Reunited

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A WINTER STORM raged outside, the snow blowing so hard that it hissed against the windows of Rafe's apartment. Keely snuggled farther down beneath the comforter, pressing up against the warm, naked body beside her. On the mornings after the nights they spent together, Rafe never bothered with an alarm clock. Instead, he waited for her to wake him up. They'd make love once more before they shared a relaxed breakfast. And then she'd either jump in her car or hop a train back to New York. Or rush over to Conor and Olivia's apartment for a short stay with the family.

It had almost become second nature, sneaking around. And, at first, it had been exciting. But Keely knew all the subterfuge was wearing on Rafe. They'd share a stolen night or afternoon once or twice a week, then go on with their lives as if they barely knew each other. And every time they said goodbye, she'd see the impatience in his gaze, feel it in his kiss, and wonder how much longer he'd pretend to understand.

Keely had hoped that once she felt more comfortable with her newfound family, she'd be able to broach the subject of her continuing relationship with Rafe. But if she'd learned one thing over the past month, it was that the gene for holding a grudge ran deep in the Quinn family. Her brothers still spoke of Rafe with such disdain that she wondered if their hatred would ever fade. So she'd stalled and made excuses and tried to pacify Rafe, all the while hoping for some miraculous attitude adjustment from Seamus and his boys.

Rafe moved beside her, pulling her more tightly into his embrace and kissing her shoulder. "What time is it?" he murmured, his voice ragged with sleep.

"It's early. Seven, maybe. It's still snowing. It's going to take me forever to get back to the city."

He groaned. "Then don't go back. Spend the day with me. We can hole up here and watch old movies and make soup and take naps."

"I can't. I've got meetings scheduled this afternoon with three brides. And I still have to put together some sketches. And you have to go to work."

"When is this going to stop?" he asked, his voice edged with frustration.

"What? This is life, Rafe. We both have jobs. We both have responsibilities."

"This is limbo," he said, "not life. We're just waiting. I want to begin our life together."

Keely pushed up on her elbow and looked at him. Reaching out, she smoothed a strand of hair off his forehead. "All right. Maybe I should stay the day."

"Answer me, Keely. How long is this going to go on?"

"I admit that we do spend an awful lot of time in bed," she teased, trying to lighten his mood.

He sat up. "Don't try to placate me. I asked you to marry me and you said you would. So, let's make some plans. When are we getting married? Where are we getting married? Who are we inviting to the wedding?"

"I can't just decide these things all at once," Keely said. "A wedding takes a lot of thought and planning."

"Have you decided anything? Have you given a minute's thought to any of it?"

Now, he was angry. She scolded herself for not accepting his invitation to stay the moment it was offered, thus avoiding the same old discussion. "How many times have we talked about this in the past month?" she asked, turning the question back on him. "Remember when you told me that it didn't matter how long it took to work things out with my family? Did you really mean it or were you just overestimating your capacity for patience?"

"I just don't understand why this is taking so long. I feel like a kid, sneaking around as if we're both doing something sinful. We're adults and we should be allowed to see each other whenever we want. I should be able to call you five times a day and stop by to see you on a whim. We should be able to take a vacation together and spend holidays with your family."

"Oh, that would be fun," she said sarcastically. "You and the Quinn brothers at Thanksgiving. Hide the carving knife."

"What am I supposed to do? I want you in my life, permanently. Not just when it's convenient for you. Or Seamus. Or your mother. Or your damn brothers."

She sighed. "Can't you at least understand how they feel? What you did caused a lot of trouble for the family."

"They feel that way because you haven't given them a good reason to feel differently. I did what I had to do and I'm not going to make any apologies. We learned the truth and life goes on. I've accepted it-why can't they? Tell them you love me and you want to marry me and then tell them if they don't like it, they can all go to hell."

Keely pushed aside the covers and crawled out of bed. She grabbed the silk robe he'd bought her and wrapped it around her naked body, shivering against the chill in the apartment. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"And I do. We're going to solve this problem now or-"

"Or what? It's over between us?"

"Yes," Rafe said, a stubborn set to his jaw. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe it is."

Keely's breath caught in her throat. "You don't mean that."

"I do."

"Are you giving me an ultimatum?"

