Secret Hollows Read Online Free

for both of you,” he said, kissing her on the top of her head and glancing at Bradley. “You do everything in your power to make my little girl happy.”
    “I promise you that, sir,” Bradley replied earnestly. “Every moment of my life.”
    “But, what?” Mary finally exclaimed. “How...?”
    “Your Bradley came to see me when he was in Chicago and asked my permission,” her father explained. “We’ve just been waiting to hear if he was able to convince you or not.”
    Mary beamed at Bradley. “You asked my father?”
    He shrugged. “I wanted to be sure all my bases were covered,” he explained.
    Mary’s mother, Margaret O’Reilly, came over and hugged her. “He’s a fine man,” she whispered into Mary’s ear. “And you are shining with love.”
    Mary returned the hug and whispered back, “He makes me so happy, I just can’t imagine my life without him.”
    “And that’s how it should be,” her mother agreed.
    She turned to Bradley and spread her arms. “I’ve always wanted a son with manners,” she said with a grin.
    Mary’s brothers laughed. “We’ve been such a disappointment to her,” Sean said. “Never did learn which fork to use first.”
    “You never learned to use a fork at all,” Thomas replied.
    Margaret shook her head. “Ruffians, the lot of them.”
    “Yes, but we’re so cute, you can’t help but love us,” Art added, scooping his petite mother up into his arms.
    She laughed and hugged him. “If you break your mother, your father will have to cook for you.”
    He placed her carefully on the floor and kissed her softly on the forehead. “You know how to threaten a man, Ma.”
    “How about some cake?” Timothy O’Reilly suggested, placing his hand around his wife’s tiny waist and guiding her to the table.
    “Oh, no, I’m not the one to cut the cake,” she said, “ it’s a job for the future bride and groom.”
    “Be careful,” Sean whispered to Bradley. “The twins got the cake, there’s bound to be something inside it.”
    “Thanks,” Bradley replied, glancing across the room at the snickering men. “Thanks a lot.”
    Mary picked up the cake knife and waited for Bradley to step next to her. “Sean said the twins brought the cake,” he said quietly into her ear.
    She lowered the knife, glanced at her brothers and then at the cake. She didn’t trust the wicked twinkle in their eyes. But knowing they wouldn’t risk annoying their mother, she smiled sweetly and turned to her mother. “Oh, Ma, I can’t cut the cake with Bradley,” she said. “It would be unlucky because we aren’t married yet. Why don’t you cut it?”
    “No!” Thomas exclaimed, jumping forward and grabbing the knife. “You can’t let ma cut the cake.”
    “Well, why not?” her mother asked. “I’ve cut plenty of cakes in my life.”
    “Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make a suggestion,” Bradley inserted.
    “Oh, please, this is your celebration,” Timothy said.
    “Well, in my culture, we have always believed that twins stood for good luck and fertility for the married couple,” he said, doing his best to keep a straight face. “I would consider it an honor if Art and Thomas would cut the cake for us.”
    “Well, we just couldn’t,” Art said.
    “And why not?” Margaret asked. “Your soon-to-be brother-in-law just bestowed an honor upon you and you turn him down? Not in my house.”
    Art and Thomas looked at each other and sighed. “Yes, ma’am,” Art said.
    Mary pulled Bradley back, away from the table.
    “Your culture?” Mary whispered to Bradley.
    He grinned. “Yeah, my culture of self-preservation.”
    “Brilliant,” Mary replied.
    The young men approached the table, both grabbing hold of the knife’s handle.
    “Ready?” Art asked Tom.
    “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Tom replied.
    The two men took a deep breath and plunged the knife into the cake. As soon as the tip of the knife made contact with the cake, there was a loud popping