Alannah blushed. “Tonight.”
Everyone around him seemed to be holding their breaths—his parents, his siblings, even the priest. But the answer was already obvious. At least to him. He lowered himself to his knee in front of her, pulled the box from his trouser pocket, then opened it to reveal the ring he’d purchased earlier in the week. It was a blue topaz with tiny diamonds surrounding it.
He slid it down her finger, claiming her for himself as he did so. This woman would forever and always be his and his alone.
When he finished, she held her hand out and examined it.
“I love you, Alannah. And I’d go to the ends of the earth to be with you.”
Her eyes rose to his, and she seemed to be searching his soul.
He couldn’t hide anything from her, didn’t want to hideanything. He wanted her to see all that was within him, including how deeply passionate he was about her. He’d meant what he said at the bottom of his new list—he’d intended to go to California with her.
She pressed a hand to his cheek. “I’ll not be going anywhere, Kiernan, except to be wherever you are. That’s all that matters to me.”
Her eyes were bright and honest and true. And he knew she was telling him that she wanted to live in St. Louis with him and let Torin go on ahead to California.
The problem was, Kiernan wasn’t sure if he needed to stay. He was done comparing himself to his da. He no longer needed to prove anything. He wasn’t sure why he’d ever felt the need in the first place. If he never gained as much or made a name for himself, it wouldn’t matter. He would be content having Alannah and their life together, whatever that entailed.
His da was grinning as though he’d been in on the plan all along—maybe he had been. And his mam wore a tender smile, one that said she wanted him to be happy, and that if Alannah brought him happiness, she’d be okay. His siblings crowded closer, and the priest descended and moved to stand in front of them.
Alannah smiled at Kiernan tentatively. Then she leaned toward him and touched her lips to his in an achingly soft kiss, one that said she saw him for who he really was and would always love him no matter what the future brought their way.
“Are we going to have a wedding or not?” Zaira asked with a laugh from beside Alannah.
Kiernan broke the gentle kiss and then stood, bringingAlannah to her feet with him. “I can’t think of anything better.” As he wrapped his hand around Alannah’s, her fingers tightened within his, and he knew that she couldn’t think of anything better either.
33
“You don’t have to be carrying me up the stairs,” Alannah whispered against Kiernan’s neck. “I can walk, you know.”
She loved the feel of his arms underneath her and the solidness of his chest against her. She loved burrowing her nose near his jaw and breathing in the remains of his woodsy aftershave. She loved that her fingers were entwined in the longer strands of his hair at his collar.
She absolutely didn’t want him to put her down. But since he’d carried her over the threshold after Winston opened the door for them a few minutes ago, he hadn’t put her down. His arms had to be getting sore.
After a short wedding ceremony on the front veranda at Oakland, she and Kiernan had climbed into the carriage and gone to the Douglases’ for Shelia and Liam’s party. The rest of the Shanahan family had followed in another carriage.
The priest hadn’t been in a hurry and had taken up the offer of a meal while he waited for a return ride back into the city.
Upon arriving at the party, Alannah couldn’t deny howafraid and intimidated she’d been as Kiernan had led her around and introduced her as his wife. Most of the guests had been kind, at least to her face. But she’d seen them whispering and casting slanted looks her way and knew they were talking about Kiernan and her and their hasty marriage.
All throughout the party, however, Kiernan had stayed by her side, held her hand, tugged her to his side, and stolen kisses whenever he could, mostly to her cheek and forehead, assuring her that she was more important than anything or anyone.
As much as she’d wanted to avoid Shelia and Liam, Kiernan had seemed to take delight in approaching the newly engaged couple, showing them the ring, and making a point of saying how he had no regrets in how things had turned out.
When Shelia’s eyes widened at his statement, Alannah was fairly certain the young woman knew that Kiernan was referring to that day when she’d come to Oakland and said:“I hope you don’t regret not choosing me.”
In fact, Kiernan had kissed Alannah in front of Liam and Shelia, then wished the young couple well, saying,“I hope you find as much love and happiness as we have.”After that, Kiernan led her away from the party, telling her he’d had enough and was ready to leave.
With the priest in their carriage for the ride back into the city, Kiernan had been on his best behavior and had done nothing but hold her hand. Once in a while when the priest wasn’t looking, Kiernan had stroked a thumb over her palm, fanning the banked heat inside her each time he did.
By the time they’d reached the Cathedral and said good-bye to the priest, heat had been flowing through her veins, so when Kiernan had leaned in and kissed her, she’d been morethan ready. They’d kissed the few blocks from the Cathedral to the house. It hadn’t been long enough, and she hadn’t been ready to stop.
But Kiernan had picked her up and carried her inside, and now she didn’t want him to feel obligated to carry her all the way to Torin’s room.
“Please, Kiernan,” she whispered, even as she brushed a kiss on his jaw.
“No.” The word came out as a growl as he reached the top of the stairs.
