“Simple,” I say, looking him in the eyes. “You justask.Would it be easy to leave this behind and move across the ocean? No, but, Eamon,youwere as much a part of my life as they are. We could have figured something out if you just would have asked.”
He pulls me close to him, resting his forehead against mine. “I know, love. I know. Will you please let me fix this?”
I breathe him in, reeling over the fact that he’s actually here right now, and choke out, “You said you didn’t want me. You said I was a burden.”
Eamon cups my face again and whispers, “I lied. Of course I want you. I need you. I need you like I need air to breathe. Youarethe air I breathe. I never thought I’d move on from Rhiannon. I didn’twantto. Then I met this gorgeous fire sprite that challenged me to a drinking contest, and my world turned on its head. I love you, Norah. So much so that I want to be by your side for the rest of our lives.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he drops to one knee before me. The air leaves my lungs when he holds up a delicate gold band of Celtic knots surrounding a small, round emerald.
“Eamon,” I gasp. “What are you doing?”
He takes my left hand, squeezing my fingers gently. “This is my mother’s ring. My Da gave it to her three months after meeting her. He told her he knew there would never be another woman for him and wanted to marry her right then and there. She felt the same about him. Before I left, I told her that you were it for me. My beginning, middle, and end. She gave the ring to me, saying it would look perfect on you. No matter where life takes us, I don’t want to do it without you. I love you, Norah. So this is mejust askinglike you said to do. Will you marry me?”
I’m crying hard, unable to harness the emotions soaring through me. Our relationship has been a whirlwind from day one. Proposing after only three months is insanity, but nothing has ever felt so right. Eamon stirred something in me from the moment I laid eyes on him, but I never dreamed that I’d be standing here before my kneeling Irishman who’s asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. And I want that. I want it all with him.
He’s staring at me expectantly, so I grin widely and whisper, “Yes, Eamon. Yes.”
Beaming and eyes shining with unshed tears, Eamon slips the ring on my finger before springing from the ground and kissing me, winding his fingers through my hair to tilt my head and deepen the kiss. He parts mylips, plunging his tongue into my mouth, claiming me, body and soul. This isn’t just a celebratory kiss, it’s an apology and a promise. This kiss says everything words cannot and I revel in it. I have a fistful of his shirt in one hand as I cup his scruff-covered jaw with the other. A muscled arm winds around my back, arching me closer to his hard body. I pull away, gasping for breath. We’re grinning like fools, oblivious to the world around us.
“I love you, Acushla,” Eamon whispers.
“I love you, too,” I say breathlessly. “Can we get out of here?”
“Aye, let’s go,” he laughs, starting to pull me away from the pub.
“Wait, I need to let the girls know I’m leaving.”
He turns to smirk at me, showing off that dimple I love. “Oh, they know. How do you think I got you here tonight?”
I gawk at him. “They knew? How? When?”
“I called Teagan. Who told Layla. She employed Myra and Amelia as backup in case you tried to back out of coming tonight,” he winks at me.
“Traitors,” I mumble.
He pulls me back to his chest and kisses me softly. “I would have come to you no matter where you were, love.”
“Take me home,” I whisper against his lips.
Eamon
On the short drive from O’Nelly’s to Norah’s house, I tell her about Caity waking up from the coma. Once she was fully weaned from the medicine, it took a while for her to come to, but when she did, she immediately recognized me and our Mam. She wasn’t sure of the date and had no memory of what she did the night that landed her in the hospital. When Dr. Colm and Mam explained what happened, Caity cried silently and didn’t speak to anyone for a long while. Eventually, after everyone else left the room, she finally spoke.
“Are you home for good, Eam?” she whispered.
I studied her face before replying, “No, Caity Bug. I’m not.”
“Oh,” is all she said.
“I, uh, I have a lass waiting for me back in the States.”
Her eyes widened slightly at the admission. “Tell me about her.”
So I did. I told her everything. She laughed at our drinking contest and told me I was a fecking eejit when I told her how I sent Norah home.
“Aye, I am. But I’m going to fix it. I’m going to ask her to marry me,” I said sheepishly.
“No kidding?” Caity asked, her jaw dropping in surprise. “I didn’t think you’d even throw around the idea of marriage after Rhiannan and Declan. I’m proud of you, big brother.”
