Love and Shenanigans (Ballybeg, Book 1) (The Ballybeg Series) by Zara Keane Page A

like it, too.”
    “What the…” Wiggly Poo had hopped up on the chair next to Gavin’s and was helping himself from Gavin’s plate. “Ugh. That’s disgusting.” He scooped up the puppy and placed him beside his food bowl. “Bad doggy. You’ve worse table manners than Bernard.”
    “If he tucked into your grub with such gusto, looks like he won’t be needing a vet,” Jonas said, grinning.
    Gavin’s mobile rang. He glanced at caller display.
    His fiancée.
Damn.
What was he going say about the suit?
    “Muireann.” His voice rang with false cheer.
    Jonas mimed a hangman’s noose, complete with comical facial expressions.
    Gavin flipped him the finger. He strode into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. “How are you this morning? All ready for the wedding?”
    “What’s wrong, Gavin?” She sounded peevish. “Did something happen?”
    “What makes you ask that?”
    “Your tone of voice. Is Wiggly Poo okay? You took him for a morning walk, right?”
    Damn
He knew he’d forgotten something. “Yeah, sure.”
    “Good.” Her tone was clipped. “I’m calling to remind you to bring the rings.”
    “That’s Jonas’s job.”
    “Exactly. That’s why I’m calling
you
. Jonas is about as reliable as a leaking boat.”
    “That’s a bit harsh.”
    “But accurate.”
    “Jonas is my friend, Muireann. I don’t bitch about the twins.”
    Silence.
    “Sorry. I want today to be perfect,” she said.
    “Fine,” Gavin said. “I’ll make sure he has them.”
    “By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I wanted to mention it to you last night, but we had that disagreement.”
    “What’s up?”
    “I’m late.”
    “Late?”
    “My period, silly.”
    Gavin’s blood turned to ice. “Come again?”
    “It might be due to wedding stress, but I’m usually so regular.”
    His mouth formed silent words. Seconds of tense silence stretched into a minute.
    “Aren’t you going to say anything, Gavin?”
    “I… that’s… great.” He tasted bile and swallowed hard.
    “I know we hadn’t planned to start trying for another few months. Sometimes, these things just happen.”
    They did? Surely not when people were vigilant about birth control.
    “I knew you’d be pleased,” she continued. “I haven’t bought a pregnancy test yet, but I thought the news would cheer you up before you have to face the crowd in the church.”
    “That’s great,” he repeated, feeling sick.
    “I’ll see you at the church in a couple of hours. This wedding is going to be perfect.”

    “What’s this?” Olivia clutched a piece of paper in her hand.
    Fiona stared at her, and her heart began to race. “It’s nothing,” she said and tried to snatch it from Olivia.
    Olivia took a step back and held the certificate out of reach. “Like hell it’s nothing. This says you married Gavin Maguire in Las Vegas eight years ago.”
    “We didn’t, though. Not really.” Fiona’s voice cracked with desperation, and her palms began to sweat.
    “You didn’t really marry?” Olivia’s eyebrows reached the ceiling. “You’ll need to rephrase that for me, Fee. Perhaps I’m slow on the uptake after last night’s debauchery. I thought one was either married or not, no in between.”
    “We exchanged vows. However, the officiant didn’t register the marriage.”
    “Whoa! Back up a sec. Officiant?” Olivia blinked. “If you had an officiant, how is the marriage not legal?”
    “It’s… complicated.”
    “So explain it to me in easy-peasy words.”
    Fiona regarded Olivia’s stubborn expression and sighed. “You’re not going to let me off the hook, are you?”
    “No way. I see a marriage certificate between you and Gavin—the groom in the wedding we’re about to attend—and I want answers.”
    “Okay, fine. It’s not what you think. This is only a provisional cert and the officiant was a drunk Elvis impersonator.”
    “Fee! Tell me what