30. Declan #2
There are murmurings through the café now, and Astrid waits for them to die down. That only takes a moment when they realize she’s got more.
“It’s pretty much exactly what Diarmuid said. Yes, we got married on a whim to make him happy.”
The murmurings are louder this time, and both Scott and Maggie are now scribbling furiously in their notebooks.
I keep my arm securely around my wife—I don’t care what anyone says, she is still my wife—and I feel Miles and Iris and Nora and Alex all move closer to us.
Sutton and Andi are now coming across the room as well. They join those standing behind us. The show of solidarity makes my lungs constrict, then suddenly relax as I take a deep breath.
We’re going to be okay.
The world knows the truth.
That’s all right.
Because Astrid knows that I love her.
“But what he doesn’t know,” Astrid continues, having to raise her voice now.
“Hey!” A sharp whistle cuts through the room, and everyone turns to look at the front counter.
Bruce is standing there with his hands on his hips.
“Astrid’s talking. Why don’t y’all shut up for a minute?”
The whole room quiets and looks at Astrid again.
She gives Bruce a grateful smile and continues. “What Diarmuid doesn’t know,” Astrid begins again. “Is that we have actually fallen in love.” She looks up at me with a soft smile. “I think it surprised us both, but now it is real. We’re in love and married and living happily ever after.”
“It didn’t surprise me in the least,” I tell her.
“But you’re not actually married anymore,” Scott says. “Diarmuid married you, right? And he’s now annulled it.”
Astrid sighs. “Yeah, we didn’t tell him that his plan with my grandfather was successful after all.” She looks up at me. “Oops.”
Oops? That’s the final conclusion? I don’t think so. “Astrid—”
The door behind us swings open again, and from behind all of the people gathered around us, I hear, “That crazy freaking old man!”
The small crowd parts, and I see my sister stomping into the restaurant. She locates me and comes straight at me.
“This is the final straw, I swear! He has been messing with all of our lives long enough, Declan. I am so sorry he did this to you.”
Then she’s hugging me tightly in front of everyone.
I wrap my arms around her as Astrid steps back to give us space.
My eyes meet Astrid’s over the top of Fiona’s head, and my wife gives me a beautiful smile.
When Fiona pulls back, she shakes her head, “I love him, but I think he is actually nuts. First, going down the list trying to marry us off one by one. Now the two of you are married, and he just breaks you up? And then he’s coming out to the entire world?
Before he even tells us? And he does it online?
He’s eighty-seven years old. Who’s even giving him this kind of Internet access?
We need to talk to Torin. Someone needs to be monitoring our grandfather’s Internet time.
” She takes a deep breath. “But we’ll deal with all of this, Declan.
I promise you that he can’t handle all of us at once, and enough is enough. ”
I chuckle, not sure where to start with all of that. “Are you shocked about him and Alfred?”
She nods as she tucks her hands into her pockets.
“Sure. For a minute. Then I thought about it on my drive over here and realized it totally makes sense. I mean, I think he and Grandmother really do love each other. Obviously, they’re a great couple and have supported each other all these years and truly like one another at least. I think they’re very good friends. ”
“From what Alfred told me—” I cast a glance at Astrid. “Both of our grandmothers knew all about their feelings for one another and understood that their relationship was going to continue. They went into their marriages, eyes wide open.”
Fiona nods. “That seems in character for her. I mean, she got to be a queen. She did a lot of great things as a leader of the country. Come on, that’s pretty cool. And it’s not like he’s a bad guy.” She shakes her head.” He’s just so self-absorbed.”
“I agree. But Astrid and I also haven’t been fully honest with him.”
“Well, we can all be totally honest with one another,” she says. “Like when we tell him to honestly butt the fuck out and just be our grandfather and quit trying to control our lives.”
I smile. “You want to go to Cara with us?”
“Absolutely. Saoirse and Knox are at home packing. I called Cian. He and Scarlett can get there if it’s okay for them and Ruby and Henry to use the royal plane. We can use your plane from here, right?”
I gape at her. “What are you talking about?”
“We’re all going to Cara. We need to talk to our grandfather. Together.” She nods resolutely. “It’s time for a family reunion.”
I stare at her for a moment, my heart flipping over in my chest.
She’s upset for me. She wants to go along to defend me and support me. And my brother, Cian, and his wife, Scarlett, are coming too.
I look at Astrid. “Want to go to Cara today instead of tomorrow?”
She steps forward, and Fiona backs out of the way.
Astrid takes my hand. “I will go to Cara to see your grandfather with you on one condition.”
“Anything.”
“When we get there, will you marry me?”