“Murphy, I’m sorry.”
He straightened then, and turned to her, with everything he felt naked in his eyes. “So am I. I never meant to cause you hurt, Brie. God’s witness.”
“I know that.” She took the step, crossing to him and slipping her arms around him. “I shouldn’t have been so hard, Murphy. Not on you. Never on you.”
“You scared me, I’ll admit it.” His arms went tight around her. “I spent the night worrying over it—afraid you wouldn’t forgive me, and not bake me scones anymore.”
She laughed as he’d hoped. Shaking her head, she kissed him under the ear. “I was so angry at the thought of it all more than at you. I know you acted out of caring. And Maggie, too.” Secure with her head on his shoulder, Brianna closed her eyes. “But my mother, Murphy, what did she act out of?”
“I can’t say, Brie.”
“You wouldn’t say,” she murmured and eased back to study his face. Such a handsome one, she thought, with all that goodness inside. It wasn’t right for her to ask him to condemn or defend her mother. And she wanted to see him smile again. “Tell me, did Rory hurt you very much?”
Murphy made a sound of derision, purely male, Brianna thought. “Soft hands is what he had, and not a bit of style. Wouldn’t have laid the first one on me if I’d been expecting it.”
She tucked her tongue in her cheek. “No, I’m sure of it. And did you bloody his nose for me, Murphy darling?”
“That and more. His nose was broke when I’d finished with him, and he’d lost a tooth or two.”
“That’s a hero for you.” She kissed him lightly on both cheeks. “I’m sorry she used you that way.”
He shrugged that off. “I’m glad I was the one who plowed a fist in his face, and that’s the truth. Never liked the bastard.”
“No,” Brianna said softly. “You nor Maggie, either. It seems you both saw something I didn’t, or I was seeing something that was never there.”
“Don’t worry at it now, Brie. It was years ago.” He started to pat her and remembered the grease on his hands. “Get back now, you’ll make yourself filthy. What are you doing out here in your bare feet?”
“Making up with you.” She smiled, then looked toward the road at the sound of a car. When she spotted Maggie, Brianna folded her hands, lifted a brow. “Warned her, did you?” she muttered to Murphy.
“Well, I thought it best.” And he thought it best now to step neatly back out of the line of fire.
“So.” Maggie walked around the nodding columbine, her eyes on Brianna’s face. “I thought you might want to talk to me.”
“I do, yes. Did you think I had no right to know, Maggie?”
“It wasn’t rights I was worried about. ’Twas you.”
“I loved him.” The long breath she took was part relief that the emotion was fully past tense. “I loved him longer than I would had I known the whole of it.”
“Maybe that’s true, and I’m sorry for it. I couldn’t bear to tell you." To all three of their discomfort, Maggie’s eyes filled. “I just couldn’t. You were so hurt already, so sad and lost.” Pressing her lips together, she struggled with the tears. “I didn’t know what was best.”
“It was both of our decision.” Murphy ranged himself with Maggie. “There was no bringing him back for you, Brie.”
“Do you think I would have wanted him back?” A shimmer of heat, and more of pride seeped through as she tossed back her hair. “Do you think so little of me? He believed what she told him. No, I’d not have had him back.” She let out a quick huff of breath, drew in another more slowly. “And, I’m thinking, had it been me in your position, Margaret Mary, I might have done the same. I’d have loved you enough to have done the same.”
She rubbed her hands together, then held one out. “Come inside, I’m going to make some tea. Have you had breakfast, Murphy?”
“Nothing to speak of.”
“I’ll call you when it’s ready then.” With Maggie’s hand in hers, she turned and saw Gray standing in the doorway. There was no way to stop the color that flooded her cheeks, a combination of pleasure and embarrassment, that sent her pulse scrambling. But her voice was steady enough, her nod of greeting easy. “Good morning to you, Grayson. I was about to start breakfast.”
So, she wanted to play it cool and casual, Gray noted, and returned the nod. “Looks like I’ll have company eating it. Morning, Maggie.”
Maggie sized him up as she walked with Brianna to the house. “And to you, Gray. You look . . . rested.”
“The Irish air agrees with me.” He moved aside to let them through the door. “I’ll see what Murphy’s up to.”
He strolled down the walk and stopped by the open hood of the car. “So, what’s the verdict?”
Murphy leaned on the car and watched him. “You could say it’s still out.”
Understanding that neither of them were discussing engines, Gray tucked his thumbs in his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Still looking out for her? Can’t blame you for that, but I’m not Rory.”
“Never thought you were.” Murphy scratched his chin, considered. “She’s a sturdy piece of work, our Brie, you know. But even sturdy women can be damaged if handled carelessly.”
“I don’t intend to be careless.” He lifted a brow. “Thinking of beating me up, Murphy?”
“Not yet.” And he smiled. “I like you, Grayson. I hope I won’t be called upon to break any of your bones.”
“That goes for both of us.” Satisfied, Gray glanced toward the engine. “Are we going to give this thing a decent burial?”
Murphy’s sigh was long and heartfelt. “If only we could.”
In harmony they ducked under the hood together.
In the kitchen Maggie waited until coffee was scenting the air and Con was chomping happily at his breakfast. Brianna had dressed hastily and, with her apron in place, was busy slicing bacon.
“I’ve gotten a late start,” Brianna began, “so there’s no time for fresh muffins or buns. But I’ve plenty of bread.”
