15

ADAM STRODE DOWN the main corridor of the orphanage. A wave of tension seized his neck muscles at the unnatural stillness of the building. If Maggie had followed her usual routine, she would be playing the piano while everyone was out. Yet as much as he strained his ears, he couldn’t hear the familiar tones.

As he rounded the corner, however, the sound of raised voices drifted toward him. His pulse began an uneven rhythm in his veins as he ran in the direction of the noise. Without pausing, he burst into the common room and froze at the sight before him. A glowering Fitzgerald held Maggie much too close, his fingers a vice around her upper arm.

Maggie’s disheveled hair sat in disarray about her shoulders, her wide eyes trained on Fitzgerald.

Adam balled his hands into fists at his sides. With supreme effort, he drew on the skills he’d learned in prison, calling upon rigid self-control to hold his anger in check. “Maggie? Is everything all right?” As he moved closer, he noted that her slim frame shook—whether from fear or anger he couldn’t determine.

Her gaze swung to his, and the relief in her expression told him all he needed to know. “Adam.” That one breathless word filled him with purpose.

“Is this man bothering you?”

“Aye.”

Adam pulled himself up to his full height, glad he stood a full six inches taller than Fitzgerald. “I think you’d better leave now.”

An oily smile slid over Fitzgerald’s face, though he released his grip on Maggie. “This is all a simple misunderstanding. My surprise arrival has shocked my fiancée, hasn’t it, love?”

Maggie shifted away from him. “You’re not my fiancé, or anything else to me.”

When Fitzgerald made a menacing move in her direction, Adam stepped in front of him.

“I’ll give you five seconds to walk away, or I’ll be forced to assist your exit.”

Fitzgerald waited a beat before moving, his focus trained on Maggie. “I’m not giving up, Maggie. You’ll be my bride yet.”

His patience at an end, Adam grabbed Fitzgerald by the arm and hauled the thrashing man along the corridor and out the front door. Only at the bottom of the stairs did Adam loosen his grip. He leveled Fitzgerald with an intimidating glare. “If I see you around here or anywhere near Maggie again, you’ll be traveling back across the ocean in a pine box. Do I make myself clear?”

Pure hatred shot from the man’s steely eyes. “We’ll see about that.” He buttoned his suit jacket, adjusted the angle of his hat, and strode down the road.

Adam watched until Fitzgerald turned onto a side street, and when several minutes passed with no further sign of him, Adam headed inside to make sure Maggie was unharmed.

He found her slumped on the piano bench, her dark hair tumbling about her face, her whole body shuddering.

Adam banked a jolt of concern. “Did he hurt you?”

Her head flew up as she emitted a strangled cry, giving him a second of remorse for startling her. Before he could say a word, she launched herself into his arms. He caught her and cradled her against him. Her breath came in shallow pants, her rapid heartbeat pulsing through the wool of his jacket.

A surge of protectiveness rose in his chest. He would do whatever it took to ensure her safety. “It’s all right. He’s gone.” Adam lowered his voice to soothe her, but her face remained pressed to his shoulder, her fist clutching his shirtfront.

He raised a hand, hesitated for a moment, and then allowed himself the luxury of stroking her silky hair. The faint scent of jasmine wafted to his nose. Slowly, after several minutes, the tremors eased, and her muscles began to relax.

“I still can’t believe he followed me here,” she whispered.

“Is he really your fiancé?” It jarred him just to utter the word.

She stiffened and raised her head to look at him. “We were engaged for a short time, but I broke it off before I left Ireland. I knew he’d taken it hard, but I never dreamed . . .”

Adam’s focus moved from the tempest of emotion in her eyes to the fullness of her lips, which quivered slightly. The temptation to taste their sweetness shook him to his core. With great effort, he pulled his attention back to what she had told him. “Was he harassing you back home?”

She nodded. “That’s partly why my brothers agreed I should come to America. To give Neill time to get over the breakup.”

The mention of her brothers brought stark reality crashing in on Adam, destroying their intimate moment. If Rylan or Gabe caught Maggie in his arms like this . . . Adam shuddered to think of the consequences.

He shifted and set her gently away from him. “As much as I’d love to stay here for the duration of the day, I think I’d be wise to take my leave—before Rylan gets back.”

Maggie clutched his arm, her fingers a band of steel. “Please don’t go. I—I don’t want to be alone.” Her gaze darted nervously to the door.

