by Mia Carson
A second later, he scooped her up into his arms. “Move,” he ordered, pushing through the crowd.
The cops barred his way until one of them spotted the blood. “We need an ambulance,” one officer spoke into the mic at his shoulder. “Train station. We have a woman in distress. I say again, a pregnant woman in distress.”
“Pregnant?” Bridget snapped, shocked. “She’s pregnant!”
More cell phones appeared in hands, but Hugh only had eyes for Blair. She looked so small in his arms, her tears streaming down her face. “The baby…I wanted to tell you,” she whispered. “I was scared and now…now I don’t know… Hugh, I’m so sorry.”
“Shh, it’s going to be fine,” he promised. “Everything will be fine.”
“You’re not mad?”
He kissed her forehead as the cops helped clear away the crowd ahead of him. “Why would I be mad? You’re going to make me a dad.” He hugged her closer and tried not to look at the blood. She closed her eyes and he sensed the added weight in his arms as she went limp. “Blair? Blair, open your eyes and look at me!”
“The ambulance is two minutes out,” the cop told him as they kept back the crowd.
Hugh glared at the onlookers, and a few backed away with ashamed looks on their faces. Bridget, however, did not back down and stomped to his side.
“Look at this mess I have to clean up now,” she muttered. “This will be a nightmare. You two have explaining to do. Getting her pregnant before you’re even married. What kind of son did I raise?”
“Shove it up your ass, Mom.” He watched her square her shoulders and look around at the gathered crowd. “You care so much about your image and what everyone thinks about you, you don’t care that your future daughter-in-law is possibly losing my child. Our child,” he corrected himself. “Maybe you need to get your priorities straight and leave us the hell alone.”
Sirens blasted as the ambulance pulled up to the station and two paramedics hopped out of the front. Hugh told them he was her fiancé, and they let him up in the back after they loaded Blair onto a gurney. Bridget ambled closer, but Hugh shook his head and to his surprise, two of the cops blocked her from getting closer.
“You can meet us at the hospital if you decide to stop being a stuck-up bitch and be my mother,” he said right as the paramedic closed the doors.
“Well, you certainly told her off,” the paramedic said, amused, as he checked Blair’s vitals.
“How is she?” he asked, all his focus to Blair.
“We won’t know until she’s examined, but she hasn’t lost too much blood,” she said. “She will be fine. We have one of the best medical centers in the country.”
“I know, my father works there.”
“Right, the mayor’s son. We’ll take good care of her. Promise.” She squeezed his hand encouragingly, but the ride to the hospital took too long, too damn long.
He held Blair’s hand for the drive, smoothing the curls back from her forehead and praying that if nothing else, she would survive this hurdle. She’d lost so much in her life already. Losing their baby would take its toll.
“I’m here,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll be right here, always.”
Blair shifted in the sheets and paused. A bed? She wasn’t supposed to be in a bed. She was supposed to be on a train. Her hands moved across the blankets and to her body. A gown? What happened? Her eyes flew open and she stared around the dimly lit room to find herself lying on a gurney. She scrunched her eyes shut, hoping it was a dream, but she opened them again she was still in a hospital bed. Something moved in the room, grunting, and she glanced around until her eyes landed on a man slouched in a chair, sound asleep but his brow furrowed with worry.
“Hugh,” she whispered, and the event that landed her there rushed back. Her hands slipped to her belly as she gasped. “Oh God…the baby… I lost the baby.” Sobbing, she covered her face in horror and Hugh woke up.
“Blair?” He was at her side in seconds, holding her to his chest and rubbing her back. “Hey, it’s okay. Calm down. Take a breath. You’re fine.”
“But the baby,” she gasped through her tears. “I lost it!”
“No,” he assured her, lowering his face so they were level. “No, you didn’t. The baby’s fine.”
