“I told Declan it isn’t going to happen. I don’t have time.”

“Maybe part-time, then?” I ask relentlessly.

A wide grin brightens his face as he shakes his head. “Let me talk to my wife, yeah?”

“Better than no, I say,” my da informs me. “I heard Cathmor is almost done with beta testing. All is well.”

“It’s a damn good whiskey. I feel it will sell well,” Mr. Maclaster says, and I’m stunned to silence.

“I agree. He’s gonna do great things,” my da says, sending me a confident grin.

“Yeah, he will,” Kane adds, toasting his drink. We all meet our cups to each other’s and I nod thanks before we swig, but I pause when I hear my ma say something that catches my attention.

“Not anytime soon,” Amberlyn says with a laugh. “We want to live a bit, just us.”

My ma laughs as she waves Amberlyn off. “Ivor and I married, and two months later, I was pregnant with Declan. We have babies quickly around here.”

With my brows pulled in, I step over to where they are, placing my hand on Amberlyn’s shoulder as she says, “Well, we are gonna wait. I want to finish school first.”

“Uni? You’re going to the uni?”

“Ma, let it be,” I say, not wanting to have this conversation with everyone here, not that it is any of her business anyway. “We are gonna wait a bit, like she says. We want to enjoy each other.”

“Well, how long?” she asks, her face full of disappointment. I hate that look, but I shrug.

“Not sure. When we are ready. We aren’t ready yet.”

“Maybe you will be by the time the wedding comes.”

Amberlyn laughs. “That’s in a month and a half. I doubt it. I want to finish school first.”

My ma glances at me and I hold my palms up. “Those are her wishes and I’m good with them. I want to be able to give my kid attention. Let us find our place in the world before we bring our kids into it.”

“Well, then,” she says, shaking her head, and when she gets up, I squeeze Amberlyn’s shoulder, causing her to look up at me.

“I think I made your mom mad again,” she whispers and I laugh.

“Won’t be the last time, yeah?”

I lean down to kiss her just as someone takes my hand. Tearing my mouth away from hers, I turn to see that Lena is there, tears in her eyes. She shakes her head quickly, stopping my next sentence before she nods her head to the left, indicating the library.

“Excuse me, love,” I say, kissing Amberlyn once more before following Lena out of the room. Once the door shuts, she turns and the tears start to rush down her face. “Lena, what’s wrong?” I ask, taking ahold of her arms. “Are you hurt?”

“No, that’s the problem.”

“What?”

“I broke it off with Micah.”

Stunned, I shake my head before asking, “Excuse me?”

“I told him to leave, that I wasn’t gonna marry him.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I squeeze her arms. “Why? Please don’t say ya still love that wanker and you’re going to wait for him?”

She laughs as she shakes her head. “Hell no!”

“Oh, thank God, then why?”

“I don’t love Micah.”

Confused, I ask, “What? Really?”

“No, I don’t even think I ever did. He was just an easy out, and now, I don’t want the out. I want to live the life I want. I want the love you have with Amberlyn. The one I would die for. I don’t want to marry someone because it’s convenient for me.”

“That’s never a good reason,” I agree, but I have to ask. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I support ya,” I promise and she smiles.

“Ma is gonna flip.”

“Oh yeah,” I say with a laugh. “She’s gonna try to talk you out of it.”

“He already left.”

“Wow, okay, but be ready for the wrath of Noreen O’Callaghan.”

She bites her lip as she nods. “But I’m doing the right thing, yeah?”

I hug her tightly and kiss her forehead. “Yes, if ya don’t love him, don’t marry him.”

Unsure, she looks up at me. “But I could maybe, one day.”

“Do ya really believe that?”

“No,” she says automatically, causing me to grin and hug her tighter.

“Then you’re doin’ right, love. Don’t worry, okay?”

“Okay.”

As I hold her in my arms, I can’t help but think of all the shite she’s been through and how I thought that Micah was the one to bring her back from it. Maybe he was supposed to play a part, but Lena was to do the rest. She will be okay though. She is a strong lass; she’ll be just fine.

Especially since that gobshite is going to be in jail for the next fourteen years.

To say that Mr. and Mrs. O’Callaghan freaked out when Lena told them that she and Micah had decided to part ways would be an understatement.

It was if they went through the five stages of grief.

First was the denial. They didn’t believe her; Mrs. O’Callaghan went looking for him, calling him constantly. It was rather insane. Second was anger. They ripped Lena apart, telling her she had made the biggest mistake of her life. Micah came from old money, would be a great husband, blah, blah, blah. Then they decided to hit the third stage, bargaining. Mrs. O’Callaghan thought up every situation that would bring Micah back, while Mr. O’Callaghan tried to talk her into loving him. No matter what, they weren’t listening. Mrs. O’Callaghan hit the fourth stage, where she blubbered all over Lena and begged her to take Micah back.

Declan decided he finally had to step in because they were not listening to Lena. Bless her heart, she was crying so much, snot coming down from her nose as she begged them to listen to her. That she didn’t love Micah. I held her, my heart breaking for the girl as Declan took the authoritative role and told them this was the way it was going to be. She wasn’t going to be with Micah, and that was final.

Which led to the final stage, acceptance. Well, at least Mr. O’Callaghan accepted it. I’m pretty sure Mrs. O’Callaghan is still trying to figure out a way to fix Lena. Crazy. It’s been three weeks since it happened, and things are still so tense in the house. Lena doesn’t come out of her room much and neither does Mrs. O’Callaghan. Except, of course, to barge in on Declan and me. I’m pretty sure my future mother-in-law is not supposed to walk in on me taking it from behind. It’s driving me crazy, but I’m counting down to our wedding. After that, I’m out of this mad house.