Wild Irish Rebel (16 page)

"Shh, you're fine. She's just a little emotional." Morgan spoke to Cait's stomach and had the woman pausing.

"Is she upset?" Cait whispered.

"She just got a little scared when you started reliving the moment. I think she's ready to meet you though." Morgan smiled gently at Cait.

"Will I be okay?" Cait looked at Fiona, her eyes wide with worry.

"Aye, you'll be fine. We're all here," Fiona said and Cait looked around. Morgan glanced up to see all of the women and their men standing around Cait's bed.

"Love wins," Morgan said.

"You're right," Cait said and Morgan jumped, not realizing she had said it out loud.

"Let's bring this baby girl into the world," Cait said and smiled, reaching to hold both Shane and Fiona's hands.

Morgan smiled and then sent all of her love to the baby, giving her a nudge in the right direction.

Chapter Thirty

Morgan slipped out
as soon as she knew the baby would be delivered in good health. Aislinn's guest room was small and Morgan figured that Cait would want some private time with Fiona and Shane.

Her body felt like it had been run over by a truck and her eyes ached. She scanned the room, looking for Patrick.

"He went to man the pub. Everyone went there to wait and hear about Cait," Baird said.

Morgan nodded, not saying anything.

"You should go there," Baird said.

"I might," Morgan said noncommittally. She looked down at her bloodstained clothes. "I'd like to shower first. Give Cait and everyone my love. I'll…I'll be back," Morgan murmured, nodding at Baird as she tried to move past him.

"Morgan, if you need to talk…I'm here," Baird said gently.

"I just need to be alone," she whispered, at her emotional limit for the day, just needing a moment by herself to breathe.

Morgan slipped out of the back door and took the side streets to her apartment, jogging along so as not to chance running into a villager while she was exhausted and covered in blood. Morgan reached her apartment door and on a sob, she ran up the stairs to her room, jamming the key into her door, wanting more than anything to just be alone for a moment.

Pulling off her bloodstained clothes, Morgan pushed into the bathroom and stepped into the shower, not caring that the water was cold.

And let it all out.

She cried into the cold stream of water as it began to turn warm, slumping to the floor of the shower to let the water run from her. Pink water, the remnants of Cait's blood, flowed between her toes, getting sucked into the drain. Morgan wished she could wash away what had happened so easily.

Patrick hadn't stayed. He hadn't said a word to her, she thought as she tilted her head up into the stream of water.

And, yet.

He'd yelled to her. When she needed help most, Morgan thought. Her mind flashed back to the car hovering in the air and her fear of not being able to place it down safely. Patrick's voice had cut through her fear to help her.

Even when Patrick had been mad at her. Even when he didn't understand what was happening, he'd had her back, she thought.

That's just because he is kind hearted, and loves Cait, she told herself. If he really cared about her, he would have spoken to her after what had happened. Something.

An image flashed through Morgan's mind of the people surrounding her when she'd lifted the car.

Shock.

Horror.

Disbelief.

Morgan shook her head.

Nobody would ever look at her the same. And, they'd certainly judge Patrick for it. She'd always be known as his crazy girlfriend. She'd ruined everything, Morgan thought.

Realizing what she had to do, Morgan began to sob even harder, wrapping her arms around her legs, hating the decision that she had to make.

Morgan knew that she had to go.

Hours later, the tears still flowed as she packed her bags. Looking around at her apartment that she loved so much, her eyes landed on her bed. She trailed her hand over the comforter, remembering the nights that she and Patrick had spent there.

She was doing this for him, Morgan thought determinedly.

Her phone dinged with a text message and Morgan hurried over, hoping for good news.

Healthy baby girl! Cait wants you to come by tomorrow. She needs sleep now. Both mom and baby are doing well.

Morgan blinked down at the text message, happy that she had been able to help, grateful that Cait and the baby had been spared. Her body swayed as she looked at her phone and she realized that she was about to drop from sheer exhaustion.

