“Of course, you can.”
Mary slid off Becky’s lap and smiled when Ashley stopped beside her.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Mary?”
With a quick nod, she moved closer to Ashley. “You look pretty.”
“Thank you. I like your dress, too. Do you want to know what I’m doing next?”
Mary nodded. Her big, brown eyes grew rounder as Ashley knelt on the floor beside her.
“I’m going to walk around the barn and offer everyone a slice of wedding cake. Would you like to help me?”
Suddenly, the sleepy six-year-old from a few minutes ago was alert and excited. “Can I help Ashley?” she asked Becky.
“’Tis more than okay. Just come back here after you’ve finished.”
“Don’t worry,” Ashley assured her. “I’ll make sure she’s all right.” And with Mary clutching her hand, they made their way through the crowded dance floor.
“She’s a wonderful little girl,” Amy said. “You must be very proud of her.”
“She’s a delight to be around. I can’t imagine my life—” Becky’s cell phone rang. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d turned off my phone.”
“You can answer it if you like. It doesn’t matter.”
She glanced at the screen to see who was calling and frowned. “’Tis Mary’s grandmother.”
Amy didn’t say anything. She knew about Edith’s efforts to take Mary away and how Becky felt about her.
“I’ll leave it to go to voicemail,” Becky said quietly.
“It will be okay. Mary’s grandma can’t do anything until the courts decide what’s the best thing for Mary. From what you’ve said, Edith will never be awarded guardianship of her granddaughter.”
“I’m grateful for your support, but I’m still worried.”
“That’s understandable. Mary’s lucky she has you.”
Becky glanced down at the phone. She wouldn’t be able to enjoy the rest of the night if she didn’t listen to the message. “Would you mind if I checked my phone?”
“Of course, I don’t mind. Find somewhere a little quieter,” Amy suggested. “You won’t hear anything over the song they’ve started to play. I’ll look after Mary if she arrives back before you do.”
“Thank you.” With her heart pounding, Becky walked toward the entrance to the barn. After the last conversation she’d had with Edith, she wasn’t looking forward to hearing what she had to say.
Chapter18
Becky found a wooden seat not far from the barn. She wasn’t the only person enjoying the cool evening air. A group of people on the other side of the yard had pulled some tables and chairs together and were enjoying a quiet drink away from the music.
Before she listened to Edith’s message, she took a moment to close her eyes and center herself. The smell of pine and spruce trees reminded her of Christmas. The music reminded her of the parties Molly had dragged her to when she was living in Ireland. And the gentle murmur of voices reminded her of the evenings spent with Jamie and Sophia before they died.
She’d had so many grand conversations with them inside their living room. They’d talked about politics, art, and education, and compared housing prices in each of the countries they called home.
Becky sighed. Although she’d lived in Montana for years, her home would always be in Ireland. Even now, after nine years of building the life she’d dreamed about, she felt the pull of the Emerald Isle; of a life as familiar to her as the freckles on her face.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and held onto the sense of peace for dear life.
“Is everything all right?”
She jumped. Her phone flew through the air, landing with a thud on the gravel.