Adam released a long breath, and as she turned beseeching eyes to his, he knew that no matter the consequence, he could not refuse her plea. Especially since no one except old Mr. Smith was around to defend her. “Very well, but for propriety’s sake, you’d best keep me company out front while I work.”

Maggie nodded. “The fresh air would be most welcome.”

Adam’s shoulder muscles loosened the moment they exited the building. He gestured to the bucket and tools lying on the walkway below. “The cement will have hardened by now. I’ll have to fix a new batch.”

“I’ll come with you.” The nervous way she kept glancing up the street tore at him.

“Don’t worry. I doubt he’ll be back today.”

“You don’t know how unrelenting Neill can be.”

“Come on, then. You can tell me more about this loathsome fellow while I prepare the cement.”

She trailed behind him to the shed in the rear corner of the yard. The dog trotted up to greet him, sticking his wet nose into Adam’s palm. He forgot he’d left the mutt at the back door when he went in to look for Rylan.

Maggie crouched beside the animal to pat him, a smile hovering on her lips. “Have you given him a name yet?”

Adam straightened and grabbed the supplies from a shelf in the shed. “That’s a job for its new owner.” He scraped the unusable cement out of the bucket, rinsed it, and mixed a new batch.

“Well, someone has to name the poor creature. I think Chester will do nicely. What do you think, boy?”

The animal gave a quick bark, almost as if he understood what Maggie had asked.

She laughed. “I’m glad you agree. Chester it is.”

Adam glanced up as he stirred the cement. If Chester could make Maggie smile and chase the worry from her eyes, Adam would do his best to find him a nice bone later as a reward.

Once the mixture had reached the desired consistency, Adam led the trio out to the front staircase. Maggie and Chester perched on the top step while Adam worked below. Despite the unpleasant scene earlier, a sense of contentment washed over him. He found himself wishing this could be his life. Working on the house he shared with Maggie while she and their pet looked on.

“Before my father died, he and Mr. Fitzgerald made an agreement that Neill and I would marry.” Maggie’s soft voice pulled Adam’s attention from his daydreams.

“I was only eight at the time, Neill about twelve. But years later, when both our fathers were deceased, Neill came to make good on Da’s promise. Mum thought Neill a fine young man and allowed him to court me.”

Adam’s hand stilled on the trowel as he waited for her to continue.

“We’d been seeing each other for about a month when Neill declared us betrothed and started behaving in a more . . . forward manner. I did my best to avoid him. When I couldn’t, I made sure we were never alone. To say he was frustrated would be a huge understatement.” She let out a long sigh. “If that had been his only flaw, I might have gone along with the plan to marry him.”

“Did something else happen?”

A soft breeze lifted the ends of her hair, making them dance over her shoulders. “One day I went in to the village to shop, and I saw Neill escorting another woman. The way they stood with their heads touching seemed far too intimate for a mere acquaintance.” She shrugged. “Apparently he was soothing his frustrations with several willing girls in town.”

Disgusted, Adam tossed the trowel in the now-empty bucket. “Any man who would cheat is not worth the dirt on your shoes.”

She rubbed her hands over her arms. “Believe me, I told him so, in quite a colorful manner.”

The sound of footsteps brought Adam’s head whipping around. In his present mood, he could happily knock Fitzgerald into the harbor. Colleen and Rylan appeared with the children following two abreast behind them. Colleen halted the pram with a questioning look. Adam forced his face muscles to relax, not wanting to intimidate the children with his scowl.

Rylan stopped at the base of the staircase, looking from Maggie back to Adam. “Why are you out here, Maggie? I thought you wanted to practice the piano.” Accusation laced his tone.

Maggie rose from the step, her hands gripped together in front of her skirt. “Neill Fitzgerald is here. He tried to force me to leave with him. If Adam hadn’t intervened, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Rylan’s jaw hardened. “Colleen, please take the children in while I speak with Adam and Maggie in the parlor.”

Maggie tapped a toe on the carpet in the orphanage sitting room. From Rylan’s serious expression, she imagined he would likely overreact, as her brothers always did. As soon as she saw Gabe, she would have to fill him in, as well. She suppressed a sigh, thinking of his reaction to finding out the man they’d crossed an ocean to avoid had followed them here.

Absently, Maggie patted Chester’s head. The dog must have slipped inside without anyone noticing. She appreciated the feel of the beast’s warm side pressed to her leg, as though he sensed her need for comfort. She raised her head and caught Adam watching her. He gave her an almost-imperceptible nod and shifted his attention to Rylan, who closed the parlor door with a distinct snap.

