by Jean Carroll
“I’m going to get fat if I keep eating like this,” she complained.
“Not a chance, sweetheart. This stuff is good for you. You can’t eat too much of it. Especially the cake. Yumm!” he said pouring himself a big glass of orange juice. She took a small amount of almost everything, got a cup of coffee and went and sat next to him.
“Merry Christmas everyone,” they said and got the same response from all those already eating.
“Blackie, would you and Sean like to do the honors this year, dear?” Maeve asked him.
“Sure Mom, I’ll be glad to,” he answered.
“What’s that mean,” Meg asked.
“It means that Sean and I get to give out all the gifts from under the tree. It’s fun. We goof around a lot while we.re doing it. You’ll see.”
“That does sound like fun. When does that happen?”
“As soon as we’re done eating,” he said smiling. In about twenty minutes, Blackie got up and yelled to Sean.
“Hey, Sean let’s get this show on the road.”
“Okay, buddy, I’ll be right there.”
Sean and Blackie went up to the tree, sat on the floor and started going through the huge pile of gifts. The first ones they picked out were for the kids. They called to the kids and helped them open the gifts. Little Maeve got an adorable little doll dressed in pink and Patrick got a huge dump truck. They both paid attention to the two children until they were happily playing. Blackie grabbed a present that was for Keary, yelled to get his attention and heaved it to him like a football. Maeve had a fit!
“Blackie, this isn’t a rough-house game! Take it easy.”
“I’m just messing around, Mom. It’ll be good.” He said, laughing.
He and Sean got up and handed all the gifts out, piling the kid’s gifts near them, and sat down again.
“Okay, everyone, dig in,” Sean yelled and everyone started opening their gifts. It was bedlam. Everyone exclaiming over the goodies. Blackie and Meg had given Jill and Katie beautiful earrings in each ones birthstone surrounded by diamonds. They gave Sean and Keary Rolex watches. Blackie had picked out this incredible diamond necklace for his Mom and bought a Land Rover for his Dad. Meg’s head was spinning with the ridiculously expensive stuff they gave each other. Ken was overwhelmed by the new truck.
“Blackie, this is really too much. You shouldn’t have done this,” he said.
“Dad, I got tired of you rattling around in that ancient thing you drive,” Blackie said.
Maeve and Ken gave them an antique dining room set; the wood had a rich, deep patina. Meg got gorgeous lingerie, earrings and cashmere sweaters. It was all too much. Blackie got new dress dressage boots that were so soft they felt like butter, a new saddle that was apparently handmade, also cashmere sweaters. Meg had pictures of the two of them made to give to everyone but she went a little overboard. Everyone loved them; they each got a large collage of six pictures that were her favorite ones of them.
Then Blackie and Meg exchanged gifts. She was very excited because she was hoping to get the long awaited engagement ring. She had butterflies in her stomach. She gave him a black leather, hand-crafted bomber jacket that looked amazing on him. He loved it. He handed her a fairly large blue velvet box. She opened it and inside was the most exquisite necklace she had ever seen. The whole chain was encrusted with tiny, round diamonds. The pendant a diamond Celtic cross. It took her breath away.
“I want you to wear that on our wedding day. Do you like it, honey?” he asked her. She looked up and everyone was watching them. She loved it. She couldn’t imagine wearing something so beautiful, but she wished it had been the ring.
“Honey, of course I like it. I love it. I’ve never seen anything like it. Thank you, sweetheart,” she said hugging him. “Here, help me put it on.” He took it and put it around her neck and fastened it.
“It looks even more beautiful on you, Meg. I’m glad you like it.”
Everyone applauded and she got up and went around so everyone could see it up close. It took a lot of effort for her to hold back her tears of disappointment. She didn’t want to hurt Blackie’s feelings, but she was confused about why he had never given her the ring,
He kept looking at her and she didn’t know what else to say to him. Everyone else was staring at them too.
“You’re disappointed, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Honey, of course not! What are you thinking? How could I be disappointed? This necklace is so beautiful. Don’t be silly.” She told him, feeling bad that he was upset.
“Here, maybe this will make you feel better,” he said, tossing her another, smaller box in red velvet.
“Blackie!” Everyone yelled at him.
“For chrissake, do it right, dummy,” Keary said, laughing.
“Okay, okay. I was just kidding around,” he said laughing. He took the box from her and turning serious, he got down on his knees. Her heart did a huge flip-flop and she thought she was going to pass out.
“Meg, I know this has been a long time coming and I know I’ve put you through more than any woman should have to handle. I love you more than my own life. Will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?” Meg jumped him, both of them tumbling to the floor, kissing each other passionately amid woops and cheers from the others. When they finally came up for air, Blackie asked the crowd, “Hey, did she say yes?” To lots of laughter.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” She yelled at him.
“Did you look at the ring yet? Funny girl.”
“Oh, no. Sorry, honey,” she said, opened the box and was stunned. In it was an exquisite heart shaped diamond ring that sparkled like the stars.
