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The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores'
Mick and Megan O'Brien
By Annette Zoaps
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'Mother of the Bride'
Chapter 2
The wedding was simply beautiful, Megan muses, as she watches Abby and Mick on the dance floor.
His focus is on their daughter, but Megan catches him sneaking peeks her way every few seconds. She hopes her smile reassures him that her heart is light — all because of him.
At the first notes of the Sinatra tune, Megan feels an attack of nerves coming on. She's sure it shows on her face, because as Mick takes her hand, he says with a wink, "Don't worry, I'll do my best not to step on your toes."
"Start slowly, and I think we'll be all right," she suggests.
"Are you nervous?"
"Yes, but not for the reasons I first thought." She glances around the room. "I'm not worried about dancing with you …"
"And here I was hoping you were excited to be close to me."
She laughs. "I'm nervous because of what everyone must be saying about the two of us — together — after all this time. If they remember our history, they might be expecting us to start a ruckus in the middle of the dance floor."
"Ah, just the thought of what they're thinking makes the Irish in me rise up," he says with a brogue.
"Don't you start …" Megan warns.
"Want to give them something to talk about?"
"Oh no, I walked right into that one," she sighs. "I know there's no stopping you now, so what's your plan?"
"I promise, it'll be painless," he whispers, pulling her close as a preview of what he has in mind.
She gasps. "You thought I was nervous before? Just don't embarrass us — or our children! And especially don't steal Abby's thunder today. Please?"
"Drat. You're right. Megan, how is it that you're the only woman who can civilize me?"
"If that's true, I've done a poor job of it!"
They share a laugh. When they finally look around, they realize the music has ended, and they're in the middle of the dance floor — alone.
"Double drat," he growls, making a formal bow and escorting her to a table far beyond the sidelines.
Megan fans herself with her clutch purse. "If they weren't talking about us before, they are now."
"If they are, it's because they see we're having fun together — and that's an unheard-of development for us."
She nods. "Or maybe they're pitying me," she provokes with a sly smile.
"I don't doubt that. But nobody's pitying me," he assures, his eyes wide with affection.
Megan fans herself again.
"Come on, you two!" Nell interrupts. "The little ones are on the dance floor!" She bends to whisper in Megan's ear, "Don't worry, love. All eyes are on them."
Megan smiles, relieved to be out of the spotlight.
Mick offers his hand to help her rise from her chair, but she slips loose of it as they follow Nell through the throng of guests they braved a moment before. When they come to a stop, Nell links arms with Megan on one side of her, and Mick on the other.
Megan suddenly realizes she's been given Nell's public stamp of approval.
"Thank you," she says, kissing her friend and former mother-in-law on the cheek.
"Whatever happens …" Nell whispers, looking at Megan intently. "If he makes you happy, I'm on your side. Both of you."
"I think it's our turn, Ma," Mick addresses his mother. "Ready for a spin?"
"No funny stuff, young man," Nell warns.
"Would I dare, with my mother watching me like a hawk?" he laughs. "Be right back," he says to Megan.
Guests are checking out the buffet and trickling to their tables, so Megan begins making the rounds, greeting the folks she remembers and meeting those who are new to her.
It's a little overwhelming, and she welcomes the rescuing presence of her granddaughters, who take over the introductions.
"This is Mimi," Carrie proudly tells one couple.
"Thank you for coming," Megan says formally, forcing a smile.
Carrie sees Caitlyn drawn to the dessert bar and runs to join her.
"Mimi?" says a woman wearing a beaded dress and loaded down with pearls. "It's good to meet you. When I saw you dancing, I was afraid you might be Mick's dreadful ex I've heard so much about."
"Dear …" her escort, probably her husband, cautions.
"What was her name?" the lady goes on. "Maggie?"
"Darling!" He again tries to stop her.
"There you are!" Mick's voice booms from halfway across the room, distracting Megan from the awkward encounter.
When he reaches her side, his eyes express such adoration it takes her breath away.
