“Sheilagh.” Luke gave her a regretful look. What did he know? He was in love with the same man she loved. Difference was, Tristan loved Luke back.
“Excuse me.” Blinking back tears, she left the kitchen and went to her room. She should be happy for Kelly, but right now her self-pity was making a mockery of her good sense and she couldn’t seem to stop it. Jealousy was a hideous thing.
* * * *
There was a knock at his bedroom door and Kelly frowned. “Go away.”
“Kelly, it’s your father. Open the door.”
He sighed and unlocked the door. “I assume you heard.” His father entered the room and shut the door. Kelly collapsed on the bed. “Go ahead. Tell me how no one in their right mind would marry me.”
His father sat on the edge of his bed. “That’s not what I came to say.”
Kelly lifted his arm from his face and peeked at his father. His expression was serious, so Kelly sat up. “Then why are you here?”
“Is it Ashlynn Fisher?”
He hadn’t expected his father to suspect Ashlynn. “Yes.”
His dad shut his eyes and whispered, “Is she pregnant, Kelly?”
“What? No!”
His father sighed in relief. “Why do you want to marry this lass?”
“Because I…love her. And she’ll have me.”
“Are you sure it isn’t just some scheme to get what no other man’s had?”
Kelly scowled. “If you recall, I didn’t place a bet in that stupid pool. I care about her.”
Frank nodded. “It’s a good thing you hadn’t placed a bet. I imagine if word got out, your fiancée wouldn’t look too kindly on that. Are you sure about this?”
“I’ve already approached her father. I’m sure.”
Frank’s dark brows lifted. He nodded and slowly smiled. “I never thought I’d see the day. A lot of women will be disappointed.”
“Those days are over.”
His father’s steel blue gaze settled on him. In a serious voice, he said, “They better be. Marriage is a sacrament before God.”
“I know.”
His father’s meaty paw clamped down on his shoulder. “Bring her by the house. I want to meet her.” He stood and as he opened the door, he turned and said, “You’ll be a good husband, Kelly. I know you will.”
Tightness formed in his chest. Such a tangible reaction to his father’s words had him rubbing away the ache in his heart. That must be the weight of pride. Making his father proud was something he always hoped to do. Kelly nodded and gave his dad a tight smile. “Thanks.”
As the door closed he replayed his father’s words, but worried they might not be enough to guide him. His parents had an extraordinary relationship. They teased and cursed at one another, but never did they speak a word without love implied. They were, quite honestly, a dysfunctional bunch. But there was no mistaking the love they all shared, love that had come from their parents and bloomed like an uncontrollable weed over the years, choking out all other nonsense.
He wanted that sort of love with Ashlynn. He wanted her to look at him the way his mum looked at his father. But deep down he worried that might not be as simple as his mum and dad made it seem.
Did Ashlynn love him? His thoughts turned over definitions of love, expressions, and tender acts. No matter which way he turned his situation he couldn’t come up with a finite answer. Ashlynn was so different from the rest. There was no reference point.
He’d fallen asleep worrying over things there was no sense in worrying over. His greatest fear was that this was all a dream. Although his situation was nothing he’d remotely planned, now that it was here he desperately wanted to see it through.
The following morning, Kelly awoke to a quiet house. Being that he kept night hours running the pub, he was used to sleeping past the hours the rest of the family typically rose.
He stumbled out of the shower and slipped on his favorite Scooby Doo pants and went to find coffee.
His mother was waiting for him at the kitchen table, two cups of steaming coffee in front of her. “I thought I heard you stumbling around. Will you sit and talk with me?”
He slid onto the bench and dragged his coffee to his mouth.
“I’m sorry if we hurt your feelings last night, Kelly, love. We were shocked.”
He shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not, but I understand your pride won’t let you dwell on it. Tell me about this lass who’s captured my rogue’s heart.”
A warm, cozy sensation filled him at the mention of Ashlynn, putting a smile on his face. “You know her from church.”
His mother lifted a copper brow.
“Her name’s Ashlynn Fisher.”
“The farmer’s daughter?”
“Aye.”
Maureen looked around the empty kitchen and leaned close to whisper. “Do you know she’s a virgin?”
He laughed. “I know, Mum.” Apparently everyone knew.
“Is that why you’ve agreed to take her as your bride?”
“No,” he said resolutely. “She’s… I can’t explain it. When she isn’t there, I miss her. When I should be thinking of other things, my mind’s on her.”
“She’s a plain girl, Kelly.”
“I think she’s beautiful. She doesn’t need any makeup or fancy clothes.”
His mum sat back and grinned.
“What?”
“You’re in love. I’m happy for you. Will you bring her by so I can meet her?”
“Just you and Dad?” When her lips pressed tight, he said, “Ma!”
“Well, we have a big family, love. They’ll all want to meet her.”
“They all know her.”
“There’s a difference between knowing someone and welcoming them into the McCullough clan.”
“Exactly.”
“Please.”
“Will you behave?”
She sighed, but nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Just us then. I don’t want to scare her off. Leave the aunts out of it.” When his mother didn’t agree, he snapped, “Ma!”
