Page 92 of Pints & Potions

“I want you to be sure of your feelings, Cian.” She pressed her fingertips to his mouth when he would’ve argued. “I swept into your life with a load of trouble directly on my heels. It’s been a whirlwind, and you’ve not had a spare moment to process everything.” She couldn’t help herself, and she caressed his lips. “Two months. You think about everything, put your household to rights, and come find me in two months. If you still want a relationship with me, we’ll talk.”

“No.” His tone was harsh and his expression had hardened to granite. “I’ve not realized it, but I’ve spent my entire life looking for you, Piper Kelly Thorne. And now that you’ve tangled yourself in my heartstrings, you’ll not snip the thread and float away. You’re tied to me now. Forevermore.”

“That seems bossy as fuck.” She found his stubbornness thrilling.

He softened enough to grin. “And it’s probably going to be the last bossy word I’ll get in, between you and Bridget.” She couldn’t miss the plea in his eyes as he said, “Don’t leave me, love. Stay and fight for what we’ve started. Live with me in that old crumbling building where you kissed me stupid and started the thaw of my poor wee heart.”

“Oh, Cian. You make it impossible to say no.”

“Good.” He began to lean in, but stopped short. “Can you conjure me a breath mint so I don’t cause you to faint when I kiss ya?”

She laughed and sat up. “Who said you’re allowed to kiss me? I’ve never seen you wipe the Moira cooties from your mouth.”

“Gargled with pure alcohol, I did. You’d have been right proud of me, darlin’. Those pints of plain destroyed every last trace, to be sure.”

Piper narrowed her eyes and pretended to scowl. “Your accent grows thicker and more pronounced when you’re trying to pull one over on me.”

He laughed, and she felt the warmth all the way down to her toes.

It was suddenly essential for her to lay it all out for him. “I need you to be that guy, Cian. The one who loves me beyond reason, just as I love you. I want it all. The romance, the friendship, the loyalty until the day we die.” She released a ragged breath and conjured two peppermints. She held out her hand. “If you can’t be that guy, if there’s a chance you’re going to tear me apart, don’t give me hope.”

With great deliberation, Cian sat up, and his burning gaze locked with hers. He scooped up both mints, and Piper’s heart began to hammer as he popped first one into her mouth and the other into his.

“I’m that guy.”

EPILOGUE

Isis smiled as she watched Cian tumble Piper back onto the mattress and claim her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Yes, he’d bethatguy. The one who would always dance with his love beneath the stars, the man whose soul burned white-hot only for her until the end of time. He’d be the one who would stay up to watch her sleep because he couldn’t believe his good fortune. And he’d be the perfect father to their hoard of children.

Isis didn’t feel one smidgeon of guilt for plucking the daydream from Piper’s mind the day she’d rebuilt the old keep. The girl had made clear her thoughts as she welcomed Isis’s gift and used it to create the perfect home for her future family. The very least Isis could do was work with Fate to make sure one of her descendants received their heart’s desire.

“You know nothing is assured.”

Isis didn’t need to look behind her to know who had joined her. “Anu. Welcome. And yes, I’m aware.”

She waved her staff and the scene on the pond’s surface shifted to show the three who conspired to stop the O’Malley prophecy from coming to fruition.

“Yours, I believe.”

Anu joined her and winced when she saw the group Isis indicated. “Should I end them?”

Isis smiled and shook her head. “Your offer comes from the right place, and I appreciate your willingness to assist me. However, if we remove the playing pieces from the board, the prophecy will be aborted.”

“Ah, so you’ve already consulted the Three to glimpse the future. What threads have they woven into the tapestry of the O’Malley family’s life?”

The Three were also known as the three Sisters of Fate. They were responsible for all future events. The gods and goddesses could dabble with Fate’s design to a small extent, but in the end, the final outcome was for the Three to decide.

“I wish I knew. The Three only shared enough for me to understand Moira and Seamus needed to be free to run amok and set the wheels of the next part in motion.

“And the third? How does he play into this?”

“Oddly, I can’t seem to get a read on him.” Isis frowned as she peered closer. “Do you find that as disturbing as I do?”

“Exceedingly.” Anu studied the blond man who towered over Seamus and Moira. “He’s familiar to me, but I can’t place him.”

“Let’s watch and see how this plays out. Perhaps we’ll give little Aeden the help he needs if the time comes.”

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