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The next few weeks passed in a blur. Kane renewed the lease on the little Victorian for another three months and moved in with Rebecca and Angus until the “official” church wedding, but they escaped to the mountains on the weekends, away from all of the hustle and bustle of planning a wedding. Even a simple wedding, they found, required a lot of planning, and the respite of Kane’s cabin became a greatly coveted reward for making it through each week.
There, it was only the two of them – and Angus, though it took only one weekend of Angus’ lonely stares for them to revisit the SPCA and find him a suitable mate. Rebecca had adjusted somewhat to his family – now hers as well. She could spend time with them without feeling uncomfortable, as long as Kane was nearby. They, in turn, seemed to have accepted her quiet presence, and had come to realize that she was not, in fact, antisocial but simply quiet and content to listen, joining in occasionally. But it was their time alone where they were happiest.
*
Kane had suspected it was coming, but he was still somewhat surprised by the fact they actually believed they could pull it off. As the oldest, the biggest, and arguably, the most skilled, he probably should have known it was a challenge they would not be able to resist.
The night before the wedding, it had become tradition for the Callaghan brothers to “kidnap” the groom while the bride was sequestered elsewhere. No doubt it had probably developed from the age-old superstition that the groom was not supposed to see the bride prior to the wedding on the big day. In a family of seven boys, it had been modified somewhat. It ensured that the groom remained “true” his final night. Though the fidelity of the groom was never really in question – once a Callaghan man found his soul mate there would never be another – the forced abstinence did serve as a guarantee that the bride-to-be would be assured an enthusiastic performance after the ceremony.
But the primary reason? They could not help trying to out-do each other.
As their family had grown, so had the tradition, now involving the women as well as the men. And while Kane knew of the tradition, Rebecca did not.
The evening started out normally enough. A rehearsal at the church for the wedding party, followed by the traditional rehearsal dinner at the Celtic Goddess.
Kane stayed close to Rebecca that night, on high alert. He hadn’t missed the occasional furtive glances or the hushed whispers throughout the evening. He thwarted each and every attempt to separate him from his bride, knowing that if he did not, one or both of them would be ambushed.
Rebecca sensed that something was going on, but Kane was so confident in his abilities that he refused to worry her. While his family had come to regard the tradition as great fun, Kane feared that it might make Rebecca anxious.
“Everyone seems to be acting a bit strangely tonight,” she confided in a whisper. Of course his perceptive bride had picked up on it. The atmosphere did hold an undercurrent of something exciting. Eyes glittered a little brighter, smiles came a little easier. Still, he wasn’t worried.
Kane pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “Better?” he asked.
“Infinitely,” she answered dreamily. Kane smiled. He loved that he could do this to her.
“Dance with me.” Kane growled at the request as Rebecca turned and saw Kieran’s hand extended toward her and a mischievous grin on his face.
“Fuck off,” Kane said, giving him a look that could have stripped paint from the walls as he pulled Rebecca tighter against him.
“Kane!” Rebecca chastised as the breath was squeezed from her lungs, but Kieran only laughed. “Easy there, big brother.”
Ian appeared as well. “Ah, come on, Kane. You can’t keep her to yourself all night.”
“The hell I can’t. Go dance with your own wife.”
“Kane, it’s okay,” Rebecca started to say, but Kane raised his arm, lifting her several inches off the ground as he turned. Suddenly he found himself facing Jake and Michael. Son of a bitch. They were going for an all-out open attack. Kane was almost disappointed; he had been expecting something much more devious and intricate.
“It’s tradition, bro,” Jake said devilishly. “You wouldn’t want to break tradition now, would you?”
Kane released a stream of oaths that had Rebecca turning crimson. “Kane, maybe you should...
“Yes, Kane, you really should,” laughed Sean, suddenly appearing behind him.
Rebecca was pulled from his arms by Shane and handed off about the same time a black hood was yanked over Kane’s head and bindings were pulled around him. Kane fought valiantly, but even he was no match for his six brothers, especially when they had planned and synchronized their attack so perfectly. Several of them would be nursing injuries to be sure, but none of them seemed to mind. In fact, it seemed only to heighten their resolve and enjoyment.