"I guess you could say that." Rafe shrugged. "Yeah, I am giving you an ultimatum. It's me or your family. You're a big girl, Keely. Make a decision. I'm going to take a shower. I'll expect your answer when I get out."

Rafe tossed aside the comforter and walked naked to the bathroom. Keely heard the water go on, but she wasn't ready to end their discussion there. She stalked to the bathroom and stood outside the shower.

"My mother used to give me ultimatums and they never worked. When someone tells me I have to do something, I usually do the opposite."

"That's what your mother told me," Rafe shouted over the running water. "She said if she opposed our marriage that you'd probably go ahead with a wedding."

"Now you're conspiring with my mother?"

He stuck his head out of the shower, his hair dripping wet. "I'll take any ally in your family I can get. If you had a dog, I'd probably try to make friends."

"This is between you and me," Keely said.

"Exactly my point." He stepped back into the shower, then turned up his shower radio until the morning news echoed through the marble-tiled bathroom, ending all conversation between them.

Keely turned and stalked out of the bathroom, then began to gather her clothes and toss them in her overnight bag. Yes, they'd talked about these same things over and over again since Rafe made his marriage proposal. And no, she hadn't made an effort to change the status quo, even though she had accepted his proposal. But that didn't mean she deserved a bloody ultimatum!

She threw her clothes on the bed and walked back to the bathroom, then stepped inside the shower, still wrapped in her silk robe. Reaching over, she shut off the morning business report and turned to him. "If you really loved me, you'd give me more time."

"And if you really loved me, you wouldn't need any more time."

"I'm not going to argue with you anymore," Keely said. "You're being unreasonable." She started out of the shower, but Rafe grabbed her arm and pulled her back beneath the water. He pressed her up against the marble tile, pinning his hips against hers. The silk robe clung to her skin, heightening the sensations of the warm water and his determined touch.

"I can kiss you and peel that wet robe off your naked body and make love to you right here and now. But it's not going to change anything. You won't love me any more than you do at this very moment. So you have to decide. Is that enough?"

"I don't know," Keely said stubbornly.

"I guess I have my answer then," he said.

"That's not what I meant."

His mouth came down on hers in a desperate, almost punishing kiss and his fingers fumbled with her robe. The water poured over them both, washing away the heat of his mouth the moment he moved on to a new spot-her neck, her breast, her belly.

Keely tipped her head back and closed her eyes. She did love him, more than she could have ever imagined. And she was crazy if she thought she'd be able to walk away from this and not regret it for the rest of her life. But her family's objections would weigh heavily on their marriage and Keely wondered if someday the resentments might bubble to the surface. What if her family never accepted him?

He grabbed her legs and drew them up around his waist, then slowly entered her. Weaving her fingers through his wet hair, Keely arched her back as he moved inside her. "Tell me you can't live without me," she murmured.

"I won't live without you," Rafe said, his voice ragged.

Satisfied that she'd proved her point, Keely surrendered herself to her desire. The water continued to rush over them, filling the shower with steam, creating a world where passion was all that mattered. And when he finally exploded inside her, Keely sighed softly, secure in the fact that Rafe was the only man she'd ever truly love.

"Let's go back to bed," she whispered, teasing at his earlobe with her teeth.

Rafe drew away, gently lowering her legs to the floor of the shower. Then he pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, his jaw tight. "Go home, Keely. And don't come back here until you've made a decision." He pushed her out of the shower, then turned up the radio again.

Keely opened her mouth, ready to start the argument anew. But then she shook her head and slowly walked back to the bedroom. They'd just go round and round for another hour and still not solve anything. She wanted more time, and he wasn't willing to give it to her.

Why the hell did she even bother? With Rafe, there was never any compromise. He was completely close-minded when it came to her father and brothers. There were times when she felt as if she were caught in a tug-of-war between them, each side demanding her loyalty and tearing her apart in the process.

"He's had enough?" she muttered as she shoved her clothes in the bag, her temper rising. "I've had enough. I'll marry him when I'm damn well ready to marry him and not a minute sooner."

She tugged her jeans on over damp skin, then pulled a sweater over her wet hair. Her watch and engagement ring were sitting on the bedside table. She picked up the watch, but left the ring where it was. She never should have accepted it, at least not until everything had been solved with her family. She wouldn't put it on again until Rafe agreed to be more reasonable.

