It was the first time in decades that anyone had expressed the slightest concern over his whereabouts or his safety. Ryan expected to rebel against it, but instead her plea made him feel warm deep inside. “Okay then, I’ll call,” he said eventually.
She reached up and touched his cheek. “You’re not used to anyone worrying about you, are you?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s about to change. I’m an O’Brien and we worry about everything,” she said lightly.
“Then it’s nothing personal?” he said, hiding his disappointment.
“Oh, in your case, it’s very personal. I just don’t want you freaking out about it.”
“I don’t freak out.”
“Of course you do,” she teased. “But that’s okay. I understand. You’ll get used to me and the others in time.”
In time? Ryan wondered about that on the drive back into Boston. Would he ever get used to having someone care what happened to him? Or had his past destroyed any chance of that?
* * *
“Who called in the wee hours of the night, or was it morning?” Katie inquired sleepily as the family sat around the breakfast table before church.
“My money’s on Ryan,” Nell said. Her gaze came to rest on Maggie. “Am I right?”
“I asked him to let me know he made it home safely,” she said.
“You couldn’t persuade him to stay here?” her mother asked.
“He didn’t think it was a good idea,” Maggie said.
“Probably afraid we’d catch him sneaking into Maggie’s room,” Katie said.
“Mary Kathryn O’Brien, watch your tongue,” their father scolded. “I don’t like to hear such talk from my very own daughter.”
Katie refused to be daunted. “Only because you’re terrified it could be true and it would ruin forever your image of us as your darling girls, rather than grown-up women.”
“That’s true enough,” he said easily. “And what is wrong with a man thinking his girls behave as angels, at least until the very day they say their wedding vows?”
“Nothing,” Nell soothed. “As long as he’s prepared to admit he’s been wrong. Now let’s drop this before we end up in an argument before mass. Maggie, are you coming with us this morning?”
“I was thinking of going to a mass at St. Mary’s,” she admitted.
“You think you’ll be bumping into Ryan there?” her mother asked.
“I can always hope,” Maggie admitted candidly.
“Well, if you do, bring him back with you for Sunday dinner.”
“It takes a brave man to face this crowd two days running. I doubt I’ll have much luck convincing him, but assuming I see him, I’ll try.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t get the chance. There was no sign of him at the church, but when she ran into Father Francis after mass, he was happy to tell her that Ryan could be found at the shelter. “He likes to spend some time with the children on Sunday morning. I imagine you’ll find him with Lamar Monroe this morning.”
“Lamar? He hasn’t mentioned that name,” Maggie said.
“He’s a lad Ryan’s taken an interest in. He’s having surgery later this week.”
“I see,” Maggie said, sensing there was far more to the story than Father Francis was sharing. Whatever it was, though, it was also clear she’d have to pry it out of Ryan himself.
She found him, as predicted, sitting on the edge of a cot with a young boy crowded next to him, the boy’s fascinated gaze locked on the book Ryan held. Maggie remained in the shadows watching the two of them as Ryan read the story in a voice filled with so much animation that he had the child laughing.
“He’s a wonder with my boy,” a woman said quietly as she joined Maggie. “I’m Letitia Monroe.”
“Maggie O’Brien.”
“You’re a friend of Ryan’s?”
Maggie wondered if she could legitimately make that claim. She asked herself if a few kisses added up to friendship, when it was evident that there was so much about Ryan Devaney that she didn’t know.
“I’m hoping to be,” she said finally.
Letitia Monroe grinned. “So, that’s the way of it, is it? The man is playing hard to get?”
“Try impossible,” Maggie said fervently.
“You know what they say about anything worth having,” Mrs. Monroe reminded her.
“That it’s worth waiting for.”
“That’s right.”
Watching as Ryan coaxed yet another chuckle from the obviously ill boy, Maggie realized with a sudden burst of insight that she would willingly wait for as long as it took.
He looked up then and spotted her. “Hey, Maggie,” he said, then turned and said something in an undertone to Lamar that had the boy grinning. Ryan patted a spot next to him. “Come join us. I have to finish reading this story. I can’t leave Lamar in suspense.”
“Maybe she should do the girl’s part,” Lamar said. “You sound kind of funny doing it.”
“Hey,” Ryan protested, “is that any way to treat a man who has humiliated himself to keep you entertained?”
Maggie sat down and reached for the book. “Allow me,” she said with a wink at Lamar. She finished reading the last few pages, then sighed as she read, “The end.”
“You were real good,” Lamar said, approval shining in his eyes.
“Better than me?” Ryan demanded.
Maggie rolled her eyes at the question, causing Lamar to giggle. “Tell him he was better or he’ll be grumbling all day,” Maggie advised him.
“Mr. Devaney, you were the best,” Lamar said dutifully. “Thanks again.”
“Anytime, kid. I’ll see you before you go to the hospital, okay?”
“Okay,” Lamar said, his smile fading. He regarded Ryan fearfully. “You think you’re gonna be able to find my dad by then?”
“I’m working on it,” Ryan assured him. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure he’s here with you and your mom before then.”
“Thanks. It’ll be okay if you don’t find him, though. I’m not too scared. And my mom and me will be okay, long as we have each other.”
Maggie had to bite her lip to keep from crying at the boy’s obvious attempt to appear brave.
“I know that,” Ryan told him. “But I’ll try hard, just the same.” He looked at Maggie. “You ready?”
“Sure.” Impulsively, she bent down and gave Lamar a kiss. “You take care of yourself.”
“I will. Come back sometime, okay? I wouldn’t mind hearing you read another story. My mom doesn’t always have the time, and listening is even better than reading to myself.”
“I will. I promise.”
Outside, Maggie drew in a deep breath. “How risky is this surgery of his?”
“It’s heart surgery, so there’s bound to be some risk,” Ryan said, his expression grim. “It’ll go a lot better, though, if he’s feeling