Jaysus. The visual she painted would no doubt strike down his libido for a good long while. Holding his hands over his bollocks, Daniel mumbled, “Oh, aye, we’re grand.”
“Good,” she said, giggling. “Now. Let’s get drunk. I want to hear all about how in love you are with Amelia.”
“Eh…what makes you think that?”
“Please.” Gabby waved a hand. “It’s obvious. You stared at her all damned night like she’d vanish if the wind blew too hard.”
“So you made me spill my guts, even though you knew…” Daniel shook his head.
“Of course. I had to know the truth, for sure. Would you rather I acted a bitch until I drove you away?”
“You wouldn’t,” he deadpanned. “You can’t push me away from Amelia, no matter what you do. Nothing and no one can.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Gabby started on her second glass of wine.
And Daniel braced himself for a long night.
The first rays of morning light came through the cracks between the blinds and Amelia stirred. She’d had the most wonderful dream about…
Daniel.
Amelia sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking around her room. It must have been a dream. If it happened, Daniel would be here with her – but she was alone. Flinging off the blankets and letting out a sigh, she pushed her feet into a waiting pair of fuzzy pink slippers, Gabby’s gift, of course, and found her housecoat on the back of the door.
The scent of bacon met her nose with approval. As if on cue, her stomach growled.
But…
Gabby didn’t cook breakfast. And Gabby didn’t usually get out of bed until well after dawn came to greet the world.
She wanted to run out and see if Daniel was really there, but Amelia took her time, for her baby. Slow and steady. Walking less than a third of the speed of her pulse, Amelia made her way down the hall. Nerves trilled like staccato notes on piano keys. Time passed at a snail’s pace, setting off a cataclysmic explosion of anticipation in her gut.
At the end of the hall she spotted him, standing at the stove in her kitchen wearing just a pair of jeans, giving her an unobstructed view of his broad muscular shoulders, right down to his narrow waist. Her heart danced in her chest at the domestic sight. Hope flared in her belly.
Yesterday Daniel said he wanted to stay forever. Did he meant it? Was this his way of showing her?
“Oh, g’mornin’ lass.” Daniel set the tongs down and moved swiftly to her side. Devilish lips curled in the kind of smile a man reserved for the bedroom. His hands slipped under her jaw, cupping her face. “How did you sleep, love?”
A girl could really get used to this, she thought, melting into his touch. Her eyes drifted shut. “Fine, I think. I didn’t wake up at all until just now. I thought…”
She didn’t continue and Daniel whispered next to her ear, “You thought what, Amelia?”
“I…I thought it was a dream,” she admitted, easing into his embrace.
Daniel laughed, wrapping her in the comfort of his arms. “Not a dream. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. Well, except over to the stove to turn over that bacon before it burns.”
He released her and ran over to take care of the breakfast. Amelia shuffled to the sink to fill the kettle. And a smile crept over her lips, spreading like warm summer sunshine through her soul. She could easily see this becoming a regular occurrence. But for how long? He mentioned the word forever and then nothing else.
They ate breakfast in silence, sitting across from each other at the table. Amelia stared out the front window at the rolling and rocky peninsula. The ancient coastline hid behind a layer of fog this morning. She watched it recede out onto the water, dissipating up into the atmosphere, nursing her mug of herbal tea. Avoiding Daniel.
She felt his eyes on her from the moment he sat down, raking over her face, down her chest, landing on her abdomen, then back up. Over and over again. Like he was searching for something. So she let him search while she looked outside at her new home.
When she told her parents she wasn’t going back to Canada they were agitated. When she told them why, they were furious.
“I can’t believe how stupid that was of you,” her mother had said. “If you keep that baby, you’re just clinging to a fantasy. If he left you, he’s not coming back. This is the way the world works, Amelia. It isn’t a game. This is real life.”
Well, maybe it had been unwise to keep thinking her birth control would work. Maybe they should have stopped for condoms at some point. But they didn’t, and letting her parents rip her a new one didn’t change the past. Didn’t change the fact that now she had to think about herself and the future of her child.
