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‘If you two are going to get all drippy, I’m off,’ Juno said, her voice light.
The deep rumble of Connor’s laugh reverberated against Daisy’s back. ‘You best go, then, because drippy’s definitely on the cards right enough.’
‘You don’t have to ask me twice,’ Juno shot back, sounding more carefree than Daisy had ever known her. ‘I’ll be round tomorrow, Daze,’ she called across to her. ‘To stand guard.’
Daisy leaned round Connor. ‘You traitor,’ she said and grinned.
‘Absolutely.’ Juno gave a jaunty wave and left, slamming the shop door behind her.
‘Right.’ Connor pulled her back into his embrace. ‘Now little Juno the killjoy’s out the way and I’ve got you all to myself, there’s one other thing we need to talk about. And I want this settled before the baby’s born. So you can cut out the delaying tactics.’
‘What’s that now?’ Daisy said in her best Irish brogue, although she had a pretty good idea what he was referring to. After all he’d been banging on about it for months.
‘You know full well what. We’ve yet to set the wedding date.’
‘I told you, I don’t want to get married looking like a beached whale.’
‘And, while you look nothing like a beached whale,’ he said, sounding pained, ‘I agreed to that bit of fancy, didn’t I? You’ve a few months once Junior’s born to get yourself together, but then we’re doing it. I found a place in France that would be perfect. It’s available for the third Saturday in August. We can party there with all our pals for a week and be back in time for Carnival. I’ve a mind to book it tomorrow. What do you say?’
She wanted to say yes, there was nothing more she wanted to do than marry this man and claim him as her own for everyone to see. But something had been bothering her for months about their wedding. Something that had nothing to do with her figure. And she still hadn’t found the best way to broach the subject.
‘I thought you said we had all the time in the world,’ she said lamely.
He huffed and turned her in his arms. Keeping his hands on her hips, he dipped his head to look into her face. ‘Is there another reason you won’t set the date? Because if there is you best spit it out now.’
She swallowed hard, could see the stubbornness in the hard line of his jaw and knew this was it. She would have to say it now, or for ever hold her peace. And that she couldn’t do. Connor needed closure on the horrors of his childhood, and he would never have it unless he took this next step.
She took a deep breath. ‘I want to contact Mac,’ she blurted out. ‘I want to invite him to the wedding.’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘You…What?’
‘He’s your brother, Connor. We’re having a baby in a few weeks and he’ll be its uncle. And when we get married we’ll be saying vows that will make us a family for ever. I want him there to witness them with us. Don’t you?’
His hands fell from her waist. He looked shocked. But at least he didn’t look angry or defensive, which were the two reactions she’d feared the most.
‘What…?’ His voice broke. He cleared his throat. ‘What if he won’t come?’
She took his hands in hers, squeezed. ‘If he’s your brother, he can’t possibly be
that much of a coward.’ She was counting on it. ‘You need to forgive yourself for what happened that night—and to do that you need to see Mac again, to make things right with him. He’s your family which makes him my family too.’ She paused, willing him to understand. ‘If you don’t want to contact him, I’ll accept your decision and we’ll never talk about it again. But I had to ask.’
He sucked in a long breath, raised his eyes to the ceiling, and slowly let it out. ‘You are the most contrary woman…’ he muttered, but there was no heat in the words.
His eyes met hers. ‘Okay, you go ahead and contact Mac. But I hope he’s ready for what’s about to hit him.’
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smacked a kiss on his lips. ‘Thank you, Connor. It’s the right thing to do, I know it is. And if everything goes well with Mac, we could start trying to trace your sis—’
He slapped his hand over her mouth before she could say another word. ‘Stop right there. There’ll be no more meddling until we’re married, the shop’s up and running and the baby’s at least five. Do you understand?’
She nodded behind his hand, her heart swelling at the rueful grin on his face. He wasn’t mad. He didn’t seem upset. He might even be a little pleased about the plan to contact his brother. Everything was going to work out, she was sure of it.
‘Now, when I lift my hand,’ he said carefully, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes belying the severity in his voice, ‘I want you to say you’ll make an honest man of me on August eighteenth. No more excuses. You got it?’
She nodded. He lifted his hand.
‘Aye, aye, Connor,’ she chirped, feeling as if all the happiness in the world had just exploded in her heart.
‘And none of your cheek either,’ he said, then took her in his arms and kissed her into complete submission to seal the deal.
