To Love A Wild Irishman

Chapter Thirty-One

"Alright, fine." Seamus looked up and down the bustling main street. "Let's get to looking then. This could take a while."

After nearly an hour of searching, Cassandra was losing hope. Perhaps she should simply admit that there was a chance that Seamus was correct and check the places that contained Finnegan's vices... She would rather believe that he was in one of those than believe that one of the men he owed money to had gotten their hands on him.

"Wait," Calvin pointed toward a large wooden building at the very edge of town. The wooden fence surrounding the large yard bore the name 'Saving Graces Orphanage'.

"Why are we looking at an orphanage?" Seamus questioned with a raise of his brow, "You thinking about adopting?"

Calvin's face flushed red. "No, but look on the porch. Isn't that Finnegan?"

Cassandra's gaze went straight to the porch and the large group of children currently surrounding her husband. His arms were waving and he seemed to be telling a tale of some kind. "What in the world is he doing?" she whispered.

"Making you a mommy," Seamus offered.

Cassandra glared at him. She let her feet carry her to the orphanage and Finnegan gave a sheepish grin when he saw the three of them stepping up to the porch. "Finn, what are you doing?" Cassandra asked awkwardly as at least fifteen children with tattered clothes and dirt streaked faced turned to look at her.

"Makin' friends, Little Cass. Why aren't ya still enjoyin' your bath?" Finnegan asked as a little girl hugged his leg tight and he patted her braided hair gently.

Cassandra felt her heart swell at the sight. Finnegan with children. It was something that Cassandra had never once imagined. He had never made it seem as if he cared one way or the other about children; so why was he spending his afternoon entertaining an entire orphanage full?

"Finn, you've been gone for hours."

"I have?" Finnegan frowned. "It doesn't feel as if I've been here that long."

"Mr. Finnegan?" a boy with big blond curls and a gap between his front teeth tugged on Finnegan's sleeve. He appeared to around eight years old or so if Cassandra were to guess. "Who are these people?"

"The beautiful vision of loveliness you see before ya is my wife, Cassandra. Ya probably can't believe she'd marry a man like me--"

"I can't," Seamus interjected.

"--but she did and I'm grateful."

"And who are those men?" the boy asked, pointing to Seamus and Calvin.

"The scowling gent is my brother Seamus, and that fresh-faced young man beside him is Calvin. For some reason Calvin chooses to spend his time around that grumpy man who came from the same loins I came from."

"Loins?" the girl hugging Finnegan's leg questioned, looking up at him with a frown.

Finnegan laughed. "We have the same mama, princess, the same mama."

"Finn, what are you doing here?" Cassandra asked, noting that all the girls were clutching what seemed to be brand new corn husk stuffed dolls and the boys were holding tiny burlap sacks and sucking on candy.

"Were ya worried about me then?" Finnegan teased.

"Yes, actually, I was." Cassandra gave him a pointed look. "Not everyone is as fond of you as I am."

Finnegan appeared truly apologetic. "I didn't mean to stay here this long, Little Cass. I didn't worry ya on purpose."

"I know you didn't, Finn." Cassandra laid her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile.