Page 47

F rom the doorway, Colin O’Rourke watched his cousin-in-law, many times removed, absently roll a pencil between his fingers.

They were still closer than brothers. They would die for each other, and that vow was not made in jest. Over the last few months, Colin witnessed Aidan’s countenance rapidly change from aloof back to easygoing.

Sitting at the desk, with Aidan leaning over her shoulder, Emma pointed to something on the screen in front of her.

She was deep into her marketing plan for a UK launch of Celtic Connections, and her face was all business until Aidan leaned slightly closer and whispered something in her ear.

She blushed and turned her head, capturing his lips.

Allowing himself a very small, very triumphant smile, Colin watched as the pencil dropped to the floor.

“Go away,” Aidan growled, not bothering to look up .

Emma laughed and pushed him back. “Aidan! What’s up, Col?”

Colin handed her the manila envelope. “I thought you might want this.”

Her eyes widened at the red CONFIDENTIAL stamp. “I don’t like envelopes with this kind of a stamp,” she muttered.

“I thought you’d like to see some of the science behind how we match people. This is one of our most successful matches in the company’s history.”

“Really?” Emma eyed it with more curiosity. “I thought we had a 100% success rate?”

“We do. But this one was a difficult match. The gentleman was in a dark place and he needed a special woman to brighten his world, to give him something to live for, though he didn’t know it.”

Emma blinked. “Did he say that?”

“Oh, absolutely not,” Colin chuckled. “He didn’t even know he was looking. That’s what makes it so successful. We recognized the problem and set about finding the most clever, strongest, sweetest woman in our database.”

Emma chuckled. “By we , you mean you . No one in this company has the skill you have in matching people. It’s a true gift, Colin.”

He shrugged noncommittally. “Even if it was only one of us who did the matching, we’re all a team here.

But that file contains the details as to how the system we implemented last year matched him with potential partners.

All of our research into each candidate is in there as well.

Just something to keep in mind while you’re preparing the marketing plan. ”

He turned to leave.

“Did I ever meet the bloke?” Aidan asked, his own curiosity obviously piqued.

Colin laughed. “Check out the file, it’s all in there. It’s my only copy, though; it’s been wiped from the servers. You can do with it what you want when you’re through.”

“I’m sure there’s a technical reason for wiping it from the servers,” Emma replied, her brow furrowing. “Right?”

Colin waved over his shoulder. “Just remember to stress that 100% rate. See you guys in a few weeks. I’m heading home.”

Emma turned the envelope over in her hands and raised her eyes to meet Aidan’s. “Should we open it now?”

He shrugged, then hooked a chair over to him and sat down. “Why not?”

Carefully, she opened it and pulled out the sheaf of papers. Her eyes widened. “It’s…”

Aidan took them and scanned the first few lines. “Me.”

“It’s us!” She flipped through the pages.

Aidan nodded decisively. “A wise decision on the part of my cousin.”

“Nephew,” she corrected.

“Clansman.”

She crossed her arms. “Fair enough.”

His eyes didn’t leave the paper in front of him. “He had you earmarked.”

Emma frowned. “ Earmarked ? What does that even mean?”

Aidan shook his head. “He marked you as unavailable. That arse,” he murmured. “That conniving, out-of-his-bloody-mind, brilliant arse.”

Emma nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah.” She paused. “Wait, though. I’m having a hard time following you here. I love that you’re upset on my behalf —”

“Oh, I’m not upset.”

Emma didn’t hear him, as she was ticking off her finger. “First, he earmarks me as unavailable, which is ridiculous, because I was totally available when I signed up. I guess this explains why I was never contacted for a date —”

“Seven years. You were in the system for seven years.”

Defensive, she snapped, “Ben and I broke up early in our relationship, and I applied then. I forgot about it when we got back together.”

Aidan shook his head. “I cannot believe it. He was waiting for me to pull my head out of my own arse.”

Emma paused in her agitation. “What has this to do with you?”

Aidan carefully placed the papers onto the desk.

“Before I met you, I was hell bent on returning to the past, to my brother. I refused to allow for the possibility of staying here, in the future.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Emmaline, he matched us seven years ago . It’s why you were never contacted for a date. ”

“How…how could he have known that then? He didn’t have any software to help match up candidates and clients.”

“He did not.”

“I just filled out a questionnaire online, then had a phone call to follow up…” She gasped. “I had a phone call with Colin !”

“I suspect you did.”

She traced his hand holding hers and after a moment, she swallowed hard. “So he matched us based on the information I gave him. What if it was wrong? What if I lied on my application?”

Aidan shrugged his shoulders. “If he matched you with me, I can guarantee that he had you fully vetted, my love. He never matches without a full background check, and that’s just to start the process.”

“I am…” she trailed off, trying to find the right word.

“Astounded? Shocked?”

“All of those things. But mostly, I’m impressed and awed. He’s going to take the UK by storm,” she murmured, her eyes drifting back to the screen.

“I’ve lost you to marketing work, haven’t I?” Aidan asked dryly.

“Never,” she replied absently. “I can’t believe he’s so good at this.”

“He’s not just good,” Aidan laughed. “He’s the best.”

“I think we owe it to him that the world knows that,” she agreed.

Aidan’s voice lowered. “I think I owe him much, much more.” He kissed her knuckles. “I love you, Emmaline MacWilliam.”

She gave him a soft smile. “And I love you, Aidan MacWilliam.”

“Marry me.”

She laughed. “We already are married.”

He was serious when he dropped to both his knees. “Marry me by choice this time. Marry me because you love me, not because you need me.”

“You silly man,” she choked. “I’ll always need you. But I’ll always love you, too. Of course I’ll marry you. Again.”

He kissed her, profoundly grateful for everything his family had done—and would continue to do—for him.

He was a blessed man, indeed.

The End