Maggies Marriage (Cloverleaf #2) (14 page)

She rinsed the suds off her hands when she heard the loud commotion of the family returning. She stayed put, trying to savor her last bit of solitude when she saw her mother, who an odd expression on her face.

“How was church, Mom?” Maggie asked.

“Fine, dear. Um, you may want to sit down,” Mary suggested, ushering Maggie toward the table.

“Why?” Then she had her answer. Michael stood in the archway of the kitchen, Liam tucked right behind him with a hopeful smile. “Michael, what are you doing here?” Maggie remained standing, though her knees had gone soft and weak. She tried to steady herself by placing her hands on her narrow hips. Seeing him made her heart race. His face looked worn, and the dark growth of a beard on his face made him look older.

Mary quietly pushed Maggie into a chair. “Sit, dear, I will start some tea.” She turned to Michael and said, “You go join her.” Mary looked at Liam, signaling that he should leave the room.

Michael crossed over slowly and took a seat next to Maggie.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I haven’t heard from you all week,” said Maggie softly.

Michael nodded. “I know, it’s been rough. I had to see you.”

“Did Melanie see you yet?”

“Your brother called your mom, and Daniel took her out for a treat. I wanted to talk to you first.”

“Okay, when did you get in?” Maggie’s head was swirling with questions. Why was he there?

“Late last night,” he answered.

“How come you didn’t tell me you were coming?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know I was going to.”

Maggie looked at him with curiosity. “You didn’t plan on it?”

“No,” Michael said as Mary brought over two mugs of tea.

“Here you go. Now just continue your little chat, I’ll be down the hall working on the laundry.” Mary winked and quickly left the room.

Maggie felt awkward with Michael, almost like he was a stranger, especially with him donning the new beard. She wondered why he hadn’t shaved.

“Maggie, I’ve missed you so much.” His voice was tender, she could hear his longing.

“Oh, Michael.” She felt herself on the verge of tears. Just being in his presence again was overwhelming.

He took her hand, his was warm as it covered hers. “We need to really talk. Can we maybe go to dinner tonight?”

Dinner? It was Sunday, so of course the entire family would be at her mother’s house. It was their weekly ritual.

“What about you coming here for dinner? Melanie will want to see you,” Maggie said.

“Okay, but we need to find some time to talk.” Michael squeezed her hand lightly, and she felt her body responding to his touch. She had missed him more than she realized.

“That’s fine. I’m sure Daniel will be bringing Mel back soon. You going to stay for awhile?”

“Of course, dying to see my little munchkin. How’s my other one?” His brown eyes burned into hers.

Maggie swallowed. “I have an ultrasound scheduled next week. I have already felt the baby move.”

His eyes widened. “Really, wow. Can I come with you to the appointment?”

“You’ll still be here?” Maggie wasn’t sure she understood him. Didn’t he have to get back to work? It was strange that he was here now, but it was the weekend, after all.

Michael nodded. “Yes, I will be here for a while. That’s why we need to talk, Maggie.”

Things weren’t any clearer, but somehow they made a little more sense.

***

Michael was stretched out on the couch with his eyes closed, and Melanie was asleep and completely draped over him. Maggie snapped a mental picture of them. Melanie could hardly contain her excitement when she came home to find Michael waiting. The two spent several hours together. Melanie showed him her room and sat next to him during dinner. He was attentive to their daughter, and he laughed with the rest of the O’Briens. The mood in the house felt peculiar to her, like she was living in some sort of dream. Just having Michael there with her and Melanie teased at what life with him could be like again. Maggie could tell that Michael was different, something had changed, and she was dying to talk to him and find out what was going on.

Then there was Liam. After getting over her shock of seeing Michael, when she saw Liam she knew that Rachel had told him. The confusing part was why Rachel wasn’t there. Something didn’t go as planned, and she intended to find out what. Maggie laid a soft throw over Michael and Melanie, covering them carefully so as not to disturb their nap. She snuck out of the room and went in search of Liam.

Liam was at the dining table, his head in his hands, his shoulders hunched over. This was not how she expected to find him, and her heart hurt for him.

