never hugged. “Hello,” she said brightly. Then her gaze traveled to Millie and recoiled a bit. “You brought your clerk?”
Millie smiled. “Hello, Ms. Sullivan. I’m the store manager, Millie Morrison. But I’m here socially with Finn.”
She didn’t respond.
Hayley sat down on one side of Bridget and next to Paul.
Finn pulled out Millie’s chair then dropped down between her and his mother on the left side.
Bridget lifted her hand and snapped her fingers at the waiter she assumed was keeping an eye on them. Finn noticed Millie’s jaw dropped at the arrogance of the gesture. “We’d like to order more drinks,” his mother told the man, who’d scurried over.
Finn said in the friendliest voice he could manage, “Scotch for me, thanks.” He checked the waiter’s nametag. “Gerald.”
“Make that two,” Paul went on, then ordered for Hayley.
Millie gave him a reassuring look. “I’d like a glass of dry Chardonnay.”
When he left, Bridget scanned the four of them. “Thank you for coming.”
“You’re welcome.” Finn covered Millie’s hand where it rested on the table.
Bridget eagle-eyed it, but said nothing.
Hayley glanced around the restaurant. “We’ve never tried this place.”
“Your father and I used to come here.”
Paul put in, “How have you been, Bridget?”
Her brows rose. “As well as can be expected, given I don’t see these two enough.”
Finn flushed. “We’ll have to rectify that.”
Hayley frowned at him. Shit. Out of habit, he’d automatically pacified her.
“How are your charities going?”
Bless Paul for litigating this dinner.
Drinks arrived, and Bridget lifted her glass. “Hayley, what are you drinking?”
“I only wanted seltzer.”
“Why? You like champagne. I’ll order some so we can toast you.”
“No, I don’t want it.”
Bridget’s mouth thinned in a way that meant trouble.
“Mother,” she said, leaning in. “I can’t have alcohol. I’m pregnant.”
Bridget’s expression revealed something Finn had rarely seen on her face. Was that longing?
“H-how pregnant?”
“Just ending my second month.”
Millie said, “Isn’t that wonderful, Ms. Sullivan? You’ll be a grandmother.”
The sensitive expression disappeared. “This is none of your concern, Ms. Morrison.”
“That’s not exactly so, Mother,” Finn said cheerfully. “It is her business. Millie and I are a couple now. I’d appreciate if you’d treat her with respect.”
Before Bridget could respond, Hayley interrupted the unpleasant scene. “In any case, can we toast, Mother?”
“Finn, you do it.”
Finn lifted his glass. “To my lovely sister, who always glows but now has that very special blush that pregnant women get. Happy thirtieth, sweetie.”
Hayley’s eyes misted. They drank.
“Shall we order?” Paul asked. “Hayley can’t go too long without food and we had a busy day.”
Bridget picked up her menu and hid behind it for a while. Over theirs, Finn and Hayley’s gaze met. Both rolled their eyes.
During salads, Finn asked, “How’s the firm going, Paul?”
“Yes, how is it?” Bridget reiterated. “At last you got Hayley out of that awful District Attorney’s office.”
“I liked working as a DA, Mother. But, now, I can spend more time on pro bono cases.”
“Lord knows why.”
Millie bristled. “Because poor people deserve legal help.” She glared at Bridget. “And food and housing.”
“Millie volunteers at soup kitchens and is active with food banks.”
“She probably understands the poor more than we do, in any case.”
Choking down a response, Millie stared at her porterhouse steak.
Hayley set down her fork. “Mother, that was unkind.”
“Was it? I think I’m stating a fact.”
“As a matter of fact,” Finn put in. “Fitzgerald’s is looking for ways to get donations.” He angled his chin at Paul. “Maybe we’ll have a gala.”
“Please, don’t,” Paul said laughing.
Millie cocked her head at him. “I think what you did was very brave.”
That’s it, babe, Finn thought. Don’t let Bridget silence you.
“I agree.” Bridget gave Paul what passed for a smile. Finn had a theory that she was a little afraid of Hayley’s fiancé.
They finished their meal, mostly in silence.
Bridget let the waiter clear the food, then a big cake was brought in and set before Hayley. “I hope you all like carrot cake,” Bridget said to the group.
Hayley hated it.
Then they heard from behind, “Can I have a piece of that?”
* * *
Ronan watched the reactions when each person at the table turned. Millie seemed confused. Finn and Hayley were open-mouthed. Paul sat back.
His mother’s face had flushed almost to purple. “R-Ronan? I-is that you?”
“Yes, Mother. I’m a bit more gray and heavier, but it’s me.” He came to the table directly behind Hayley. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. “Happy Birthday, honey.”
Hayley stood and threw her arms around him. “Ronan!” she mumbled into his shirt.
He held her tight. Finn rose and went around the table. He encircled both