He raises a brow questioningly. “Mafia? Is that plural? I swear you get more verbose on writing days.”
“Verbose? Did you have to look that one up?”
He shakes his head. “Careful, doll, or I’ll put you back over my knee and you’ll lose the trousers and knickers.”
A trill of excitement weaves through me. “Mmmm,” I moan.
He’s kneeling in front of me, grinning, when he reaches for the little box. His hand shakes a little. I blink in surprise. He never shakes.
“Since you didn’t succeed in blinding me, we will commence,” Nolan says, with the air of a judge and a grin that melts my heart.
“Will we?” I ask in a husky whisper, all humor now gone.
“Aye,” he says, mirroring my whisper. “Because it’s time. We work well together, you and I. We know each other, Sheena.” He holds my gaze as he continues. “And I love you. Let me claim you, lass. Let me make you a McCarthy. It will keep you safe, and it will…” He swallows hard. “It will make me a happy man.”
He opens the box. I give him a coy look. “Megan helped you pick that out, didn’t she?” I tease.
He grins. “Of course. Now answer the damn question.”
“Is there really a question, Nolan?” I ask him, and my nose tingles when I answer. “I love you. And you love me. And every day I spend with you makes me even more grateful that we’re together now. Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you, if you’ll have me.”
He slides the ring on my finger, drags me to my feet, and pulls me into his chest in a hug so tightly, I can’t breathe for a few seconds. Then he whips his phone out of his pocket and makes a call. Squeezing my hand so tightly it hurts, he shouts into the phone, “She said yes!”
The door bursts open, and suddenly, our entire home is filled with people. Megan runs in first, gives me a massive hug, then opens a bottle of champagne. Maeve comes in with Sam, and Carson comes in with Tiernan. I run to him and embrace him as I haven’t seen him in weeks. Keenan’s there with Caitlin and the children, and Cormac and Aileen as well. Tully and Boner arrive, and even Father Finn comes, bearing cakes and scones from the bakery. He gives us his blessing, and we party long into the night.
Finally, after the kids have gone to bed and Tiernan back with Lachlan and Carson, Nolan and I collapse into bed ourselves.
“I want to pinch myself,” I whisper to him.
Nolan reaches to my arse and gives it a good pinch. “Happy to do it for you.”
“Of course you are.” I sigh.
His phone rings and he answers it on the first ring.
“Hello?”
His brows knit together, and he frowns. “Aye. I’ll be there shortly.”
He gets out of bed and hangs up the phone.
“Nolan? Can you tell me what it is tonight?” Some nights he has to keep his calls secret, and I honor that. “
He nods. “Aye. Carson’s Eve’s gone missing.”
“Missing?” I ask.
He sighs. “Aye. Went off with some friends back in her hometown and hasn’t come back. We need to go searching.”
“Why would she do that?” I ask, mulling it over.
“He should’ve married her,” Nolan says.
“Why?”
“You know why, Sheena. Think about it.”
I do. I feel my mouth part when I look at him, my eyes widening. “You think someone took her?”
He shrugs. “Don’t know. He hasn’t wed her, could be anything. But honestly, she probably just lost track of time with friends. He can be a little overprotective.”
“Oh, right, I don’t know anyone like that. And you’re going with him to find out.”
“Of course. He’s gone with Megan already. Megan says she thinks she knows where she might’ve gone. But Lach and I will go in as back up.”
It’s a stark reminder that no matter how much we love each other, no matter how perfect this all seems, he’s still deeply entrenched with whatever happens to the McCarthys. But I’m okay with that. I accept it now. Life is messy, and there is no escaping that. You can’t really.
But I’ve got family on my side and friends who love me.
“Y’alright, doll?” he asks, running his fingers through my hair. I sigh again, but this time it’s in contentment. I love how he does that.
“Aye,” I tell him. “I am. I’m fantastic, honestly. And so thankful, Nolan. Some days I ask myself how to thank you. How I can possibly give back what you’ve given me. How you could’ve forgiven me for what I’ve done. And I vow that I will be devoted to you.” I smile and use the words of his brothers. “You have my word.”