They continued berating her, telling Amelia how disappointed they were. How, once she got her act together and came back home, they’d arrange an appointment for her to ‘take care of the problem.’
Her lips arched in disgust. They didn’t want a grandchild? Fine. They wouldn’t have their daughter either. It was her damned choice to make. Her body. Her baby.
Amelia’s hands held her belly tight. She had Gabby. And now, it seemed, Daniel as well. Maybe her parents would come around and change their minds about her living her own life and doing what she wanted to. Maybe they’d accept their grandchild once he or she entered the world. If not, she had enough love to give so her baby never had to go without.
“Amelia, love?” Daniel pried a hand from her abdomen and held it flat between his big, warm palms. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
In spite of the melancholy crushing her spirits, Amelia laughed. “That’s asking me to open a can of worms. Don’t you know men never ask a woman what she’s thinking?”
Leaning across the table and still holding her hand, Daniel kissed the corners of her mouth, then brushed his lips to hers. Softly. Sweetly. “I’m not other men, love, and I want to know. Can’t read what’s on your mind, so I’ll have to ask.” He winked, retaking his seat.
She didn’t want to spoil the mood by going into detail, so Amelia said, “Just my parents. I told them I was pregnant and they stopped talking to me. And, the truth is, Daniel, I really, really missed you. Even though Gabby is here”– She slid her lower lip between her teeth and nibbled –“she…she isn’t you.”
“Ah, lass…” Coming around the table, Daniel pulled her to her feet and into his arms. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, jaw, chin…he kissed her a thousand times before he reached her trembling, waiting lips.
“I’m here,” he murmured between kisses. His hands were in her hair, on her face, gliding to the small of her back. “You can’t get rid of me.” Daniel took her mouth and kissed her so soundly her toes curled and thighs clenched.
“Ugh, really?”
They pulled apart at Gabby’s voice, Daniel blushing and Amelia giggling.
“We’ll continue this later,” Daniel whispered, touching his lips to her forehead. To Gabby, he asked, “How are you faring today?”
“My brain is exploding and your voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.” Gabby took two paracetamol from the cabinet holding medicine and vitamins, and drank them down with a glass of orange juice. “Remind me never to finish an entire bottle of wine by myself again.”
Daniel laughed. “I tried to take it away from you, but you threatened to chop my fingers off and shove them up me arse, if you recall.”
Amelia’s eyes shot wide, staring at her friend. “You didn’t!”
Gabby’s sheepish smile spread, despite her obvious efforts to keep it hidden. “I might have?”
“Might have,” Daniel balked in jest. “I’m getting one of those recording things for next time.”
“I’ll never drink again,” Gabby groaned.
“Where have I heard that before?” Amelia winked at Daniel.
Gabby tossed the dishtowel at him. He grabbed it in mid-air and snapped her thigh, winning a squeal. She ran away and Daniel chased after her, right up to the s
lamming door.
And for the first time since she disconnected the phone call from her parents when they threatened to disown her if she kept her baby, Amelia felt at peace. She had everything she needed in this cozy cottage in County Donegal.
“Quit freaking playing with that curl, Amelia. Your hair looks fine.” Gabby swatted her hand away and spritzed more hairspray. “There. Perfect. Leave it alone.”
“Okay!” Amelia grinned.
Leaning over her shoulders, Gabby examined Amelia’s reflection in the vanity. Amelia wondered what was on her friend’s mind but decided to leave any heavy conversations for another day. Today was important. Special. Amelia felt like the size of a small car and she could hardly walk a quarter of a mile, but today, none of that mattered. Today was the day she became Mrs. Amelia Byrne.
Two days after she’d made a jibe about life not being like romance novels, Amelia decided she didn’t want to wait. Daniel was there and he wasn’t going anywhere. So they made plans to start their lives together. Four months later, here they were, getting married.
“You ready?”
