A Chesapeake Shores Christmas Read Free

that the hope and anticipation she was feeling right now could weather whatever reactions the rest of the family had to their news.

    When the entire O’Brien family assembled for dinner these days, it took several extra leaves in the table and the patience of a saint to be heard over the commotion of the children. Normally Mick loved these family gatherings, especially now that Megan was so often a part of them again.
    For too many years after his wife had left him, he hadn’t been able to sit down in the dining room without feeling her absence as an ache in his heart. That’s why he’d stayed away so much, using the excuse of work to avoid the emptiness he felt in his home.
    He glanced down the length of the table, feeling a sense of satisfaction at seeing Abby and her twins, Carrie and Caitlyn, with Trace beside them, then Jake and Bree, who was expecting their first child. On the other side of the table were Kevin and his son, Davy, along with his new wife, Shanna, and their recently adopted boy, Henry. Connor was next to Kevin, giving grief to the youngest of them all, Jess, who’d finally found her niche in life running The Inn at Eagle Point. Nell, who’d cared for the children in Megan’s absence, sat next to Jess, periodically scolding Connor just as she had so many times when they were children.
    And then at the end, where she’d always belonged, was Megan. She, too, was studying their family with an expression of misty-eyed nostalgia. She lifted her gaze to meet his and smiled. Mick winked at her, then stood and tapped a spoon on his glass of wine until he drew everyone’s attention.
    “Okay, everybody, settle down,” he said. “I have something to say.”
    “Uh-oh, somebody’s in trouble,” Connor taunted, his gaze immediately going to Jess.
    “Not me,” she insisted. “I’ve been an angel lately, right, Dad?”
    “A perfect angel,” Mick concurred. “And nobody’s in trouble. Your mother and I have some news.”
    “You’re getting married!” Abby exclaimed, shoving back her chair and hurrying to throw her arms around him.
    As the oldest, Abby had done her best to fill a mother’s shoes when Megan had left them. She’d also fought hard to bring about this reconciliation, though it had clearly taken far longer than she’d anticipated. Mick staggered back with the exuberance of her hug, then chuckled. “Way to steal my thunder, girl.”
    Bree stared at him, wide-eyed, a mix of hope and dismay on her face. “It’s true? You and Mom are getting married again?”
    “On New Year’s Eve,” he confirmed, as Megan lifted her left hand to display the ring he’d placed on it yesterday.
    “That’s why you wanted me to reserve the inn for a private party,” Jess concluded. Like Bree, she seemed disconcerted by the news, but not entirely unhappy about it.
    Abby released him and went to her mother. “Mom, I’m so happy for you. I know how long you’ve wanted this.”
    Bree dutifully made her way to Megan and hugged her, followed with slightly less exuberance by Jess. Kevin stood and shook Mick’s hand.
    “Congratulations, Dad!” he said with lukewarm enthusiasm. With obvious reluctance, he turned toward Megan. “You, too, Mother.”
    In the general commotion, it took a minute for Mick to note that Connor had remained totally silent. Mick caught his younger son’s eye and saw a surprising amount of barely banked anger in his gaze.
    “Connor? You’ve been awfully quiet,” Mick said, giving him a warning look. “Isn’t there something you want to say?”
    Connor stood and cast a sour look at everyone else in the room before turning the brunt of his anger on Mick. “Are you all out of your flipping minds?” he demanded heatedly. “Have you forgotten that Mom ditched us all, Dad included? And now you’re going to welcome her back so she can break all of our hearts again? Well, not me.”
    “Connor O’Brien!” Mick said, his voice booming in warning. “Keep a civil tongue in