Becoming the Whiskey Princess

by Toni Aleo

  “I’ll do everything to make her happy,” I say, a little more sharply than I intended, but I feel under attack. Something I don’t care for one bit. “I understand you perfectly, truly, but I love her. So much, and she loves me. I know we are young, I know this is rushed, but I promise you, she won’t ever be unhappy. And if the moment comes when she is, I’ll fix it. I’ll make her happy; I’ll give her the world. If, after all, she decides she doesn’t want to be with me, then I’ll let her go. I’ll lose it all for her. As long as she is happy.”

  Silence falls in the room, the only sound the breeze from the window, the curtains smacking against the wall. The TV is on mute, and my heart is pounding in my ears. I swallow hard as Mr. Maclaster clears his throat, looking deep into my eyes.

  “That’s the thing, she won’t let you go. She’s a fixer, a caring, sweet soul. She’ll be unhappy before she allows anyone to hurt. And that’s what worries me. Is she marrying you to save your distillery, or because she actually loves you?”

  I nod. “I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Maclaster, but if she didn’t love me, then why did she almost die for me?”

  His eyes darken as he nods slowly, looking away and falling into his seat. Mrs. Maclaster doesn’t move, her eyes still trained on mine as she asks, “Can you not see if you can get more time? A year maybe?”

  “I can,” I agreed. “I planned to anyway, but I’d still like your blessing.”

  Mrs. Maclaster looks over at her husband, and they share a long look. I feel like it’s a private moment, so I look away as I fight for breath. If they say no, what will I do? Can I marry Amberlyn without their consent?

  Yeah. I can.

  I know that is horrible, but I can’t live without her. I just can’t.

  “Declan, you are a good man. We know you’ll take good care of her. We’d like for ya to wait a little bit, but if that can’t happen, then yes, you have our blessing,” she says as she comes toward me. Placing her hands on my arms, she smiles. “Thank you for giving us this chance to talk to you.”

  “I should have done it before.”

  “Yes, but I am thankful you did now.”

  I nod and she cups my cheek as she searches my eyes. Clearing her throat, she says, “I think my brother would have liked you. I know that my sister-in-law would have. You remind me a lot of my Tomas, God rest his soul. He was a driven man, to himself, until Ciara came along. She bewitched him from the start, and I know that Amberlyn has done the same for ya.”

  “She has,” I agree, holding her gaze. “And to honor her parents, I’ll love Amberlyn enough for them and myself.”

  Mrs. Maclaster smiles, her eyes filling with tears as she nods. “Yes, well, on with ya then. You have our blessing.”

  I don’t even remember driving to the offices of the distillery.

  When I get there, I park the car beside my da’s and lock it as I head inside. It’s been two weeks since I’ve set foot near these offices or even the distillery I am fighting to keep, but thankfully, nothing looks out of sorts. Things have been running without a glitch from what Kane has said.

  I greet my da’s assistant before pushing his door open without her consent. If he doesn’t want to see me, that’s just too damn bad. We have things to discuss. Thankfully, he is alone and looks up from his desk, obviously surprised to see me.

  “Everything all right?”

  I nod as I drop down into the chair in front of his desk. “Yes, Amberlyn is home sleeping.”

  “Grand, I’m glad she is recovering.”

  “Me too,” I agree. “Have I missed much?”

  My fingers tap nervously on the arms of the chair as I wait for his answer.

  “Not really. Although, Mindy has notes for ya from the last two meetings. Everyone understood your absence. Your ma has done well, keeping it pretty cut-and-dried for the media. The extra security around the hospital helped too. I am just glad that she is okay.”

  “Me too. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

  “She saved my son; I owe her more than what I’ve done.”

  This is a different side to my da and I’m still not used to it, but thankful, nonetheless. Things haven’t been as strained between us. We have actually been getting along all right.

  Clearing my throat, I sit at the edge of the chair and meet his gaze. “Since we are on the topic of Amberlyn, I want to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure, what is it?” he asks, his eyebrows coming up before he shuts his laptop.

