“I know,” Katie said with a gentle smile. “She fits perfectly, doesn’t she? I’ve always felt she was supposed to be with us.”
Mary nodded slowly, her stomach twisting. “That’s lovely,” she whispered, trying to keep the distress from her voice.
Will it tear your family apart if Maggie belongs to Bradley?
She heard a car door close, but didn’t pay any attention to it. Her mind was awhirl with thoughts.
What are the odds another baby girl was adopted in Freeport eight years ago? She’s got to be...
“Oh, well, I’ll be on my way now,” Katie said with a laugh. “After all two’s company, three’s a crowd.”
Mary shook her head in bewilderment until she realized that Bradley’s cruiser had just pulled up to the curb in front of the house. “Oh, no,” she said. “You don’t have to...”
Katie grinned. “Oh, yes, I do. You just got engaged last night,” she said. “Besides, I have an entire family of children I need to hug.”
“Bradley!”
Mary watched Maggie run down the street and throw herself into Bradley’s arms. He bent and scooped her up.
“Guess what?” she exclaimed. “My mommy and daddy are home.”
“Well, that’s wonderful news for you,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “But who is going to help me clean up the flour when you’re gone?”
She giggled. “I’m not that far away.”
He glanced up at the porch and saw Mary standing next to Katie. Katie was smiling, but Mary looked concerned. “Did you have a fun morning with Mary?” he asked.
“We had waffles ‘
cause
Mary is in love with you.”
Bradley chuckled. “Well, that’s a pretty good reason for waffles.”
“And she said she’s going to marry you,” Maggie continued, “and Andy says you’re going to live at her house.”
She paused for a moment, obviously thinking something through, and then asked, “If you live with Mary are you going to take my room? Where can I spend the night?”
Biting back a grin, Bradley nodded his head thoughtfully. “I can see where that might be a problem,” he agreed. “Well, how about if I share Mary’s room, so we can keep the spare room for you and Andy. Would that work?”
Maggie nodded.
“If Mary doesn’t mind.”
“I think she’ll be fine with that.”
“Do you love her?”
He paused, wondering about the solemn look on Maggie’s face. “Yes, I do.
Very much.”
Maggie smiled. “The sad lady said you did.”
“The sad lady?”
Bradley asked.
“Maggie, it’s time for you to leave Chief Alden alone,” Katie said, joining them. Taking Maggie out of his arms, she smiled at him. “I’m sure you want to spend a little time with your new fiancée. Congratulations.”
Fiancée.
He smiled broadly at Katie.
Fiancée. I am going to marry Mary O’Reilly.
“Thanks,” he said. “I guess I’ve kept her waiting long enough.”
“Yes, you have,” Mary said, slipping up beside him and putting her hand on his arm.
He turned and looked down at her, love shining in his eyes. “Hi,” he said softly.
“Hi yourself,” she replied, suddenly feeling a little shy.
“Aren’t you going to kiss her?” Maggie asked.
“Excellent idea,” Bradley said, pulling Mary into his arms, bending her back into an exaggerated dip and placing a loud smacking kiss on her lips.
Maggie giggled.
Bradley lifted his head slightly and, after glancing at the laughter in Mary’s eyes, turned to a delighted Maggie. “How was that?” he asked her.
“Kind of like Prince Charming, but you were lots louder,” she said.
“Too loud?”
She nodded.
He turned back, smiled at Mary and shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to try again.”
She smiled at him; her eyes twinkling with their shared joke. He stared at her for a moment, her lips slightly parted and a soft blush on her cheeks. And then he forgot everything else. The world around them disappeared and suddenly all he was aware of was the two of them.
“Mary,” he whispered just before he pulled her close, kissing her with a passion that matched his emotions. Mary moaned softly.
“Can she breathe, Mommy?” Maggie asked, after a few moments.
They froze; Bradley once again very much aware of the world around them.
Mary giggled and slid her head to Bradley’s shoulder, feeling the rumble of his chuckling response.
Bradley cleared his throat and looked up, deciding to ignore the satisfied grin on Katie’s face. “Well, was that one better?” he asked Maggie, his voice slightly strained.
She nodded and smiled. “That one was like in the movies.”
He raised Mary back up to a standing position. “Sorry, I got carried away,” he whispered to her.
She smiled and whispered back, “I’ll let you know when I have something to complain about.”
His eyes widened and her smile broadened.
“Come along kids, it’s time for us to go inside,” Katie said loudly to her children and then she whispered to Mary and Bradley, “before you two are arrested for very public displays of affection.”
The door closed behind them and Bradley pulled Mary into his arms. “Finally alone,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he bent his head for another kiss.
Laughing, Mary slid her arms around his neck. “Let’s see if you can kiss as well without an audience.”
“I’ll show you…”
“Mary, are you back then?” Ian called from the kitchen.
“We really need to work on this whole alone thing,” Bradley grumbled.
“Were you able to give the bairns back to Katie and Clifford after all?” Ian continued, walking into the living room and seeing the two of them. “Ah, sorry, interrupting a bit of alone time. I’ll leave.”
