Read Online Kissing Maggie Silver by Sheila Claydon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sheila Claydon
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mind.”
Maggie wanted to get it out in the open, wanted to hear Ruairi tell her how it had all happened, how she had become his surrogate sister, and how he still thought of her in that way. She wanted him to say the words that would kill the hope that kept bubbling up inside her every time he touched her. She wanted him to say something that would stop her wanting him. He didn’t though.
“Well that’s something else that I must have forgotten too,” he said, his voice unexpectedly sharp and dismissive as he took her empty glass and turned away.
He hadn’t meant to snap at her but he didn’t want to talk about the past. He didn’t want to talk about his childhood, or about his schooldays, and he certainly didn’t want to talk about the little girl who was supposed to h ave replaced his sister because whatever had happened when they were children, he certainly didn’t have any brotherly thoughts about her now. Quite the opposite in fact! Spending so much time with her doing ordinary family things, and, although he was trying hard to forget it, holding her in his arms while she cried her heart out for June and the baby, was slowly destroying him.
* * *
Maggie turned back to the view and gazed sightlessly at the river. Ruairi’s abrupt manner had startled her. Was he fed up with her? He had been so patient all day, with her and with the children. He had done everything he could to keep them entertained without once forgetting about the heartache that Mark and June were facing. Then he had taken her to the hospital when she couldn’t stand the suspense any longer and, when the news was good, had been as relieved as she was. And never once during all that time had she thought about the holiday he was meant to be having and wondered whether he’d had to cancel plans of his own so he could take care of them.
Behind her the children were laughing at something on the television and then she heard Mrs . O’Connor’s soft voice as she answered a knock on the door. Their tea must have arrived. She ought to go in and supervise. Then she remembered the delight on Marie O’Connor’s face when she first saw the children in the elevator, and what Ruairi had just said about his mother being in her element, and she knew she had to leave them to it.
Whether she liked it or not she was going to have to stay out on the balcony for a little longer and pretend she was enjoying the view , even though she could barely see it through the blur of tears that kept leaking into her eyes. And she was going to have to pretend Ruairi was enjoying everything too; that he wasn’t just being helpful because of a sense of obligation, a last link to a friendship that had faded years ago and would never have been renewed if it hadn’t been for the fact that her parent’s ruby wedding celebration had coincided with one of his infrequent visits home.
She also had to forget the sharpness in his voice as he left the balcony, ignore the one lapse that had shown her a glimpse of the boredom he must be feeling. After all, considering the life he was used to, it was a miracle he had managed to keep smiling all day. He had though, and if he could do it then she could too, even though her heart was slowly breaking.
Chapter Seven
Much later, after Ruairi had taken her and the children home and carried a very sleepy Amy upstairs to where Maggie was running a bath while Sophie searched for their pajamas, he offered to collect a takeaway meal while she finished putting both girls to bed.
Maggie gritted her teeth as she shook her head. No way was she going to spend the evening with him, not now it was clear to her that he was just looking after her and the children in the same way he was looking after his mother. She wasn’t going to be beholden to his sense of duty for another minute, so there was a sharp edge to her own voice once she had it under control sufficiently to reply.
“No thanks. You’ve already done more than enough
Maggie wanted to get it out in the open, wanted to hear Ruairi tell her how it had all happened, how she had become his surrogate sister, and how he still thought of her in that way. She wanted him to say the words that would kill the hope that kept bubbling up inside her every time he touched her. She wanted him to say something that would stop her wanting him. He didn’t though.
“Well that’s something else that I must have forgotten too,” he said, his voice unexpectedly sharp and dismissive as he took her empty glass and turned away.
He hadn’t meant to snap at her but he didn’t want to talk about the past. He didn’t want to talk about his childhood, or about his schooldays, and he certainly didn’t want to talk about the little girl who was supposed to h ave replaced his sister because whatever had happened when they were children, he certainly didn’t have any brotherly thoughts about her now. Quite the opposite in fact! Spending so much time with her doing ordinary family things, and, although he was trying hard to forget it, holding her in his arms while she cried her heart out for June and the baby, was slowly destroying him.
* * *
Maggie turned back to the view and gazed sightlessly at the river. Ruairi’s abrupt manner had startled her. Was he fed up with her? He had been so patient all day, with her and with the children. He had done everything he could to keep them entertained without once forgetting about the heartache that Mark and June were facing. Then he had taken her to the hospital when she couldn’t stand the suspense any longer and, when the news was good, had been as relieved as she was. And never once during all that time had she thought about the holiday he was meant to be having and wondered whether he’d had to cancel plans of his own so he could take care of them.
Behind her the children were laughing at something on the television and then she heard Mrs . O’Connor’s soft voice as she answered a knock on the door. Their tea must have arrived. She ought to go in and supervise. Then she remembered the delight on Marie O’Connor’s face when she first saw the children in the elevator, and what Ruairi had just said about his mother being in her element, and she knew she had to leave them to it.
Whether she liked it or not she was going to have to stay out on the balcony for a little longer and pretend she was enjoying the view , even though she could barely see it through the blur of tears that kept leaking into her eyes. And she was going to have to pretend Ruairi was enjoying everything too; that he wasn’t just being helpful because of a sense of obligation, a last link to a friendship that had faded years ago and would never have been renewed if it hadn’t been for the fact that her parent’s ruby wedding celebration had coincided with one of his infrequent visits home.
She also had to forget the sharpness in his voice as he left the balcony, ignore the one lapse that had shown her a glimpse of the boredom he must be feeling. After all, considering the life he was used to, it was a miracle he had managed to keep smiling all day. He had though, and if he could do it then she could too, even though her heart was slowly breaking.
Chapter Seven
Much later, after Ruairi had taken her and the children home and carried a very sleepy Amy upstairs to where Maggie was running a bath while Sophie searched for their pajamas, he offered to collect a takeaway meal while she finished putting both girls to bed.
Maggie gritted her teeth as she shook her head. No way was she going to spend the evening with him, not now it was clear to her that he was just looking after her and the children in the same way he was looking after his mother. She wasn’t going to be beholden to his sense of duty for another minute, so there was a sharp edge to her own voice once she had it under control sufficiently to reply.
“No thanks. You’ve already done more than enough
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