Kissing Maggie Silver by Sheila Claydon Read Free Book Online Page B

he can take us to the hospital. We need to leave straight away…the baby, June…it’s all happening a bit too quickly!”
    Hearing the panic in his voice, Maggie ran past him, into the house. June was kneeling at the bottom of the stairs, panting hard. She looked up when Maggie arrived though, and smiled at her.
    “I’m fine. Don’t forget I’ve done all this before. And Mark will be fine too once we get to the hospital. He just doesn’t fancy acting midwife!”
    Maggie laughed, relieved her sister-in-law was in control of the situation, and impressed too. She couldn’t imagine being so calm if it was her baby that was coming.
    “Tell me what to do,” she said. “Do you need anything? Are there any last minute instructions?”
    “No. I’ve every faith in you Maggie. I….” June paused as another contraction gripped her. Then Mark was there, helping her up and keeping a protective arm around her shoulders as they walked slowly down the path.
    “Don’t forget this,” Maggie ran after them with the suitcase they had left in the hall.
    Ruairi took it from her and lifted it into the trunk of the taxi. “I’ve already paid the fare,” he told Mark. “It’ll save you time when you reach the hospital.”
    “Thanks…thanks…I’ll catch up with you later,” Mark was concentrating on June too much to really take in what Ruairi was saying.
    Maggie wasn’t though and she gave him her first genuine smile of the evening. He was still the old Ruairi. The one who looked out for all his friends, not just for the irritating little girl who had insisted on dogging his every move whether he liked it or not. The thought loosened the knot in her heart. If he could be this generous then so could she. She would ignore the fact that her silly childhood crush was trying to take over her life again and just be his friend. That way she could enjoy his company while he was here and worry about the fall out later.
    Ruairi returned her smile and then they stood together and watched the taxi pull away. He turned to her as it disappeared around a bend in the road.
    “I guess we’re going to have to scrub our lunch date, then!”
    Maggie grinned up at him. “I told you nothing in my life is sacrosanct to my family, although even I didn’t think they would sink so low as to use childbirth as an excuse.”
    Ruairi was still chuckling when they reached the front door. “How about we give up fighting it and meet up again tomorrow anyway, all four of us? I imagine pizza will go down well with the children.”
    “You’d really do that? You’d really take Sophie and Amy to lunch as well?”
    “Of course. Besides it seems that including at least some of your family is obligatory if I want to see you.”
    “In that case, we accept…and pizza would be lovely. I just hope you don’t live to regret it,” Maggie’s face was alight with mischief as she wished him goodnight and went indoors to check on her two small nieces.
     
    * * *
     
    As Ruairi walked back to the hotel he tried in vain to banish Maggie’s dimples from his mind. They wouldn’t go away though, and nor would the memory of her large grey eyes laughing up at him from beneath the tangle of her long copper-colored hair.
    By the time he reached his hotel room he was convinced he had taken leave of his senses. Why else had he persisted in asking Maggie out when he knew there was no future in any sort of relationship with her? For a start it had been a mistake to invite her back to the hotel for a drink. One look at her silhouetted against the window had proved that to him, so why hadn’t he used Mark’s phone call as the ideal opportunity to walk away. Instead, and against his better judgment, he had landed himself with two small children as well, although at least they would act as a wedge between Maggie and his own questionable intentions. Having them around would ensure he could face himself in the mirror in the morning in the same way it would ensure the time he