Not-So Temporarily Married(48)

We walked into the church and I was so fucking proud of my woman. She held herself like a queen, showing no weakness but for her grip on my hand, which only I was aware of. We paused briefly when we came upon Nic and his wife, Anna. He stood and kissed Carly’s cheek, before shaking my hand. It was the first step in solidifying the backing of the DeLucas.

Sliding into the “family pew,” she leaned back and brushed some imaginary lint from her perfectly pressed black, linen pants. Her black blouse was sheer, with a silky camisole underneath. Chunky gold jewelry, her gorgeous red hair in a bun, and striking makeup all painted the perfect picture. She didn’t have to pretend to mourn, it wasn’t a secret that there was no love lost between father and daughter. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the majority of attendees were there to make sure the son of a bitch was really dead.

A wicked smile stole over my face as I pictured a Charade scenario where mourners walked up to the casket and stabbed, shot, suffocated, whatever they could think of, to prove he was truly on his way to hell.

Carly pinched my thigh and I scowled at her, rubbing the offended skin. “Behave,” she whispered. I shrugged and zoned out as Father Gannon began the service. It wasn’t long. How could it be? No one was going to stand and extoll the virtues of that evil man.

There was an “Irish wake” being held at the largest O’Reilly pub, though they skipped the tradition of laying out the body. It was mostly an excuse to get drunk. But, everyone knew there was an even more important purpose. They gathered to find out if the rumors were true.

When we walked into the pub, all talking and raucous laughter ceased. Even the musicians fell silent. They waited and watched us as we made our way to the bar. The bartender pushed two shots of whiskey toward us. Carly lifted hers into the air, waiting for the rest of the room to follow suit. “Sláinte!” she called out and tossed the shot back. The sentiment, basically “to your health” was rumbled through the crowd as they repeated it before they drank.

The bartender refilled her glass and she held it up a second time. “It’s a common toast, ‘may you be in heaven two hours before the devil knows you’re dead.’ But the devil has been waiting to collect my father’s soul for some time now.” There were some snorts of laughter around the room. She waited for silence, then continued, “So rather than wish him an afterlife he cannot have, I say ‘Go maire sibh bhur saol nua,’ and ‘Sliocht sleachta ar shliocht bhur sleachta’.” There was more laughter as she tossed back the second shot and the words echoed about the room. “Take this day to celebrate or mourn, whichever you wish, the life of Pat O’Reilly.” Her voice became deadly. “Tomorrow, is a new day and your allegiance lies with me, or the next Irish wake we attend will be yours.”

“Sláinte!” she called again and took one more swallow of whiskey. The response was wary, but they followed her example. She turned toward the bar, dismissing them and after a few minutes, the room filled with music and conversation once more.

I was so fucking turned on, I almost threw her over my shoulder and dragged her to the back to fuck her in the darkest available corner. I faced the bar to hide my condition and drank my own shot, taking the minute to try and think about anything but how fucking hot my woman was, especially when she showed her strength.

I felt my dick start to soften a little and blew out a breath of relief. Carly was staring down at her glass of amber liquid, almost studying it. I knew her better than anyone and I could see she was barely holding it together. Placing one of my hands atop of hers, I leaned in and whispered, “I’m so fucking proud of you, kitten. Remember, you’re not doing this alone.” She met my gaze and smiled, clearly feeling the intended comfort. “What were those toasts?” I asked. I only barely knew Irish tradition. “Sláinte” was definitely the extent of my Gaelic knowledge.

She laughed and smiled ruefully. “May you enjoy your new life and blessings on your posterity.”

I laughed with her for a minute before leaning down and stealing a lingering kiss.

“Who the feck are you? Get your fecking lips off of my fiancée!”