“How am I to tell my sister’s my scoundrel's getting married and then tell them they can’t come?”
“They can come to the wedding, but they can sit out the interrogation.”
She tsked. “We don’t interrogate. That’s tacky.”
He snorted. “That’s not what Sammy and Mallory say.”
She gasped. “Sammy loves me. So does Finnegan’s Mallory.”
“That doesn’t mean you didn’t interrogate them.”
“Well, you’re my boys. Someone has to scare the shit out of these women, let them know we mean business when one of ours brings us a new lamb.”
He stood and dumped the rest of his coffee. “Yeah, a sacrificial lamb.”
“That’s not nice, Kelly.”
“You be nice,” he said, leaving the kitchen.
“I’m always nice, you little shit!”
* * * *
Later that day, Kelly decided to visit his future wife’s market. He had all intentions of surprising her in the back until he heard a familiar set of lungs call his name.
“Kelly?”
“Shit,” he hissed. Turning with a forced smile, he faced his sister-in-law, Mallory, pushing a stroller, full of his nephews, Lachlan and Declan. “Hey, Philly.”
She kissed his cheek and handed the kids some funky granola looking nugget thing. “What are you doing here?”
He gripped the back of his neck and some sort of awkward sound left his mouth as he waited for words to arrive. Mallory frowned.
“Are you all right?”
He sighed and dropped his arm. “I’m visiting Ashlynn.”
Mallory’s face lit up. “You know Ashlynn?”
“You could say that.”
“I didn’t know you guys were friends. Oh, there she is now. Ashlynn!”
Kelly turned as Ashlynn stilled from stacking a shelf of plums. She smiled when she saw
him and came over to say hi. She looked amazing, tight tank top, loose fitting cargos, yellow work boots. I wanna sexxxx you up. Alll nighhht…
“Hi, Mallory. Hello, Kelly.”
He wasn’t sure if he should just put it out there or play it cool. She was too pretty to resist. He leaned in and kissed her briefly. “Hey, beautiful.”
Mallory stilled, mid-sentence, and made a face like a fish, her eyes wide. “Ummmm…”
Kelly wrapped an arm around Ashlynn’s shoulders and pulled her to his side. “Philly, meet your new sister, my future bride.”
Mallory didn’t move. She just stared.
“Say something.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
Grin falling into a frown, his eyes narrowed. Enough with the freaking shock! “No. I’m not. Ashlynn and I are getting married.”
Mallory looked to Ashlynn and his fiancée nodded. “It’s true.”
Mallory’s fingers went to her mouth. “Does the family know?”
“My parents know and Bray, Sheilagh, and Luke know. I’m hoping to keep the aunts out of it until the wedding.”
Mallory snorted. “Good luck with that! There’s no way they’ll wait for the wedding. You’re going down, Kelly.”
Ashlynn turned to him. “What’s she talking about, Kelly?”
He sighed and laughed nervously. Turning to Ashlynn, he said, “Welcome to the funny farm. By the way, my mum asked if you could come to dinner Wednesday.”
“Don’t go!” Mallory hissed, gripping Ashlynn’s arm. “They’ll all be there. All of them. They’re like locusts.”
“Thanks a lot, Philly.”
“You know they are, Kelly.” She looked back at Ashlynn. “They’ll interrogate you.”
“I don’t want to be interrogated,” Ashlynn said, gazing up at him with stark horror.
“They aren’t that bad and I told my mum only the immediate family.”
“It’s a trick!” Mallory practically shouted. “Trust me! I had to get an orderly to remove thirty McCulloughs from the delivery room when I had the twins. They flock in and say whatever crosses their mind and the next thing you know you’re being force fed a plate of potatoes and made to guzzle terrible whiskey.”
“But I don’t drink,” Ashlynn said innocently.
“You will when they’re done with you,” Mallory mumbled.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go,” Ashlynn whispered.
Kelly was thinking the same thing. “Why don’t we invite my parents to your place?”
Mallory nodded emphatically. “Yes, keep it on the home court.”
Kelly gave his sister-in-law a warning glance. “Okay, Philly. Why don’t you go take a lap and calm down? I’m going to go talk to my fiancée in the back. Nice seeing you. And remember, mum’s the word.”
“Yeah, crazy mum.”
He took Ashlynn’s elbow and guided her to the back.
“Kelly, if Mallory’s telling the truth—”
As soon as he had her in the back he silenced her with a kiss that had her melting against the door. His body leaned into hers and his skin vibrated with the familiar rush he always got when he was permitted to touch her. “Shh…we’ll deal with it later. Kiss me.”
She sighed and gave in, her lashes fluttering closed, blocking out the worry in her eyes as her body softened beneath his touch. His mouth teased over hers until she hummed with satisfaction. His palm coasted over the soft skin of her arm and he grazed the front of her shirt, giving her nipple a little tug through the thin material of her clothes.
“Oh!”
“Mmmm. Have I mentioned how good you look in a tank top?” His thumb traced over the pebbled ridge of her breast as his mouth dragged over her thrumming pulse. Once he had her distracted and mildly calm, he eased back and smiled at her. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. What are you doing here?” She pressed back into the door to look up at him, but he continued to crowd her. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. Never before had he acted so possessive in regards to one woman.