  “I asked her to marry me,” I say, and a small smile graces my da’s usually stern face.

  “I may have thought differently before, but after the way she has conducted herself, I can’t help but respect the girl. You were right, she is something, and I look forward to getting to know her.”

  “She is amazing,” I boast, my heart soaring for her. “But she is young, Da, only twenty. I know I have a deadline that will be up in three months, but surely you can give me some more time. Let us have a long engagement.”

  The smile drops so quickly, I almost don’t believe it was ever on his face. Shaking his head, he says, “No, Declan, I can’t do that. You have till October seventeenth to marry the girl or you’ll lose the distillery, and that’s final, son.”

  “But Da, I’m her first boyfriend. What if it doesn’t work out?”

  “Then you end it now,” he says with an annoyed look. “You have three months. Either marry her or let her go.”

  “I won’t let her go,” I say with a vengeance. “I love her.”

  “I guess we have a wedding to plan, then?” he says simply, looking down at his calendar. “October seventeenth a good day? It’s a Saturday. Be a nice enough time for a wedding, I guess.”

  Tears burn my eyes as I look at my legs. “Da, please, a year. Give me a year. Just to make sure she wants to marry me.”

  “If you aren’t sure yet, Declan, let her go. You are wasting your time. You need a wife.”

  “We’ve only dated two months, Da!” I protest, but he isn’t budging.

  “Do ya love her?”

  “I do, you know that! That’s why I want to give her more time to make sure she loves me and wants to be with me for the rest of her life.”

  “No, you either know or you don’t. Your ma and I met young, Declan, and look at us. I love her more now than I did then.”

  “But Da—”

  “No. Should we start planning a wedding or not?”

  Shaking my head, I know that if I tell him no then Amberlyn will have my arse. She wants this, but it worries me that she won’t ten years down the road. But what am I to do? I won’t let her go, and I know she won’t allow me to give up the distillery, nor do I want to. As much as I don’t want to rush her, I feel we have no other choice in the matter.

  Looking up at my father, I nod. “Yes, we will need to plan one.”

  I’m cold.

  Why am I cold?

  Blinking awake, I look to the right to see that Declan isn’t there like he is supposed to be. Like he was when I fell into blissful sleep. That was by far the best nap I’ve ever had. Not sure if it was the drugs or if it was falling asleep with Declan close to me, but it was damn well needed. But where is he now?

  “He went to talk to Ma and Da and then left. Hasn’t been back yet.”

  I look across the room to find Fiona sitting with her computer in her lap. She smiles at me as she closes the laptop and says, “Good morning, by the way.”

  I glance at the window and see that the sun is shining bright.

  “Jeez, what time is it?”

  “Nine. You were knocked out. Do you need anything?”

  I shake my head. “Damn. No, I’m fine.” I get up slowly, my chest sore as I push back the covers. Cringing a bit, I sit up and meet Fiona’s gaze. “I wonder why he left. Wait, what did he have to talk to your dad and mom for?”

  “Ask for your hand in marriage,” she says simply, leaning on her knees.

  “What for? I already said yes.
”

  “Yeah, but he said it was done all wrong. Trying to right his wrongs.”

  I roll my eyes. “I don’t understand that, but okay,” I say, reaching for my phone to text him. I see that there is a text from him, saying to call him once I wake up. Rubbing my eyes, I look up at Fiona. “What did they say?”

  “They say you’re too young,” she says, and I look up from my phone.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, and I tend to agree,” she admits. “Are you sure, Amberlyn? You can say no. You don’t have to do this because of everything he is gonna lose.”

  “You’re right, I don’t, but I want to.”

  “You aren’t doing this because of everything with the distillery?”

  I shake my head. “No, not at all. It may rush us a bit, but I want to marry him because I love him. I believe with my whole heart that my mom sent him to me for a reason. He completes me, Fiona. I love him.”

