Chapter 44
Lily stared out at the large, imposing house as they drove up to it.
She’d been to Ronan’s house before when her mother was being held in the basement. And she’d been anxious back then, but this was a different sort of anxious. Today, she was going to meet all of Harvey’s family.
They’d arrived back home yesterday and had gone straight to the cabin. Harvey had already put his other house on the market. This weekend, they were going to look at houses that were closer to his work, but offered a bit more outdoor space and flexibility.
She wanted more animals. Surprisingly, she really liked being around them. They helped calm her, well, some of them did. A number of Clem’s animals actually caused people’s blood pressure to rise.
They’d stayed a few more nights with Clem and Jaret, getting everything sorted.
Her attacker was being held without bail until his trial.
Which apparently could take a while. The police figured out his identity through his fingerprints, and discovered that he had a record from a few years ago for stalking an old girlfriend.
The police had raided his apartment in New York City and found pictures of her all over the apartment that he’d taken from the videos that Doctor Wallace sent him.
Everyone was certain that he’d be put away for a long, long time, although Harvey didn’t seem all that happy about that. She was pretty certain he wouldn’t be happy unless the other guy suffered a slow and agonizing death.
Lily was just glad that she and Harvey were back together, and that the future was looking a lot more hopeful. Sure, she still had things she had to work through, and she knew she wasn’t magically all better or anything like that.
But she felt steadier in herself and more confident in their relationship. Of course, it might have helped that she now wore a huge rock on her ring finger. Harvey hadn’t wasted any time in getting her an engagement ring.
She hated that she’d worried him so much, but she’d also needed some time away to sort out her heart and her head. Turns out, Clem had realized that. Which is why she’d waited a few days to call Harvey and let him know that Lily was there.
“Don’t be stressed, all right?” he said. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, not even my own family. They will like you.”
He said it like it was a command, and that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted them to like her of their own free will.
Not because Harvey told them that they had to.
“You can’t force anyone to like me,” she told him.
He just raised his eyebrows before undoing his seatbelt and getting out of the car. He walked around to her side of the car and opened the door as she undid her belt. When he held out his hand, she slipped hers into it.
He helped her out before reaching into the backseat to grab Crackling. They’d had a bit of a disagreement over him coming.
But in the end, Harvey had given in.
In some ways, he was still treating her like she was delicate. And she understood it.
However, Crackling made her feel stronger.
He was her emotional support animal. And she didn’t care that he was a pig. They hadn’t been able to fly home because of him. Instead, they’d driven. But not in the car she’d bought. Harvey had declared it a piece of junk when Jaret took him to see it. And said she was never to drive it again.
Rude.
She clung to Harvey’s hand as they walked into the big house. Crackling walked next to her. He now had a bright blue collar and lead.
Part of her still expected her mother to be in the basement, and she had to remind herself that she was locked away and she never had to see her again.
Lily didn’t like that she was going to have to be involved with the trial for the asshole that had been obsessed with her. But if it meant he got locked away for a long, long time, then that’s just what she’d do.
They entered the house and headed toward the back, where she guessed the kitchen was.
Everyone was either sitting around the table or in the kitchen cooking. The noise immediately dropped away as they entered. That didn’t seem like a good sign.
Just when she thought she might turn and run, Ronan walked in front of her and held out his hand. She let go of Harvey’s hand reluctantly and placed her free hand into Ronan’s. He squeezed it lightly.
“Lily, I’m glad to see you again.”
A weird sense of unease filled her. It was like she didn’t want him to be disappointed in her for running, which was silly. She barely knew him.
“I’m sorry about the way I ran off, and if I worried anybody.” She still wasn’t sure that he would’ve been concerned about her.
“You did worry me,” he said. “You had our entire family worried. Don’t do that again.”
It was a stern admonishment, and she found herself nodding quickly. No way would she ever do anything to disappoint him or Harvey again.
“I’ve already talked to her about it,” Harvey said, wrapping his arm around her. Ronan let go of her hand and gave her a small nod.
Then Crackling let out a snort and Ronan glanced down at him, raising an eyebrow. She braced herself for his questions or ridicule.
“Nice-looking pig.”
She swore that Crackling preened under the praise.
“I know it’s unusual to have a pig on a lead. It’s just that he makes me feel more relaxed.”
“Is he house trained?” Ronan asked.
