Lucky This Isn't Real: MacBride Brothers Series St. Patrick's Day Fake Fiance Romance by Jamie Knight (digital e reader .TXT) 📕

“I didn’t think you would be here,” Darcy said to her dad.

“I’m sorry.” He lowered his head. “Well, about everything, particularly for trying to force your hand like I did. You are your own person as well as an adult. It is up to you who you choose to marry.”

“Has he been at the scotch again?” Darcy asked, leaning over to Matilda.

“Nope, I hid it too well.”

“I’m serious, honey. Can you possibly forgive me?”

Her lips narrowed. “For basically trying to sell me to a business associate to seal a business deal.”

His chest puffed out. “Well, no, I don’t know if that’s—”

There was a thump under the table and a yelp from Garrison, Matilda looking very stern indeed.

“Fair enough, yes. I was wrong. Very wrong. Can you forgive an old fool?” Garrison asked, rubbing his chin.

“I guess so,” Darcy said, relenting. “Just don’t ever do anything like that ever again.”

“Never, I swear,” Garrison vowed, left hand on heart, right hand to the heavens.

“And promise not to give me any shit about my future.

“I have no real objections. I did at first, but that was mostly because I thought he was just trying to marry you for my money. Now I see it really is love. I might be foolish and stubborn, but not enough to stand in the way of that. Not if you love him enough to move to Ireland and if he’s willing to give up a million dollars for you. I still can’t quite believe that. Just tore it up into confetti, right in front of—”

“It’s okay, dear,” Matilda said, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

The wink was subtle, but I caught it. Garrison might have been at least on the fence, but Matilda was definitely on our side. Particularly after she’d tested me a bit. When I showed, to her satisfaction, that it wasn’t just a con or a fling, that I really did love their daughter, she was all behind it.

“Does that mean you’ll walk me down the aisle?” Darcy asked.

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

It was something from a dream. Everything panning out almost a bit too well. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Why didn’t you tell me you ran a butcher shop?” Garrison asked.

Thump. There it was.

“How did you know? Have you been investigating me?”

I looked over at Matilda and Darcy, who were busy discussing which bouquet Darcy would be carrying. They probably wouldn’t notice even if I got up and did an Irish jig.

“Of course, I did. Not at first. In the beginning, I just thought you might be a gold digger or a conman who was after Darcy’s money or mine through her. Even when I made the offer, I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe you were holding out for a bigger payday. MacBride’s Fine Meats. Ranked in the top five food merchants for the last five years.”

“It’s a living,” I said with a shrug.

“And modest too, still you really are what you seem, aren’t you?”

“Try to be, aye.”

“So that wasn’t just bullshit at the garden party. You really do love our Darcy.”

“With all my heart.”

“Be careful with her? She’s already been hurt enough, particularly by me, but I’m going to do my best to repent.”

“Yes, sir.”

Garrison held up a glass for a toast. I was glad the low-key animosity between us seemed to be resolved. I really didn’t want to be getting between Darcy and her father.

“Can I call you dad?” I joked.

“Hell no, but Garrison is fine.”

The bouquet was selected before the cantaloupe slices came, the last decision to be made before the official arrangements were set into motion.

“It’ll be tight,” Matilda warned, “but you should be able to get married by next Saturday now that we have another week.”

“Still seems a bit quick to me,” Garrison grumped theatrically, “then our baby will be whisked off to the wilds of Ireland.”

“Only for a couple of days, dad. Then it is straight back to Belfast and Sean’s family. It is a city, you know.”

“A foreign city far from what you’re used to.”

“Don’t worry, Garrison, I’ll be there, and my brothers besides. We’ll look after her.”

“See that you do,” Garrison glowered but with a smile behind the sound.

I was pretty pleased myself, giddy even, so much so that I took Darcy’s hand and kissed it right then in there in the restaurant, in front of her parents. There was nothing to hide anymore, not that there ever was much, but even that was over. We could finely be together properly.

Chapter Twenty-Five - Darcy

Brunch was great in every possible way. Though at the end of it, we were still hungry, at least in the way of food.

“Easy there, tiger,” Sean coaxed, rubbing my gurgling belly.

“I think I might need lunch too,” I confessed, “brunch was nice, no surprise considering how much it cost, but they really didn’t give much.”

“Probably how the heiresses stay stick thin.”

“Probably.”

We walked hand in hand while the birds tweeted in the trees. Life was good and couldn’t get any better. My phone rang, and I fished it out of my purse.

“Hello?”

“Well, you did it,” Nicole enthused.

“Did what?” I asked.

“You got the bastard,” Nicole clarified, “the firm is blowing up with gossip and panic after those recordings you sent. Emil has been seen cleaning out his office, and there is talk of a class-action lawsuit from his previous victims. It’s too late for a criminal case, unfortunately, but the civil settlement should be crippling. No one is even allowed to say his name, and no one will look him in the eye, even other senior partners. He’s basically become Voldemort.”

“How do you know