Keely left the ring where it was, then finished dressing. She grabbed her overnight bag and headed to the door, snatching up her coat and purse on the way out. But before she opened the door, she glanced down at her hand. Wearing the ring had made her feel secure, as if nothing could shake what they shared.

But a ring didn't make their relationship strong. They did-together. Unfortunately, her feelings weren't nearly as black-and-white as Rafe's. It wasn't an all-or-nothing choice for her. Just a few months ago, all she'd had in life was her mother. And now she had a father and six brothers and a fiance who loved her, each one wanting her to be a part of their lives. She shouldn't have to choose.

Keely yanked open the door then headed toward the elevator. When she reached the lobby of Rafe's building, the doorman greeted her. "Morning, Miss Quinn."

"Morning," Keely replied, forcing a bright smile.

"Can I get you a cab?"

"Yes, thank you. I'll be going to South Station to catch the Amtrak."

The doorman punched in a number on his phone and ordered a cab and Keely sat down on a pretty sofa near the door, peering out into the blizzard to watch for her ride. She fought the temptation to go back up to the apartment and retrieve the ring. In the end, she walked out into the blizzard and hopped into a cab, determined not to give in to her own fears-or Rafe's ultimatum.

As the cab skidded through the snowy streets of downtown Boston, Keely stared out the window at the dismal weather. She always lived her life by impulse, but now that she had something too precious to lose, she was going to take her time. If Rafe loved her, then he would wait. And if he didn't love her, then it was better to find that out now than after a wedding.

KEELY ARRIVED at the trendy Manhattan restaurant ten minutes late. The hostess showed her to the table where Olivia, Amy and Meggie waited. She'd been surprised by the invitation, wondering if the trio had traveled all the way to New York just to have lunch with her or if their invitation had been an afterthought. Olivia insisted they had planned a day of shopping, so Keely had immediately accepted, then suggested a good spot for lunch.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Keely said as she sat down. She grabbed the linen napkin from her plate and spread it on her lap. "It took me forever to get a cab. I should have just taken the subway. Have you ordered already?"

"We've just ordered our first bottle of wine," Olivia said. "Our lunches tend to go on until the late afternoon. And since we've decided to spend the night in New York, this one might go on well after dark."

"Have you been doing this for long?" Keely asked, curious about the camaraderie that had formed between the women in her brothers' lives.

Meggie took a sip of her wine. "It started with Olivia and me. And then when Amy and Brendan got together, we added her to the group. And now that you're a Quinn, we figured you might want to join us, too."

"What are we celebrating?" Keely asked as Olivia poured her a glass of white wine from a bottle that was nearly empty.

"It's a goodbye lunch for Amy. She and Brendan are leaving for Turkey next week. He's writing a book about something…exciting or important or-"

"An archaeological dig," Amy said.

"And she's going with him," Olivia continued. "They're going to live in a hut in the middle of winter in Turkey. I think she's crazy, she thinks it's romantic, Meggie's just worried whether they'll be able to get good coffee."

"It won't be so bad," Amy said. "And we're only going to be living at the site for a month in May. Before that, we're going to be with the research team in Ankara."

"How long will you be gone?" Keely asked.

"Three months. We'll be back right before Meggie's wedding in June."

"That's the real reason we wanted you to join us," Meggie said. "My wedding."

"Of course I'll make the cake," Keely said, not waiting for the obvious question. "I'd be happy to."

"That's not what I was going to ask," Meggie said. "I wanted to know if you'd be a bridesmaid. Olivia and Amy have already agreed and my wedding wouldn't be complete if I didn't have Dylan's only sister in the wedding party."

Keely was stunned by the invitation. "I-I don't know what to say."

Meggie laughed. "Say yes?"

At first, Keely wasn't sure she should. What if she wasn't around in June? But then, she realized that she was now a permanent part of the Quinn family. They'd accepted her as one of their own-for the rest of her life, she'd be a Quinn. "Yes. I'd love to be a bridesmaid. And I'll also make your cake if you'd like me to. It will be the most special wedding cake I've ever made."