Tracing his thumb over the swell of her lower lip, he said, “I came to visit you. I needed apples.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, you needed apples. I remember the last time you needed apples…”
Pressing his hips into hers, he waggled his brows. “How’d you like them apples?”
She moaned then said, “You’re just after my cobbler.”
Throwing his head back he groaned. “Oh, I can’t wait to taste your cobbler, all warm and sweet with the perfect amount of sticky. I could eat it for days.”
Color rose on her cheeks and he smirked at her obvious shock and frustration. She may be taken off guard by his words, but there was definitely curiosity in the depths of her chocolate eyes. He thrust his hips slowly forward, showing her what she did to him. “I want you, Ashlynn.”
Dark swirls of color danced in her eyes as her cheeks darkened. Breathlessly, she whispered, “I want you too. More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
“Why do we have to wait again?”
“Because you promised me a party and that’s what I deserve.”
“Mmm, I’m fightin’ the urge to make you the happiest woman on earth right now.”
“In my stock room?” She pushed him away, pretending indifference, but he saw the way she needed air, the way he affected her. He let her go and she busied herself with a stack of boxes on the counter. “That doesn’t sound very romantic.” Oh yeah. Her voice was breaking over each forced word.
The need to tease had him slowly stalking her in the small room. “Oh, she wants the romance?” He caught her wrist and spun her into his arms. Dipping her back until her spine bowed over his arm and her head nearly touched the floor, he whispered, his mouth a breath from hers, “In the words of Rhett Butler, ‘No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.’”
She frowned. “Who’s Rhett Butler?”
He stuttered. “Seriously?”
She shrugged.
“Oh, my sweet Ashlynn, how unaware you are.” He pressed a chaste kiss on her lips and lifted her back to her feet without releasing her. “You make me want to race to the finish, but constantly remind me to savor all the new experiences along the way.” His fingers traced the delicate line of her jaw. “You don’t need to know who Rhett is. All you need to know is who Kelly is and I plan to show you all of him.”
He wasn’t sure what happened, but there was a sudden change in her expression. Her eyes turned smoky and she grabbed his face, pulling his lips down to hers as she kissed him. It was the first time she’d ever really stolen a kiss from him. She was getting better, more confident, and he really liked the aggressive way she took exactly what she wanted.
“I don’t need romance. Just you,” she whispered.
He reached for her bum and pulled her close. “Sweet Jesus, woman, you’re going to have me makin’ a fool of myself if you keep kissing me like that.”
She stiffened and stepped back. “Sorry.”
Catching her wrist, he halted her retreat. “Hey. Never apologize for kissing me. Your lips are welcome on my body whenever they want—wherever they want.”
Her smile was a slow trembling curve that told him he’d pleased her. When she stepped away again he let her.
“I talked to my dad. He thinks a nice house wedding would be appropriate.”
“Whatever you want, love.”
She glanced over her shoulder and she took apart boxes. “I like the sound of that. Is that husband talk?”
“Whatever you want, love.”
She snickered. “My mother’s dress is in the attic somewhere. I’d like to find it and see what kind of shape it’s in.”
He wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her neck. “I think that would be really nice, Ash. My grandmother did the alterations on Sammy’s dress, but she’s not doing so well anymore. I could ask
Italian Mary though, if you need help fixing it up.”
“Who’s Italian Mary?”
“My Aunt’s mother-in-law. She’s like a surrogate grandmother. Flirts terribly with me, but it’s harmless, so don’t feel threatened.”
She scrunched up her face. “How old is this woman?”
He shrugged. “Eighty? Ninety? They all want a piece of me. Sometimes I feel like a slab of meat.”
“I’m sure it’s been really hard for you.”
“It has,” he sighed. “You’ll see. Soon you’ll be addicted too. I’ll have to come in to your store at random hours of the day just to satisfy your rabid lust.”
She laughed. “I doubt it.”
He grabbed her from behind and pulled her back to his front. Pressing his lips to the spot below her ear, he whispered, “Is that a challenge?”
“I know better than to gamble with a scoundrel.”
“You wound me with your sharp tongue, lass.”
“You have an obsession with my tongue.”
He growled. “You have no idea.”
* * * *
When Kelly left the market, he drove to Colin’s. Sammy opened the door, her belly sticking over the threshold, and Tallulah hanging from her side. She was gonna have this kid any day.
“Kelly, I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
“Sorry to just barge in. Is Colin around?”
“He’s in his office. You can head back.”
Kelly kissed his niece and went to find his oldest brother. He knocked on the door that led to Colin’s office and stepped inside.
Colin grinned. “Kelly, what are you doing here?”
Kelly settled into the chair across from his brother’s desk. “I have some news.” Colin’s brow lifted inquisitively. “I’m getting married.”
His brother stilled, then his face split with a wide smile. “That’s wonderful. Is it the woman you told me about?”
“The one and only.” While he’d confessed his feelings to Colin, he’d never said who she was. He was still busy protecting Ashlynn at that time and made sure to not let her name slip.
Chaste Page 23