She looked at her bed again.

"Tomorrow, I'll go," she said and crawled beneath the comforter, asleep before her head hit the pillow. 

****

Morgan awoke in the dim light of morning to another ding from her phone. She pushed herself up and rubbed her hands over her face, trying to shake the fog from her brain. She closed one eye and squinted at the clock.

6:00 a.m.

Grumbling, Morgan reached for her phone to see who the text was from. Her thoughts immediately went to Patrick and her heart lifted for a second before she remembered that she was leaving today.

Sighing, Morgan swiped the screen.

I need you to open the gallery today. We have a tourist bus coming and Cait needs my help. Thanks
, the text from Aislinn read.

Her mouth dropped open and Morgan began to text back, thinking up some excuse as to why she couldn't make it.

"Damn it," Morgan cursed and put the phone back down without sending a text.

She couldn't just walk out on Aislinn. She was the first person who had ever taken a chance on Morgan.

Sighing, she crawled back into bed and pulled the pillow over her head, pushing her nervousness away. She'd just have a heart-to-heart with Aislinn later on today and then she would be free to go.

On her own, once again.

Chapter Thirty-One

"What am I doing
," Morgan moaned as she finished getting ready for the day, her eyes drifting to her suitcases stacked in the corner. She sighed as she pulled her long hair into two braids on either side of her face, the mindless task soothing her. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since the scone for breakfast yesterday. Moving to the kitchen, she popped a piece of bread in the toaster oven and sipped at her coffee, trying to calm her scattered mind.  Her emotions were raw and ran dangerously close to the surface. Morgan knew she would have to keep them buried if she was going to function at work today.

Morgan buttered her toast and bit in right away, barely tasting the food. Why hadn't Patrick called her? She must have scared him, Morgan thought, nerves skittering through her belly. Except he'd helped her. So why hadn't she heard from him? Morgan's thoughts continued to careen around her head in a cycle of insecurity and sadness as she grabbed her purse and her sunglasses and left her apartment.

Stepping into the sunshine of the early morning, Morgan caught sight of the cheerful flags that just yesterday had filled her with such excitement. Wanting to stay out of sight, she took the backstreets, wandering past people's kitchen windows, hearing the murmured discussions over breakfast. She dipped her head and kept her eyes on the ground, not wanting to speak with anyone.

Arriving at the courtyard to the gallery, Morgan couldn't help but glance at Aislinn's house. She wondered how Cait was doing. A part of her itched to see the baby that she had communicated with yesterday. Instead, she lifted the latch and went into the gallery, switching into work mode as she thought about what would be the best items to sell to the tourists. Morgan refused to think about the decision she had made. 

Agatha had brought in her ribbons earlier this week so Morgan pulled a low table out from the store room and spent a good twenty minutes wrapping the ribbons around the packages, smiling at how cute they looked. She anticipated strong sales. Her smile dimmed a bit as she realized that she wouldn't be around to give Agatha the good news.

Glancing at the clock, Morgan realized that she couldn't put off opening any longer. With a heavy heart, Morgan went and unlocked the door for what would possibly be her last day at the gallery. She pulled the shades, letting the morning sunlight slash through the windows to warm the honey-toned wood floors. She wandered around the room, her eyes taking in the beauty of Aislinn's painting, knowing that she would miss this place more than any other that she had left in her lifetime.

The bells over the front door tinkled, making her jump and a flush cross her face. Turning, she pasted a bright smile on her face.

Aileen stood there, a rose in her hand, a warm smile on her face.

"Aileen!" She was quite possibly the last person that Morgan had expected to see. A thread of nervousness slipped up her back.

"Morgan, I know our relationship got off to a bad start but I wanted to be the very first to thank you," Aileen said, coming to a stop in front of her and holding out the rose. Morgan looked at it in confusion.

"What. Why?"

"For saving Cait. We all love her. And I don't care how you did it, I just care that you did," Aileen said gently as Morgan took the flower from her.

