Chapter Forty

"Shite, Cassandra, have ya gone completely daft?!" Finnegan demanded.

Two days had passed since Morgan had taken Cassandra and they had been laying low in town simply recovering from the stress and fear they'd lived through. They hadn't seen a single sign of Morgan, Nick or Ben and Cassandra knew that the three men had not been in town because Seamus and Calvin had been on high alert for them under strict orders from Finnegan.

"No, Finnegan, I am not daft. We cannot avoid the situation forever."

"I think we can and I think we can do it quite nicely," Finnegan countered as he flopped down on the bed. "Runnin' from problems is somethin' I'm rather good at."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and slapped his legs off the bed, though it was too late to save the bedspread from the mud that had been on the bottom of his boots. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Bein' shot, hanged, burned at the stake."

"My father will not burn you at the stake!"

"Ah, you're right, Little Cass, that t'would be too much work for the man. More than likely he'll simply strangle the life from me with his big, meaty hands."

Cassandra laughed and sat down on the bed, laying her hand over Finnegan's cheek. "Oh my big strong man, don't you worry, I'll protect you."

"I don't see why we have to tell him anythin''" Finnegan countered. "The man disowned you."

"Because I fell in love with you! I don't blame him," Cassandra replied causing Finnegan to laugh and pulled her down on top of him.

"Aye, I don't blame him either. But do we have to go visit?"

"Finn, I want this. I want my mother and father to see how happy I am, to see that I made a good choice and to know that they're going to be grandparents."

Finnegan winced. "Do we have to tell them all in one visit that I not only married ya but that I got ya with child too?"

"Yes," Cassandra assured him as she sat back up.

"Alright then, it's your father. His apoplexy will be on your conscience."

"Oh give me a break!" Cassandra exclaimed. "He's not going to drop dead, Finnegan, and he's not going to kill you either. Now we are going to go back to my parents because that's what I want to do. At least for a short visit. I will send them a telegram and..."

"No!" Finnegan leapt to his feet and stared at her with earnest. "Don't send them a telegram!"

Cassandra shook her head, pinched her nose between her fingers and frowned. "Why not?"

"I'll go with ya to your parents and I'll face your father like a man but don't warn him I'm comin'," Finnegan replied. "If ya do that it'll give him time to assemble the troops and have the gallows ready."

***

"Have ya lost your mind, Finnegan?" Seamus demanded in the diner that day as the group met for lunch. "Isobel will break down and Vincent will kill you."

"Thank ya for the support," Finnegan mumbled, shoving away his plate of food.

"Good grief!" Cassandra exclaimed, stealing a chunk of potatoes from Finnegan's plate. "No one is going to kill anyone."

"He did seem rather eager to knock my head from my shoulders, Little Cass," Finnegan reminded her. "And that was before I married ya and put a little Irishman into your belly."

"How about we don't use those exact words when we tell him I'm with child, Finn? Because if you say it like that he will more than likely drop you dead with nothing but a look."

Finnegan sunk down lower in his chair. "Shite."

"Are you coming with us, Seamus?" Cassandra asked.

"No," Seamus shook his head. "I have to get the men back together and get back to work."

"Bounty huntin'?" Finnegan shook his head. "You're gonna go back to doin' that?"

"Yeah."

"Young Calvin, are ya goin' to be bounty huntin' with him?"

Calvin rubbed his neck and shrugged. "I haven't been asked yet."

Seamus rolled his eyes at Calvin's sad expression. "Well hell fire, Calvin, I figured you done knew I wanted you to come with me. Especially after the talk we had just the other day..."

"What talk was that?" Cassandra asked when Seamus quickly fell silent.

"A private one," Seamus grumbled.

Finnegan grinned and leaned in close to Calvin, "Did he tell ya he loved ya, Calvin, and that he wants to be with ya for the rest of his days?"

The blush on Calvin's cheeks told Cassandra that Finnegan had guessed correctly. "Seamus, Calvin, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah well let's just let it stay between us if you don't mind," Seamus warned as he glanced around the diner to ensure that no one was listening to them.

"Finnegan, aren't you happy for your brother?" Cassandra asked as she poked her elbow into his ribs.

Finnegan winced and rubbed at his side. "Course I am. And I feel a wee bit sorry for him and a bit better about my own situation."

"Why is that?" Seamus asked with a sigh.

"Because I might have to face Vincent Little and tell him I married his daughter but you're goin' to have to face Mr. and Mrs. No Fun at All, a.k.a. Calvin's parents, and tell them that you're runnin' off with their son. Makes my plight seem not so bad when ya think about it."

***

"I changed my mind. I don't want to do this," Cassandra gasped as they stood on the cobblestone street only two blocks from her family's townhouse where they stayed during the summer months.

"Oh no, ya don't get to chicken out now ya little coward!" Finnegan scolded. "Ya made me come all the way here, we spent weeks on a train and ya made fun of me every time I mentioned bein' the least wee bit nervous. Now you're gonna march up to that door, ring the bell and tell daddy you've brought his son-in-law and grandchild for a visit."

Cassandra laid her hand over her stomach and paled considerably. Finnegan almost gave in to her fears--almost.

"But Finn..."

"Don't ya Finn me, love. Now let's go."

Finnegan looped his arm through Cassandra's and led her down the street in a motion that was more similar to dragging than to walking.

"Are ya really that scared?" Finnegan demanded with disbelief. "You are Cassandra Callahan! You're smarter than any other woman or man I know, ya find hidden keys no one else can find and ya single handedly defeated three men who wished ya harm..."

"We probably shouldn't tell my parents about that," Cassandra whispered. "I doubt that would change my father's opinion of you for the better."

"Ya have a point there," Finnegan admitted.

"Okay." Cassandra took a deep breath as they stopped in front of the gate that led to her parent's home. "You're right, Finn. I have nothing to worry about. I am a grown woman, tough, strong and smart and I have a good husband who loves me. They will see that...."

"Aye, they'll see it and then put a bullet in it," Finnegan swallowed hard and winced.

Cassandra glanced at his hand which was still tightly encased in bandages and braces but nearly healed, "What will we say happened to your hand?"

"Broke it assistin' a little ol' lady across the street," he replied, nearly laughing at the exasperated look Cassandra gave him, "What? Those stagecoaches stop for no one!"

"Maybe they won't ask," Cassandra muttered.

"Ya don't think they'd believe me?"

"Finn?"

"Yes, love?"

"Stop talking."

"Of course, love."

Cassandra took a shaky breath and stepped up the stone steps to the ornate front door of her family's townhouse. Swallowing hard, she reached out and banged the brass knocker three times.

Cassandra was shaking with nervousness. Strange that she could go through what she had gone through and remain strong and stoic but the thought of facing her mother and father just now and telling them what she was going to tell them had her knees knocking and her heart racing.

Finnegan's hand slid into hers and squeezed it tight and Cassandra felt a bit of her fear fade. Knowing she had him on her side was reassuring--except for the fact that he was bound to say something to make everything worse. It was just Finnegan's way.

Footsteps sounded on the marble floors inside and Cassandra recognized them as her father's. The door opened and she found herself looking into her father's shocked eyes.

"Cassandra?" he whispered.

"Hi, papa," Cassandra tried to keep her voice from shaking.

Vincent's angry eyes turned to Finnegan. "You?!"

Finnegan grinned and before Cassandra could stop him he was hammering the nails into his coffin, "Hello dad."