As they walked to the door, Rafe slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. But when they got outside, Keely's bravado dissolved and a worried expression replaced her smile. "What are we going to do?" she asked.
"Well, first we're going to have lunch. And then I thought we could shop for some things we'll need after the wedding and then I have a suite at the-"
"No! What are we going to do about my parents and my brothers? They all hate you."
"They'll get over that, Keely. If you and I are together, they'll be forced to accept me."
"How can you be sure of that? What if they don't? Conflict like that can tear a marriage apart."
"Keely, we won't know until we try. You just have to stand up for us the same way you stand up for yourself."
"And that's not the only thing we have to worry about. I have a business here. People depend on me. I can't just pick up and move to Boston, any more than you can pick up and move here. Besides my parents standing between us and six brothers, there's also three hundred miles of interstate-very congested interstate."
"And don't forget the measly three or four months that we've known each other. That should count for something, too." Rafe couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice. He drew a deep breath, then pulled her back into his arms. "Let's just forget about them for today. We have a whole afternoon and evening to spend together in New York. And we're going to make the most of it." He stepped back and looked down into her eyes. "Do you love me?"
"I do, but-"
Rafe pressed his finger to her lips. "No buts. For now, that's enough. And we'll figure out the rest later."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A WINTER STORM raged outside, the snow blowing so hard that it hissed against the windows of Rafe's apartment. Keely snuggled farther down beneath the comforter, pressing up against the warm, naked body beside her. On the mornings after the nights they spent together, Rafe never bothered with an alarm clock. Instead, he waited for her to wake him up. They'd make love once more before they shared a relaxed breakfast. And then she'd either jump in her car or hop a train back to New York. Or rush over to Conor and Olivia's apartment for a short stay with the family.
It had almost become second nature, sneaking around. And, at first, it had been exciting. But Keely knew all the subterfuge was wearing on Rafe. They'd share a stolen night or afternoon once or twice a week, then go on with their lives as if they barely knew each other. And every time they said goodbye, she'd see the impatience in his gaze, feel it in his kiss, and wonder how much longer he'd pretend to understand.
Keely had hoped that once she felt more comfortable with her newfound family, she'd be able to broach the subject of her continuing relationship with Rafe. But if she'd learned one thing over the past month, it was that the gene for holding a grudge ran deep in the Quinn family. Her brothers still spoke of Rafe with such disdain that she wondered if their hatred would ever fade. So she'd stalled and made excuses and tried to pacify Rafe, all the while hoping for some miraculous attitude adjustment from Seamus and his boys.
Rafe moved beside her, pulling her more tightly into his embrace and kissing her shoulder. "What time is it?" he murmured, his voice ragged with sleep.
"It's early. Seven, maybe. It's still snowing. It's going to take me forever to get back to the city."
He groaned. "Then don't go back. Spend the day with me. We can hole up here and watch old movies and make soup and take naps."
"I can't. I've got meetings scheduled this afternoon with three brides. And I still have to put together some sketches. And you have to go to work."
"When is this going to stop?" he asked, his voice edged with frustration.
"What? This is life, Rafe. We both have jobs. We both have responsibilities."
"This is limbo," he said, "not life. We're just waiting. I want to begin our life together."
Keely pushed up on her elbow and looked at him. Reaching out, she smoothed a strand of hair off his forehead. "All right. Maybe I should stay the day."
"Answer me, Keely. How long is this going to go on?"
"I admit that we do spend an awful lot of time in bed," she teased, trying to lighten his mood.
He sat up. "Don't try to placate me. I asked you to marry me and you said you would. So, let's make some plans. When are we getting married? Where are we getting married? Who are we inviting to the wedding?"
"I can't just decide these things all at once," Keely said. "A wedding takes a lot of thought and planning."
"Have you decided anything? Have you given a minute's thought to any of it?"
Now, he was angry. She scolded herself for not accepting his invitation to stay the moment it was offered, thus avoiding the same old discussion. "How many times have we talked about this in the past month?" she asked, turning the question back on him. "Remember when you told me that it didn't matter how long it took to work things out with my family? Did you really mean it or were you just overestimating your capacity for patience?"
"I just don't understand why this is taking so long. I feel like a kid, sneaking around as if we're both doing something sinful. We're adults and we should be allowed to see each other whenever we want. I should be able to call you five times a day and stop by to see you on a whim. We should be able to take a vacation together and spend holidays with your family."
"Oh, that would be fun," she said sarcastically. "You and the Quinn brothers at Thanksgiving. Hide the carving knife."
"What am I supposed to do? I want you in my life, permanently. Not just when it's convenient for you. Or Seamus. Or your mother. Or your damn brothers."
She sighed. "Can't you at least understand how they feel? What you did caused a lot of trouble for the family."
"They feel that way because you haven't given them a good reason to feel differently. I did what I had to do and I'm not going to make any apologies. We learned the truth and life goes on. I've accepted it-why can't they? Tell them you love me and you want to marry me and then tell them if they don't like it, they can all go to hell."
