Page 324 of Romeo

Her mouth softened.

I kissed her, keeping it short because I had already identified at least six people in this room who believed marrying Fiona had not purchased me unlimited access to her mouth in public.

When I pulled back, I nodded toward Georgie. “Your brother threatened me.”

“Which one?”

I stared at her.

Her eyes brightened.

“Georgie,” I said.

“That makes sense.”

“Should I expect Frank later?”

“Probably.”

“Anybody else?”

“Granny may have already covered everyone.”

“Efficient woman.”

Fiona laughed and settled against me again.

I held her while the party kept moving around us. Mama and Granny were sitting together at one of the tables, which I found considerably more threatening than when they’d been mad separately. Aunt Marabella sat with Devlyn—each holding a triplet, while Thore had the third—and appeared to be explaining something with enough hand gestures that Gator kept glancing nervously in their direction. C.C. was arguing with Trip about something while Cameron had cornered two younger kids and was clearly recruiting them into whatever organization he intended to run by adulthood.

The Sons and Bourbon Kings had mixed together until the room no longer had obvious sides.

Family had a funny way of doing that when you gave them enough food and liquor.

There were things waiting for us outside this room. Sylvia St. James. Fiona’s real name. Angel. Banshee. Questions none of us had answers for yet.

Tonight, I refused to borrow trouble from tomorrow.

Tonight, she was Fiona DuBois.

My wife.

I tightened my arms around her and let myself have that.

The kids were the first to fade. Charlie eventually ended up asleep against Frank’s shoulder, one small fist twisted into the front of his shirt while Claudia gathered the shoes and toys he had managed to scatter across half the bar. Other children followed, collapsing into chairs or parents’ arms as the energy that had carried them through the day finally gave out.

The adults lasted longer.

Mama kissed Fiona every time she passed close enough to reach her, apparently worried the marriage might expire if she didn’t constantly reinforce her approval. Aunt Marabella informed Fiona she now had entirely too many relatives and should simply accept that privacy was no longer guaranteed. Fiona took both women better than any sane person should have, laughing when Mama immediately took her side over some ridiculous argument and then informed me that marriage had officially moved me down the family rankings.

Granny hugged her near the end of the night and whispered something I couldn’t hear. Fiona’s arms tightened around her before they separated, both of them blinking harder than necessary.

Then Granny looked at me.

I wisely kept my mouth shut.

She nodded once.

Progress.