LITMIR.BIZ

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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.”

       Bridget shook her head. “We wouldn’t be abandoning the place altogether, Nora. The Coulters would still live there.” James and Agnes Coulter were the elderly couple who’d been caretakers of the cottage for many years before the Murphy sisters even knew of its existence.

       “Exactly.” Nora pounced on Bridget’s statement. “If it’s sound enough for the Coulters to live in, then it’s sound enough for me to live in, as well. Besides, the repairs are coming along nicely. Before you know it, it’ll be a fine, snug little home.”

       “Perhaps it’s fine now while it’s still summer, but autumn will be upon us soon and with it colder, damper weather.” Maeve’s expression was unusually sober.

      Keep your tone calm and reasonable, Nora told herself. “No more so than what we faced back in Ireland. In fact, I hear the weather is milder here.”

       “If you won’t think of yourself, think of Grace,” Bridget insisted. “Shouldn’t she have the best accommodations possible?”

       That set Nora back a moment. Was she being selfish and prideful? “I—” She rubbed a hand over the side of her face as she gathered her thoughts. “Of course Grace deserves the very best we can give her. But I’m not so sure what that is.” She dropped her arm and drew her shoulders back. “This is not something to worry over today. Let us see how things fare when autumn gets here.”

       Bridget opened her mouth to speak, but Maeve placed a hand on her arm, shooting her a quick warning look. Turning back to Nora, she smiled. “Then we’ll not say more until then.” She wagged a finger Nora’s way. “But don’t think for a minute we’ve given up on this.”

       Nora was quite certain they hadn’t.

      * * *

       Cameron Long set the two empty cups on the small side table that had been reserved for just that purpose. The three Murphy sisters stood together, pretty as butterflies in a spring meadow.

       But to his way of thinking, Nora was the most compelling of the trio. He supposed it was the contradictions he sensed in her that intrigued him most. From the moment he’d first set eyes on her—tall and willowy with her hair pulled back in that tight little bun and her posture perfectly straight—she seemed to exude a no-nonsense air of practicality and discipline. But a moment later the infant she held had made some noise or movement that commanded her attention and her expression suddenly softened and she’d cooed some nonsense or other to calm the baby, and he’d glimpsed another side of her entirely. From that day forward he’d

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