Keely pushed aside the covers and crawled out of bed. She grabbed the silk robe he'd bought her and wrapped it around her naked body, shivering against the chill in the apartment. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"And I do. We're going to solve this problem now or-"
"Or what? It's over between us?"
"Yes," Rafe said, a stubborn set to his jaw. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe it is."
Keely's breath caught in her throat. "You don't mean that."
"I do."
"Are you giving me an ultimatum?"
"I guess you could say that." Rafe shrugged. "Yeah, I am giving you an ultimatum. It's me or your family. You're a big girl, Keely. Make a decision. I'm going to take a shower. I'll expect your answer when I get out."
Rafe tossed aside the comforter and walked naked to the bathroom. Keely heard the water go on, but she wasn't ready to end their discussion there. She stalked to the bathroom and stood outside the shower.
"My mother used to give me ultimatums and they never worked. When someone tells me I have to do something, I usually do the opposite."
"That's what your mother told me," Rafe shouted over the running water. "She said if she opposed our marriage that you'd probably go ahead with a wedding."
"Now you're conspiring with my mother?"
He stuck his head out of the shower, his hair dripping wet. "I'll take any ally in your family I can get. If you had a dog, I'd probably try to make friends."
"This is between you and me," Keely said.
"Exactly my point." He stepped back into the shower, then turned up his shower radio until the morning news echoed through the marble-tiled bathroom, ending all conversation between them.
Keely turned and stalked out of the bathroom, then began to gather her clothes and toss them in her overnight bag. Yes, they'd talked about these same things over and over again since Rafe made his marriage proposal. And no, she hadn't made an effor
t to change the status quo, even though she had accepted his proposal. But that didn't mean she deserved a bloody ultimatum!
She threw her clothes on the bed and walked back to the bathroom, then stepped inside the shower, still wrapped in her silk robe. Reaching over, she shut off the morning business report and turned to him. "If you really loved me, you'd give me more time."
"And if you really loved me, you wouldn't need any more time."
"I'm not going to argue with you anymore," Keely said. "You're being unreasonable." She started out of the shower, but Rafe grabbed her arm and pulled her back beneath the water. He pressed her up against the marble tile, pinning his hips against hers. The silk robe clung to her skin, heightening the sensations of the warm water and his determined touch.
"I can kiss you and peel that wet robe off your naked body and make love to you right here and now. But it's not going to change anything. You won't love me any more than you do at this very moment. So you have to decide. Is that enough?"
"I don't know," Keely said stubbornly.
"I guess I have my answer then," he said.
"That's not what I meant."
His mouth came down on hers in a desperate, almost punishing kiss and his fingers fumbled with her robe. The water poured over them both, washing away the heat of his mouth the moment he moved on to a new spot-her neck, her breast, her belly.
Keely tipped her head back and closed her eyes. She did love him, more than she could have ever imagined. And she was crazy if she thought she'd be able to walk away from this and not regret it for the rest of her life. But her family's objections would weigh heavily on their marriage and Keely wondered if someday the resentments might bubble to the surface. What if her family never accepted him?
He grabbed her legs and drew them up around his waist, then slowly entered her. Weaving her fingers through his wet hair, Keely arched her back as he moved inside her. "Tell me you can't live without me," she murmured.
"I won't live without you," Rafe said, his voice ragged.
Satisfied that she'd proved her point, Keely surrendered herself to her desire. The water continued to rush over them, filling the shower with steam, creating a world where passion was all that mattered. And when he finally exploded inside her, Keely sighed softly, secure in the fact that Rafe was the only man she'd ever truly love.
"Let's go back to bed," she whispered, teasing at his earlobe with her teeth.
Rafe drew away, gently lowering her legs to the floor of the shower. Then he pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, his jaw tight. "Go home, Keely. And don't come back here until you've made a decision." He pushed her out of the shower, then turned up the radio again.
Keely opened her mouth, ready to start the argument anew. But then she shook her head and slowly walked back to the bedroom. They'd just go round and round for another hour and still not solve anything. She wanted more time, and he wasn't willing to give it to her.
Why the hell did she even bother? With Rafe, there was never any compromise. He was completely close-minded when it came to her father and brothers. There were times when she felt as if she were caught in a tug-of-war between them, each side demanding her loyalty and tearing her apart in the process.
"He's had enough?" she muttered as she shoved her clothes in the bag, her temper rising. "I've had enough. I'll marry him when I'm damn well ready to marry him and not a minute sooner."
She tugged her jeans on over damp skin, then pulled a sweater over her wet hair. Her watch and engagement ring were sitting on the bedside table. She picked up the watch, but left the ring where it was. She never should have accepted it, at least not until everything had been solved with her family. She wouldn't put it on again until Rafe agreed to be more reasonable.
Keely left the ring where it was, then finished dressing. She grabbed her overnight bag and headed to the door, snatching up her coat and purse on the way out. But before she opened the door, she glanced down at her hand. Wearing the ring had made her feel secure, as if nothing could shake what they shared.
But a ring didn't make their relationship strong. They did-together. Unfortunately, her feelings weren't nearly as black-and-white as Rafe's. It wasn't an all-or-nothing choice for her. Just a few months ago, all she'd had in life was her mother. And now she had a father and six brothers and a fiance who loved her, each one wanting her to be a part of their lives. She shouldn't have to choose.