“Oh, my God. Blackie this is unreal. It’s so ... she couldn’t speak, just started crying and hugged him. He took it out of the box and put it on her finger.
“I love you, Meg,” he said looking deeply into her eyes.
“I love you too, Blackie.”
Everyone was cheering, jumping up and surrounded them with hugs and congratulations.
“Thank God, he finally did it,” Sean said and raised his glass in a toast. “To Blackie and Meg!” Everyone toasted them and cheered again.
“I don’t think I could get any happier than I am at this moment,” Blackie said to everyone, smiling.
“I bet I could make you happier,” she said. He looked shocked for a second and then said, “Honey, I know you can make me happier, but we can’t do that in front of my parents and the kids.”
“Blackie, behave.” Maeve scolded him.
“Okay, I give up, how are you going to make me happier?” He said as everyone suddenly became silent and expectant.
“You’re going to be a daddy,” she told him. The smile suddenly vanished from his face. He looked at her, his eyes like saucers. “What?”
“You’re going to be a daddy,” she said louder.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.” She said and he dissolved into her arms, his face buried in her neck and she knew he was crying. He pulled back and looked at her again.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Oh, God, this is wonderful. You did make me happier. Happier than I’ve ever been.” He said, grabbing her and kissing her exuberantly. Everyone was congratulating them again. All the men were clapping him on the back. All the women were kissing and hugging her and then him. Blackie kept wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand. They were both laughing and crying at the same time.
“When did you find out?” he asked her.
“I was late three weeks ago and then waited another week to do the test and it was positive. I told Jill and we both thought it would be really special to tell you today with all your family here. Do you mind that I waited to tell you?”
“No, that’s okay. It is a special day. Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “I can’t believe it! We’re going to have a baby,” he pulled her onto his lap and just held her.
“W
ow, what a surprise. I wasn’t really expecting this.” He said looking at her seriously
“It just takes the right time and circumstances. Those wonderful days we spent together, it was almost inevitable.
“You think that’s what it was? Those three days holed up in the apartment alone together were amazing.”
“I loved that. Just the two of us alone, for three days, talking about the future, about us, making love. I felt closer to you those three days than I ever have. It was wonderful, honey.”
“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? We should do that more often. Hey, are you feeling ok? You’re not dizzy and light-headed like you were before, are you?” He asked, suddenly remembering.
“No. So far I feel fine. I’m tired a lot but that’s normal in the first trimester.”
“Good. You let me know if you don’t feel well. Promise me.”
“I will. Don’t start worrying about me right away. I’m fine,” she said, tilting her head up to be kissed and was rewarded with a very sweet, gentle kiss.
“What about the wedding?” he said
“What about it?”
“Well, if we keep it in April, you’ll be five months pregnant. Will your dress still fit?”
“No, it won’t. I didn’t think about that.”
“Hey, Mom! Is there any chance we can move the wedding up to say the middle of January?” he called to Maeve and she came over and stood by their chair.
“I don’t see why not. I’ll call the wedding person at Dromoland and see. I’ll call tomorrow. Meg, do you feel embarrassed about being that far along at the wedding?”
“No, not really. I don’t care what anyone thinks about it. Blackie just pointed out that my dress won’t fit and I love that dress.”
“Okay, dear. I’ll see about it. You two don’t worry about a thing. You just take care of each other.” Maeve smiled at them, happily. “I’m going to be a grandmother again.”
THE END
Or maybe it’s just the beginning?
Author’s Bio
I've had a passion for horses my whole life. I started riding at age eight and rode until well into my thirties. I was lucky to have my own horse and a pony for ten years. I rode in a lot of horse shows and eventually learned dressage and became fascinated with it.
.I'm retired from Johns Hopkins University where I did Electron Microscopy for the Neurology Department.
Warrior Spirit and Blackie O'Brien have been a story developed in my head for maybe twenty years. Blackie has the same passion for horses as me.
I'm a member of the Romance Writers of America, Maryland Romance Writers, Maryland Writers Association, Harford Writers Group and Mid-Atlantic Independent Book Publishers Association (as an author).
READERS’ PAGE
Dear Readers-
I hope you enjoyed reading Warrior Spirit as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. Warrior Spirit and the whole The King of Ireland series have been a work of love for me for almost twenty years.
I hope you’ll visit the links below, to my website and Jean Carroll on Facebook. I’d love for you to subscribe to my mailing list on my website. You’ll be able to keep up with the rest of the series and find out what Blackie, Meg and the gang (including the villainous Mickey) are up to.
The mailing list news will let you know about book releases, excerpts from books, extra scenes (that didn’t make it into a book), contests and giveaways.
Link to Jean Carroll's website:
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Any comments or questions, please email me: [email protected]
Thanks again for reading Warrior spirit and I hope to see you again in Ever After- Book 2
Writers need feedback from readers to find out how they’re doing and what readers like and would like to see changed. If you would like to, please give this book a review on the ebook seller you purchased it from.
Thank you so much, Jean Carroll