Morgan blinked down at the single flower in her hand, the petals a pale yellow tinged with orange at the tips, so perfect in their unmarred beauty.

"You don't have to thank me," Morgan stuttered.

"We do. I do. You're a part of us now," Aileen said and then looked behind her at the door. "Listen, I have to go but let's grab a drink next week. I want to grill you about how you did the floating car thing."

Morgan laughed and impulsively reached out to hug the girl, still in shock over what she had said.

"See you later!" Aileen called and disappeared.

Morgan brushed her finger over the petals and smiled, looking around the room for a vase. Maybe everything would be okay, she thought. And for the first time since yesterday morning, hope filled her.

The bells tinkled and Morgan jumped, again turning with a smile.

"Mr. Murphy!" Morgan said and smiled at the gentleman who had given her a turn on the dance floor last week. In his hand he held a small bouquet of daisies. He came to stand in front of her with a smile.

"These are for you. Were my wife's favorites. Wanted to thank you for saving Cait," he said gruffly.

Morgan took the flowers and looked up at him, her heart shining in her eyes.

"You don't have to do…"

He cut her off with a wave as he turned to go.

"I give credit where credit's due."

And a moment later, he was gone, leaving Morgan to stare dumbly into her hands at the flowers.

The bells tinkled again.

"Agatha! And…wow," Morgan said as Patrick's entire family walked into the store, all holding flowers. His nephews, his sisters.

Everyone except for Patrick.

They filed past her in a stream of "Thank yous" as they handed her flowers. Morgan's arms were soon full and they were gone just as quickly as they had come. The door popped open again, and a woman she recognized as the grocer came in and deposited a flower on her already full stack with a friendly smile and a thank you. Morgan watched helplessly as one by one, the entire village came into the gallery, putting vases of flowers on the tables around her, piling them in her arms; it was like a flower shop had exploded in the gallery.

And her heart just sang.

By the end of it, Morgan was openly crying, unable to hold back the rush of emotion that came from being truly accepted for once in her life. What had she been thinking of when she wanted to leave this town? This was her home.

Morgan choked on a sob as Fiona walked through the door, her face wreathed in a smile.

"Smells lovely in here," she said softly, coming to a stop in front of Morgan and searching her eyes.

"Did you do this?" Morgan asked, gesturing with her arms full of flowers.

"I did not," Fiona said. "Besides, I was a little busy with Cait," she added with a small smile.

"Cait! How is she? How did it go? I should bring her some of these flowers," Morgan said immediately.

"Oh, she has plenty. Mr. McGuiness drove to the next town to buy out their flower store too," Fiona laughed and then reached up to run her hand down Morgan's cheek.

"My sweet girl, what a wonderful thing you did yesterday," she murmured.

"I was so scared," Morgan whispered, turning to lay the flowers down on the table. "God, I was terrified!"

"What happened to you? It was like your face went blank for a second," Fiona said.

"Grace froze time. I didn’t even know that was possible. She told me…" Morgan hiccupped a sob and wiped her eyes again. "She told me our souls were bonded forever. And that if I didn't do anything, Cait would die. So, I had to save her. Even if it meant the villagers would run me out of town."

"Ah, she's quite the warrior, our Grace is," Fiona murmured.

"I didn't think that I could lift something so heavy," Morgan said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

"Love will make you stronger," Fiona said.

Morgan nodded. "That's what Grace said. Love wins."

"You need to go see Cait. But first, there is someone waiting to speak with you in the courtyard," Fiona said, turning Morgan so she faced the back door.

"What? But what about the flowers?"

"I'll set about getting them sorted out. Will give me something to do. And, I'd like to give some to the driver of the car. Lucky woman, broken arm is all she suffered. Go on." Fiona waved, bending to scoop some flowers into her arms. Morgan stepped to the door, suddenly extremely nervous.

Trembling, she braced herself and opened the door.