"Take the offer on the cake," Amy said. "You should see what she does with frosting. Her cakes are like art. I wanted her for my first wedding but she wouldn't do any jobs outside New York City."

"I didn't know you were married before," Keely said.

"I wasn't. I ran away from home about a month before the wedding, but it had already been all planned. My mother saw your cakes in Town and Country. She had the pictures in her little wedding file and she was determined that you do my cake."

"When you marry Brendan, I'll do your cake, too. No charge for either of you since you're family now."

"So," Olivia said, "now that we have that business taken care of, we can get down to the reason we really invited you to lunch."

"I thought you came here to go shopping."

"We can shop in Boston," Olivia said. "We want to know about your wedding. To Rafe Kendrick. Ever since that night of the grand opening at the pub, we've all been a little curious."

Keely glanced back and forth between them, taking in their inquisitive expressions. Of all the conversation topics to choose from, Rafe Kendrick would have been her last choice. Since she'd walked out on him a week ago, they hadn't spoken. It was as if they were playing a game with each other, each of them unwilling to concede their point. "I'm not sure I'm going to marry Rafe Kendrick." Keely took a sip of her wine. "In fact, I might not ever see him again."

Olivia frowned. "What happened?"

"It's a long story."

Meggie reached out and grabbed Keely's hand. "You're family. You can tell us anything. And we do have a ladies' agreement here. Nothing that's said between us gets back to the men in the family. If you haven't noticed, the Quinn boys have a tendency to overreact."

Keely had never had a sister, but always dreamed that this was what it was like-secret conversations, unbreakable promises, an understanding ear. She'd been aching to talk to someone about her problems and now that she'd been given the chance, she wanted to tell them every detail.

"The last time I was in Boston we had a huge argument. He's been pressuring me to straighten things out with my family. You know how Seamus and my brothers feel. And my mother doesn't approve of him, either. So we've been sneaking around like a couple of teenagers, seeing each other whenever we can. It was kind of exciting at first, but Rafe is getting impatient and he gave me an ultimatum. Either I tell my parents and brothers that we're together and we're getting married, or we're finished."

"He's right," Amy said. "I mean, family is family. But love is love. My parents weren't pleased I wanted to marry Brendan. But I didn't care. I loved him. And my grandmother thought he was hot. So I wasn't going to let them stand in my way."

"At least you had someone behind you," Keely said. "No one wants me to marry Rafe."

"I do," Olivia said. "The way he proposed to you that night in the bar was so romantic."

"So do I," Meggie added. "It's obvious that he adores you. And he looked like he would have taken on all six of the brothers to prove his point."

Amy nodded. "And you have my vote, too."

Amazed by their unconditional support, Keely's spirits brightened. "I don't know. Marriage is difficult enough already. And my brothers could make our lives pretty miserable if they continue on with this grudge."

"Don't be such a coward," Meggie said. "You and Rafe are lucky to have found each other. If the family is the only thing standing in your way, then you're crazy to turn him away."

"And don't worry about the boys," Olivia said. "They'll come around once they see how happy Rafe makes you. And if they don't, we'll just have to apply a little pressure, won't we, ladies?"

"The Mighty Quinns aren't so mighty after all?" Keely asked.

Amy ordered another bottle of wine from the waiter, then grabbed a piece of bread and buttered it neatly. "Not when faced by the mighty women in their lives," she joked.

Keely took another sip of her wine, before Olivia filled her glass again. "It's not just my brothers. I have my business in New York. I have responsibilities. It would be hard to pick up and leave. I'd have to reestablish myself there. And I'm not sure Boston is ready for me and my cakes."

"Work is work," Olivia said. "And love is love. Besides, who says you'll have to move here? Maybe Rafe will move to New York."

"Maybe," Keely said. "I guess we never talked about it. I can bake cakes anywhere. And I do love him. And maybe I've been too obsessed with my family's reaction. They're not going to kick me out of the family, just because I marry Rafe."

"We won't let them," Meggie said.

Keely pulled her napkin off her lap and tossed it on the table. "I-I need to go."

"But we haven't had lunch yet," Olivia protested.

"I can't stay. I have a cake to make."

"Your customer can wait," Meggie said.

