I’d squeezed myself into three of Mitsy’s dresses which I wore on top of the outfit I’d travelled here in—a bra and underwear, jeans and a t-shirt, with socks, tennis shoes. I also pinned up my hair with every bobby pin that I’d had in my hair on the night of our journey here.
Eoghanan had far less—a pair of linen pants paired with a linen shirt, and two kilts draped oddly around him.
“Tell me the rules of this game, lass, so that we may both play fairly.”
“Only this—we each must answer every question completely truthfully.” I began to sweat profusely. Perhaps I’d not thought it through perfectly.
“Can we ask one another anything?”
“Yes, anything, but it looks like I’m going to get to ask a lot more questions than you are.” I fanned myself, the back of my neck growing sticky.
“I doona need many questions, lass. I already know what I wish to ask ye.”
“Is that so? Ok, shoot.”
“Shoot?” His brows pulled together in confusion.
“It just means ‘start’.”
“Oh, aye, fine. Me first question is this,” he paused and removed the first kilt. “Do ye miss yer own time, Grace?”
“No.” My answer slipped out even more easily than I’d expected, but it was true. “There are exactly three things I miss about the twenty-first century.” I hesitated. “Okay, maybe more than three, but only three that seem very significant to me. Number one, refrigerator ice; number two, toothpaste; number three, Bebop.”
I started pulling the first dress off my shoulders, but Eoghanan held out a hand to stop me. “No so fast. I still have three questions left.”
I’d assumed we would alternate questions, but he seemed so eager to continue that I stopped messing with the laces and went back to fanning myself.
After a moment of maneuvering, the second kilt dropped. “I couldna love Cooper any more if he was me own, but this is me second question—do ye wish for more children, Grace?”
I grew even warmer. My heart beating quickly at the happiness that filled it at
Eoghanan’s confession. I loved how he loved Cooper. “Yes, bukoos more.”
He smiled, and I knew that my answer pleased him. I could see the future children I’d always dreamed of, all with the same red hair, same full lips as Eoghanan. I wanted those children to be his.
Slowly, he removed his linen shirt. “Me third question is this—do ye trust me to care for ye and Cooper? To love ye and protect ye and be there for ye always?”
It was more than one question, but I said nothing about it, my head getting a bit light as he walked toward me, gathering up my hands as he stared at me with pleading eyes.
“Yes, Eoghanan, I trust you completely.”
“And I, ye, lass. I have one question left, but I doona wish to ask it in the nude. Me fourth question is this—will ye marry me?”
Chapter 35
It certainly wasn’t the way I’d ever imagined a proposal—with me feeling like an overweight Barbie, the layers of clothes making me look puffy and foolish, while the man I loved stood before me half naked, looking as handsome as I’d ever seen him. Still, it was sweet and perfect, and whether it was sweat or tears I couldn’t be sure, but my eyes were wet as I answered him.
“Yes.” I stepped forward to kiss him, my hands struggling to reach his face amongst the heavy weight of the sleeves. “I would love nothing more, but I think there’s someone else you might need to speak to before we make it completely official.”
He brushed a tear away from my cheek and nodded while he smiled down at me. “Aye, two others that I counted. I’ve already spoken to both Cooper and Jeffrey.”
“No you haven’t?” I kissed him again. He was always thoughtful; it shouldn’t continually surprise me, but every time it did.
“Aye, and they have both given their blessing. Though, if I hurt ye, Jeffrey has promised to cause me great harm.”
I laughed but had to step away to fan myself again. “I’m sure he had you shaking in your boots, huh?”
His eyebrows pinched together in the adorable way they always did when he didn’t understand one of my modern expressions.
“Never mind. I love you.”
“And I love ye, lass. Ye will never truly know just how much.”
I pinched the fabric in between my bosom and lifted it up and down trying to prevent heatstroke. “I don’t mean to spoil the moment, but I think it’s my turn in this game. If not, I’m going to pass out.”
He looked at me playfully and slowly removed his pants, completing his last question. He walked slowly to the bed. It was utterly astonishing at how little his rear end jiggled as he did so. The man was an unbelievable specimen.
He stretched casually and confidently over the bed, lying on his side and propping his head up on his hand while watching me closely. “Please lass, ’tis now yer turn. Ask me whatever ye wish.”
Compared to his questions, mine seemed like fluff, but to me they weren’t. I could tell a lot about a person by the small stuff.