She checked herself over one last time. Gabby insisted they go traditional, since this would be their one and only wedding. Daniel was it for her, and she for him.
She had the old and borrowed: a delicate pearl pendant necklace loaned by her neighbour Ethel O’Connell. The new and blue were also doubled up: Gabby treated her to a gorgeous silver tiara with ice-blue stones.
Her hair was piled up in a mass of thick, glossy curls, with a few loose ringlets cascading down her back. The dress fit perfectly over her chest – which had filled out this close to the end of the pregnancy – and gently hugged her bump. Well, bump didn’t exactly seem the right term for the mountain of her stomach. The skirt fell to the ground, flowing and soft and satiny, like a waterfall.
She glowed. Amelia always wondered why people said expectant mothers looked like they were glowing. She never saw it. Until now. Her skin was radiant. Her eyes sparkled. Her smile…she felt it right down to her heart. At thirty-eight weeks pregnant, she was uncomfortable and ready to have this baby, but she loved every second of it.
“Yes,” Amelia said, using the table to help push herself up. “I’m ready.”
Gabby linked an arm through hers and the pair walked slowly from the small room in the ancient little church to the doors that would open for her, doors through which her future husband stood. Her breath hitched a little, imagining Daniel in a suit. He’d look incredible, she knew. Those broad shoulders and muscular thighs encased in black fitted material.
Amelia licked her lips. It wouldn’t be a good idea to have sexual thoughts in a house of God. Whether or not the lord was present, it still felt blasphemous.
“Slow down, Amelia.” Gabby laughed softly, her head shaking. “Eager much?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “Very.”
“Wait for the music, then we’ll go as fast as you want, okay?”
“Okay.” Amelia played absently with the charm on her necklace. She lied when she told Gabby and Daniel it didn’t matter if her parents came or not. Every girl wanted her father to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. To have her mother’s approval and love.
She had none of that.
Still, she had Daniel, and Gabby. She had her neighbours and friends in the community she lived in now. She had love and support.
It hurt though.
The sounds of an organ drifted through the closed doors. Amelia held her spine straight and her head high, pushing back a sluice of tears threatening to ruin the eyeliner and mascara Gabby painstakingly applied.
The doors opened. Amelia held her breath. In a few seconds, she’d see Daniel at the end of the aisle. Waiting for her. Joy warred with sorrow. Stupid hormones, making her a giant mess. She breathed in deep and held it, watching the progress of the two panels of wood. Damn, why weren’t they moving quicker? This was ridiculous!
They opened wide and instead of seeing Daniel first, Amelia’s eyes landed on the last two people she thought she’d see today. Or ever.
“Oh, Amelia.” Mom rushed over, hesitating when her eyes landed on the massive bulge of Amelia’s stomach. “Good gracious, you’re so big!”
“Honey, we’ve got an aisle to walk our daughter down,” Dad said, his accent just like Daniel’s. “We can play catch-up at the reception after, okay?”
Mom nodded, grinning, a stream of tears fell down her face. “We’re so sorry, baby. So, so sorry.”
Dad cupped her cheek and smiled, his lips in a tight line. “We made a mistake, but we’re here now. I hope you can forgive us. At the moment though, your man is waiting. Let’s get you married.”
As hard as she tried, Amelia couldn’t stop her own tears from falling. Far too many emotions swam in her head, mixing with her already crazy hormones. She was a wreck. A mess. She’d probably ruined her make-up.
Daniel caught her attention at the end of the aisle. Tall and broad and full of the confidence she hadn’t seen during the two weeks they drove around the Republic. In the past four months though, Daniel grew into the man who stood waiting to marry her. Strong and proud. No longer playing the victim. What happened to him was terrible and no one should have to live through anything like it. But instead of giving up, like he originally planned, Daniel set goals for himself and so far, he’d reached them all.
“Here.” Dad pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and used it to dab her eyes. “I brought a few of these, just in case. I remember how your Mum was.” The pair shared a knowing look.