He straightened then, and turned to her, with everything he felt naked in his eyes. “So am I. I never meant to cause you hurt, Brie. God’s witness.”
“I know that.” She took the step, crossing to him and slipping her arms around him. “I shouldn’t have been so hard, Murphy. Not on you. Never on you.”
“You scared me, I’ll admit it.” His arms went tight around her. “I spent the night worrying over it—afraid you wouldn’t forgive me, and not bake me scones anymore.”
She laughed as he’d hoped. Shaking her head, she kissed him under the ear. “I was so angry at the thought of it all more than at you. I know you acted out of caring. And Maggie, too.” Secure with her head on his shoulder, Brianna closed her eyes. “But my mother, Murphy, what did she act out of?”
“I can’t say, Brie.”
“You wouldn’t say,” she murmured and eased back to study his face. Such a handsome one, she thought, with all that goodness inside. It wasn’t right for her to ask him to condemn or defend her mother. And she wanted to see him smile again. “Tell me, did Rory hurt you very much?”
Murphy made a sound of derision, purely male, Brianna thought. “Soft hands is what he had, and not a bit of style. Wouldn’t have laid the first one on me if I’d been expecting it.”
She tucked her tongue in her cheek. “No, I’m sure of it. And did you bloody his nose for me, Murphy darling?”
“That and more. His nose was broke when I’d finished with him, and he’d lost a tooth or two.”
“That’s a hero for you.” She kissed him lightly on both cheeks. “I’m sorry she used you that way.”
He shrugged that off. “I’m glad I was the one who plowed a fist in his face, and that’s the truth. Never liked the bastard.”
“No,” Brianna said softly. “You nor Maggie, either. It seems you both saw something I didn’t, or I was seeing something that was never there.”
“Don’t worry at it now, Brie. It was years ago.” He started to pat her and remembered the grease on his hands. “Get back now, you’ll make yourself filthy. What are you doing out here in your bare feet?”
“Making up with you.” She smiled, then looked toward the road at the sound of a car. When she spotted Maggie, Brianna folded her hands, lifted a brow. “Warned her, did you?” she muttered to Murphy.
“Well, I thought it best.” And he thought it best now to step neatly back out of the line of fire.
“So.” Maggie walked around the nodding columbine, her eyes on Brianna’s face. “I thought you might want to talk to me.”
“I do, yes. Did you think I had no right to know, Maggie?”
“It wasn’t rights I was worried about. ’Twas you.”
“I loved him.” The long breath she took was part relief that the emotion was fully past tense. “I loved him longer than I would had I known the whole of it.”
“Maybe that’s true, and I’m sorry for it. I couldn’t bear to tell you." To all three of their discomfort, Maggie’s eyes filled. “I just couldn’t. You were so hurt already, so sad and lost.” Pressing her lips together, she struggled with the tears. “I didn’t know what was best.”
“It was both of our decision.” Murphy ranged himself with Maggie. “There was no bringing him back for you, Brie.”
“Do you think I would have wanted him back?” A shimmer of heat, and more of pride seeped through as she tossed back her hair. “Do you think so little of me? He believed what she told him. No, I’d not have had him back.” She let out a quick huff of breath, drew in another more slowly. “And, I’m thinking, had it been me in your position, Margaret Mary, I might have done the same. I’d have loved you enough to have done the same.”
She rubbed her hands together, then held one out. “Come inside, I’m going to make some tea. Have you had breakfast, Murphy?”
“Nothing to speak of.”
“I’ll call you when it’s ready then.” With Maggie’s hand in hers, she turned and saw Gray standing in the doorway. There was no way to stop the color that flooded her cheeks, a combination of pleasure and embarrassment, that sent her pulse scrambling. But her voice was steady enough, her nod of greeting easy. “Good morning to you, Grayson. I was about to start breakfast.”
So, she wanted to play it cool and casual, Gray noted, and returned the nod. “Looks like I’ll have company eating it. Morning, Maggie.”
Maggie sized him up as she walked with Brianna to the house. “And to you, Gray. You look . . . rested.”
“The Irish air agrees with me.” He moved aside to let them through the door. “I’ll see what Murphy’s up to.”
He strolled down the walk and stopped by the open hood of the car. “So, what’s the verdict?”
Murphy leaned on the car and watched him. “You could say it’s still out.”
Understanding that neither of them were discussing engines, Gray tucked his thumbs in his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Still looking out for her? Can’t blame you for that, but I’m not Rory.”
“Never thought you were.” Murphy scratched his chin, considered. “She’s a sturdy piece of work, our Brie, you know. But even sturdy women can be damaged if handled carelessly.”
“I don’t intend to be careless.” He lifted a brow. “Thinking of beating me up, Murphy?”
“Not yet.” And he smiled. “I like you, Grayson. I hope I won’t be called upon to break any of your bones.”
“That goes for both of us.” Satisfied, Gray glanced toward the engine. “Are we going to give this thing a decent burial?”
Murphy’s sigh was long and heartfelt. “If only we could.”
In harmony they ducked under the hood together.
In the kitchen Maggie waited until coffee was scenting the air and Con was chomping happily at his breakfast. Brianna had dressed hastily and, with her apron in place, was busy slicing bacon.
“I’ve gotten a late start,” Brianna began, “so there’s no time for fresh muffins or buns. But I’ve plenty of bread.”
