Chapter Forty-One
Devin’s POV
Three Months Later
It had been the longest six months since finding out about Cash’s huge family and Calen being Cash’s little brother!
We finally got us all moved into the newer, bigger apartment.
By ‘all moved in’, it was basically finally being all unpacked with no moe boxes and totes left to go through.
Nothing to either donate or toss. It was the longest, most dreaded process ever.
I hated it when it was just me, but add these two and it was utter chaos.
These two brothers were so much alike and they didn’t want anything to do with organizing ever! It was always up to me.
We were hosting Christmas this year, our first year as boyfriend, and girlfriend, as a blended family of three.
Everyone was coming to our new place, and thankfully we could house Mam and Pa.
They were excited to hear that we got guardianship over Calen, claiming even though it was a brother/brother/sister-in-law relationship, he was their grandchild.
They promised to treat him and Cash like members of the family.
Eddie and Clint were coming together…as an official couple and hopefully announcing their engagement.
Eddie told me the good news when he called to let me know they’d both be there. It was crazy. But we were very excited for them. Emilia said she would be late as she had to stop somewhere first.
Weird.
We were almost done decorating the tree and putting out all the garland and lights and cinnamon stick ornaments we’d made.
The guys looked like they were done for the night while I looked like Christmas threw up on me and was being powered by white peppermint mochas and candy canes.
An hour later, I only had two more lanterns to put on the dining room table where we’d added all the leaves to so everyone would fit around it.
I was just positioning properly on the table when I felt his presence behind more before I heard him.
“Please don’t turn around yet,” he breathed on my neck. I felt him pressed against me, resting his head on the back of mine. I felt his head turn slightly before he was gone. I heard him step back in the silence that surrounded us.
“Turn around.”
I held my breath, suddenly insanely nervous at whatever could be going on.
When I did, all the strings of Christmas lights were lit in the living room and down the hallway.
He even had the battery-operated birch candles I put across the countertop.
Tears filled my eyes as I took in every minute detail.
Everything was so beautiful. This really was my favorite time of year.
I smiled at Cash as he cupped my cheeks, smiling at me.
I leaned forward to kiss him, but he stepped back, getting down on one knee.
I sucked in a breath, the tears spilling over.
He smiled up at me, the most tender smiles I had ever seen on his face, as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the most delicate pink velvet box I’d seen. He opened the heart-shaped box to reveal a stunning solitaire diamond in a rose gold, Celtic-designed band.
My hands were shaking as I covered my mouth, my legs feeling weak.
He knew how important my heritage was to me.
How important my Móraí and Daideó are to me, and my time spent with them in Ireland.
I could hardly stop my heart as it galloped wildly out of control in my chest. He reached out, grabbing one of my hands from my mouth, and my other hand stayed shaking as I pressed it to my stomach.
I swear my knees had never been weaker.
“Devin. Fia. Murphy. My June. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in my better half.
And make no mistake, you are definitely my better half.
You’re so kind, and caring. Your heart is the biggest and most beautiful I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing in person.
You’re an absolute knockout. Every day of the week.
But I really love when I wake up first and I see you sleeping so soundly in our bed.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve fallen asleep trying to count all your freckles.
I’ve tried to kiss and count each one so I can know that I’ve kissed every inch of you.
” I giggled at that, happy tears escaping.
“So. That’s what you were doing?” My voice was watery, thick with emotion, choking on the love I felt for this man. He nodded his head earnestly.
“My point is, my love, you’re so amazing that I want to spend the rest of my life finding more things to love about you.
I want to spend each day discovering what life is like together, as husband and wife.
I want to know every fiber of your being.
From your heart to your beauty to worshiping the ground you walk on.
Please. Let me love you forever. Marry me. ”
I had long lost the battle with the tears, and was now a full on blubbering mess standing before this absolute Greek god of a perfect man. I smiled at him and tried to say something, but this lump wouldn’t let words pass through, so I nodded.
“Be my wife, Devin. I love you.” His voice, full of love and yearning, a yearning that I knew wouldn’t fade with time.
I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around him, kissing him like my life depended on it as we fell to the floor.
He was on his ass, arms protectively around me, and I was straddling him.
He pulled away and held my face still before I could try to kiss his lips off again.
“Is that—”
“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.” I squealed before I kissed him again, pulling away briefly to whisper, “I love you. Husband.”
He growled as he pulled me in for a bigger kiss. I pulled away when the oven beeped just a minute or two later, determined to get the cookies out before they burnt. Five minutes later, Calen came out of his room.
“So? Do I have a big sister?” I pulled my hand out of the oven mitt to show him while I held the cookie spatula with the other. He was so excited!
