“What are you talking about?”
“They want me to marry you. I told them all about how I’m madly in love with you, and how I want nothing more in this world than for you to have my last name. I want everyone to know that you are my wife. I want more babies with you, Magpie, but next I want you to give me a little blonde haired, blue eyed girl who is feisty and sassy, just like you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I want to grow old with you.”
I sink down on the floor, still cradling Declan to my chest, unable to stop the flow of tears. Finn sits next to me.
“Say something, Maggie.”
“I want to marry you more than anything, Irish. I would love to be your wife. I would marry you tomorrow if we could pull it off.”
He kisses me, squishing the babies against each other and making them howl. We pull away, laughing. He pulls a ring out of his pocket and reaches for my hand.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper. It’s a simple, huge Asscher-cut solitaire. It’s exactly what I would have picked out for myself.
“It was Móraí’s ring. It’s been in her family for generations.” He smiles and shakes his head. “That stubborn old woman. Made me promise to marry you in Ireland. Even on her death bed, that’s what she was most concerned with. I want to take you and the babies there, show you my family’s land, and marry you in the church that overlooks our home.”
“I would love that, Finn.”
“I’ll arrange it all. You just worry about a dress and passports for the boys. Leave the rest to me.”
He lays a now-sleeping Thomas back down in the crib. Slowly, he pulls Declan from my arms and puts him down next to his brother. He pulls me to our bedroom, where we celebrate our engagement the proper way.
Epilogue
I didn’t think I could survive a flight to Ireland with two seven month old children, but I did it. That was terrible. I’m thankful that we have a month to recuperate before we repeat it for the trip home. Finn and I decided to come over with the boys a few weeks early to finalize wedding plans and meet with the priest. Momma, Ava, Lucy and Bennett, Troy and Landon, and a few guys from the shop are coming a few days before the wedding. Momma and Ava are staying afterwards to watch Thomas and Declan so Finn and I can have a honeymoon in Ireland but still be close to the boys if they need us.
Finn’s been back and forth a handful of times since Declan and Thomas were born, finalizing all of the business dealings and making sure everything will run smoothly in Móraí’s absence. He has a strong support system in place. There’s an entire clan of O’Leary’s running the day to day aspects of the multiple businesses for him. He is not too involved, but we still reap the financial benefits from it all. Móraí was determined that Finn and our children would not want for anything. We used a bit of money to buy Ink Addiction, but the rest remains untouched in investments for the twins. That money will be for their educations when they are older.
Finn used the money from the loft sale to buy a house across the street from my childhood home. I miss seeing Troy and Landon every day, but I love our new house. It’s a perfect four bedroom colonial style house with a bonus room that serves as a playroom for the boys. The yard is huge. My biggest challenge right now is convincing Finn that a dog is not the best idea. I’m starting nursing school when we get back from Ireland. Between school, the shop, and two very feisty seven month olds, we do not have time to commit to a dog.
I’m standing in front of a full length mirror, stunned by the reflection staring back at me. I look like a bride. I stumbled across a vintage Irish lace gown, circa 1900’s, in a small shop in New Orleans several months back. I put it on and knew instantly it was the dress I was meant to marry Finn in. It looks like it was made for a wedding in an ancient, crumbling Irish church in the hills of Galway.
My hair is in waves down my back, held up on one side by a diamond-crusted comb that Móraí wore on her wedding day. Clutched in my hands is a simple bouquet of wildflowers native to Ireland. Wrapped around the stems are my Momma’s rosary and two blue ribbons, one with Thomas and the other with Declan embroidered on it. These ribbons stayed tied to their ankles for their first few weeks out of the hospital, until Finn and I got proficient at telling them apart.
I’m jolted from my thoughts by a knock at the door. I spin from the mirror, expected to see Momma or Lucy, but it’s my handsome fiancé, decked out in a tuxedo. He steals the breath from my body. I’ve never seen such an appealing sight.
“What are you doing in here? This is bad luck. You have to get out,” I hiss at him.
