I cup my hands together against my chest in such a girly way, but I don’t care. I’m a sucker for this gushy stuff. Fiona eyes him for a moment before pressing her lips to his. He kisses her long and hard, holding her so tight I’m not sure she can breathe until she pulls back, grinning.

“I feel the same way,” she declares. “I’m in deep.”

Kane smiles as he holds her close. “Grand, baby.”

Still smiling, Fiona looks over at me and says, “Are you going?”

I nod quickly. “Yup!”

“You know what this means.”

Confused, I ask, “What?”

“We have to go shopping!”

I can’t wait to see you.

A grin curves my lips as I text Amberlyn back. I’ll be there in an hour.

“Declan, son, did you find a date for the ball?”

I look across the table at my ma and nod as I tuck my phone back in my pocket. “Sure did.”

“The American?” my da asks in a snooty way, and I hate the way he asks that. Like Amberlyn is beneath him when really, she is ten times the person he’ll ever be. It’s moments like this that I lose all respect for my da. He is supposed to be supportive, proud of the woman I chose to be mine, but instead he ridicules her when he doesn’t even fuckin’ know her. It’s beyond frustrating.

“Da, she has a name, Amberlyn, and yes, she will be accompanying me to the ball.”

Da makes a face as if something stinks, while my ma and Lena beam.

“She is so pretty. I can’t wait to meet her,” Lena says with a grin.

I smile back at her. “She is beautiful, really something great. Even though I’d rather walk through fire than go to this ball, I know she’ll make it bearable.”

My ma waves me off as she laughs. “Oh Declan, it will be fun. Don’t you worry.”

“I highly doubt that, Ma, but all the same, I am coming and I am bringing someone.”

I reach for my water and take a gulp. I feel my da watching me, and I know that he isn’t done with the subject.

“Even though I don’t feel she will last, I look forward to meeting the person that is entertaining you right now.”

My nails bite into my palm as I clench my fist. “She isn’t just entertaining me. It’s more than that, Da. I fancy her, a lot.”

“That’s wonderful, Declan,” my ma says, trying to defuse the situation, but we are both so headstrong that neither of us will back down.

“She isn’t marriage material, and you know that.”

“I do not. I feel she is and you will see.”

“You’re right, I will. When she sees the expectations of you, she’ll run. An American is not meant for this kind of life. You have to be bred for it. Cleary, she has not. It isn’t easy being an O’Callaghan.”

“Got that fuckin’ right,” I mutter.

“Declan!” my ma scolds as my da glares.

I don’t care though; I want to rip his head off. “You don’t know her. So how can you sit there and make these accusations when ya haven’t even met her. Da, don’t you want me to be happy?”

He holds my gaze as he slowly nods. “Of course, but with the right person. She is not it.”

“She’s it. I swear, all she has to do is smile and I’m grinning while my heart feels as if it is coming out my chest. She makes me feel so good inside and complete. I didn’t want to leave these grounds for the last three years because I’ve been so scared of trying to fall for someone that is going to use me and screw me over, but all it took was seeing her across the lake and that was it for me. I was off to go find her. She is special and not that you deserve to see that, but you will.”

Ma and Lena both look at me with wide, loving eyes, while my da’s eyes are hard and not the least bit affected by my declaration of love for Amberlyn. I don’t get it. How can he not see how much I’ve changed? How I’d face a place full of people just because Amberlyn wants to? I’d do anything for her.

I love her.

“You love her? After a month? Please,” Da scoffs. “That is preposterous.”

Shit, did I say that aloud? Looking across the table, I shake my head as I hold his stone-hard gaze. “No, it’s not. It’s the truth. She does something to me, something that no one has ever done. I love her, Da, and I want you to respect me on that. I think I’ve been the prodigal son. I’ve learned the business. I’ve loved my family first and always been loyal and true to you. Can you not give the girl I love a chance? You are dismissing her on her background, and that’s not fair.”

I stand, throwing my napkin on the plate as my ma says, “Declan, please sit, finish your dinner.”

I ignore her, my eyes set on my da as I continue, “I’ve always respected you, always looked up to you, wanted to be the man you are, but if this is how you treat people, I’m sorry, I don’t want to be you. I want to be better. Amberlyn is special. She owns my heart and because I love her, you should do the same. If you can’t, then you don’t love me.”

“Now Declan—” he starts, but I shake my head, stopping him mid-word.

“I’ve said my piece, and I don’t want to hear that you think you know what’s best for me. I am a grown-ass man. I am capable of knowing how to choose someone to love and trust. All I need now is for you to accept her and until that moment, I don’t think we have anything else to say to each other.”

Turning, despite my ma’s pleas and Da’s demands, I leave the room and head for the door. Once outside, I greet our front door man as he opens the car door for me before wishing me goodnight. Starting my car, I head out the driveway and once on the open lot, I kick the car into high speed, racing down the road. The speed calms me and I am thankful for this outlet, but I just hate how much I let him get to me.

Does it really matter if he likes her? No. It doesn’t, as long as I love her nothing else should matter, but a part of me wants him to. I want him to look at her and know she was made to be mine. I want my ma and sister to love her, for them to get along and want to do things together. A spot of tea here, shopping there, anything for them to bond. To know that she was sent to Ireland to love me, to be with me. That the stars mapped out our love.

It’s true, and I don’t care how sappy it sounds. When you know, you know, and I refuse to allow anyone or anything to derail that. People search their whole lives for someone they feel is their soul mate, and I found mine across a lake. I wasn’t looking, I didn’t even want to find her, but there she was and I couldn’t bear the thought of her being anyone’s but mine. She drives me wild. Her body, her eyes, her mind, her laughter—she is the whole package. One that I refuse to let go of. All I need now is for her to feel the same way, and life will be grand.