Page 211 of Three Irish Kings
The small crowd, just a few of our closest friends and relatives, titters.
Cillian chuckles, and Liam rolls his eyes, but I ignore them both, taking both of Isla’s hands in mine.
“You were mine the instant I laid eyes on you, aye?” It's something I say to her often, and she smiles. "And I was yours maybe before that. Maybe before we ever met, fate made me ache for you, made me work for you, but in the end, fate gave me to you. I love you, Isla. With all of me.”
Isla’s lip trembles as she looks up at me, and she sniffles, squeezing my hands before I drop them and step back.
Cillian and Liam look at each other smiling.
Cillian steps forward, and Isla turns to him, and I feel the same stirrings of jealousy I always do. It’s just easier to push down now, easier to deal with. It’s part of us, just like everything else.
Cillian lets the tears fall as he looks into her eyes. "You taught me something important. You taught me that you’re not what the world makes you. That you choose your own path. And I choose you. My light. My heart. My home. And I’ll keep on choosing you until the day God takes me away.”
It’s simple and sweet, just like Cillian these days, and Isla chokes out a sob, leaning up to kiss his cheek before pulling away.
Cillian wipes at his eyes as he steps back, and Liam wastes no time taking her hands in his.
“Mo chroí,” he starts, and then, surprising even me, he chokes up, lowering his eyes for a moment, a couple of tears hitting the floor at his feet.
Isla rubs along his forearms, sobbing openly herself.
I inwardly chuckle.
She can’t blame it on the hormones now.
“I couldn’t stand you when I first met you,” he says finally, his words raspy, and the crowd laughs uproariously.
Liam chuckles through his tears and then continues. “But what I really couldn’t stand wasn’t you, not really. It was the way you made me feel. I was numb until I met you. Numb to the world, numb to life. Then you show up, half a pint and ready to sass. You challenged me in ways I’ve never been challenged. You made me fall in love with you. Gave me a family. A purpose. Happiness. And I’ll never not be grateful."
Isla wipes prettily at her eyes and pulls away, looking at all of us. She steps back so she can speak to all three of us.
“Eighteen months ago, I went to a gala looking for a story. That was the beginning of a journey that brought us all here, and, even with all the ups and downs, all the pain and loss and hurt, I wouldn’t change a thing because it brought us here to this moment.”
She smiles. “Liam, your sharp wit and cunning attitude keep us all in check. Cillian, your sweet nature keeps us all humble. And Dare? Without your charm, where would we be? I could never choose, Iwouldnever choose because losing even one of you would mean missing out. I need all of you. This. Family. My family. You are all I need. Forever. I love you all more than words can say. You gave me Italy. And more importantly, you gave me Ryan. And I love you all so much I could die.”
“Don't do that!" Colleen calls. “Not before the wedding night!"
Everyone laughs.
It’s time to give her our ring.
Three bands of precious metal spiraled together. A rose gold band—playful, seductive, alive with possibility. My choice—a platinum band cut through the design with authoritative strength—bold, protective, uncompromising in its dedication. Liam’s choice—and a yellow gold band flowing between them—dependable as sunrise, constant as the tides. Cillian’s choice.
I’m happy we went with that instead of a ring each, otherwise we would always be butting heads to be the ones represented on her ring finger. I’ve still got a jealous streak a mile wide. We all do. And there are fights about it, but these days, they rarely come to blows. We don’t need the added extra reason.
She reaches for me first, taking my left hand in hers and sliding a warm yellow gold band on my ring finger. I can’t stop looking at it.
Set into the metal, a constellation of small hazel-toned diamonds—champagne- and cognac-colored stones that shift from hazel to green depending on the light, just like her eyes when she laughs at my jokes. And between the diamonds are tiny emeralds. My eye color.
I choke. “I love it. Thank you.”
Then she turns to Cillian, sliding his ring on his finger.
Brushed white gold with a single, perfectly matched hazel diamond sitting flush with the band's surface, surrounded by a barely visible setting of pale green tourmaline chips. Cillian’s eye color.
She really put thought into it, making each band unique to each of us.
His tears roll down his face as he just kisses her forehead.