  “It’s just mad is all. So quick and everything.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t see myself with anyone but him.”

  “’Cause he’s all you had. Hell, you ain’t even had him!”

  I smile. “True, but I will, and it will be perfect.”

  “Or it could go to hell and then you’ll be stuck in a sucky sex life.”

  I laugh as I roll my eyes. “I doubt that will happen, but I can guarantee you, we will have sex before we marry.”

  “Thank God.” Fiona decides with a shake of her head.

  “Yeah, just to make sure, but I know it will be great. We just get each other. On so many levels.”

  “I guess, I mean yous are cute and all sugary sweet for each other, but it just worries me is all.”

  “Why?”

  “I feel like you’ll regret it later.”

  “No, I won’t,” I say with all the conviction in my heart. “I know he is who I am supposed to marry, I just do. In my gut.”

  “I don’t know about that gut of yours. You not only dated Casey Burke, but then you blocked a shot for Declan. That gut gets you in trouble,” she says with a grin, but I set her with a look.

  “First, didn’t you date Casey?”

  “Oh, fuck off,” is her response and I laugh.

  “And if someone were about to shoot Kane, wouldn’t you try to save him?”

  She stops laughing for a moment and sends me a look. Slowly, she nods. “I would.”

  “Okay, and if Kane asked you to marry him, wouldn’t you?”

  “You’re making this a losing battle for me,” she says and I smile.

  “Because it is. I may be young, but I know what I’m doing.”

  “Okay,” she agrees. “I’ll be right beside you all the way through, then.”

  “Thanks, couldn’t do it without my maid of honor.”

  “Damn right, ya couldn’t!”

  Smiling, Fiona gets up and closes the distance between us. Wrapping an arm around my waist, she hugs me tightly to her and I lean my head to hers. In the short time since I met her, I feel as if I’ve known her my whole life. She is the sister I never had, and I couldn’t replace her if I tried. While I respect what she just did here, I’m pretty sure I would have been a little broken if she hadn’t agreed to stand beside me.

  “I love you, Fiona,” I whisper, and her arms tighten around me.

  “I love you, too,” she says softly. “I worry for ya, you know that.”

  “I do.”

  “That’s why I said something. It isn’t that I don’t believe in yous two, I do. I think yous two are made for each other, but it just makes me nervous. Getting married isn’t something to toy with, ya know?”

  “I do, but I also know that this kind of love doesn’t come around. Back in America, I never would have met someone like Declan. Someone who would love me without sex.”

  “Shit, ya usually wouldn’t get that here. Declan is one of a kind.”

  “And all mine,” I say with a grin.

  We don’t say anything for a moment as we hold on to each other. Within the next couple months, so much is gonna change. I’m going to move out, I’ll be a married woman, and I won’t have this time to just hug my cousin. It scares me, but then I think I’ll be so unbelievably loved by the most amazing man on this earth.

  My Declan.

  “You’re going to be the Whiskey Princess.”

  I smile. “Weird, huh?”

  “Yeah, especially since you have to be dressed to the nines eighty percent of the time.”

  I hadn’t thought about that. Ew. “Eh, I’m sure that won’t apply to me.”

  She laughs. “If you say so. They’ll have you walking in heels and your hair and makeup done every morning. No more buns or jeans, I can tell you that.”

  Pulling away, I look over at her. “No. Ugh.”

  “Bet ya! Those O’Callaghans are pristine all the time.”

  “Well, I’ll be pristine in a pair of shorts and a tee, working the bar.”

  She laughed again. “You have no clue what you are getting into. You won’t be working at the bar anymore. You’ll be going to have tea with old people and shite.”

  “No way,” I say with a shake of my head. “I’m not going to change who I am.”

  She eyes me for a second and slowly nods her head. “I sure as hell hope not.”

  I can see in her eyes that she is doubtful, but I don’t believe a word she says. They may be basically royalty and perfect, but being an O’Callaghan isn’t going to change me.

  I’ll still be me.

  And that’s how Declan will want me.