Keely shook her head. "Nope, not this customer. I have to make a wedding cake for me. I'm going to marry Rafe Kendrick."

"When?" they all asked.

"I don't know. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. But soon."

Keely gave each of them a quick kiss goodbye, then hurried out to the lobby. She found her coat at the coat check and quickly slipped into it. If she grabbed the subway out to Brooklyn, she could start working on the cake right away. By tomorrow morning, it would be done and on its way to Boston. After all, she couldn't possibly get married without a proper cake. It would be bad luck.

"I'm going to marry Rafe Kendrick," Keely murmured to herself. "I'm going to marry Rafe Kendrick and to hell with what my family thinks."

RAFE SAT at his desk, his feet kicked up on the edge, the Wall Street Journal open in front of him. He tried to concentrate on the article he was reading, but he'd started and stopped so many times he was ready to give up completely. Interest rates on municipal bonds would have to wait. With a soft curse, he swung his feet off his desk and refolded the paper.

He'd been working so hard lately, throwing himself into projects simply to occupy his mind with something other than Keely. He blamed himself for their fight and their broken engagement-even though they never really were engaged, not officially. She had warned him against his ultimatum, yet he'd refused to back down. And when he'd emerged from the shower, she'd been gone, her engagement ring left behind on the bedside table. The message was clear. As far as she was concerned, it was over.

So where did he go from here? Rafe had done everything he could to convince her that they belonged together, short of standing out on Boston Common in his boxer shorts and shouting his devotion to the world. They'd just fallen in love at the wrong time. Until she worked out her worries about her family, he'd always come in second.

If he didn't have an ego, then maybe he could put himself second. Maybe he could go on as they had, carrying on an affair outside her family's knowledge, never really committing themselves fully to a relationship. But if he was willing to put Keely first in his life, he expected the same from her.

Rafe pulled his desk drawer open and withdrew the small velvet box. He wasn't sure why he'd kept the ring. Maybe he still held out hope that Keely would wear it one day. He did have a money-back guarantee with the jeweler so he wouldn't have to worry about the ring turning into a constant reminder of Keely. When he was ready, he'd simply return it and that would be the end of that. Maybe he'd take a nice vacation with the money. Somewhere warm with the maximum number of beautiful women in the minimum amount of clothes.

A knock sounded on the door and Rafe tossed the ring back into the drawer along with the box. A few seconds later, Sylvie entered carrying a large package. "This was just delivered for you."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It's marked personal and confidential." She set it on his desk. "Should I open it?"

"Why not? Isn't that what 'personal and confidential' means? 'Sylvie may open this package."'

Sylvie rolled her eyes then ripped the top off the box. She peered inside, then frowned.

"What is it?" Rafe asked.

"I'm not sure." She reached down then pulled her hand back and stuck her finger in her mouth. "I think it's a cake. Only it looks like a pair of shoes and a shoe box. Loafers, I think."

Rafe stood up and looked into the box. Then he stepped back and laughed. "Italian loafers. Made in Milan. Keely sent this."

"She sent you a cake that looks like shoes."

"The night we met, she threw up on my shoes. Ruined a very expensive pair of loafers. She promised to get me a new pair."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Sylvie said.

"Yeah," Rafe murmured. "It is." The ball had been in her court and she just hit it back, Rafe mused. So things weren't completely over between them. He raked his hand through his hair and shook his head. "That woman could drive a man seriously insane."

"The frosting is absolutely sinful," Sylvie said. "Can we eat it now or is it just to look at?"

"It's supposed to be enjoyed," said a soft voice. They both turned. Keely stood at the door, a sly smile on her face.

She was dressed for the cold in a long wool coat, a slouchy hat and a wildly patterned scarf. "It's a banana cake with a ganache filling." She met Rafe's gaze. "I told you I'd get you a new pair of shoes. They're not Italian, but they taste a lot better."

Rafe stared at her for a long moment. Though he'd tried not to think about her over the past week, he'd never been able to get her completely out of his head. And now he knew why. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known and the only woman he'd ever love.

He slowly walked over to her and tugged off her hat, then pulled the scarf from around her shoulders.

Sylvie looked between them both. "I think I'll go see if I can find a knife and some plates." She hurried out of the office, closing the door behind her.

