” Moira assured her. “Focus on spending time with little Kate for now. I can’t wait for you to see her in person. She’s growing so fast, and she’s a handful. You’ll probably find her to be a lot like me in that respect.”

      With the baby’s pitiful cries to lend credence to her story, Moira gave a silent fist pump when Kiera reluctantly agreed to take the very flight that Dillon had already booked. As she hung up, Moira gave the baby a noisy kiss that changed tears to smiles.

      “Now we’ve only to find a way to make her stay,” she said.

      And that, most likely, was going to be a far more difficult task. Kiera might be feeling a bit vulnerable at the moment, but it wouldn’t last. And when her fine temper was restored, there could be hell to pay for their manipulation.

       Chapter 2

      Kiera had seen pictures of Chesapeake Shores, some on postcards, but many more taken by her daughter. None, however, had prepared her for the tug of recognition she felt as Moira and Luke drove her through the quaint downtown area with its charming shops, circled the town green with its display of colorful tulips and then turned onto Shore Road en route to their home. To their left, the Chesapeake Bay sparkled in the sunlight. The sky above was a brilliant blue. A few impressive sailboats were taking advantage of the morning breeze.

      “It’s a bit like a seaside village in Ireland, isn’t it?” she said, taking it all in. “The architecture’s very different, to be sure, but the feel of it’s the same.”

      Moira beamed at her. “That’s exactly how I saw it when I first came to town. I felt at home here almost at once. And you know it was Luke’s uncle Mick O’Brien who designed it all from scratch and built on what was once farmland. He’s a famous architect, and Luke’s brother, Matthew, works for him now.”

      “It’s hard to imagine having the vision to design an entire town,” Kiera said, in awe of the thought. “The villages in Ireland go back for centuries and are a hodgepodge of styles jumbled together in cozy harmony. Mick must possess an impressive imagination.”

      “And I couldn’t even build a playhouse СКАЧАТЬ