Page 40 of Stolen Mafia Vows
“Well,” the celebrant says, dragging me back into the room with a wink, “that makes my life nice and easy. So, we’re here to celebrate the marriage of Emily and Eoghan.”
I sink into the words like a warm bath. The women said that you had to have paperwork to get married at Gretna Green. I don’t know how Eoghan did it, but I don’t even care. I walked into the room as Emily Murray-Keegan, and I’ll be leaving with a new identity.
Emily Byrne. I can’t even begin to process how it sounds on my tongue. Not yet.
In a daze, I repeat the words the celebrant speaks out loud and then, finally, Eoghan produces a gold ring from his pocket and slips it onto my wedding finger.
I raise my hand in front of my face. It’s a simple heavy band, studded with tiny diamonds that sparkle in the candlelight, but I wouldn’t care if it were made of plastic.
“I now declare you husband and wife.”
Eoghan’s arms are around me, his lips crushing mine, and I hope that I’m not going to wake up any moment now and realize that this was all a dream.
I go through the motions of signing the marriage certificate. I don’t recall saying goodbye to the celebrant or our witnesses. I don’t even recall leaving the building, my head is so wrapped in cotton wool.
“Are you happy?” Eoghan faces me, my hands in his. He raises the wedding ring to his lips and kisses it. “This is my gran’s wedding ring. She gave it to me when you went back to seeSienna. She said she knew that it was yours the first time she met you.”
“She did?” The events of the last couple of hours come rushing back to me, almost bowling me over with the force of the emotions that follow. “Oh my God! I can’t believe she did that.”
Eoghan grins at me. “I can. I’m her favorite grandchild, remember? Although Ruairi will no doubt have something to say about it. The ring should traditionally have gone to his wife as he’s the eldest son.”
“Will he be angry?”
“Probably. It doesn’t take much to anger my brother.” He shrugs. “You’re Mrs. Byrne now. If you’re happy to take my name, that is. Shit! I should’ve asked you first. Sorry. I didn’t think. I can get it changed if you don’t want?—”
“Stop talking and kiss me.” I cup his face with both hands and kiss him on the lips.
“I love it when you’re bossy.”
“You’d better get used to it.”
When Eoghan finally releases me, his eyes crinkle at the corners like he’s about to say something I don’t want to hear. “That was the easy part. Now we just have to tell our families.”
The words sink like heavy stones into the pit of my stomach.
Eoghan still believes that they’re happy for us. While we’ve been traveling across Ireland and down through Scotland, I allowed myself to believe it too. Because it was easier to blank it out and pretend that I didn’t lie to him about it.
“You should call your mom, Emily.” The love shining from his eyes is so pure, so honest, that tears well in my own eyes and turn his face blurry. “Hey, it’ll be alright, mo chroi. I’m right here with you. I’m not going anywhere, remember?”
I nod as he collects a tear from my bottom lashes on his fingertip. “I’ll call Sienna first.” At least I’ll be able to gauge her reaction when I deliver our news.
He watches eagerly as I slide my phone from my purse and find Sienna’s name on my contacts app. I swallow. I have no idea how this is going to go when I press the green button, but Eoghan looks so innocent, so …happy… that I almost cut it off and tell him the truth.
But Sienna answers before the call has even rung. “Kyle?” She sounds breathless, but I’m too wrapped up in my own head to pay attention.
“No, it’s Emily. Guess what, Sienna, I got married!” I blurt it out because I’m too nervous to keep it tucked away.
Sienna doesn’t speak. I jam the phone against my ear, wondering if she is still there or if the call died. Then I hear her panting.
“Sienna?” I glance at Eoghan, who furrows his brow, concerned. “Sienna, what’s wrong?”
It dawns on me slowly, the panting, the panic in her voice when she thought I was Kyle: she’s in labor.
“Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. You can’t be having the baby. Not today. Please tell me you’re not in labor.”
“I’m in labor,” she pants.
I cover my phone with my hand.Fuck!
