Page 104 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“I know. But it helped, didn’t it?”

“Yeah. It did.”

“I know you hate hugs, but you look like you could use another one.”

And the hug was worth it. Worth the early morning and the trek to Chelsea and all of it. Nate was her family. He’d reminded her that he always had her back. Which wasexactly what she needed.

A knock at the door pulled them both out of it, and in strode a tall Desi girl in sky-blue nursing scrubs. Nate’s girlfriend, Maura, was a nurse at a local not-for-profit hospital. Her long brown hair was up in a messy bun, and she had circles under her eyes that mirrored Nate’s and Ronan’s. She must have been out all night during the full moon.

“Kierse!” she gasped. She strode forward, knocking her boyfriend out of the way and wrapping Kierse in her arms.

“Hi, Maura.”

“You need to stop this disappearing act.”

“Working on it,” Kierse told her.

“And perfect timing.” Maura released Kierse and thrust her left hand out. Kierse stared down at the glittering diamond ring on her finger in incomprehension before she realized what it meant.

“Oh my God! You’re engaged?”

“Yes!”

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Kierse joked.

Nate glared at her, but Maura just snorted. “Nate did say he wasn’t marriage material,” she agreed.

“I didn’t say those exact words.”

Maura laughed. “‘Perpetual bachelor’ was probably your exact phrasing.”

“Aye, baby,” Nate said, wrapping arms around his fiancé. “You changed my mind. I’m a changed man.”

Maura snorted again and pushed her hand into his face as he tried to kiss her. “I bet.”

Kierse laughed. “I’m so happy for the both of you.”

“Actually,” Nate said as he went back to his desk,“Maura would kill me if I didn’t give you this.” He handed her an envelope of starch white paper with her name across it. “Wedding invite.”

Kierse tore into the letter. Inside the card was all white with swirling gold font:

Please join us for the wedding of

Maura Vendashi Bhardwaj

&

Nathaniel Gabriel O’Connor

Saturday, June 29th

6:30 p.m.

Five Points, Chelsea

Reception to follow.

“This is in only a few weeks,” Kierse gasped.

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