Authors: Cara Covington

Love Under Three Titans (26 page)

Adam stopped when he got to Richard. “I had a long talk with an Inspector Montague this afternoon, with regard to Clarence Conrad. New Scotland Yard has reopened a few cold cases they had. It seems that there has been more than one mysterious death in that bastard’s past. They’re just trying to figure out how they let a possible serial killer slip by them. Montague is feeling more than a little remorse, too. He reasons that if they’d twigged on to him sooner, then Conrad’s grandmother might still be alive.”

Richard blinked and then looked at Maggie.

She held his gaze as she stepped closer to him and hugged his arm. Trevor and Kevin moved so that they stood, one behind and one beside, their oldest brother.

She felt Richard sigh and understood that he’d just let go of the last bit of guilt that had plagued him since he’d heard Conrad was suspected of killing his grandmother. He said, “Tell the inspector he shouldn’t feel guilty. The only person who should be held responsible for his crimes is the bastard who committed them.”

“Those are certainly words to live by.”

Maggie looked around Adam, smiling at the white-haired woman who’d just spoken. “Kate!” She let go of Richard, and Adam moved so she could reach her soon-to-be grandmother.

She hugged the woman, startled as always at the fierceness of that hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. But what are you thanking me for?”

Maggie grinned. She looked at Adam and Jake, Richard and Trevor and Kevin, then over at Julia and her men.

She noted that most people had their attention fixed on the family’s matriarch. Some wore knowing smiles, and some, like her future brothers-in-law and the young Drs. Jessop, wore expressions of interest and confusion.

“You came up with the idea of a B and B when we met, the day I came to Ginny and Adam and Jake’s party. I understand now that you were doing what you could to make sure I stayed in town so that I’d get to know your grandsons. You were matchmaking, so I’m thanking you for that. Thank you for giving me your grandsons. I love them with all my heart. I’ll take very good care of them.”

She felt her men join her then, and each one, as they always did, put a hand on her.

“Yes, thanks, Grandma.” Rick bent down and kissed her cheek. Then he looked at his brothers, and met Maggie’s gaze for a moment before turning back to Kate. “We all owe you more than we can ever repay.”

Kate Benedict’s smile lit up the entire room. “All you have to do is love and care for each other, sweetheart. Your happiness is all the thanks I ever want or need.”

Maggie held back her laughter as newly arrived Jessops and Benedicts were teased and threatened, good-naturedly of course, by those whose lives had already been changed by their very own personal fairy godmother.

Maggie watched as Kate looked at her amassed family and sighed. She turned her attention to the doctors, and the twins, and then, she finally rested her gaze on the man some had called the black sheep of the family—and only half in jest.

Greg took that moment to come over and sweep his grandmother into his arms. He lifted her off the floor, and the elderly woman laughed like a schoolgirl.

“There’s nothing on this earth I love more than being surrounded by family. The more the merrier, I always say!” Kate beamed and then cupped Greg’s face in her tiny hands. “And you, young man. What on earth am I going to do about you?” She planted a loud, smacking kiss on his face, and then grinned at him.

“I’d do almost anything to make you happy, Grandma, except two things. I won’t stay home, and I won’t get married.”

“I know, darling. I love you anyway. Don’t worry, you’re safe, for now.” Greg kissed her cheek and set her down. Shaking his head and laughing, he moved off to greet more family.

Just loud enough for Maggie and her men to hear, Kate said, “But those two young doctors are another matter, entirely.” Then she headed off to hug and greet them and everyone else.

Kevin stepped up and slipped his left hand into Maggie’s right. Trevor took her other hand.

Richard pressed close behind her and set both hands on her shoulders. She felt wonderfully surrounded and cosseted by the men she loved.

“I can hardly wait to see what Grandma comes up with for them,” Richard said. “Don’t tell anyone, but Robert and David are my favorite cousins.”

Maggie wondered if she didn’t already have a clue as to what Kate had in store for the young doctors.

She’d overheard Kate and Samantha talking about the news that the clinic’s long-time administrator, Shirley Cameron, had given her notice. The woman planned to retire to Florida, where she’d live close to one of her brothers and his wife. But, Kate had said, Shirley had a niece currently living in El Paso, a lovely young woman who’d married the wrong man, gotten divorced, and had given up on ever finding happiness again.

To her men, she said only, “I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see.”

“Oh, we’re going to do more than that, Maggie, love.” Rick turned her so that she faced him. Trevor and Kevin moved in close, and Maggie felt the heat of them warm her as the scent of them aroused her. And the hearts of them?

The hearts of them joined with her heart, so that Richard’s next words became the truest words ever spoken.

“We’re going to be living our very own happily-ever-after.”

Maggie could hardly wait.

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Morgan Ashbury writing as Cara Covington

Morgan has been a writer since she was first able to pick up a pen. In the beginning it was a hobby, a way to create a world of her own, and who could resist the allure of that? Then as she grew and matured, life got in the way, as life often does. She got married and had three children, and worked in the field of accounting, for that was the practical thing to do and the children did need to be fed. And all the time she was being practical, she would squirrel herself away on quiet Sunday afternoons, and write.

Most children are raised knowing the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. Morgan’s children also learned the Paper Rule: thou shalt not throw out any paper that has thy mother’s words upon it.

Believing in tradition, Morgan ensured that her children’s children learned this rule, too.

Life threw Morgan a curve when, in 2002, she underwent emergency triple by-pass surgery. Second chances are to be cherished, and with the encouragement and support of her husband, Morgan decided to use hers to do what she’d always dreamed of doing: writing full time.

Morgan has always loved writing romance. It is the one genre that can incorporate every other genre within its pulsating heart. Romance showcases all that human kind can aspire to be. And, she admits, she’s a sucker for a happy ending.

Morgan’s favorite hobbies are reading, cooking, and traveling—though she would rather you didn’t mention that last one to her husband. She has too much fun teasing him about having become a “Traveling Fool” of late.

Morgan lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a mysterious cat, a dog that has no dignity, and her husband of forty years, David.

Also by Cara Covington