“Glad you liked it. Are you ready to meet the parents?”
Mary kissed beneath his jaw. “After that, I’m ready for anything. But you know, this would be so much easier if you were a regular guy.”
“I am a regular guy,” Aidan chuckled, remembering Lexi’s words. “I just happen to be an insanely wealthy, powerful one, too.”
*
Dinner was far easier than she had imagined. Evan and Dione Harrison made her feel instantly at ease. Despite Aidan’s constant assurances, Mary hadn’t known what to expect. Prior to meeting Aidan, she had never dealt with anyone quite so wealthy.
She knew that Aidan loved her, but what would his family think of her? Would they be disappointed that he hadn’t chosen a woman of similar socioeconomic standing? One that hadn’t come from such humble beginnings?
As it turned out, she had worried for nothing. Aidan’s mother was a lovely, gracious woman. Aidan and Rebecca obviously favored her. With her delicate, exotic features and perfect bronze skin, Mary could easily picture her swathed in white and gold, holding court in some ancient Grecian temple.
Evan Harrison was every bit as smooth and charming as his son. There was a great deal of love and respect between the two men, as evidenced by the way they interacted. Aidan’s father literally beamed when he told Aidan how proud he was of him, and Mary could have sworn the man had tears in his eyes when he hugged her and welcomed her into the family.
“I am so happy for you both,” Dione said, raising a toast to the newlyweds. “Though I must admit, I feel cheated. Two children, and I have not been able to plan a gala for either of them.”
She seemed so genuinely disappointed, that Mary suggested a post-wedding dinner party to make up for it. Given the way Dione’s eyes lit up and Aidan whisked them out of there, Mary guessed that “dinner party” would entail more than a quiet family get-together.
While that thought was daunting, imagining how much of Aidan’s special distraction techniques the event would require was encouraging.
“One down, one to go,” Aidan said cheerfully as they headed back to the airport the next day.
“One what?”
“Family. You’ve met mine, now it’s time for me to meet yours.”
All of the warm and fuzzy she was feeling started to fade. Mary wasn’t so sure she wanted Cat Murphy anywhere near Aidan, and she certainly didn’t see any reason to tell her exactly who Aidan was or what he did for a living. Who knew what her mother would do with that information?
“How about later rather than sooner?” she asked hopefully.
“She can’t be that bad.”
“Famous last words,” she snorted.
“What are you so afraid of?”
“That she is going to go completely nuts when she finds out who you are, Aidan. To my mother, a man is the same thing as a meal ticket, and you, my sexy, wealthy husband, are the equivalent of a lifetime of all-you-can-eat buffets.”
He laughed, but thankfully, took pity on her. “Well, we don’t have to confess everything. And this way I’ll have a face to go with the name on the restraining order.”
“Okay,” she conceded. “But dinner has to be cheap take-out, you are not allowed to shave, and we’re stopping at the nearest Walmart to pick out something appropriate for you to wear.”
Mary was forced to reconsider the sanity of that plan when the day’s worth of growth gave him a roguish look that made him even sexier, and those snug fitting boot-cuts hugged his fine behind. Cat Murphy was beyond thrilled that Mary had finally found herself such a good-looking man, but was a little less enthusiastic when they told her that Aidan worked in the “food industry”. It probably didn’t help matters when they went to the local tavern to celebrate the news and Aidan made a point of asking everyone ‘if they wanted fries’ with their dinner.
Mary rewarded him greatly for that one.
Epilogue
After nearly a month of newlywed bliss upon tropical shores, they returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania. With Shane’s help, they found the perfect property on the ridge between Pine Ridge and Birch Falls, with stunning vistas of both valleys. They met with Kieran’s wife, Faith, who helped them design the perfect home. It had lots of open, airy spaces, and even a small custom greenhouse that doubled as a solar. Connelly Construction accepted the job, with a completion date slated for the middle of December so that they would be able to spend the holidays in their new home.