“I see, well good luck with that, O’Malley,” she smiled, planting her hand in the middle of his chest and backing him up.
Before he could reply, his nose was mere inches from the door knocker.
Chapter Three
Maeve got up and went to school as usual the next morning. She didn’t tell any of her friends about her ‘temporary’ engagement to Sean O’Malley, nor did she discuss it with her mother at breakfast as, apparently, she wasn’t speaking to Maeve either. Several of her close friends knew about the massive crush she’d harbored for Sean, and revealing certain recent events would give it new life. Plus, she would get to spend the months between now and graduation with everyone staring at her tummy. Seventeen-year-old girls did not make out with a teenage boy one day and announce their upcoming marriage to a grown man the next unless there was something fishy going on.
Sean, however, apparently had no such qualms. As soon as she entered the sanctuary for choir practice, Father Fitzgerald came and asked to speak to her privately for a moment. He congratulated her on managing to capture the heart of a good solid man such as Sean O’Malley in one breath, and in the next, he asked her if she were really ready for marriage and all it entailed.
“I don’t mind tellin’ you; at first I wasn’t entirely supportive of this marriage when Sean came to me about it. You’re bothquite young even though he’s completed his degree and has good prospects. But after Sean told me how he found you the other night, I reconsidered.”
“He told you that?” she gasped, dropping her head in shame, thankful her long hair hid her red cheeks.
“Aye he did, in the strictest confidence of course. As I said, after I learned that, I changed my mind. I’ll be perfectly honest. I’ve always liked you, Maeve, but you have inherited some of your mother’s willfulness. I think Sean is just what you need. You’re impulsive, that goes along with being young, but the other night, your behavior was dangerous and foolhardy. I don’t blame Sean for being angry with you. After all, he’s been in love with you for many years.”
“He has?” she choked out. “How do you know that?”
“Any fool could see he hardly let you out of his sight. I’ve never even seen a brother so protective of his sister.”
“A brother?”
“Well, in a sense, yes. He was very much like an older brother. Completely appropriate, my dear, given your age difference,” he assured her, patting her hand. “In any case, Sean tells me you’ll be married in September. That will give you a couple of months after graduation to set up your home. Ah, I hear the organ. You’d better hurry along. I just wanted to let you know that I approve and will be happy to officiate at your weddin’,” he said, beaming before rushing away.
Wonderful! He told our priest everything! No sense in trying to skip confession this week. Her husband-to-be had already confessed her sins for her. How thoughtful of him. Jaysus, she was getting a husband and a big brother in one fell swoop. Could a lass get any luckier?
“Come on, Maeve, you’re holding everyone up,” Angela called.
“I’m sorry,” Maeve said, quickly snatching her coat from a pew. “I’m goin’ to have to miss tonight. I’m not feelin’ well.” Dashing down the aisle, she saw Sister Bernadette.
“No running, young lady,” she barked out.
“Sorry,” Maeve hissed, slowing only until she was past her and then breaking into a sprint. Bursting through the door, she ran until she came to the deserted park, four blocks away. Sinking down on a bench, she dropped her hands into her lap and tried to gather her thoughts into some semblance of order. The last few days had been crazy.
Had she always had a thing for Sean O’Malley? Aye.
Did she feel safe, protected, cared for when he was around? Aye.
Did she want to marry him? She wasn’t sure. At one time she would have shouted an emphatic aye, but that was before she knew he was serious about the spankin’ thing.
When he’d threatened her at fourteen, she’d been mad, but also slightly excited. A boyo had to really care about you to threaten that, didn’t he? Even as she’d stomped away, she’d felt relieved. It wasn’t just her imagination. He did have feelings for her. And he’d never do it, not really. He was just trying to make her do what he wanted, which was to go home and cover up. It was more than a big brother thing. She knew it was! A lass didn’t get all tingly around her brother, not unless she was a big time sinner, which she was not.
Even as sick as she was the other night, it still thrilled her to be carried in his arms like a precious thing. He’d rescued her yet again, and even though he was furious, he treated her gently, made sure she was okay. That part was all good. It was something to build on, but the other things he’d said were not.
He said she needed “a man’s firm hand” and it didn’t take much imagination to know where that hand was going to be put to use and whose arm it would be attached to. She was nota subservient sort of lass. No, she was independent. Sure, she made mistakes. Not huge, giant blunders like the other night, but normal mistakes. She wasn’t reckless, but she wasn’t fearful either. Trying new things was good for you. It built character and she had a lot of character, or so she’d been told.
What a mess, she thought with a sigh. She could picture herself falling asleep once they were married, enfolded in those strong arms. Kissing him could be wonderful too, if he’d ever get around to it. She had a feeling he was waiting until her eighteenth birthday. Well maybe she wouldn’t be about that day. Maybe she’d make plans with her friends and make him wait!
He could wait until the wedding for all she cared, she sniffed. No, that wouldn’t be a good idea at all. What if he was a lousy kisser? What if she hated his kisses and he slobbered like Kelly Rourke? Then she’d be stuck with him for all eternity. It was hard to imagine Sean being a sloppy kisser, but she supposed it could happen.
The spanking thing, ‘I’m king of my castle’, that definitely had to go. If he ever tried to spank her, she would fight him tooth and nail, clawing and biting for all she was worth. If he succeeded, she’d have to clobber him in his sleep. It would have to be a good one too, hard enough so he’d be too dazed to chase her. But where would she go?
She’d have to run away. No one would take her in around here, not when half the town thought she should have been taken to task long ago. Even some of her friends said she was spoiled, but she wasn’t, not really. She’d almost been ‘spoiled’ the other night, but thank God, Sean had come.
See, he was a good guy and she did love him. It was always him.
“What are you doin’ here?” the man of her dreams asked as he took a seat on the bench.
“Sittin’.”