He takes slow, measured steps towards me, pulling me in his arms, stopping just shy of a kiss. “The damage has already been done, Magpie. Besides, when do we ever do anything the traditional way? Now, let me get a good look at you.” He steps back, his eyes moving up and down my body lazily, a grin spreading over his face. “You are stunning. The most beautiful bride I have ever seen. I can’t wait to see you coming down that aisle.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, Irish. Now what are you doing in here?”
“I had to come see you. I couldn’t wait a second longer. You ready?”
“Very. Now kiss me and get out of here before we get busted.”
“Too late,” my new brother-in-law says from the doorway, interrupting our kiss. “Out, Finn. The priest is looking for you. He’s ready to get started.”
“See you in a second, Magpie,” he says, kissing me once more and leaving the room.
“I’ll be the one in white. Well, off-white,” I tell him with a wink as he leaves the room.
Bennett chuckles. “You look amazing,” he tells me. “You Brennan girls sure do make beautiful brides,” he says, holding his arm out to me.
I wrap my arm through his, getting ready to walk down the aisle to marry the love of my life.
“Thank you for doing this, Bennett. I couldn’t think of anyone better, since Daddy’s not here to do it.”
I get choked up at the thought, but push it aside. I had a good cry with Momma and Goose last night, reminiscing about Daddy. I need today to be a happy day.
“My pleasure, Mags. You’re my family. I’d do anything for you.”
I hear the beginning notes of Pachelbel’s Canon and take a few deep breaths. Bennett and I make the long journey up the aisle to meet my soon to be husband.
Finn and I cling to each other through the ceremony, not speaking until it’s time to exchange vows. It’s important to Finn to say his vows in Gaelic.
“Tha mise, Finnian a-nis ‘gad ghabhail-sa Maggie gu bhith ‘nam chéile phósda. Ann am fianais Dhé‘s na tha seo de fhianaisean tha mise a’ gealltainn a bhith ‘nam fhear pósda díleas grádhach agus tairis dhuitsa, cho fad’s bhios an díthis again beó.”
I repeat his vows, but give them back in English. “I, Maggie, now take you, Finnian, to be my husband. In the presence of God and before these witnesses I promise to be a loving, faithful, and loyal wife to you, for as long as we both shall live.”
I glance out at our families, and there aren’t any dry eyes in the church, including our crying children. Finn’s frowning, not happy with this discovery. He doesn’t like when they are fussy. He walks down to the pew where they are sitting with Momma, scoops them up, and walks back up to the altar with them.
Finn and I finish pledging our lives to each other with Thomas and Declan wrapped in our arms. I suppose that’s how it should be. They laugh and squeal when we kiss each other to seal our marriage vows. We kiss and hug the boys, and walk down the aisle, all of us now official members of the O’Leary clan.
“Irish, please, hurry,” I tell my husband, urging him on. This slow torture is killing me. It’s been building all day. I feel like I’m going to explode at his touch, and he hasn’t even gotten my dress off.
“Hush, woman. I’m not in any hurry tonight. I have you all to myself, for as long as I want. You can’t even imagine all the things I want to do to you. I can take my time,” he says, running one finger al
ong the opening at my neckline that he’s making as he unbuttons each tiny little button of my dress. “I can drag this out,” he says, as he replaces his finger with his mouth and tongue. “For HOURS.”
He pushes my dress down to the floor, causing the delicate lace to pool at my feet, and now it’s Finn that’s panting.
“Christ. Are you trying to kill me? Where have you been hiding that?” he asks, running his hands up and down the sides of my wedding night gift from Troy and Landon. It’s a sheer corset and matching panties, made from the finest silk, but not leaving much to the imagination.
“A little gift from the boys,” I tell him, turning in his arms so he can see it from the front.
“Maybe I won’t be able to drag this out,” he says, pushing me down on the bed, causing me to shriek.
“How do I get you out of this thing?” he asks.
“Flip me over and unhook me.”
He grabs my waist and flips me over, throwing his legs over my thighs. After a few seconds of working on the hooks, he smacks me on the ass.
“What was that for?” I ask, attempting to squirm out of his hold.
“Because someone had to get you into this contraption. Nobody needs to see you like this but me.”