"Derek, Hannah. I see you've met Megan." His chest puffs with pride as he addresses the couple, his hand slipping possessively around Megan's waist.
He says her name so softly and reverently that she feels a thrill race up her spine.
"I haven't had a chance to tell them who I am," she prompts gently.
"This is the mother of the bride, of course. The mother of all five of our children." He beams.
"Your ex," Megan says bluntly.
"You were my wife." Again, his voice is hushed and tender. "Now you and I are — well, we're still figuring that out."
His crooked smile hints that he has considered any number of intriguing possibilities for their future.
Megan finally pulls her eyes from Mick's and smiles sincerely at the woman at the table, whose mouth is agape. "Lovely to meet you Derek. Hannah," she says.
"Did I miss something?" Mick asks as Megan hurries him away.
"How important are they to you?"
"I've known them for years. Derek is tops in engineering and mechanical. A partner in his company, in fact. But she's as obnoxious as they come."
"Would we see them often if …?"
"You mean, if we became a couple?" His lips curve into a grin.
She nods, suppressing a nervous laugh.
"Not until the next wedding," he says, his words but a breath.
She can see he's stifling the urge to add that the next wedding could be theirs.
"Megan, did she say something to you?"
"She seemed a little dismissive," she evades.
"I imagine she would be. Ever since I became a bachelor, she's been trying to set me up with her friends."
"You weren't interested?"
His eyes lock on hers. "If I couldn't devote enough time to the woman I love, I definitely didn't have time to chase after some new relationship. Besides — her friends?" He shudders.
"You seem to have more time these days," Megan observes. "In fact, I've been seeing so much of you, it's almost as though you believe the company can run itself without your needing to travel all over the country, like you used to do."
Mick places his hands on her shoulders, and Megan feels certain they'd be in a full-on embrace, if they weren't surrounded by family members and wedding guests. For the first time in recent history, that certainty doesn't scare her.
"Now that my priorities have changed, I have nothing but time — and I plan to put it to very good use," he says, his eyes making a silent promise.
"For cooking, I hope!" Nell breaks into their conversation. "I have assignments for the two of you for tomorrow's post-wedding brunch back at the house."
"At your service, Ma!" he salutes.
"I'll be there!" Megan happily agrees.
"I'll expect to see you in the kitchen first thing the morning, so don't stay out late, you two," she commands. "I don't want you half-asleep while you're wielding my sharpest knives on the chopping block."
"We'll try," Mick says. "But as the bride's parents, we're the hosts of tonight's shindig."
As his mother moves on to her table, he adds for Megan's ears alone, "And I'm in no hurry for this evening to end."
"I feel the same way," she assures. "To be honest, I don't want to waste time with dinner. I'd love to dance with you some more."
"An excuse to wrap my arms around you? Baby, count me in!"
. . .
"Best day ever," Mick declares hours later on her doorstep. "Only one thing could make it better."
She knows what he means. She puts her hands on his cheeks and slides them around his neck, pulling him into a hug.
"Nell warned me not to keep you out late," she teases.
"I love Ma, but I'm not rushing home for anyone."
He's waiting for her to make the first move — she has no doubt. But he's not standing idle. His hands are firm around her waist, and his breath is warm against her cheek. Still, he waits for her.
Three words from Megan — "I've missed you" — are all it takes to move him from passive to passion.
His mouth unerringly finds the pulse point in her neck, spending but a tantalizing moment there before tracing kisses along her cheek until he meets her eager lips, warm and yielding beneath his.
"You know me so well," she says breathlessly, wondering if he can see how flushed she is under the porch light.
"When it comes to loving you, I haven't forgotten a thing. Not the smallest detail."
As proof, he kisses her neck and feels her tremble in his arms.
"Yo, Dad! Hi, Mom!"
Mick and Megan are startled by the interruption.
Connor hangs out of the passenger window of Kevin's car stopped at the curb, as his brother sits mute in the driver's seat, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Watcha doin'?"
"What am I doing?" Mick blinks, then whispers the answer into Megan's ear. "I'm trying to make their mother fall in love with me."