“You…you’re sure?” she asked, not wanting to get her hopes up, but his warm smile as his hand rested on her belly sent a warm wave of relief through her. “Thank God. I thought…and I hadn’t told you yet…and we were leaving.”
He placed his fingers over her lips gently. “It’s fine. You’re fine, the baby’s fine, and we are still taking that train to Maine,” he told her. “You have to stay here one more night and then we’re gone. We’ll go wherever you want for as long as you want.”
“Are you sure?”
“Blair, look in my eyes. Do you really think I’m not sure about this? About the three of us?” he added, grinning. “A baby. We’re going to have a baby. It’s more than I ever imagined.”
He hugged her and she snuggled into his body, holding her pregnant belly and thanking God she hadn’t lost it. “What did the doctor say?”
“Stress. I knew they had pushed you too hard. I should have stopped them sooner.”
“I should have,” she said. “Does my mom know I’m here?”
“She and Jesse are waiting out in the hall. Want me to get them for you?”
She nodded, and he kissed her forehead, climbed off the bed, and stepped outside briefly. When the door opened again, Jean and Jesse rushed in, both with tears in their eyes as they surrounded her bed. Jean hugged her as Jesse held her hand.
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” her friend ordered. “Seriously.”
“Or me,” Jean begged. “Why didn’t you tell us you were pregnant?”
Blair shrugged. “I don’t know. I was still trying to figure it all out, I guess.”
“Well, you should know, Hugh hasn’t left your side since the incident at the station. And he’s been in full-blown ecstatic new-dad mode,” Jesse told her. “He loves you so much.”
“I know and I’m sorry I ran off, but I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Jean nodded, staring down sheepishly as she folded back the sheet. “I know and I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have felt like that, but I want you to know, I’m in full support of this nomadic lifestyle you two are after. You have full access to the money your father set aside for you and your family. All I ask is photographs. And post cards every now and again?”
“You can always come visit us,” Blair suggested. “Both of you can.”
“Getting out of the country now and again might do your old mother some good,” Jean agreed. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Yeah, she’s so proud she marched down to the gallery yesterday and bought the rest of your photographs,” Jesse said beaming. “All of them.”
“Mom?” she asked, surprised.
“What? I’m allowed to display my daughter’s work proudly, aren’t I?” She grinned brightly. “I wish your dad was here to see you.”
“You think he’d be happy I messed up your plans?”
“Oh, sweetie, you didn’t mess up anything. We wanted you to marry Hugh because we saw how happy you made each other, even back then,” she explained. “We never had any real notion to gain anything from such a match. That was all Bridget’s idea, and she—well, I think she’ll clean up her own messes for a while.”
“She hates me.”
“So what?” Jesse laughed. “Let her hate you. It’s her and Kenneth’s fault you and Hugh weren’t together sooner living happily ever after.”
“Good point.” Blair glanced at the door. She enjoyed seeing her friend and her mom, but the need to hold Hugh’s hand, to see his smiling face, tugged at her. Jean and Jesse exchanged a look and the women stood. “What?”
“Nothing, just the look of true love. We’ll see you again, but I’ll fetch Hugh back for you.” Jean kissed her cheek and Jesse the other b
efore they left.
Blair rested on the pillows, rubbing her belly and wondering what their next step should be. A wedding would still be nice, but not one their parents chose for them. She wanted a unique wedding, one she and Hugh could call their own. When he finally came back in the room, she grinned excitedly.
“I know that look,” he teased, stretching out beside her on the bed. “You’re planning something.”
“What would you say to a wedding under the stars in a castle made of ice?”
“I’d say that would be right up our alley.”
“Good.” She wrapped her fingers through his and kissed him. “Thank you for not giving up on us.” He laid his cheek against the top of her head and she felt his smile.
“Wherever you go, I’ll be right behind you,” he assured her quietly as her eyes closed and she drifted back to sleep. “Always.”