“Liam,” she whispered, taking a seat next to him. This was the perfect opportunity for them to talk. Patrick had already left with the boys, Daniel went to play pool with a couple of buddies, and Mary was meeting with her book club down at the Catholic church at the end of town. Grandpa Paddy wasn’t feeling too well at dinner and had gone to lay down, and Pat was in the den watching a previously recorded taping of a rugby game. The house was still, and no one was around to bother them. “What happened?”

Liam looked up, his eyes tired, red, and little raw. “Rachel told me about the baby, but you already knew.” His tone was flat and so unlike him.

Maggie nodded. “I’m sorry I knew before you, but I’m glad she told you.”

“Glad? Why in the hell wouldn’t she tell me?” He stared back at her, his eyes filled with questioning anger.

“I don’t know, I mean, of course she would,” she stammered. She didn’t expect him to be so upset with her. “Liam, what’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing, I just knocked up a girl who has no desire to marry me. I haven’t told Mom and Dad yet, but Michael knows.”

“You told Michael? When?”

“Well, he showed up and I had already been drinking, and then we drank together, and I spilled the beans. I needed to talk to someone.” The pain behind his eyes tore Maggie’s heart. She had never seen him so wounded.

“Well, in that case, I’m glad that Michael went there first. You needed him,” Maggie said in a quiet tone. “I guess I’m still shocked he’s here, do you know what’s going on?”

“Oh, Mags, I really think it’s better if he tells you, it’s important that you and him talk.”

“Come on, you can tell me what’s going on,” Maggie persisted.

“Normally, I would. But you and him will talk tonight after you put Mel to bed.”

Maggie let out a sigh. “Fine, but tell me more about this thing with Rachel. What happened?”

“Well, she had me come over, things were going good, and then she got all nervous and weird. She cried when she burnt this pizza she got us for dinner, it wasn’t a big deal, but she just lost it, Mags, like full-on crying,” Liam explained.

Maggie knew the wonderful perks of pregnancy hormones, the swinging emotions that come with it were not only fun to deal with on your own, but great for everyone around you.

“Hormones, Liam, hormones.”

Liam looked past her with panic in his eyes.

“Hormones?” Mary repeated. Maggie’s back was to her mother. She hadn’t heard Mary come into the room, apparently neither had Liam, as they both sat there still and quiet, just waiting for the next thing Mary was going to say. How much had she heard?

Mary made her way to the table. “Liam Timothy O’Brien, please tell me that my ears deceive me?”

Maggie was scared to face their mother, so she remained with her back to the older woman. This reminded her of when they were kids, getting caught doing something bad. She only used their middle names when they were really in trouble.

“Mom,” Liam started as Mary sat down across from Maggie. She watched as anger and something else flickered in Mary’s eyes. Oh boy, she had heard everything.

“Son, please tell me what is going on,” Her voice was flat, calm, and patient.

“Well, we were just discussing—” Liam explained, when Mary raised her palm, stopping him.

“Don’t beat around the bush as you both usually do. Maggie, I’m assuming you know a little something about this matter?”

Maggie felt her mother’s stare burning into her. She felt like a child again, and prepared for her scolding. She managed to shake her head.

“Liam, honestly, what were you thinking, son? Oh, Lord help us,” Mary said loudly.

“Mom, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Mary squared her shoulders. “Hon, I understand that you are a grown man, but you haven’t known her for but a moment. Oh, Liam.”

Maggie watched as her brother digested her words. His head was bowed, and Maggie swore she saw his eyes well up with tears.

“I want to do the right thing, Mom. I love Rachel,” he said, his tone soft as he looked at Mary. “I told her we should get married.”

Mary shook her head. “You asked her then? Or did you just tell the poor girl that you would marry her?”

“I guess I told her that I think we should get married. It makes sense, I mean, I have never felt this way about another woman, and she’s pregnant.”

“Liam, love, that isn’t how you propose the woman you want to marry, the woman you love.”

Maggie looked at Liam. “Mom’s right, you should make it special and make sure that is what you really want to do. There is no law that says you have to get married, Liam.”

Mary snorted. “It is the right thing to do, he’s just going about it the wrong way. It seems he has gone about it the wrong way altogether. Yes, Maggie, there is a law, God’s law.”

