Page 176 of Reluctantly Rogue

Saoirse grins at him.

Diarmuid smiles at his great-granddaughter. “Yes, she’s an O’Grady. Potentially an heir to the throne. But not an Olsen.”

“The agreement doesn’t say anything about an O’Grady-Olsen child,” Fiona says.

“We assumed that would naturally come of the marriage,” Diarmuid says. “And more than one child would be lovely. But yes, at least one.”

“So…” Henry says. “That’s all moot now, though. I don’t think Jonah’s going to let Linnea have Cian’s baby.”

“Oh my god, no!” I exclaim.

“Damn right,” Jonah growls.

“Don’t be weird,” Cian tells Henry.

Henry just shrugs.

“Of course not,” Diarmuid says over the noise. “Obviously Astrid and Cian will marry and produce the heir.”

All laughter immediately ceases and five seconds pass before Cian and Astrid say at the same time, “What?”

They look at each other, then back to Diarmuid.

Then everyone stands up and starts talking at once.

And that’s when I realize what I need to do.

I probablyshoulddo something about the fact that Diarmuid is manipulating my sister into an arranged marriage and planning to makeherthe mother of the O’Grady-Olsen baby but…you know what? I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about my siblings and making things happen for them and Astrid can now wait ten minutes. Or twenty. Or longer.

Shecan fix this.

Or Cian can.

Or Miles can. Or Henry. Or Torin.

I’ve got something else that’s a little more pressing at the moment. Because it’s aboutme,for a change. There’s somethingIneed to do.

Actually, there’s something Iwantto do.

I slip away from Diarmuid and turn to Jonah.

I grab his hands, face him squarely, look him directly in the eyes, and ask, “Will you marry me?”

He doesn’t even blink. “Yes. Absolutely.”

“Tonight? Right now?” I ask.

His eyebrows arch but he says, “Yes.” The answer is firm, clear, without an ounce of hesitation.

My heart swells and I’m filled with a sense of rightness and warmth unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. There’s not a single butterfly fluttering its wing. There’s not even the tiniest niggle of doubt. There’s not a millisecond ofwhat will people thinkor really a thought about anyone else but Jonah. And me.

This is aboutme. My happiness. My future.

AndI’mmaking this choice.

Thisdecision is the easiest, the most obvious, and the surest I’ve been in my life.

I smile at him with love and…relief. “Then come on.”

---