“Yes, he’s very smart.”
“Then he’s welcome in my house.”
And that was it. She let out a deep breath.
“Come, you need to meet our sisters,” Ronan told her.
Paddy stepped forward first and gave her a quick hug, and Crackling a pat. And then they were in front of a woman she hadn’t met. She had bobbed dark hair and a friendly smile. Her sweatshirt had a polar bear on the front of it.
“Hey there, Lily. I’m Bea. It’s so lovely to meet you.” To her shock, Harvey’s sister engulfed her in a hug. It was warm, and she smelled really good.
Lily felt some of the tension leave her. Bea seemed to be genuine in her happiness to meet Lily.
When she stepped back, she saw Harvey’s other sister, Fiadh. She was standing next to Ronan, looking anxious, her hand around his arm, as though she needed him to help her do this. She wore an apron and had obviously been cooking.
Suddenly, Lily realized that she wasn’t the only worried one in the room, and that maybe she could be the one to settle things rather than wait for Fiadh to do it.
Feeling a wave of confidence that she didn’t know she had, Lily stepped forward and held out her hand to Fiadh. “Hi. We haven’t officially met. I’m Lily.”
“I’m so sorry!” Fiadh cried, tears flooding her eyes.
“We didn’t realize you were in the house when we were saying those things, and we had no right to say them anyway.
I’m sure you’re nothing like the cold fish that Amanda thought you were.
I never would have said anything if I’d known you were there.
I certainly didn’t want you to run off. Harvey has been so worried about you. ”
“I can imagine the impression that I made back then. I wasn’t going through an easy time.
My mother was drugging me with a doctor’s help to make me more pliable, but it also made me very blank and uncaring.
I just went along with whatever my mother told me to do, whatever she wanted me to wear, whoever she wanted me to marry.
Somehow my life seemed over in my mind. I had nothing else in my life, no friends, no job, no support system.
My sister was estranged from me. It wasn’t until Harvey took me away from my mother that we fully realized what was going on.
I had to detox off the drugs she’d been giving me, and it wasn’t easy.
It left me in a vulnerable state where my mind wasn’t always working properly.
I had a lot of self-esteem issues, and I couldn’t understand why Harvey wanted to be with me.
Your words just reinforced what I was thinking.
It wasn’t your fault. It was all me. And so I ran without thinking about the consequences or how Harvey might feel.
I just thought you were right. He would be better off with your friend.
She seemed together and confident. She’s beautiful. Everything that Harvey needs.”
“You are everything that I need,” Harvey told her. “Everything that I desire and want. And if anyone doesn’t deserve anyone, it’s me that doesn’t deserve you.” Harvey placed his hand on Lily’s cheek and turned her head so she was staring up at him.
“I know that now,” Lily said with a grin. “I’m a great catch.”
He snorted out a laugh. “You are. You’re amazing. The best catch of all, which is why we’re getting married.”
He turned to look at the rest of his family as they all congratulated them. Harvey had officially asked her to marry him on their trip back here.
Fiadh was still staring at her, looking unsure. “I am sorry, Lily. Do you think you can ever forgive me?”
“Of course I can.”
A look of relief filled Fiadh’s face. But she still looked a bit hesitant. Lily got it. Things couldn’t instantly be fixed, but Lily also understood about making mistakes.
“Fiadh knows she was in the wrong,” Harvey’s grandfather said.
“Even if she didn’t know you were there, she shouldn’t be talking about family like that.
And you are our family, Lily. We stick together like Gallaghers always do.
Congratulations to the two of you. Lily, you’re going to be an amazing addition to our family. ”
“Thank you, Mr. Gallagher,” she said in a loud voice. “It’s nice to see you again.”
The room went silent, and they all stared at her.
“Um, baby,” Harvey said.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Why are you yelling at my grandfather?”
“Because he’s partially deaf. When I met him that other time, he couldn’t hear me unless I was yelling at him.”
“He’s as deaf as I am,” Paddy said with a wide grin. “In other words, not at all.”
She glared at him with her hands on her hips. “You fooled me, you old codger.”
“Codger, huh? We’ll make an Irish cailin out of you yet,” Harvey’s grandfather said with a grin.
Lily wasn’t sure she wanted that, but at least everyone was smiling, including Fiadh, so she guessed that was a start.