A Dying Wish

I shivered as a cold gust of wind struck me in the face. Kieran got behind the wheel and turned up the AC temperature. ‘Better?’ I rubbed my palms and felt the inside of the car warm up. ‘Better.’ He started the engine. ‘About what happened just now…’ ‘Don’t mind them.’ He kept his eyes on the icy road. ‘I don’t want you to have any regrets.’ What if Beata didn’t make it? Her death would forever be hanging between me and Kieran. ‘I won’t be coerced into doing this,’ he declared. ‘Once I make a concession, they’ll want more. If I agree to put on a show with Louise, they’ll be demanding a huge wedding next.’ ‘But what about Beata?’ Kieran blew out a breath. ‘She seemed fine to me. Still had the energy to scold me, at least.’ ‘I don’t want you to be estranged from your family because of me.’ ‘Hey, you are my family. And don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.’ I stared out the window at the falling snow. A marriage wasn’t just the union of two people. It involved two families, and not having