Chapter 13
Three Years Later
Blair lined up the shot through the viewfinder as the sun set over the Celtic Sea. Waves crashed against the rocks, and her finger clicked, capturing several shots of the water and the setting sun, brilliant hues of orange and red fading up into violets and blues. The chilly breeze rustled her curls, and she turned the camera, moving back to angle her body as she changed the focus of her next shot.
A tall man with shoulder-length brown hair walked along the rocks, a toddler by his side with the same curly hair as her mom. The little girl giggled as the man hoisted her up into the air and spun her around. Blair took several more shots of the moment, but if having a family had taught her anything, it was learning to be a part of the moment instead of always on the outside of it.
“There’s Mommy,” Hugh said, pointing towards Blair as she hiked to them.
“Mommy!” Shay, their little girl, yelled happily as Blair reached out for her. She picked up her daughter and hugged her close against the chilly air. “Did you see me?”
“I did, I saw you both. You were marvelous,” she exclaimed as Hugh draped his arm over her shoulders, planting a kiss on the side of her head. “Are you hungry yet?”
“No. More water.”
“We have to eat sometime today,” Hugh told her. “We’ll be here for a while longer, don’t you worry about that.”
Shay pouted, but she didn’t argue with her parents anymore. The small family strolled back down the path towards the tiny, gravel parking lot and their rented car they’d had since arriving in Ireland two months ago. Traveling while Blair was pregnant had been interesting, to say the least, but their wedding in Iceland was beyond magnificent and every day since was an adventure Blair wouldn’t trade for anything. Hugh managed her online store for her photographs, and Jesse had a part-time job working for her, too, helping get the right photos to the gallery on time.
For picking up and leaving their old lives behind, the days ran smoothly, and Blair and Hugh enjoyed their nomadic life. They knew in a couple years, they would have to put Shay in school, but there were several online options and they even considered settling down in Ireland or England for a few years.
Life was nowhere near perfect, but as Hugh took Shay from her arms and the two shared a very entertaining conversation about edible choices for dinner, Blair knew perfect was overrated. As was living the life their parents had originally wanted for them. Jean kept up to date with their travels and would join them in a week, along with Jesse.
Hugh’s family was another story. Kella was the only one who spoke with them on a regular basis. Blair made sure to send photographs from their travels to his parents but received no response. Their loss.
“Squid.” Shay giggled as Hugh tickled her.
“You won’t like squid,” her daddy assured her. “It’s sticky and chewy and stinks.”
“I’m sure we can find something edible in Cork,” Blair told them both. “How about troll?”
“Oh, troll…I hear troll is delicious,” Hugh chimed in, and both parents laughed at the panicked look on Shay’s face.
“I don’t want troll. What if I turn into a troll?”
“Nah, you’re my little fairy.” Hugh kissed her cheek. “You take after your mother in that regard.”
Blair packed up her camera in the trunk of the small car as Hugh settled their daughter in her car seat. When she walked around to the front, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. “I love you,” he murmured in her ear as heat spread through her body.
Thankfully, they managed to also find places to stay that offered two rooms so they had their privacy. She ground her hips against his, teasing until he growled. “I love you more. Maybe tonight, we’ll have some dessert?”
“Dessert would be magical.” He winked as she laughed and they climbed into the car.
The sun set beside them as they drove the winding road back into Cork and onto the rest of their lives.
More beautiful than a photograph, Blair mused and couldn’t wait for tomorrow.
ILLEGALLY MINE
ILLEGALLY MINE
Chapter 1
Rock music blared through the speakers, and the bar was packed with more than Thursday night regulars. They filled the space from wall to wall, and the liquor flowed easily through the crowd. Anna Crawley, proud owner of the establishment, watched from behind the bar as she mixed drinks and took care of her customers, always with a smile.
“Anna! I’m out again!” a man hollered from the end of the bar.
She slipped past the other two bartenders to reach the end, wiping her hands on a towel as she stared at Aiden, one of her regulars who had been around since her dad opened this hole in the wall, a hole in the wall that had turned into more than just a bar.