Keely yanked open the door then headed toward the elevator. When she reached the lobby of Rafe's building, the doorman greeted her. "Morning, Miss Quinn."
"Morning," Keely replied, forcing a bright smile.
"Can I get you a cab?"
"Yes, thank you. I'll be going to South Station to catch the Amtrak."
The doorman punched in a number on his phone and ordered a cab and Keely sat down on a pretty sofa near the door, peering out into the blizzard to watch for her ride. She fought the temptation to go back up to the apartment and retrieve the ring. In the end, she walked out into the blizzard and hopped into a cab, determined not to give in to her own fears-or Rafe's ultimatum.
As the cab skidded through the snowy streets of downtown Boston, Keely stared out the window at the dismal weather. She always lived her life by impulse, but now that she had something too precious to lose, she was going to take her time. If Rafe loved her, then he would wait. And if he didn't love her, then it was better to find that out now than after a wedding.
KEELY ARRIVED at the trendy Manhattan restaurant ten minutes late. The hostess showed her to the table where Olivia, Amy and Meggie waited. She'd been surprised by the invitation, wondering if the trio had traveled all the way to New York just to have lunch with her or if their invitation had been an afterthought. Olivia insisted they had planned a day of shopping, so Keely had immediately accepted, then suggested a good spot for lunch.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Keely said as she sat down. She grabbed the linen napkin from her plate and spread it on her lap. "It took me forever to get a cab. I should have just taken the subway. Have you ordered already?"
"We've just ordered our first bottle of wine," Olivia said. "Our lunches tend to go on until the late afternoon. And since we've decided to spend the night in New York, this one might go on well after dark."
"Have you been doing this for long?" Keely asked, curious about the camaraderie that had formed between the women in her brothers' lives.
Meggie took a sip of her wine. "It started with Olivia and me. And then when Amy and Brendan got together, we added her to the group. And now that you're a Quinn, we figured you might want to join us, too."
"What are we celebrating?" Keely asked as Olivia poured her a glass of white wine from a bottle that was nearly empty.
"It's a goodbye lunch for Amy. She and Brendan are leaving for Turkey next week. He's writing a book about something…exciting or important or-"
"An archaeological dig," Amy said.
"And she's going with him," Olivia continued. "They're going to live in a hut in the middle of winter in Turkey. I think she's crazy, she thinks it's romantic, Meggie's just worried whether they'll be able to get good coffee."
"It won't be so bad," Amy said. "And we're only going to be living at the site for a month in May. Before that, we're going to be with the research team in Ankara."
"How long will you be gone?" Keely asked.
"Three months. We'll be back right before Meggie's wedding in June."
"That's the real reason we wanted you to join us," Meggie said. "My wedding."
"Of course I'll make the cake," Keely said, not waiting for the obvious question. "I'd be happy to."
"That's not what I was going to ask," Meggie said. "I wanted to know if you'd be a bridesmaid. Olivia and Amy have already agreed and my wedding wouldn't be complete if I didn't have Dylan's only sister in the wedding party."
Keely was stunned by the invitation. "I-I don't know what to say."
Meggie laughed. "Say yes?"
At first, Kee
ly wasn't sure she should. What if she wasn't around in June? But then, she realized that she was now a permanent part of the Quinn family. They'd accepted her as one of their own-for the rest of her life, she'd be a Quinn. "Yes. I'd love to be a bridesmaid. And I'll also make your cake if you'd like me to. It will be the most special wedding cake I've ever made."
"Take the offer on the cake," Amy said. "You should see what she does with frosting. Her cakes are like art. I wanted her for my first wedding but she wouldn't do any jobs outside New York City."
"I didn't know you were married before," Keely said.
"I wasn't. I ran away from home about a month before the wedding, but it had already been all planned. My mother saw your cakes in Town and Country. She had the pictures in her little wedding file and she was determined that you do my cake."
"When you marry Brendan, I'll do your cake, too. No charge for either of you since you're family now."
"So," Olivia said, "now that we have that business taken care of, we can get down to the reason we really invited you to lunch."
"I thought you came here to go shopping."
"We can shop in Boston," Olivia said. "We want to know about your wedding. To Rafe Kendrick. Ever since that night of the grand opening at the pub, we've all been a little curious."
Keely glanced back and forth between them, taking in their inquisitive expressions. Of all the conversation topics to choose from, Rafe Kendrick would have been her last choice. Since she'd walked out on him a week ago, they hadn't spoken. It was as if they were playing a game with each other, each of them unwilling to concede their point. "I'm not sure I'm going to marry Rafe Kendrick." Keely took a sip of her wine. "In fact, I might not ever see him again."
Olivia frowned. "What happened?"
"It's a long story."
Meggie reached out and grabbed Keely's hand. "You're family. You can tell us anything. And we do have a ladies' agreement here. Nothing that's said between us gets back to the men in the family. If you haven't noticed, the Quinn boys have a tendency to overreact."
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