Page 79 of Hot Irish Halloween

That only marginally helped. “Well, I appreciate that you want to get married before the baby arrives,” Erica said with a sigh.

This time it was Penny and Jack who exchanged silent glances. “Making an honest woman of her” wasn’t really the reason. Should anything happen to Jack during the fight, she would legally be his next of kin. Jack had already contacted his solicitor to let him know this was happening and get Penny’s name on everything as quickly as possible.

“I’ll do it. I am authorized, you know,” Russell said with a wink.

It was settled. Jack dropped them off at the house that night. He left Penny with a “Good night” and the sweetest, most tender kiss, only to appear in the morning bright and ready with a shave and a haircut, looking like he had the day they’d met. They took off for the boutiques in town, fortunately finding a couple that had already opened. He bought a good suit, albeit off the rack with no time for tailoring, and she found a simple pink cocktail dress.

Erica was slightly aggravated that Penny had opted for untraditional pink rather than off-white or cream “befitting a mature bride,” but Jack grinned when she came downstairs andtwirled for him in the formal living room. The pearls he’d given her at the ball were once again around her neck.

“Reminds me of what you wore the first time we got married,” he said in her ear. His voice was lower, setting her pulse to throb with fresh desire. “Ready for Wedding Number 2, Briar Rose?”

“I’m ready, Prince Philip,” she said with a soft laugh.

Penny heard the front door open but didn’t see who had arrived until Jade bounced into the room. “Hey, hey. Who’s getting married up in here today?”

“You made it! Yay!” Penny ran to give Jade a huge hug. “I thought you said your manager was gonna have a fit if you took another day off.”

“Nobody was gonna stop me from being here for your wedding day. I mean, Iamthe one responsible for all this, after all. Hi, Jack!” Jade went to give Jack a hug, which he accepted, turning red. She took off her coat, and underneath, she wore a bridesmaid’s dress, the same one she’d worn at her friend’s wedding in December. “That’s right, I’m your Maid of Honor, you already know.” She did a little spin to show off the swirly skirt, then leaning in close to Penny, she said, “Can I say it?”

Sighing hard, Penny said, “Go ahead.”

Jade took a deep breath and then exclaimed to the heavens, clapping with each word for emphasis, “I. Told. You. So. You and The Mountain, Itoldyou. People really should start paying me for my services. In fact, if my manager fires me, I’m going to open up my own matchmaking business and rake in that money. Oh, hi Auntie, hi Uncle.” Jade got busy hugging and greeting Penny’s parents.

“What’s this about a mountain?” Jack asked, giving Penny a look.

“Never mind,” Penny said. “Too bad your cousin Matt couldn’t make it.”

Sheepishly, Jack shrugged and said, “He’s, um, avoiding certain people in town.”

Russell scowled and shook his head. “Yes, Penny told me you happen to be cousins with the notorious Matt Rourke. If there’s anybody he should be avoiding in this town, it’s me. That boy was in and out of my courtroom every six months like they were dental checkups.”

“I know. You’re the main person he was referring to, sir,” Jack said with a sigh.

It was both surreal and beautifully perfect to exchange vows with Jack in her family’s home. She choked up when it was her turn. And Russell teased Jack when his eyes were wet. Afterward, her parents took them out to dinner, this time to the best restaurant in the county. There was cake and a little dancing at a nearby bar and lounge, and that was that.

Penny kissed everyone before she, Jack, and Jade drove down to Manhattan. Jade went home to pack. She was coming to the fight for moral support. In the meantime, she and Jack headed a bit further uptown to the Equinox on the West Side. Jade had come through with a last-minute one-night booking at the upscale modern hotel with views of the Hudson River.

“I love this. I haven’t stayed at a hotel in Manhattan since my parents brought me down for my first year at Julliard. That hotel wasn’t nearly as gorgeous as this,” she whispered as they walked into the spacious welcoming area.

“Today is a day for firsts,” Jack said. “My first and only time getting legally married. Our first night legally married.” He kissed the back of her hand with his soft lips, and she shivered.

Upstairs, Jack grinned when he unlocked the door for her and stood aside to let her enter first.

“Oh my God. How pretty,” she said after she gasped.

“I called ahead and got them to do this.”

There were bouquets of roses scattered around the room. Not just one or two, but at least twenty, on nearly every surface. Not just red either, but all colors, pinks, yellows, even blues and purples. All of them gave off a heavenly scent that perfumed the air. There were candles, too, not yet lit. The accommodations were understated but the quality was luxe. Penny passed the king-sized bed to look out the window at the lights along the river.

“This is beautiful. Thank you,” she murmured.

Jack shrugged. “Best I could do on short notice. I promise you when we go on a real honeymoon, we’ll get a better room. Maybe a swim-up shack on one of those islands.”

“Are you kidding? I love this room. Not bad for a lad from the North Side of Dublin and a girl from Owenville, New York. We could be anywhere, and I’d love it because I’m with you.”

Jack flushed red and smiled. “Same for me. We’ve had a big two days, and we’ve got miles to go before we sleep. Care to take a shower together before bed?”

“I could use a nice, hot one,” Penny drawled suggestively. “And I liked that little Robert Frost reference you threw in there. Did you give up on the military spy killer thrillers while I was away?”

---