Maggie wished for her sister-in-law’s presence to run interference between Adam and Rylan. But it seemed Rylan had made a point of keeping Colleen out of the conversation.

Rylan settled on the sofa. “Now tell me the whole story from the beginning.”

For the second time that day, Maggie relayed her complicated history with Neill Fitzgerald.

When she had finished, Rylan rose to pace in front of the fireplace. “Now I see why Mum was so insistent on a lengthy visit.” He paused and gave her a long look. “You two were engaged. Did you love him, Maggie?”

She sensed Adam tense beside her. “I was fond of Neill, since we all grew up together, and I hoped I would grow to love him one day. But too many differences made that impossible.”

Adam shifted from his position near Maggie, his expression grim. “I feel this is partly my fault.” He looked at Rylan. “I told Maggie I’d noticed a man lurking around lately. But I should have told you sooner. I’m sorry.”

A wave of guilt swamped Maggie. “Actually, this is my fault.” She stared at her hands. “I knew Neill was here, but I didn’t tell anyone.”

A tense silence followed. Maggie’s gaze darted from Rylan to Adam. Both men wore dark expressions.

“How did you know he was here?” Rylan finally asked. “Did you speak with him before today?”

“Yes.” Maggie let out a sigh. “He approached me not long after we arrived, apologized for everything, and asked for another chance.” She met Rylan’s gaze. “I turned him down. When I didn’t hear from him again, I assumed he’d gone home. But he found me again another time in the park with Delia.” She hesitated. Her actions sounded incredibly foolish now. “I told him he was wasting his time and to go home.”

Rylan paced to the fireplace and back. “Why did you not tell us, Maggie? I think we had a right to know.” The hurt in his eyes tore at Maggie more than any heated words ever could.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“We only want to protect you.”

“Aye. But sometimes being protected feels akin to being a prisoner.”

Rylan’s throat worked up and down, and Maggie feared she’d hurt her brother’s feelings.

He let out a long breath. “I’m only glad Adam was there to intervene in my stead. Thank you for that.”

Adam stiffened, muscles cording in his forearms. “I’d protect her with my life, if necessary.”

Maggie’s heart seemed to stall in her chest at Adam’s hoarse admission. The tears she’d held at bay all afternoon now stung her eyes, and she blinked to hold them back.

“All of us need to be on guard,” Rylan continued, “until we can figure out what to do about this.”

The door opened, and Colleen slipped inside, eyes darting to her husband.

Rylan ran a hand over his jaw. “If Gabe agrees, I think it might be wise for you both to go home as soon as we can make the arrange—”

Maggie shot to her feet. “No. I’m not going back.” She hadn’t wanted to tell her brother of her plans yet, but she refused to alter the course of her life one more time for the likes of Neill.

Rylan frowned. “You’ll just be leaving a few weeks earlier than planned.”

“No, Rylan. I’m staying in New York. Permanently.”

The room went still. Only the ticking of the mantel clock broke the silence.

Rylan looked ready to explode, whereas Adam’s expression proved unreadable.

Colleen moved to her husband’s side and gently touched his arm. “Perhaps this is not the time to make hasty decisions. When Gabe gets back, we’ll fill him in on what’s occurred, and together we’ll decide what’s best.”

A measure of relief trickled through Maggie’s system. Colleen would temper her husband’s reaction. She’d make Rylan see reason.

He gave his wife a thin smile. “Aye, that sounds like the sensible thing to do.”

Adam uncrossed his arms. “I’d best clean up and be on my way. If you need me at any time, call John McNabb at the church. He’ll get word to me.”

Rylan stepped toward Adam. “I fear I owe you an apology. At the orphanage, I’m bound by regulations, but in my own home I should have been more welcoming. We’re family, after all.” He held out his hand. “I hope you can forgive me.”

Adam didn’t hesitate to accept his hand. “No apology needed.”

Maggie’s heart swelled with pride at Adam’s honorable attitude. He would be well within his rights to harbor a grudge against Rylan, yet he bore her brother no ill will. Perhaps now her brothers would see Adam’s true nature.

Adam pointed at Chester, still sitting by the chair Maggie had vacated. “It seems this fellow has taken a shine to Maggie. It might be timely to keep him as a guard dog. I can build a shelter for him outside, if you’d like.”

Rylan nodded. “That sounds like a fine idea.”