Maggie had no desire to get into a religious argument with her mother. She went through one before, when she found herself unwed and pregnant. Her mother had made it more than clear when she turned up home with Michael in tow with unexpected news. Mary insisted that they marry, and soon. Maggie felt terrible for Liam, because the pressure was on. She couldn’t help but think of poor Rachel, that woman had no idea what was coming her way. Now that Mary O’Brien was involved, God help them all.

Chapter Eleven

Mary O’Brien might be a lot of wonderful things, but when the woman was upset or disappointed, she was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. She had a way of making the guilt you were already carrying a lot heavier. Maggie watched as Liam finally left the house. She could tell he had been raked over the fiery coals. Mary O’Brien was not a happy woman.

Mary stood in front of the sink, staring out the window at absolutely nothing. Maggie waited, her mother was silent, but it was only temporary. She would definitely have something to say.

“Mom?” Maggie said softly.

“Yes, dear?”

Maggie got up from the table and went to her mother, putting her arms around her mother’s soft and plump figure. “It’ll be okay. Liam didn’t mean for things to happen this way. He loves her, Mom.”

“I know, it is just a bit of a mess.”

“Mom, like you always say, God has a funny way of doing things sometimes, but things happen for a reason.” Maggie tenderly held her mother.

“Thank you, dear.” Mary reached around and encircled her arms around Maggie. “So two new babies for the O’Briens, there is so much to do.”

Now that sounded more like her mother.

***

Maggie went into the living room to find Michael carefully lifting Melanie off of him. “I’m surprised she is still asleep. You guys had a nice nap.”

Michael smiled. “Let me tuck her in, and maybe we can go and talk?”

She nodded.
Finally, some answers.
“Yeah, you want to maybe drive somewhere?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” he said as he carried their sleeping daughter to her room.

Maggie could feel a bundle of nerves tightening in her stomach. She was curious as to what Michael had to say, but she was also terrified. What if he was going to ask for a divorce? She didn’t think so, but with how upside down everything was she had no idea what to expect. Maggie just knew things weren’t normal, and she wondered if they would be again. She grabbed her sweater, which was strewn over the couch, and she waited for Michael

He walked toward her, his face almost foreign with the beard. His stride was off. Where was the cocky, arrogant swagger she had always seen him walk with?

“You ready to go?” Michael’s voice was quiet.

Maggie nodded. She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to find out, but she hoped it would ease the hollow sickness she was feeling. She prayed that whatever he had to tell her wasn’t going to completely shatter her already tattered world.

***

Michael sat behind the wheel of the sleek beast, with the glossy shine of its paint cutting through the beginnings of night. The sun was completely gone, and a soft quilt of stars had started to emerge from the sky. They sat quietly as he drove. Maggie could feel the vibrations of the tires hitting the road through the soft leather seats. The only noise was the growl of the engine as it purred on the empty streets.

“Where are we headed?” she asked.

“You live here, why don’t you tell me?” She could still hear anger in his voice.

“Why don’t you park by the church?” Perhaps it was a plea for a safe haven, as it was the location where they exchanged their vows. He couldn’t possibly ask for a divorce if they were parked at the place where their marriage started.
Could he?
Maggie begged her brain to stop thinking.

They found themselves in the vacant lot near the church, which was a giant in the darkness with its tall copper steeple. Stained glass windows were illuminated from lights which remained lit inside. Maggie grew up in that church; it was home to many of their friends and family, a shelter of comfort, a place that harbored peace. Maggie didn’t consider herself overly religious, but she kept her relationship with God on good terms, and faith often guided her through her confusing, complicated life. She had said her share of prayers over the last several months.

Michael turned off the car. She could smell the almost worn off hint of his aftershave, and her body reacted the way it always had.

“Michael?” She didn’t recognize her own voice, it was uneven and wobbly.

His eyes remained on the windshield, looking up at the steeple that that reflected light from the street lamps. “I’m glad we are finally getting some time to talk.”

“Me too.” Maggie placed her hands in her lap, twisting them nervously.

“It’s been rough, hasn’t it?” Michael, still not looking in her direction, reached for one of her hands, gently clasping it in his. “There are not enough to words in the world to tell you how much you mean to me. I first want to tell you how sorry I am.”