"Keep trying," she says, with a catch in her voice.
"Are you saying it's not working? If you are, you're kidding yourself." He smiles confidently.
"Oh, it's working. I just don't want you to stop."
"That's what I thought." He moves in for another lingering kiss.
"Dad! Hey, Dad!" Connor interrupts again. "Gran's been trying to reach you."
"Darn, I put my ringer on mute for the wedding," Mick realizes.
"I did, too."
They pull out their phones and notice a flood of texts waiting for them.
"She wants you to find the big griddle you put away last Christmas," Connor continues. "You're the only one who knows where it is, and she needs it for the brunch."
"On my way, son. You and Kevin can go now."
"Sorry, Pop. We've got our orders. Gran's waiting. Take your time. I'll just send her a video to let her know we found you."
"Video!" Megan exclaims.
"Oops! I accidentally group-texted it to the whole family. My bad."
As proof that Connor isn't kidding, Mick and Megan's phones begin to chime.
"Oh, my!" Megan says after seeing a few seconds of the film clip.
"Time to go on the offense, sweetheart. Cheek to cheek, now smile …"
Mick takes a selfie of the two of them and sends it to the group. Turning to her, he plants a kiss right on her mouth and attempts another photo without looking. After a quick glance, he sends it, too.
"I'm not hiding how I feel about you. Not from anyone," he declares, pulling Megan into a hug that makes her feel warm and secure — and very loved.
After a minute, he takes a step back and gives her a puzzling look.
Megan tries to gauge his expression. "Mick, are you having regrets at going public?"
"No!" he says emphatically. "But there's a question I want to ask you."
"Anything," she encourages, then laughs, "As long as it's not a proposal."
"You'd say 'no?'" he asks, taken aback.
"Mick! Don't ask me today, on our daughter's wedding day, when emotions are running high."
He tips his head and raises his eyebrows.
"Not tomorrow, either," she whispers. "It's Abby and Trace's family brunch before they leave on their honeymoon. It's a day that should be all about them."
"The day after?"
As if to tempt her, he presses the lightest, softest kiss to her lips, leaving her longing for more.
When he steps back to look into her eyes, she takes a deep breath and strokes his cheek. "You can ask me anytime after tomorrow."
"I'll have a ring ready," he promises. "Unless you still have …"
"Of course I still have them!"
A relieved smile crosses his lips. "I'm glad. I didn't know if you might have given them to one of the kids, or pawned them to get them out of your sight."
"They're here, safely locked in my desk drawer. Come in and I'll get them for you. But then you have to go. You can't keep Nell waiting! She's given us her approval, and I won't have her changing her mind."
"Not a chance of that."
Megan unlocks her front door, and Mick steps inside with her, leaving the door open as she goes to her desk behind the couch. She returns in an instant with a ring box, opening it to show him her original engagement ring and wedding band inside.
Though the front door is open, their backs are to the street, as they make a belated attempt to keep their private business private.
After a smile of approval, Mick snaps the box shut and slips it into his pocket. "These rings mean as much to me as they do to you." He sighs.
"Today, they mean more than ever." She winds her arms around his neck and kisses him, holding nothing back. "Take care of them, sweetheart."
"Don't worry. Expect to see them polished and shinier than ever in two days. And you promise you'll say 'yes,' right?"
"You'll have to ask me to find out," she says.
But the kiss she gives him leaves no doubt what her answer will be.
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The End
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This story is complete! If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:
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If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:
NEW! Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The Whiskers of Machu Picchu, 2 chapters
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Come Let Me Love You
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Fear of Flying, 3 chapters
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The One That I Want
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Where the Wind Blows
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Once a Promise
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Mother of the Bride, 2 chapters
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song
Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss
The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' — Mick & Megan O'Brien, 9 chapters
Chesapeake Shores — Megan at the Met — Mick and Megan O'Brien, 6 chapters
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I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading and making positive comments about my stories!
I appreciate it more than you know!
Annette Zoaps
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