Cherry Girl (Neil & Elaina #1)(50)
Author: Raine Miller

I stared at what was nestled in the silver heart-shaped box. I looked at him, into the dark eyes I’d always loved—the colour of which matched the dress I was wearing—and answered the question he’d asked me.

“Yes, Neil McManus, I will marry you.” I reached a shaking hand out to touch his cheek, his jaw, his lips, and closed my eyes for just a moment to ground myself. “I want to tell you something, too.” I opened my eyes and traced over every part of his features, as beautiful now as he’d always been when he was just a boy of seventeen and winked at me over the dinner table. “On the night Ian brought you to us, I fell in love with you and knew I’d just met the boy I would marry someday. For me, it has only ever been…you.”

He smiled at me and took the ring out of the silver heart-shaped box. “May I?”

“Yes, you may.”

He slipped the aquamarine-blue diamond and platinum ring onto my finger, and then kissed me thoroughly, while still kneeling on the floor. I buried my hands into his hair and held onto my man.

My beautiful, brave, loving, caring man.

I pulled him up to his feet amid loud cheering and congratulatory catcalls, which were coming from well-wishers, who’d apparently been paying attention to what we were doing by the window. Didn’t care. Didn’t really notice much beyond my beautiful man and the shiny diamond in glittering blue on my finger.

Neil scooped me up and carried me out of that party in his arms.

Then, he took me home and made love to me in our bed.

“So…now that I’ve got your agreement to have me, when will you let me make this merger official?”

She snuggled up against the side of me, the whole warm, naked length of her connecting skin-to-skin with my body, like silver spoons in a drawer. “We just had a merger,” she teased.

“That sassy mouth of yours is something I hope never changes, beautiful girl.”

“I am making a note of that, Captain, just in case my sassy mouth gets me into deep water someday.”

I kissed her shoulder right over her tattoo. “You still haven’t answered my question, Cherry. When do I get to make you Mrs. McManus?”

She turned her body to face me and held my face as she liked to do. “How long was your final tour in the army?” she asked softly.

“It was ten months.”

“I will marry you in ten months then.” She kissed me. “I want to marry you when the autumn cherry trees are having their second bloom in Scotland.”

I nodded at her logic, understanding why she’d chosen that time. And also, because I’m not sure I could have spoken any audible words in that moment, my heart very full and finally at peace.

Then she spoke some more words that I wasn’t expecting to hear. Words that just reaffirmed how much love we had for each other and how fate, once again, demanded its due, and this time, worked masterfully in all its wisdom.

“I’m going to give to you…those ten months back. The ones that I took from us six years ago. Ten months of being here with you every night. Ten months of our life together, of doing all the beautiful things, and the mundane ones, too. So you will know that whether it’s ten months from now, or ten years, or any amount of years, nothing will change for me, Neil…I will forever be your Cherry Girl.”

Epilogue

Ten months later

“You’re going to wear a hole in this ancient stone floor if you don’t stop pacing like a lunatic. Are you going to sit in the corner and start cradling back and forth, too?”

I gave Ethan my best sod-off-you-dickhead look and kept pacing. “Easy for you to say that to me, now that you’re already married,” I said, truthfully. “I remember how mental you were in that room before you said your vows to Brynne. You would’ve smoked your Blacks three at a time if we hadn’t hidden your stash where you couldn’t find them.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Listen, mate, all will be well in a very short time. You’re starting to worry me.”

“I feel ill,” I said. “I need water.”

“I think you need a f**king bottle of Scotch, but really, it’s going to be fine.”

I nodded and tried to breathe. “What time is it?”

“About two minutes later than when you last asked me.” Ethan clapped me on the back and spoke low at my ear. “I saw her in her dress all ready for you when I snuck a peek at my girl in that side room where they’re all waiting.”

“You saw her? How was she? Did she seem nervous? Did she look worried about anyth—”

“She looked gorgeous and like she couldn’t wait to get shackled to you, you big great ape. Do I need to tranquilize you or something?”

“I’ll remember this, when Brynne is ready to deliver your baby, and you’re a quivering mass of jelly on the floor. Don’t worry, I’ll return the favour with the offer of tranquilizers.”

That did the trick. Shut his f**kin’ mouth right up. He rolled his shoulders as if to release tension in his neck, and checked his watch again. “Okay, I’ll be honest. The ceremony is a f**king stress-ball of bullshit, and I can’t help you even a little bit. The good news is that in about five more hours you can start on the wedding night and that part is completely golden.” He rolled his palm in the air like it was gliding, looking like a complete fool.

We both laughed at how stupid we were being and I felt immediately better.

A knock sounded at the door, and the other woman I loved peeked in at us. “Is it all right for me to come in?”

“Of course,” I said bringing her into the room and kissing her on the cheek.

Ethan made some excuse and left us alone. She started fussing with my jacket, brushing at it, adjusting my tie, in that motherly way she’d always had with me.

“You look so handsome, my dear.”

“Look at you,” I said. “You look like Elaina’s sister instead of her mum.” She was a beautiful woman, and always had been, but now that she was sober again, the bloom in her skin had returned and she looked healthy.

“Oh, please, we both know that’s not true. But really, my darling, I just wanted to have a moment to come and tell you how deeply happy you’ve made me today, and all the other days since Ian brought you to us. In my heart, I always knew you and Elaina needed to be together in order to find happiness. I always knew how you felt. I know how you used to come to see me and would sneak into her room and touch her things.” She smiled at me lovingly. “Some love is just meant to be, and I hope you forgive me for my meddling in bringing the two of you back to each other, but somehow, I think you have.”