A Baby Between Them. Winnie Griggs

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СКАЧАТЬ forward to having their own doctor right here in Faith Glen.” Cam turned back to her. “And I’m sure you’ll be glad to have your other sister close by.”

       “It will be good to have the three of us close together again.” Maeve and Flynn were having a home built here in Faith Glen but it wasn’t finished yet so they were currently living in Flynn’s family home in Boston.

       Nora cast a quick glance back over her shoulder to make certain Grace was all right. She smiled at the sweet picture the babe made as she slept.

       “Speaking of your sisters,” Sheriff Long said, “it looks as if they’re headed this way.”

       Nora turned back around and sure enough, Bridget and Maeve were crossing the room toward her, arms linked and skirts swishing as they walked.

       “Ladies.” The sheriff gave a short bow as Nora’s sisters halted in front of them. He smiled at Bridget. “I’ve already told Will more than once what a mighty lucky fellow he is.”

       Bridget smiled in return. “Thank you, but I feel like I’m the one who’s been blessed.”

       Cam widened his gaze to include all three of them. “I must say, all of the Murphy sisters are looking especially fetching today.”

       Did his gaze linger on her just a heartbeat longer than her sisters? Nora pushed that ridiculous thought away. While she was honest enough to know she wasn’t plain, she also knew she couldn’t hold a candle to her sisters. Maeve was petite with beautiful curly red hair and the exquisite features of a porcelain doll. And Bridget was delicate, soft and dreamy-eyed with untamable hair that always gave her an ethereal look. Nora knew herself to be tall and rather thin, with hair that was plain brown and features that were pleasant enough but nothing out of the ordinary.

       The sheriff held his hand out toward her and it took her a moment to realize he was offering to take her now-empty cup. Feeling her cheeks warm, she thrust the cup at him with a bit more force than necessary.

       He raised a brow, but accepted the cup graciously enough. “I’ll take care of putting this away for you and let you ladies talk.”

       “Must be nice having him pick up after you for a change.”

       Nora frowned at Maeve’s words. “The sheriff is a good man and a fair employer.”

       Maeve raised her hand, palm out. “I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. I just meant that after cleaning up after him all week I would imagine it would be a pleasant change to have him return the favor.”

       Nora merely nodded, then turned to her other sister. “Will you and your new husband be off soon then?”

       Bridget’s cheeks pinkened becomingly as she reached for her sisters’ hands. “Yes. But before we leave for Boston, I wanted to thank both of you again for all you did to help make my wedding day so special.”

       Maeve, who’d supplied the beautiful gown Bridget wore, gave their sister a hug. “It was my pleasure. But, to be sure, your smile is the most beautiful thing you’re wearing today.”

       Nora nodded her agreement before hugging her, as well. “And your joy is sweeter than my baking.” She stepped back, taking both of Bridget’s hands in hers. “I only wish Mother and Da could’ve been here to see you today.”

       Romantically minded Bridget gave her a watery smile. “I do, too. Though I felt very close to them all through the ceremony.”

       Maeve patted her arm. “They would have been very proud of you.”

       Nora was certain of that, as well. She hoped their parents would also be proud of her. She’d done her best to hold their household together after their dear mother passed on ten years ago. But with Maeve and Bridget married now, the caretaker part of her life was over, at least as far as her sisters were concerned. She’d always thought she’d feel freer when this day came, not consumed by this sense of loneliness.

       Of course she wasn’t completely alone. While her sisters had new husbands and lives apart from hers now, the Good Lord had provided her with companionship of a different sort. Nora glanced back toward the cradle and smiled. Her sisters had husbands but she had this sweet, sweet babe.

       “I see Grace is taking a nap.”

       At Maeve’s comment, Nora refocused on her sisters. They had linked arms again and were facing her with identical determined looks on their faces. What were they up to? “Yes. Poor wee babe is worn out from being around so many people today. I should be getting her home soon.”

       Home. Such a small word for such a wonderful, wonderful thing. For the first time in her life, she finally had a place to call her own that no landlord could remove her from.

       Bridget cleared her throat. “We have something to say to you before Will and I leave for Boston. And we want you to hear us out before you say anything.”

       Nora’s curiosity—as well as her concern—climbed. Something told her she wasn’t going to be pleased with what they had to say.

       “You’ve done a lot for us over the years,” Bridget continued. “So now it’s our turn to take care of you.”

       Take care of her? Did they think her incapable of handling things on her own? Nora felt a protest form, but before she could say anything, Maeve chimed in.

       “That’s right. I know you are working on making the cottage into a cozy home, but the new house Flynn and I are building here will have plenty of room. You and Grace could settle in with us easily enough. And Flynn would be as pleased as I to have you there.”

       “Or you can move in right here with me and Will,” Bridget added quickly. “It would be nice to have you and Grace so close.”

       Something inside Nora tightened. She was grateful, of course, but at the same time she had to swallow a feeling of annoyance. “Thank you,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “those are generous offers. But you’re both newlyweds with new households. Bridget, in addition to your new husband, you have two precious children and a mother-in-law to care for now. And Maeve, you and Flynn are building a new home and starting up a new medical practice here. Neither of you need to be burdened with additional responsibilities right now.” Besides, even if none of that were true, Nora would be uncomfortable living on what amounted to their charity.

       Bridget drew herself up. “Nora Kayleigh Murphy, I’ll have none of that talk. You’re no burden, you’re our sister.”

       As if the ground had shifted beneath her, Nora felt a sudden change in her relationship with her sisters. Ever since their dear mother had passed on ten years ago, she’d done her best to look out for her sisters. And when their da had passed on just a few months ago, she’d felt the mantle of responsibility for their little family wrap even more tightly around her. But now the roles seem to have reversed. In their new elevated positions as married women, her sisters were now trying to take on responsibility for her.

       “I meant no insult,” she said, trying to smooth their ruffled feathers. “But that cottage was a gift to our mother. Remember how the mere idea of it gave us the courage to come to this country in the first place? The dream of having a home of our own gave us much-needed purpose through the long voyage.” She looked from Bridget to Maeve and back again. “It just seems wrong somehow to abandon it now that we finally have it.”

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