He keeps working and gets the hooks undone, ripping the corset out from underneath me. His hands and mouth are all over me, working me into a heated frenzy. I try to turn over, but he holds me in place.
“I want you just like this, Maggie.” He smacks me again, but this time rubs the sting away, earning a moan of pleasure. “Kneel up and grab the headboard.”
I vowed to honor and obey my husband, so I do exactly as he orders. He rips the delicate panties clean off of me, braces one arm on the wall, and wraps the other around my chest, holding me in place.
“Ready, wife?” he breathes in my ear, the sound sending delicious chills down my body.
“Absolutely, husband.”
Without another second wasted, my husband pushes into me from behind, jarring us into the old headboard.
“Christ, Magpie, you’ve never felt so good. I’m not gonna last,” he breathes into my neck. He’s moving at a furious pace, attempting to kiss me and keep our mouths connected, but finding it nearly impossible. His hand around my chest moves down my body, tweaking my nipples on the way to its final destination. He gives me the final urging I need to reach an orgasm, just as he cries out, spent. We collapse against the old iron headboard, exhausted from the hard, quick, over-too-soon fuck.
I speak as soon as I gain the ability. “I don’t know if they measure time different here, Irish, but that didn’t seem like HOURS,” I tell my husband, laughing at his declaration from just minutes earlier.
“Watch that mouth. I couldn’t help it. I’ve never had sex with my smokin’ hot wife before. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way I can take my time with you.”
My husband makes good on his promise. Hours later, with the first rays of the morning sun peeking through the windows of the inn, we are absolutely shattered. Plates of cheese, bread, olives, and cake are scattered throughout the room, along with half empty bottles of red wine and Irish whiskey. We are lying in bed, holding each other, legs and arms a tangled mess, Finn tracing random patterns along my spine. Just as I’m closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep, I hear the faint strains of his beautiful brogue drifting from his mouth. He’s repeating his vows from earlier in the day.
I hold his face and kiss him deeply. “That’s beautiful, Irish. I love you.”
“Táim i ngrá leat. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life showing you how much.”
The End
Acknowledgments
I’m sitting here, trying to decide what to write, and I’m kind of in shock. I never imagined that I would write one book, much less two, and be working on a third. I loved writing Maggie and Finn’s story. Lucy and Bennett’s book hit a little too close to home, for both myself and readers who know me and my family. This book, however, went in a completely different direction. I enjoyed every single second of this one. I hope you did, too. So, thank you for picking it up and taking a chance on me.
My family is awesome, especially my husband, who never complains about cooking dinner every night, grocery shopping, not having clean clothes for work, or bringing the kids to gym because I want to write. He’s amazing, and I wouldn’t know what to do without him. He often says, “I got this. Go do what you need to do.” I feel like he’s been saying it a little too much, but he continues to do it without complaint. I’m a very lucky girl!
Rachel, thank you. I think you’re pretty awesome, despite your dislike for some of my more colorful vocabulary choices. Not only did you help with my book, but you helped me stalk ‘Fake Finn’. Best gym mom ever! Now we just need to find a Fake Miller…
Dana, once again, you were my biggest cheerleader. I don’t know if I would continue to do this without your constant praise and urging for more of my stories. You’re the best bliffie ever!
Pete, thanks for the cover. Sorry for the endless nagging. I hope I’m still your favorite sister.
Please take a few minutes to leave an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads regarding More of You. This is a huge help in spreading the word about my books.
And, stay tuned for Miller’s story. Hopefully it will be here soon.
About the Author
Gretchen Tubbs was born and raised in Louisiana, right in the middle of a loud, crazy, big, wonderful family. She’s a wife, mom, teacher, and now writer. Books have been a passion of hers since the day she picked up a copy of Gone With the Wind and fell in love with Rhett Butler. At the urging of a persistent friend, she gave writing a try and became addicted. You can find her every morning between the hours of three and six a.m. sitting in her chaise lounge, sipping coffee, pecking away on her laptop and bringing her characters to life.
More of You is the second book in this series. The final book in The Home Series will be coming soon. The third and final book in the trilogy will focus on Miller.
More of You Page 21
