“I don’t need fanfare.” I can barely catch my breath. “I just need you. Yes, I’ll marry you.” We kiss long and hard.
When we pull back, he smiles. “About a family. I want that too, Nia.”
I push out a breath, feeling both happy and apprehensive. “It might not be possible.”
“We can’t say for sure. No one can say for sure, Nia.”
“You’re right.” I feel a weight lift.
“I have a photographic memory.” He bobs his brows.
“Is that supposed to turn me on?” I laugh.
“Yes. I’ll be at law school, but I won’t be all that busy. I always found school to be a breeze.”
“Lucky you.” I shrug, not sure where he’s going with this.
“What I’m trying to say is that we can throw away the birth control. We can do it now, if you’re ready.” And there it is.
My mouth falls open. “Are you serious?”
He nods.
I swallow down a lump. “Are you very serious and very sure? Because my cycle seems to be back on track, so it could happen.” I’m starting to feel nervous and excited and scared.
“It could happen, and yes, I’m sure.” He grins.
“It might not happen, though.” A lump forms in my throat.
“We’ll have to have plenty of sex, just to give ourselves a fighting chance.”
I laugh.
Rage takes my hand and kisses the palm. “We’re not in a rush. We’ll take things one step at a time. If it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, we’ll take the next step.”
“I like that plan.” We kiss again. I can’t believe this is happening. What if Rage is doing this just to make me happy? He’s sweet like that. “Then again, maybe we should wait until morning. Sleep on it.”
He chuckles and starts up the engine.
“Why are you laughing? This is a big decision.”
“We can do the whole wait and think on it thing.” He nods.
“It’s just that I want you to be really sure,” I tell him.
“I’ve been sure for a long time, Nia. Almost from the moment you first stalked me.”
I gasp, “I did not stalk you!”
“You so did. Then you begged me for sex. I’m glad you continued the trend of pushy behavior and asked me to marry you.”
“Rage!” I’m laughing. “Stop! If you weren’t behind the wheel, I’d hit you.”
“I might enjoy a little spanking.” He winks at me.
I laugh harder. “I’m sure you would.”
His demeanor softens. “I love you.”
My heart is bursting. I don’t think I could be happier.
29
Rage
Three months later…
The fire is burning. We’re all squeezed around a huge table that is still somehow too small. “Newlyn,” Nia’s father says. “Pass me the tatws. Hey! Newlyn!” He cups his hands over his mouth, still holding his knife and fork.
Everyone is talking among themselves. Newlyn is talking to…Iwan…is that Iwan next to him? I’m pretty sure it is. He’s in the middle of a story. His accent is so thick and littered with so much Celtic I have no idea what he’s saying. I’d better learn, since Nia and I are going to be married in two days. The rest of my boys are here too. Everyone who matters most in the world to Nia and me. They’re staying in town. We’re getting married on the cliff next to the ocean. The reception will be held at the Hound’s Tooth.
“Here, Tad.” One of the others leans over and grabs the bowl of potatoes, passing them to his father. I can’t remember his name. Nia and I have been here for a day already, and I’m still getting it wrong. I’m grateful that only six of her nine brothers are here, or I’d be in even more trouble. Although three of them are here with their girlfriends, and one of them has a wife. The room is packed.
“Thank you, son,” Nia’s dad says. His name is Danial, which is easy enough…thank god.
I glance at my fiancée. I see the ring glinting on her finger. Having her say yes was the best day of my life. I know, I’m a sap. It can’t be helped. The good news is that we’ve never been happier. Nia looks up. I smile at her and give her a wink. She smiles back, but I can see she’s tense. She hasn’t been herself for the last day or two. I’m not sure why.
Nia’s mother is sitting next to her. She’s beaming. She insisted I call her Mam even though Nia and I aren’t married yet. She reminds me a lot of Nia, only there are a few strands of gray running through her hair, her hips are a little more flared, and her breasts are ginormous. I told Nia that if she looks anything like her mother when she gets older, I have a lot to look forward to. I was rewarded with a dirty look, a slap, and then a giggle. We proceeded to have silent sex on account of the house being full of people. My mind was blown. I’m so deeply in love with this woman that it’s scary.
Nia and her mam exchange a few words while I try hard to understand what the others around the table are saying. I’m catching bits and pieces of conversation. Nia stands and excuses herself. I see she hasn’t finished eating. Instead of heading for the bathroom as I expected, she disappears into the kitchen.
“Nia was saying that you’re back at school, Rage.” It’s the youngest of the brothers by a whole hour. I can’t imagine a woman having to give birth to six babies, all within an hour. It boggles my mind.
“Yes.” I nod. “Law school, actually…I started a couple of weeks ago.”
“Clyfar dyn,” Nia’s dad says.
“Danial says you’re intelligent,” Mam says. “Our Padrig is at the University. He’s studying to become an engineer.”
I smile, panicking a little inside because, despite my photographic memory, I’m never going to remember all of these names. I might be a little on the nervous side. To think that I grew up with only my mom. Ever since she passed, it’s just been me. Now I’m surrounded. I love it! I grin. “I look forward to meeting Padrig.”
“I’m here.” One of the guys puts his hand up, and the whole table breaks out in peals of laughter. I’m laughing too, and it feels so fucking good.
“I’m sorry,” I say between bouts of laughter.
“That’s alright,” Padrig says, still smiling broadly. “It will take you a while to get all of our names. It took Elin here a good couple of visits, and she’s Welsh.” He puts an arm around his girlfriend, and they smile at each other.
“Rage,” Nia is touching my shoulder, “I need to talk to you quickly.” She smiles, but I still sense the tension.
“Right now, during supper?” Danial booms.
“Leave them be.” Mam touches her husband on the arm.
“Excuse us,” I say, pushing my chair back. I’m worried. Nia looks pale. I don’t like how troubled she seems.
I put my hand to the small of her back as we walk. She grabs my hand and drags me into the bedroom we’re sleeping in. It used to be her old room. There’s a poster of One Direction on the wall. Nia was apparently a big fan. Apart from that, there’s a sewing machine and a whole lot of half-finished garments hanging all over the place. Nia’s mam turned her room into a sewing room when she left to come and live with me.