“Hey, are those little rug-rats still around?” Mike asked, appearing in the living room.
He turned and saw Mary in Bradley’s arms. “Whoops. Do you want me to go back into invisible mode?”
Bradley nodded. “Yeah, and can you take the Scottish guy with you?”
“Hey, I didn’t say I was going anywhere,” Mike replied, wiggling his eyebrows. “I just said I was going into invisible mode. A ghost has to get his kicks somehow.”
Laughing, Mary shook her head. “The rug-rats, as you called them, are now
back
home,” she said with a big sigh. “And it’s really going to be quiet around here.”
“Well, if you’d like, I can wake you up in the middle of the night,” Mike said, “and ask you to take me to the bathroom.”
Ian nodded, “And I
wouldna
mind waffles for breakfast again, if you’ve a yearning to make them.”
“Maggie informed me that you made waffles this morning because you were in love with me,” Bradley said.
“Well, damn, we’d probably be having steak if she’d just wise up and fall in love with me,” Mike said.
Bradley tightened his hold on her. “Sorry, buddy, get your own girl.”
She smiled up at him. “Maggie’s right, I do… Oh! I nearly forgot.”
“See, she just remembered she loved me better,” Mike said.
“What is it, Mary?” Bradley asked.
“This morning… when we were out on the porch… Katie told me Maggie was adopted,” she said.
“Well, you’d never know it from the way she fits in,” Bradley remarked. “It was nice of them to adopt, especially after having all those boys.”
Mary shook her head. “No, you don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Maggie’s adopted?” Ian asked, incredulously. “No, it can’t be that easy.”
“What’s the big deal?” Mike asked. “Lots of kids are adopted.”
“But Bradley’s daughter was adopted and the family was from Freeport,” Mary blurted out.
“What?” Bradley asked, lowering himself into a chair. “What did you just say?”
“I called a friend of mine who works for the Department of Children and Family Services in Chicago. I told him about your situation, and asked him if he could take a look at the file to see if there was anything that would help us find your daughter.”
Bradley sat up. “You just called someone and had
him
look into sealed court records?”
She shrugged. “Well, I didn’t ask him to break the law. I just asked him to see if there was anything he could share with me.”
“And?”
“He told me he’d have to pull the records back from Springfield and that was going to take some time,” she said. “But he did have a little information he could share with me. The family who adopted her was from Freeport.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, he met her eyes. “Freeport? You’re sure. Freeport?”
Mary nodded.
He sat back against the chair and ran his hand through his hair. “My daughter lives somewhere in Freeport,” he said slowly. “I could have met her. I could…”
Bradley’s eyes widened. “Maggie. She’s eight. She’s adopted. She lives in Freeport.”
Mary nodded again. “I know. Maggie,” she whispered.
“Maggie’s your kid?” Mike asked. “That’s not fair. You get the girl and you get the cute kid.”
“Wait a moment, here,” Ian said. “I’m hoping against hope that you’re right…”
“Maggie is my daughter,” Bradley interrupted, a stunned smile on his face. “She’s only been a few doors down.”
“Aye,” Ian said pointedly. “Only a few doors down with a family who loves her and is all she’s known her whole life.”
Bradley turned to Ian. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ian stood up and walked to the window, collecting his thoughts. Finally he turned and faced Bradley. “First, we only have circumstantial evidence to even suggest Maggie could be your daughter, nothing substantiated. Second, Maggie already has a family. She has a mother and a father and a horde of brothers who love her. Although you’re searching for her, she never knew or felt she was lost. And third, if Maggie is indeed your daughter, the Brennans did nothing wrong but open their home and hearts to a little girl who needed a family. They love her. Although she may or may not have your DNA, as far as they’re concerned, she’s their daughter.”
“The professor has a point,” Mike agreed.
Bradley inhaled deeply. “But she could be my daughter.”
“Aye, she could,” he agreed. “But you know better than most, you don’t rush an investigation.”
“Okay, you’re right, we’re rushing things. But, we can’t ignore the possibility,” Bradley argued.
“I agree,” Ian replied.
“So what do we do?” Bradley asked.
“I think we should go next door and tell Katie and Clifford what we think,” Mary suggested. “Go over there and tell them your story.”
Ian came back across the room and sat on the chair in front of them. Sitting on the edge of his chair, he placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands in between his legs. “Aye, and what would happen to your friend at DCFS if they found out he’d given you the information that led you to Maggie?” Ian asked.
“I didn’t ask him to break any rules,” she said.
Ian smiled. “Aye, but it sounded to me like he’d do anything for you. You could charm the stars from the skies, Mary, and he was certainly under your spell.”
Mary paused and bit down on her lower lip. “He could lose his job,” she admitted. “Crap. I never considered that.”
“And what if you’re wrong about Maggie? What if she’s not Bradley’s daughter?” Ian asked. “Do the Brennans live in limbo until the records are officially opened?”
“Dammit, Ian, quit being so logical,” Bradley said with a sigh.
Ian chuckled. “I’m just saying the things both of you would have said, once you got over the initial shock.”