We shared the good news with him and quickly said goodnight before we went to our room to celebrate. All night long.
This year, our holiday season was being celebrated much differently.
*****
Cash’s POV
I had been working with her parents and Eddie and Emilia to pull this off, especially on such short notice.
We were getting married in Ireland. On her grandparent's property.
on New Year's Eve, in eight days. We were going to be that couple.
It was just family, lots of different types of family, and a few close friends. I invited my siblings. All ten of them.
My younger brother, Jason, thirty-six years old, said he’d be coming with a plus one.
My next younger brother Bodhi, was thirty-two and said he’d be there, also with a plus one.
Chase, that fuckwit little brother said he would not be attending, and all I could think was, ‘Thank fucking god for that’.
Lennon, my younger sister, said she would be there.
The twins said yes if their mom could be there, so naturally I said yes.
Same with my other three younger siblings.
Their mothers and father figures were all invited.
In total, my family took up most of the invites and RSVPs.
I invited her parents, Eddie, Clint, Emilia, and Calen. She said that was all she needed when we talked about our wedding weeks ago. She’d been unknowingly helping me plan our wedding. I knew her number one thing was Ireland. She wanted to be married where her grandparents and parents were married.
‘Just you, Ireland, and a few other important people’.
God, I fucking love her. Have I mentioned that lately?
Her mother had picked out a beautiful white dress for her, and since it was a quick ceremony with dinner and dancing after.
If she wanted the crazy wedding with the dress and the party after I told her what I had planned, I would give her that.
But this was what I envisioned for us. And I wanted to be tied to her as soon as possible.
I’d have been happy to go to the courthouse tomorrow morning as soon as they opened. But, I knew Ireland was non-negotiable.
Even though this was her second marriage, I knew she would want something simple. Nothing crazy, over the top. But she would never be walking into the courthouse to marry me. This was the bare minimum I could do to get her to happily marry me.
*****
Today we left for Ireland. Two hours ago.
We went through security, had our passports checked and all that, before boarding our flight.
I was freaking the fuck out. I still hadn’t told her what we were doing in Ireland, just that we were going, and that was her Christmas gift.
She was so excited to know it was going to be a family trip, especially after Clint and Eddie shared news of their own engagement.
Everything important had already been shipped and received by the staff her family employed to maintain the property while the lived in the States.
Her parents had flown out yesterday with a few things tucked safely in their suitcases.
Like our wedding outfits, all three of us, her wedding gift, the honorary wedding gift for me that Calen picked out to be from her, as well as their stuff. I paid for the two extra bags.
No fucks given.
Calen and I had a few things hidden in our suitcases, too.
Just a few things we needed because you never knew what might happen.
As well as making sure we had all of the adaptive devices for our outlets.
It was going to be a change, but these were investments for our future.
This wouldn’t be our only Ireland trip. I just wanted to make sure I commemorated our first trip properly.
And with things that were solely ours.
No one else’s.
I sat back in my chair, trying to focus on the movie that was playing on the screen in front of me.
Devin’s head was resting on my shoulder as she read some smutty book I knew I’d get to reenact with her later, and I was running my hand through my hair again, hoping everything went off without a hitch.
The big day was tomorrow. And I was about to tell her everything.
Mid-flight.
“Hey, Devin?” I held her hand, waiting for her to find a good stopping point in her book. When she looked up at me, her head tilted already in an unspoken question.
“You know I love you right?” She nodded, looking confused. I dragged my hand down my face. I was fucking this all up.
“Let me start over. I love you. More than anything. You are my first and top priority. Every time. And I cannot wait to be tied to you in every way possible,” I paused, taking a breath, preparing to drop the mic as she nodded again.
“Well, with the help of all our family and friends,” I pointed over my shoulder and waited until she turned her head, getting a good look at the back of the plane, “They’re coming with us to Ireland so I can marry you at midnight tomorrow for New Year's.”
She whipped her head around to look down at me from where she was on her knees on her seat. Tears and awe were in her eyes.
“Everything is ready, for us to say I do. Your parents started preparations early. They’re already at the manor.
I just need you to say yes. I want to start this year with you as my wife from the very first minute.
Please?” I felt my heart spamming against my rib cage in a skipping pattern, had to be nerves, nerves that she’d say no, that it was too soon.
She kissed me and her tears soaked my cheeks.
She held me there, pouring everything into that kiss.
It settled something in me, knowing she was going to grant me the honor of marrying her tomorrow.
“I love you so much, Johnny.” She pressed her forehead against mine, eyes closed. We were in our own little bubble. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“I love you too, June.”