Page 19 of Faithless Vows

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By the time Ronin walks me to my door, he’s all smiles again, and the tension from dinner feels far enough away that I can almost pretend it never happened. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, kissing me softly, and even after the kiss ends, he keeps me tucked against him, pressing another kiss to my hair. “Good night, doll.”

“Good night,” I whisper. His arms slide from me, and I open the door, stepping inside before closing it behind me with a soft click. I rest my hand against the wood, listening as his engine turns over and fades as he drives away.

Upstairs, I change into my nightgown and climb beneath the covers. The room is dark except for a sliver of moonlight slipping through the gap in the curtains and across the bed. I lift my left hand, turning it slowly until the Claddagh catches the light. The heart faces inward, toward me, the way Ronin placed it. The way it’s supposed to sit when you’re spoken for.

I bring my other hand up and run my fingers over the smooth gold. The crown. The hands holding the heart. I can’t believe the wedding is only weeks away. After all this time, it’s finally happening. The dress. Our home. Ronin taking over for his da. And me, beside him.

Since he proposed, we’ve been spending more and more time together. Late dinners that stretch for hours, early mornings when he picks me up and we spend the whole day together. Every time he drops me home, I keep thinking about the day when he won’t have to leave anymore. When there won’t be any more doors to walk me to, no more goodbyes.

Soon, he’ll stay.

I tuck my hand beneath my cheek, the gold warm against my skin, and let my eyes drift closed, holding on to that thought until sleep takes me.

Chapter Nine

Ronin, Age Twenty-One

I’m sitting at my desk when the decorator calls just after noon.

“Mr. Byrne, the house is ready,” she says, brisk and cheerful. “Everything’s been placed exactly as you specified. You can bring your fiancée by anytime.”

I lean back in my chair, already picturing Alannah walking through the front door and seeing the house we chose, finally finished. She’ll go from room to room, seeing our home the way we’d imagined it, with the colours, the furnishings, and every detail we chose finally put together. Just thinking about it has me grinning. Tomorrow, I decide. Better to take her sooner rather than later, so if anything isn’t right, I can have it changed before the wedding. “Tomorrow work?”

“Of course,” she says. “I’ll have the keys sent over to your office later today.”

“Good. Thanks.”

I check the clock on the wall. Alannah went out with my cousin Maggie this morning to pick up her maid of honour dress, but they should be back by now. I dial her number.

She answers on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, doll,” I say. “I just got off the phone with the decorator, and—”

She gasps. “Is the house ready?” The question comes out in a rush, and I chuckle at how excited she sounds.

“It’s ready.”

“When can we go see it?” she asks, like she’s hoping I’ll say right now, and for a second I kick myself for not having the keys sent over sooner.

“Tomorrow,” I tell her, hoping that isn’t too much of a disappointment. “I’ll pick you up around noon. We’ll get lunch first, then head over after.”

“I can’t wait,” she says, and I hear the smile in her voice. Then she goes quiet. “Are you sure you won’t be too tired?” she asks. “With your stag night and everything?”

Right. My stag’s tonight. I still need to get home, shave, and change before dinner. “I’ll be fine,” I assure her. “I’m not planning on staying out all night, so noon’s fine. I’ll pick you up then.” I check the clock again and bite back a groan. If I don’t get moving, I’m going to be late. “Anyway, I gotta get going, doll. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“All right,” she says. “Have a good night, Ronin.”

I hang up, still smiling. It’s hard not to when Alannah sounded so damn excited about the house. Truth is, some of it’s rubbed off on me, and I’ve been looking forward to seeing it finished too.

But first, I have to get through tonight. My da and Seamus are hosting dinner at The Bayside Club with a few of the old guard. There’ll be speeches, toasts, jokes at my expense, and advice I didn’t ask for from every married man at the table. After that, the fellas will take over.

I’d asked Danny to stand up for me at the wedding. Once Mick realized I meant what I’d said about not going out to the bars with him every night of the week, he more or less fucked off, and Danny was the one around. We got to be pals, so choosing him made sense. Still, I was surprised when Danny pulled me aside a few days ago and told me Mick had gone ahead and called Triple O’s, booked a few tables, and asked them to hold the pool tables for tonight. Danny said he could change it if I wanted, but I told him not to bother. I wasn’t planning on staying long enough for it to matter where we ended up.

It’s just a night out on the town with the lads before the wedding.

We’ll eat. We’ll drink. We’ll play some pool and have a few laughs. Then I’ll go home, sleep it off, and pick Alannah up tomorrow.