“Your father is right. Let’s get this wedding on the road.”
Too overwhelmed to react, Amelia let her parents walk her down the aisle, one on either side of her. Every step brought her closer to Daniel. Closer to the future. Closer to forever.
Almost there.
Then blinding pain struck. Her knees buckled; Mom and Dad held her under the arms, keeping her from the floor.
“What’s the matter?” Daniel was there too, his strong arms around her and concern in his eyes. “Amelia?”
She couldn’t speak through the pain radiating from her stomach, right around to her back. Her pelvis ached. It felt like a hundred pound weight was bearing down on her, and her lady parts were about to turn inside out.
“You’re in labour, Amelia,” Mom said. “We need to get you to a hospital, right away.”
“No! We…” She sucked in a deep breath and pushed it out slowly, just like the midwife instructed her to “…need to…” Another breath “…get marr–ah…”
Daniel stepped in. “Amelia wants us to be married before the baby is born.” He turned to the Deacon. “Can we skip the non-essentials?”
Amelia squeezed her parents’ hands. Contractions. She was having contractions. Early.
“All right.” Deacon Mullane saw to the small crowd rising from their seats.
“Amelia,” Mom said, smoothing a hand over the tightening muscles of Amelia’s abdomen. “You need to get to a hospital.”
She shook her head. “Not…yet.” She breathed through the pain of the tail end of her contraction. “My waters…haven’t broken…and…contractions aren’t…close enough…” Another deep breath in, and out “…so I have…” Amelia sucked a lungful of air in through her nose and held it, then pushed it out through her mouth “…a little time.”
“We’ll get the important part over quickly,” Deacon Mullane told her, assuaging her fears. To someone over his shoulder, he added, “Ring doctor Sheenan and have him bring everything necessary for a birth.”
“I’ll do it!” a called out.
“Okay, everyone! Back in your seats! Let’s get these two married so they can have their baby!”
Amelia’s parents helped her to the altar, to Daniel. He looked at her with so much devotion she swore she felt it, filling up her heart and her soul. Making her stronger. She was stronger because of Daniel. The love they shared was passion and fortitude.
Words went by
in a blur.
Pain came and went.
Daniel faced her the entire time. When he pledged himself to her for eternity, his voice broke, and she struggled to keep a firm hold on her emotions. When her turn came she could barely get the words out. She never thought she’d understand the meaning of the word love. Never thought she’d know a man like Daniel Byrne.
“By the power vested in me by the Church of Ireland, I now pronounce you man and wife. Give her a kiss, Danny boy!”
The small community of Malin Head cheered him on, but Daniel paid them no attention. He looked at Amelia like he’d die if he didn’t kiss her. And then his lips were on hers, his hands in her hair, his tongue thrusting with hers. Amelia felt no pain while he kissed her. She felt only Daniel. Only him.
Daniel paced the length of corridor continuously, surprised the treads of his shoes hadn’t worn down the rug. Doctor Sheenan shut the door in his face, allowing only Amelia’s Ma, Gail, and Gabby in the room, along with his nurse. He should be in there with her. Should be holding her hand and wiping her brow, giving her words of encouragement.
“It’ll be all right,” Brian Quinlivan – Amelia’s Da – said, sliding his palms over his trousers. The man was as nervous as Daniel and horrible at hiding it.
Seconds after he broke the kiss binding them as man and wife for eternity Amelia’s waters broke. Then she began bleeding. The nearest hospital was too far away. A helicopter was on its way – arranged by Gabby. But damn if time didn’t go by slower than a feckin’ snail on hot pavement.
She had to be okay. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.
His hands shook with every step and he shoved them in his trouser pockets to try and still them. Stomach roiled, bringing a foul taste into his mouth. Sitting, standing, waiting. Daniel never did well with waiting. In prison, he woke before the guards came to do their rounds, and pushed his body. Doing exercises in his brand new suit didn’t sound like a good idea though.
Where the Streets have no Name Page 15