  “Hey, girls.”

  I look up to see my aunt standing in the doorway, a smile on her face.

  “Howya, Ma,” Fiona says. “What’s up?”

  “Come on to the pub with me for a minute.”

  We comply, and I hate the way they treat me like a fragile piece of glass. Holding my hand and making sure I don’t die on the way. It’s annoying, but I know they do it because they love me. When we reach the pub after a short walk, we go through the side door, and as I come through, the room erupts in cheers. I smile as I take in all my regular patrons and then the big “Welcome Home, Amberlyn” sign. Tears sting my eyes as I am passed around, hugged softly, and kissed by almost everyone. I have missed my pub family; some of these people I see every day. I know that Mr. Little loves his corned beef hash. That Mrs. Kettle needs lavender in her tea. That Timmy loves his whiskey straight. That Brian would marry me or Fiona, or hell, even my aunt. I know these people. Their life stories. They are my family.

  When I’m seated at the bar with Richard in front of me, I smile. He comes in every single Sunday with his guitar to sing. His wife, Laney, sits at the table to the left as he sings songs with his soft, crooning voice. It reminds me so much of my father’s, and that’s why he is probably my favorite person.

  Cupping my face, he says, “You gave us all a scare.”

  I smile. “I’m sorry. It’s so good to be home though.”

  “Sure, sure. Now, let me play for ya.”

  Pulling my knees up to my chest, I lean on them softly as I nod my head. With a grin on his face, he starts to sing a song I’ve heard many times before. One he knows is one of my favorites, “Wild Mountain Thyme.” My dad used to sing it a lot, and it made my heart just sing in my chest. When the whole pub starts to sing along with him, I join in and it feels so right. Closing my eyes, I sing like I was singing with my dad while my mom sat to the side, tapping her foot on the floor as she read. I can see it so vividly. I can smell my father’s cologne and the roast in the Crock-Pot, and I can recall the feeling of being so surrounded by the love he gave me. His dark eyes would be on me while his fingers ran along the strings of his guitar.

  “Sing for me, love,” he would say and I would.

  Soon my mom would join in, and we would all start to laugh because she couldn’t sing for shit, but it was her. And we loved her.

  When the song ends, I open my eyes and smile. “Beautiful.”

 
; “Your voice, it is. I didn’t know you could sing, Amberlyn,” he says, his eyes playful. “I’ll have to do duets with ya from now on!”

  Everyone cheers for that, causing my face to burn with embarrassment. “No way! I was just singing along.”

  “Ah, hush, you have the voice of an angel. Sing for me!”

  “No!” I say, giggling as I wave him off. Soon everyone is urging me on, and I shake my head, still laughing. “You guys are crazy!”

  “Come on then, Amberlyn! Do it!” Fiona calls and I shoot her a dirty look, but I know they aren’t gonna give in until I do what they ask.

  “Fine. Pick a song I know,” I say to Richard.

  “‘Parting Glass,’ yeah? I’ve heard you hum it before,” he asks and I smile.

  “Yeah,” I nod, and I pray I can get through the song without tearing up. Clearing my throat, I am surprised by how much I want to do this. I always said I would never sing it without my dad, but now, after facing death, I feel like singing it will bring him even closer to me. Keep his memory alive and burning in my heart.

  Not waiting for Richard to start playing, I start to sing, causing the pub to go quiet. When Richard joins in, our voices harmonize together almost like my dad’s and mine used to. My eyes are locked on his as we sing the verses I learned from my dad. He lets me take the lead, harmonizing with me, and it’s such a lovely sound. I wait for everyone to join in, but they don’t. It’s just me and Richard.

  As I sing the last line, Richard does a flair with the guitar, causing everyone to cheer out loudly as my throat goes tight. I miss my dad so much. Every dream I have, he is never there, only my mom, and I would do anything to see his face again. Even in a dream. Standing up, Richard wraps his arm around me, hugging me softly as a lone tear rolls down my face.