Ryan's Place - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,12
above the din. It was her quiet, emphatic tone that caused even the littlest grandchild to fall silent. The skill had to be something she’d acquired in the classroom to control unruly college students. Clearly satisfied by the effect, she said mildly, “I think Maggie has something she’d like to say.”
“Since when does Maggie require your intervention?” Matthew asked. “Speak up, sis. You’ve never been shy about telling us to shut up before.”
“You’ve never been this noisy before, and I’m out of practice,” she retorted. “Okay, here’s the deal. I more or less promised that we’d spend this morning helping at a homeless shelter in the city.”
“Promised who?” Matthew demanded with more curiosity than resentment.
“Must be that handsome man who brought her home last night,” her sister Colleen said with a smug expression. “Mom says after meeting him last night, her heart was still all aflutter this morning. I’m sorry I missed him. Count me in, Maggie. I want to get a look at any guy who can make Mom swoon.”
“There’s definitely a man involved?” their oldest brother, John, asked. “Then we all go, am I right? We can’t have a stranger breaking our Maggie’s heart.”
“This has nothing to do with anyone breaking my heart,” Maggie said. “It’s about helping those less fortunate on Thanksgiving.”
“That may be your reason for going,” John conceded. “Mine’s less pure.”
“Mine, too,” Colleen said. “My heart hasn’t gone pitter-pat over a man in ages.”
“Thanks a lot,” her husband said, frowning at her.
Colleen grinned at him. “I meant for a man other than you, of course.”
Daniel leaned over and planted a noisy kiss on her lips. “That’s better, love.”
“What’s this about a handsome man?” Katie, the youngest O’Brien, inquired as she returned from the kitchen with a glass of orange juice. “Where? Can I meet him?”
“He’s entirely too old for you,” Maggie said.
“That’s the truth,” her father chimed in. “Our Katie’s not to even think of looking at a man until she’s at least twenty-five. She’s our baby.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “Dad, I’m twenty-four, and I hate to break it to you, but I’m already dating and have been for some years now.”
“Dating, yes, but you’ve a full year to go before you even think of getting serious about anyone. Besides, this Ryan fellow is Maggie’s,” he said with a grin aimed at Maggie.
“He’s hardly that,” Maggie protested. “We’ve just met.”
“But you’re interested enough to be dragging us all the way to Boston on Thanksgiving,” her father said. He turned to her mother. “Nell, what do you think? Is this man worthy of our Maggie’s attention?”
With a wink in Maggie’s direction, her mother placed her hand over her heart. “If I were just a few years younger…” she began, only to be cut off by her husband.
“Nell O’Brien, shame on you, saying such a thing in front of me, the man who’s given you all these fine children, to say nothing of nearly thirty years of my life.”
“Darling, I’m old and I’m married, not dead,” she teased. “Ryan Devaney is a handsome devil. You’ll see.”
“So it’s settled? You’ll all go?” Maggie asked, not as concerned about her brothers’ declared motives as she probably should have been. They talked big, but they’d stay in line. Her father would see to it.
“Of course,” her father said. “You knew we would.” He turned to his wife. “You’ll be okay without our help for a few hours?”
“I’ll be relieved to have you all out from underfoot,” she said.
“What about the kids? You can’t be looking after all of them, as well,” her father said. He gazed around the crowded table. “Which one of you will stay to help out?”
“Garrett O’Brien, the day I can’t look after three toddlers is the day they’ll be putting me in my grave,” her mother retorted. “I raised this bunch of hellions with little or no help, didn’t I?”
“Then it’s settled,” her father announced. “We’ll be leaving in an hour. That will put us there by ten. Is that what you promised, Maggie?”
“Yes, Dad. Thanks.” She turned a narrowed gaze on her brothers. “And when you meet Ryan Devaney, I expect you to be on your best behavior. Is that understood?”
“When have we not been perfect gentlemen around your boyfriends?” Matt inquired indignantly.
“Well, there was the time we ran off that Carson fellow,” John conceded.
“He was a wuss,” Matt countered. “She was better off without him. Okay, aside from that one incident, have there been any others?”
“Just see that this isn’t one of those times