“I think I’m cutting you off for the night,” she told him sternly. “That’s your sixth drink.”
“Aw, come on, don’t be like that,” he whined as she flipped his glass upside down on the bar and held out her hand for his car keys. “You know, you look just like her when you scowl like that.”
Anna followed his gaze to a photograph behind the bar of her mom and dad. The corners of her lips lifted in a soft smile as she kissed her fingers and pressed them to the photo. “Yeah, and I have her temper too. Keys, Aiden. I’ll call you a cab.”
“Nah, I think I’ll walk tonight.”
“You are not walking. It’s January in New Hampshire. You’re not walking. Sit your ass back down and don’t move. Got it?” she ordered and reached for her phone in her back pocket.
“Anna! We’re out of tequila!” Missy, one of the bartenders, told her.
“Right.” She hurried to the back of the bar to grab another case of tequila, tucking the phone between her shoulder and ear. Her hair fell over her face, and she puffed out a breath, blowing the violet strands out of the way. “Hi, yes, I need a cab to come to The Crawler. One of my customers needs a ride.”
“Anna, is that you?” the woman on the other end said. “Let me guess, Aiden?”
She chuckled. “You guessed it. How’ve you been, Mary? The kids all right?”
“The kids are fine and dandy. It’s the husband you should ask about. I’ll get a cab over there for you. I’ll even make sure it’s Aiden’s favorite driver.”
“I’ll be sure to let him know. Thanks, Mary.”
She hung up and shoved her phone back in her pocket. The case of tequila was leaning against the far wall, and she whistled as she bent to pick it up. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she whipped around, her hand curling in a fist, but stopped herself short of decking her landlord, Johnny.
“Easy there, girlie,” he said and backed away, his hands up in the air.
“What are you doing? Trying to give me a heart attack?” she asked, the smile she forced to her face a strain. He glanced around nervously, but it was all an act. Everything with Johnny was an act.
“Missy said you were back here.”
“Yeah, we needed more booze. Do you have something pressing to tell me? I have to get back out there.” She planted her hands on her hips
and waited, tapping the toe of her heavy, black boots on the floor.
He sucked his lips in before he blew out a breath and cringed. “You’re late on your rent.”
Anna crossed her arms and shook her head. “No, I dropped it off a week ago like I always do. For the bar and the apartment.” She lived upstairs, taking over the place her parents had lived in for the last decade of their lives. They had passed away in a freak accident, robbing her of so many years with them. The days following had been a struggle, and this bar was the only thing that kept her going and gave her a purpose. She was the only one left to carry on her dad’s legacy of giving back to the community with everything she had, even when she struggled to make ends meet.
“Rent went up so you’re short.”
“Went up? When? You raised it six months ago,” she snapped. “Johnny, you never told me that. How much did it go up?”
“A few thousand,” he informed her, his lips twitching with a smirk. “You’ll have to pay up soon or I’ll have to charge you late fees, and if we start going down that road, it can get nasty.”
“Are you threatening to evict me?” she demanded, taking an intimidating step closer.
He stood his ground, though, and glowered at her, all friendliness gone. “I’m simply telling you of the current situation. Rent goes up, it happens.”
“Funny how your uncle never raised it on my dad, though, not once.”
He shrugged, tucking his hands in his pockets. “Times change, prices go up. Don’t get mad at me for your parents leaving you with nothing but this shit hole.”
“If you think this place is a shit hole, then why did you spent the past few months begging me to make you a co-owner?” she seethed and his smirk fell. His sudden interest in the bar was weird, but Anna didn’t have time to deal with whatever game he was playing. “I’ll pay you the new amount next month.”
“Sorry, no can do. I need the rest of it before then.”
“I can’t make that amount of money that fast. I have other bills to pay, you know,” she muttered, shoving her hair out of her face in annoyance. “And I have to put a new order in for the bar.”