“Sorry?”

“Yes, for putting you second, for not listening to you.”

She squeezed his hand “I know, you’re so driven, and I love that about you.”

“But I got lost, I was so focused on my goal that I didn’t see that the thing I loved the most was crumbling.”

“Oh, Michael.” Maggie felt her eyes grow full of tears.

“Then for me to fail at our marriage, I didn’t expect to fail at my career too.”

“Fail at your career? That’s the one thing you have been slaving over, you’re brilliant and amazing at what you do.” She felt a sudden need to defend him, an unexpected rush of sympathy filled her.

“I didn’t make partner.”

Maggie almost choked. How was that possible? He had been devoting his life to his career, enduring countless nights of working through cases. He was their golden boy, the man who won every time. The clients trusted him; they knew Michael could just about get them out of any pickle they had gotten themselves into.

Michael sighed. “I quit.”

The shock from the first news hadn’t fully settled in yet before she spoke. “What does this mean, Michael?”

“It means that I’m done. Well, done with the firm, I guess. Done with chasing the dream of making partner there.”

“Wow, I guess I’m just a little surprised by all of this. First, why wouldn’t they make you partner? You are the best weapon in defense that they have,” Maggie said as she placed her head on his shoulder. “Second, what does this mean for us?”

“It means we need to be together, to be a family. When you guys were gone, I couldn’t sleep in our bed without thinking of you. I could barely walk past Melanie’s room.”

“Michael, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it was a lesson I needed. Being told that I wasn’t good enough brought me to a new level of low. I saw that I had lost everything. I realized that I made excuses, saying that I was doing it all for you. Of course I wanted to provide the best things for you guys, but you never asked me to. You only asked for me, and I was so selfish and couldn’t even give you the one thing you wanted.” His voice trembled in the darkness that had settled around them.

Maggie undid her seatbelt and threw her arms around him. “I have always wanted just you. I know you worked so hard and gave us everything. But I just want you.” Tears assaulted her cheeks. Maggie found Michael’s mouth, the warmth of his lips on hers as she couldn’t help but feel that her prayers had finally been answered. She hadn’t asked God for a whole lot either; she just wanted Michael.

Michael held her by her shoulders. “Maggie, will you guys come home?”

“Come home? Birch Valley is our home now.”

“I thought this was only temporary until I got my priorities straight, remember?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

She scooted back into her seat. “Michael, I can’t go back. This is where I want to be. Where I want our kids raised.”

“What about our life back home?”

“I had no life there,” Maggie snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Please don’t be upset.” He tried to soothe her, but she pulled away.

“Can you take me home now?” She curled up closer to the door and looked out the tinted window and stared at the church. Had God just tricked her? She didn’t understand what was happening.

Michael started the car. “Maggie, I wish you wouldn’t be like this. I want us to be together, I just didn’t think that we had to live here.”

“And what is so wrong with here?”

“Well, nothing really, it’s just that, well, hell, I don’t know.”

Maggie huffed out loud. “You don’t know? Well, until you do, I suggest that maybe you go stay with Liam.”

The moment the car parked in front of the O’Brien home, Maggie practically jumped out, leaving Michael behind. There was no point in running after him. She had made it more than clear that she didn’t want him anywhere near her. He still had a few things to figure out.

***

Michael

He pulled away from the house after watching Maggie shut the door, and his heart sank. He had thought things were going well, they were kissing again, and she was in his arms. Suddenly, just because he didn’t say he wanted to live in this tiny little place, she was pissed. Did she really think that Birch Valley had anything to offer him or their family? Granted, he could admit it was a nice enough place. But there was nothing there. Honestly, Michael just didn’t see what Maggie saw. Of course her family lived here, and they were great, but could they actually live in Birch Valley? What would they do there? Could they be happy? He owed it to her to try.

His car found its way to Liam’s cabin, but he remained inside of his car. There were many things to consider. He rubbed his face, frustration ringing throughout his body. He hadn’t slept well for what felt like weeks, months, maybe even years. He closed his eyes and let his worries rest. Not like there was a whole lot he could do right now. Tomorrow was a new day, and he hoped to prove to Maggie that their marriage meant everything to him.