“Grand. So ya happy, love?”

My eyes glaze over as I wrap my arms around his waist, looking around our small little home before looking back up at him. “More than you’ll ever know.”

“It’s so damn cute! I love it so much!”

Fiona looks over her shoulder and grins at me. “I am so excited for ya. Invite me and Kane for dinner. I did for yous two.”

“You did, and maybe I won’t burn the food.”

“Ah, fuck off. It was a little crisp is all.”

“If you call charcoal-black crisp, then yeah, it was only a little crisp,” I tease, and she sticks her tongue out at me.

“I’ve gotten better.”

“Good!” I cheer for her since she could burn water. “Hey, maybe you guys can come over the night the contractor drops off the plans. We’ll eat and look everything over.”

“Sure, let me know,” she says before lifting the top of the dress up her arms and snapping the back before turning to show me the dress. “Has he talked to his ma?”

“A little. She’s apologetic of course, but he isn’t listening. He’s still so mad.”

“Can’t blame him.”

“No, but I know it hurts him to be mad at her.”

“He’ll get over it. Yer still marrying him,” she says, still messing with the snap.

“This is true,” I say with a nod.

When she gets it, her honey brown hair falls down her shoulders as she models the dress she wears for me. The dress is cream, plain, and hugs her in every single place. I wanted something very simple, a showstopper since Fiona is so gorgeous, but nothing that would take away from my dress. I know, I’m confusing and I make no sense, but I’ll know it when I see it.

This one is good, I guess. It’s stunning, but I don’t like it. For one reason and one I think she sees too. Putting her hands on her gut, she looks in the mirror and then at me.

“So I guess you aren’t burning everything you cook?” I ask with a forgiving grin.

She laughs as she shakes her head. “No, that’s not it. I forgot to tell ya.”

“What?” I ask, drawing my brows in. She holds my gaze, gnawing on her lip as she starts to blush. “What?” I ask again.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispers with a grin.

“Shut up!” I exclaim, hopping up and rushing toward her. “Really?!”

“Yup, only eight weeks, but yeah, got us a wee baby growing.”

I hug her tightly, kissing her cheek as we part. “Oh my God! Why didn’t you tell me?”

She smiles as she holds me by the back of my arms. “Ya see, at first I didn’t believe it. Threw the test away and waved it off as a fluke. But then I got supersick, and I was like, shite, I think I am. So I took another test. Positive. Told Kane. We go to the doctor, positive again,” she says with a laugh, and I can’t stop grinning. “And so we sat on it for a minute, to digest really ’cause this was very unplanned. I was on the pill.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, well, obviously his sperm didn’t either,” she jokes and I smile. “But yeah, it’s a big surprise and not something we were ready for. But he’s gonna ask for my hand after the wedding, and then we will get married quick before telling my parents.”

Grinning even bigger, I wrap her up in my arms, hugging her tightly. “You’re gonna be a great mom.”

“Ah, I don’t know, but we’ll see. I’m excited.”

“Eek! I can’t wait!” I exclaim, kissing her again on her cheek. “I’m gonna be an auntie!”

“Ya are,” she says with a nod. “But enough about that. Let’s get us a dress, yes?”

“Yeah,” I say, letting her go, but then I hug her again. “If it’s a girl, Amberlyn is a great name.”

She laughs as she pushes me away, heading to the dressing room for another dress. She sends me a look over her shoulder, and I love how happy she is. I don’t know how I didn’t see before that she was glowing. It’s like our lives are at full speed. She’s pregnant and gonna get married real quick. I’m getting married, and then it will be time for me to be a mommy. Not anytime soon, but it will happen, and I honestly can’t wait.

When I get home later that afternoon, I can’t wipe the grin off my face. Between being so damn happy for Fiona and then adding in the fact that I’m alone in my own home, marrying the man of my dreams, it’s easy to say that I’m one of the happiest girls on earth. Only thing missing is my parents, but I feel them with me. A lot lately, which is comforting.

After picking up a bit since apparently, my husband-to-be is very messy—must have not noticed that since someone was always picking up after him on the estate—I do some schoolwork and then check my emails. I have emails from the movers, who send me an email with every stop they make. My stuff won’t be here for another two weeks, and we’ve already decided to put it in storage until the big house is ready.

That’s what we’ve dubbed it. The big house. It won’t be anywhere near the estate’s size, but it will be a good size for us and whatever children we decide to have. When I come to an email from his mom, I groan. I haven’t spoken to her or seen her since I walked out of her office the day Declan and I got into that horrid fight that I still feel I need to apologize for.

Sucking in a deep breath, I open the email and start to read it.

Amberlyn my dear,

I wanted to let you know you have a dress fitting Monday at three. Shelia and Fiona are welcome to join us. Lena and I will be there too. Everything with the wedding is sound and ready to go. Should have no hiccups. I even got you a bit of a surprise to bring ya in. I think you and Declan will appreciate it.

While I have you, I want to apologize for upsetting you the other day. I’ve been thinking a lot about Ciara, and I wish I had told ya sooner about her. I miss her. I was even at her funeral. I saw ya that day and thought how gorgeous you were, so much like her. When word of Declan dating an American came to us, I didn’t even think of you until I saw your picture. I cried for hours, pulled Ciara’s and even Marla’s pictures out to have a look for a bit. I didn’t tell anyone about this. That I knew you or even who you were. I let it be, but now I wish I hadn’t.