Read Online Love and Shenanigans (Ballybeg, Book 1) (The Ballybeg Series) by Zara Keane - Free Book Online Page A

wedding day,” said Nora, pretending to be shocked.
    “Sorry, Nora.” Why hadn’t he remembered to wear a pair of formal shoes when he’d left the house? Now he was stuck with the prospect of wearing his runners, going barefoot, or keeping on the furry boots. He rubbed his chin. With everything that had gone wrong this morning, at least he’d remembered to shave.
    Nora crossed her skinny arms over her bony chest. “Are you taking the outfit or not?”
    “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll take it.”
    If Muireann reacted the way he suspected she would, theirs would be a very short marriage.

    Fiona stared at the computer screen. “Please tell me I’m hallucinating.”
    “’Fraid not, Fee.”
    “Surely to goodness they checked Gavin’s marital status before issuing his marriage license?”
    “If the local Registrar couldn’t find a record of him being married in Ireland or the UK, they’d issue the license,” Olivia said. “Aidan’s dealt with cases of bigamy before, so I’m familiar with these issues. Unlike some countries, Ireland doesn’t keep tabs on weddings performed abroad. We don’t have the resources.”
    “Seriously?” Were they living in a banana republic? Ireland was a first-world country, for feck’s sake. “Not even an Internet search like we did?”
    “But we knew where to look. There’s no single worldwide registry of marriages, and the Irish are scattered across the globe.”
    “So any fool can lie and say they’re single? That’s disgraceful.”
    Olivia shrugged. “This is Ireland, Fee. We don’t do paperwork. And when we do, we fuck it up.”
    Fiona massaged her temples. “This can’t be happening.”
    “What are you going to do? You’ll have to tell him.”
    “What? Wait a minute, Liv. Let me think this through. What do you expect me to do? Crash into the church and announce it to the whole congregation?”
    Olivia pointed to the bedside clock. “Whatever you’re doing, you’d better do it fast. The wedding starts in ten minutes.”
    “Please tell me you’re joking.”
    “Nope. Grab your bag and let’s go.”
    “Wait.” Fiona’s voice broke on a note of desperation. “What am I going to say? I can’t barge in and wreck his wedding.”
    “You’d seriously let him marry another woman when he’s already married to you?”
    “I don’t know.” Fiona slumped into a chair and buried her head in her hands. “Why does life have to be so damn complicated?”
    “Take a deep breath and come on. We can figure out a plan in the car.”
    Olivia drove even faster than she talked, which meant Fiona prayed for her life.
    “I can simply ask to have a word with Gavin, right? Discreetly. No need to barge in and announce we’re married.”
    “Right,” Olivia said, swerving to avoid a tractor. “Great idea. What then?”
    “I dunno. Drag him into the vestry?”
    “Sounds indecent.”
    “I can hardly have a private talk with him in front of three-hundred-plus people.”
    “Point taken. But what happens after? Let’s say you tell him. What are you going to do if he tells you to forget it and marries her anyway?”
    “Then that’s what he does,” Fiona said. “And let’s face it, that’s probably what he will do. Muireann will kill him if he jilts her.”
    Olivia took a sharp turn, almost collided with a taxi, and applied the brakes. “Will you keep mum if he does marry her?”
    “Yeah. Yeah, I will.” Fiona rubbed her neck. She’d have whiplash by the time they reached the church. “I’ll have done my duty and told him about the Vegas wedding.”
    “What if you want to get married in a few years’ time?”
    “I guess I’ll deal with it if and when the situation arises.”
    “It’ll be a hell of a lot messier if you need to divorce Gavin after he’s already married.”
    The spire of St. Mary’s was visible now. Fiona’s stomach lurched. “Can’t we divorce quietly in Vegas?”
    “Nope. Not unless one of you is a legal resident. Sure, if