A few minutes later, she hung up the phone, grinning wider than she ever thought possible as she began bouncing up and down in the empty kitchen. The administrators had confirmed what the letter said. Shea had been accepted to start school there this summer, in less than two weeks. Tuition was paid for, thanks to a large scholarship she’d never even known was an option, and they’d even put Shea on the bus route to have her picked up and dropped off right in front of the house every day. They would run some assessments on her to determine her placement in the program, then they’d tailor a learning plan specifically for her. She’d be able to go year-round to give her days the structure she needed and to keep her grades up. Fiona sat on a stool at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and read and reread the letter again and again.
“I just heard the good news!” Dee said as she walked into the kitchen, clearly having just been informed by Casey of Shea’s acceptance. “This is so exciting!”
“I can’t even believe it. I’ve been hoping to enroll her for over a year, but I haven’t been able to afford the tuition. They said a board member for the school district vouched for us. I don’t even know who that was.”
Dee blushed and looked around the room. “Don’t be mad: I know we’re way too intrusive into your life already, but that was Seamus. Kieran told him that you’d mentioned trying to get Shea in there before. Seamus’s been on the board there for years, so Kieran asked him to call in a few favors.”
“Are you serious?” Fiona jumped up off her stool and barreled into Dee’s small frame, clasping her in a tight hug.
“All right, dear. I need to breathe,” Dee gasped.
Fiona gave her a tighter squeeze for a quick second, then let go. “You don’t even know how grateful I am. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.”
“Honey, it’s nothing. It’s not like we’re paying for it or anything; it was just one conversation. The scholarship is funded by the school and already set aside for special cases.” Dee patted her arms affectionately. “You never do anything for yourself. Maybe now you’ll have a little more time to take care of you. You don’t need to worry about Shea—she’ll have all the resources she needs. That’s what matters.”
Fiona’s eyes had been welling with tears, and she didn’t even bother trying to hold them back any longer. They poured down her cheeks unapologetically as Fiona thought about that, about Shea finally having the help she needed.
“Don’t cry, darling. You deserve this, but more important, Shea deserves to go to that school,” Dee assured her. “You’ve done an amazing job with her, taking care of her on your own. That’s more than most people your age would be able to do.”
No matter what mistakes she’d made in her life, Shea was innocent; she always had been. Shea deserved this, and more. “Thank you again, I just don’t even know what to—”
“Don’t even worry about it,” Dee insisted, cutting her off. “No more tears, okay? We can tell Shea all about it tomorrow, but right now we need to get ready for the fight tonight!”
“Definitely.” Fiona smiled. “Kane’s going to do amazing.”
“All my sons are amazing, darling. You should remember that.” Dee gave her a wink, and Fiona knew they weren’t talking about Kane just then. “The babysitter will be here any minute, so let’s get ready.”
Fiona nodded and headed upstairs to get dressed. Dee had arranged for a nice young college student named Kiera to babysit Shea while everyone was out at the state championships tonight watching Kane.
Fiona had avoided any Kavanagh family functions since Kieran had been home, but she couldn’t avoid tonight. Nor did she really want to, not after everything this family had done for her. She wanted to show her support. Tossing open her closet door, she shuffled through the few garments she owned. She spotted the long gown she had never ended up getting to wear, since Kieran had gone to prison instead of taking her to the gala. Fingering the delicate fabric, she sighed, reminiscing on how different things could have been.
She’d absolutely loved dating him—he was caring, protective, and loyal. She’d liked how he’d aggressively pursued her, taught her how to have fun and enjoy her life, and made her feel safe in his arms. She’d fallen for his wit and his charming smile, lusted for his thick arms and tall frame with bulging muscles covering every inch of him.
I fell in love with him…Fiona sighed. There was that word again.
She had to remind herself why she’d ended things. He needed a fresh start, a chance to take charge of his life. Her presence in his life had only hurt him, and finding out about her past would hurt him even more. He’d never look at her the way he had done, his heart in his eyes, after he found out she’d stabbed a man. Pushing him away was as much protection for her heart as it was for his.