"It's a nice cake," Rafe murmured. "You're very talented."

"It's an original design," Keely said. "One of my specialty wedding cakes."

Rafe's eyebrow rose. "A wedding cake? For whom?"

"For us. I figure if we go get the license today we can get married on Thursday."

He stared at her for a long moment. "You mean it?"

"I do," Keely said. "I don't want to wait until my mother and father and brothers approve. I want to get married now, Rafe. I want to prove to them that you're in my life for good and there's nothing they can say that's going to change that. I love you and that's all that matters."

"But don't you want a big church wedding?"

"It doesn't make any difference. I never thought I'd say that, but it really doesn't. What matters is that we'll be married and we'll be able to start our life together. So, will you marry me, Rafe?"

"I will, Keely."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. Rafe couldn't believe that it was really going to happen, that Keely would finally be his. He hugged her tightly, then kissed her slowly and thoroughly, until he'd finally convinced himself that he wasn't imagining the whole thing.

Keely tipped her head back and looked into his eyes. "I want my ring back," she said. "You better not have returned it to the jeweller."

"It's in my desk."

Keely slipped out of his embrace, then began to search through desk drawers. Rafe bent over and pulled the middle drawer open, then fished the ring out of his pile of paper clips. "You're going to leave it on this time, aren't you?"

"Just try to get it off me." Keely held out her hand and Rafe slipped the ring on her finger. Then she pressed her palm to her heart and smiled. "So, what should we do first?"

"Have you told your parents?"

Keely shook her head. "Nope. And I'm not going to. You and I are going to get married and if they don't like it, then they can…go to hell."

Rafe reached out and took her hand. "Maybe you should think about this, Keely. They're going to be pretty angry if you just run off and marry me. They're going to think I talked you into it."

"Well, you did," she said. A frown wrinkled her brow. "Are you backing out now? I thought this was what you wanted."

"Of course it is. But is this the way to go about it?"

"This is the way I want it," Keely said. "I used to think I wanted a huge wedding, the more elaborate the better. But I've realized that it's not the wedding that's important. It's the marriage. I want to be married to you, Rafe. For now, till death do us part and happily ever after. So let's just do it."

"All right," Rafe said with a smile. He cupped her face in his palms and gave her a quick kiss. "Where?"

"Here in Boston, at the courthouse. I called about a license. There's a three-day waiting period, so if we go down today and apply, we can get married in three days."

"All right. But if we have three days, then I think we should at least make it special."

"All right," Keely agreed. "I'll buy a dress."

"And I'll get you flowers. And what about a honeymoon?"

"I don't know," she said. "We might have to put it off for a while."

"I'll take care of the honeymoon."

Keely smiled. "Then that about does it. We've managed to plan our wedding in what-ten seconds? That's got to be some kind of record."

"We'll need a witness, too," Rafe said. He reached over and pushed the button for his intercom. "Sylvie, can you come back in here?"

A few seconds later, she appeared at the door. "Do you want a piece of cake?"

"Put the cake in the refrigerator. Then cancel all my appointments for the next two weeks. And clear your calendar for Thursday. Keely and I are getting married and we'll need you to serve as a witness."

Sylvie's eyes went wide and she gasped. "Married? You're getting married?"

"And give Judge Williams a call and see if he'll do the ceremony for us. I worked with him on that charity dinner last year for the mayor. And I'm going to need some plane tickets, too."

"I'm invited to the wedding?" Sylvie asked. "Would you like me to call the other guests as well?"

"You're the only guest," Keely said. "We decided to keep our wedding very simple."

"All right then. I guess I better get to work." She rushed out of the office, pulling the door shut behind her.

Rafe grabbed Keely up and swung her around, giving her a fierce hug. He was almost afraid to let go, afraid that she might change her mind. Though this was exactly what he'd wanted, Rafe couldn't help but feel a little hesitant. They really hadn't solved the problem with her family. They'd just taken a detour around it. Sooner or later, Keely would have to tell them they were married and face the consequences.

If he were a sensible guy, he'd put the brakes on. After all, Keely did have a history of impulsive behavior and this was a prime example. But Rafe wanted Keely more than he wanted to do the sensible thing. If she was determined to get married in three days, who was he to argue?