Chapter 6
Michael stared at her for a couple of minutes before taking her hand in his slowly. “Very nice to meet you finally,” he said slowly as he released her hand and allowed his wife to greet her. They had come over from the airport where Jason had sent a driver for them. The children, a boy and a girl, ages ten and seven, looked like their father with their dark brown hair. Leah Collins was an attractive woman with a coffee and cream complexion and hazel eyes. She greeted warmly as if she had known her for ages. They were staying at one of the apartments close to the one Jason was staying at. He had persuaded her to come and stay with him at his place as she was plagued by reporters ever since their engagement had been announced.
“Are you going to marry Uncle Jace?” Lilly piped up as she looked up at .
“She is,” Jason answered as he bent to pick up his niece in his arms. “She is going to be your aunty. How about that?”
Lilly looked over at for a moment as if deciding whether or not she was suitable and then nodded.
“Good girl.” Jason kissed his niece’s soft cheek. “How about pizza?”
“Yay!” Matthew said, his eyes brightening.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Mind if I have a word alone with you?” Michael asked as the others went into the living room.
Jason turned and looked at them with his niece still in his hands. “It’s okay,” said with a smile. She had a feeling that Michael did not completely trust her.
She went into the kitchen and reached for a bottle of wine. It was Saturday afternoon and she knew that the family had been traveling since last night and were probably tired. “Would you like some?” she asked him.
“Thanks.” Michael sat on the stool and watched as she poured the wine and brought it to him. “I have never seen my brother this way or move so fast in a relationship. Your mother lives in the UK?”
“You already know that,” she said smoothly as she came to join him around the counter. “I have a feeling that you have information about me that I don’t even remember.”
“He is my younger brother and I want what is best for him,” Michael sipped the wine and hid the amused smile.
“And you want to make sure that I am not a gold digger out to take down the family fortune,” she said coolly. “I understand perfectly, Michael, and I am telling you here up front that I am not that person. Jason did all the chasing and I allowed him to capture me. He is a roller coaster and things are happening in my life that I never thought would happen.”
“Are you in love with him?”
“That’s none of your business.” His brother’s deep voice sounded from the doorway. The pizza had arrived and he had come to find them.
Michael got to his feet. “I am looking out for you.”
“I don’t need you to.” Jason had come up behind and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I am an adult and I know what I am doing. That’s all you need to know.”
Michael looked from one to another and then placing his glass on the counter he walked away.
“I am sorry.” Jason turned her to face him. “We looked out for each other when our parents died and he is protective of me.”
“I don’t blame him.” ran her hands over his chest. “I was an only child so I cannot relate. He has your interests at heart, Jason.”
“Still, that did not give him the right to question you.” He tilted her chin up. “I want to marry you and I want us to go ahead and make the date for April.”
“It’s March now,” she protested.
“We will get a wedding planner. You don’t have to do anything. Just say yes.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“We will call your mother later.”
*****
“He loves her,” Leah murmured to her husband that night after they had gone to the apartment and the children had been settled for the night.
“How can you tell?” Michael asked her dryly as he watched her rub cream into her skin.
Leah looked at him in the mirror and smiled. “You are suspicious. You are naturally suspicious, darling. You were that way when we met. You thought I was into you because of who are. It took a few months to prove otherwise. Jason loves her, Michael, and she appears to be a nice person.”
“He is moving too fast,” Michael growled. “He puts her in charge of the company and they are planning to get married in less than four weeks. It’s too fast. I asked him if she was pregnant.”
“Michael Collins,” his wife admonished him gently.
“He told me to go to hell!” he said wryly. “I cannot help but look out for him. I have never seen him behave this way where a woman is concerned before. He was always the love them and leave them type.”
“So you should be happy that he is finally settling down.”
“I am.” She looked at him in the mirror. “I am really,” he said with a laugh. “Come here, woman.”
*****
“Mom, I know it is happening fast, but it is what I want,” she told her mother as she sat at her desk at work. The wedding planner had met with her and she had left everything in her hands. Michael and his family were leaving at the end of the week to come back later for the wedding. He was still wary around her but she and Leah got on like a house on fire. The kids had warmed to her and had felt something as she watched Jason with his niece and nephew. He had told her that he wanted them to wait to have children and she had agreed.