Irish Lullaby

The next day was more than eventful, I woke up to find Tegan staring at me from the chair across the room, when I sat up he laughed at my facial expression of What in the hell and walked off, Sanders walked in and laughed at my open mouth, eyes wide, slightly whispering What and dragging it out, then Karen ran in the room, grabbed me up from the bed, took me off to the kitchen and made me help her cook breakfast, which I won't lie, I enjoyed it because it was just eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes and something called chitlins, after I helped her cook I took a minute to call Elina and postpone the wedding to Thursday because of the short time limit and then decided to go eat.

"Good morning Harper," James said as he walked past me to kiss his wife, I smiled as I scooped the eggs I was stirring into a large bowl and handed it to Tegan who eagerly took it to the table, soon after we put everything there, said grace thanks to Anthony and his short Bless you father for our food, amen and soon I was eating the eggs, the bacon, the toast, the pancakes and then the chitlins.

"Uh," Sanders bit his lip as he reached across the table, grabbing my hand that held the fork; he chuckled causing me to look up at him in confusion. "Sweetheart do you know what you're eating?"

"Something called chitlins," I said slowly as I laid the fork down. "Why?"

"You know how you asked what Mutton was?"

"Oh God it's sheep," I could feel my face turning paler as my hands began to sweat, and my stomach began to talk back, everyone stopped shoveling food in there mouths and stared at me in confusion.

"No," he contained the laughter and only sought out a grin. "Mutton is sheep, chitlins are pig intestines."

Well, if he would have said it was sheep guts, I think I might have handled it better.

The next thing I know, Sanders is holding my hair back as I emptied every content from the past couple hours, out of my stomach and into the porcelain fiend called a toilet, while he tried his hardest not to laugh, I'll give him props, he didn't say anything when I ran for the bathroom, he just followed. "I'm sorry," I mumbled as I stood up and leaned on his side. "I think I could have handled it before I scarped half of it down."

"Don't worry," he chuckled. "Anthony's girlfriend last time I was here threw up in his lap from mom's mutton soup."

"Oh thank the lord I didn't do that," I walked with him outside the bedroom, into the kitchen. "Are we ready to go?"

"Actually, everything is loaded we are set," Anthony walked up with his hair in a low ponytail; he grinned at me and tilted his head. "Feeling better lass?"

"A little."

"Just a wee bit eh? You should really try the mutton soup if you love chitlins so much," Anthony grinned as he walked past Sanders, patting his back as he went.

"You're brother is mean," I grumbled as Sanders walked outside with me to a large red, rusted truck. "Oh…this you're dad's?"

"Yeah, it's loaded, go on and get in," he opened the door and helped me inside; I leaned against the window and groaned. "Feeling okay?"

"I really hate pigs now," I covered my face with my arm after hearing him start laughing, soon it faded and I could tell he walked back inside.

"Hello Miss Harper," Tegan's rough voice carried from the front of the car, I lifted my head and smiled at Tegan, his hair was slightly messy and all over the place. "Sleep well last night?"

"Yes I did, thank you," I nodded.

"I can tell why, my brother was literally you're pillow the whole night," he chuckled as he looked at the house. "He left the door open I guess after you fell asleep, I woke to go feed the sheep and seen you sleeping with you're head on his chest."

Blushing, I looked away with a nervous laugh. "Did he know I slept like that?"

"Yes he did," Sanders said from beside me, I jerked back with a shriek, causing Sanders to grin and Tegan to go into hysterics.

"Man that was hilarious, I like her. Can I scare her too?"

"No you may not," Sanders said as he opened the door and plopped down beside me, he raised his arm and put it behind my back while pulling me closer, he leaned down against my ear and smiled. "You looked beautiful this morning, that's why I didn't wake you."

"Yes I did that myself," Tegan grinned proudly as he honked the horn on the beat-up, pick-up.

"Yes, by scaring me from ever being in a room near you while I sleep," I chuckled as I leaned my head on Sanders shoulder.

"Oh I didn't mean that," he grinned mischievously as he honked the horn again. "Oh bloody hell! Get out here!" he grumbled and leaned against the seat. "I swear I'll leave them if they don't get there arses in gear."

"Tegan be nice," Sanders said slowly with a grin of amusement on his lips. "They said they had to phone the neighbors and see if they would run the ranch while we're gone," he huffed slightly. "Apparently no one told me old man Wayward died."

"Oh you didn't know," Tegan said slowly as he nodded his head. "Yes, back three years ago, had a heart attack on the tractor."

"Shame too, I liked him."

"He was a good man," Tegan said sadly as he took a deep sorrowful breath. "But he's in a much better place now."

"Would you stop honking that damn horn boy!" James yelled as he walked out to the truck holding three suitcases, one in each hand and one under his right armpit. "I'm trying to get you're mother out of the house without her taking half our belongings and you're out here annoying the piss out of me."

"Sorry pa," Tegan snickered as he grabbed the suitcases from him and sat them behind my back; he grinned down at me and winked. "Pissed him off pretty good eh?"

"I really like you're dad," I giggled against Sanders chest; he chuckled deeply and rubbed the top of my back. "He's funny."

"That was him being serious," he grinned as he kissed the top of my head, I smiled slightly and let him kiss slowly over my eyelids, then my nose and then my cheeks, but before he kissed my lips, a snicker came from in front of us.

"Someone's being romantic and its making me slightly nauseated," Anthony sat in the passenger seat, ready to get in the back, I grinned and blushed a little as Sanders laughed pretty loudly, causing me to flinch from the noise that echoed in the old truck.

"Sorry brother," Sanders chuckled as he let his happiness calm him. "But we are about to get married."

"In what was it? Three days was it now? Are you honestly going through with this?" Tegan asked slightly shocked at his own bluntness, he stopped and turned to me with an apologetic look on his gorgeous Huckabee family trait-ed face. "Forgive me, I just meant you've only been together for a week was it? I don't know how someone can fall in love within a couple days."

"I understand," I smiled softly as I patted his hand while was perched on the back seat. "Don't apologize."

"Alright," Karen climbed into the cab of the truck and sighed. "We're ready," she sat between James and Tegan, who was driving the truck. "How long was this flight again son?"

"Around twenty two to twenty four hours ma," he said softly as Tegan pulled out from in front of there log cabin, I turned slightly in my seat and gazed out the window to see the log cabin passing by.

After a long, cramped truck ride to the small Dublin airport, I was seated beside Karen and Sanders, while Tegan, James and Anthony sat a row behind us, I grinned slightly as I waved down a brunette stewardess. "Can I get a Jack Daniels please?"

"Yes ma'am, I'll be right back with your drink."

"Thank you," I whispered as I leaned back and looked from Sanders, who was trying not to show how amused he was by my panic induced need of alcohol, I glared slightly and turned to look at Karen, who smiled sadly.

"Don't like planes do you love?"

"I really can't stand them, they scare me witless," I mumbled as I leaned back against the chair and gripped the armrest. "You don't seem to mind them?"

"No, I don't really mind them, I used to have to fly all over the place when I was a stewardess back in my day," she grinned slightly as she patted my hand, which was tightly gripped around the plastic armrest like it was my life line.

"You were a stewardess?" I asked, trying to forget that the plane was slowly ascending into the air, meaning I would be laying my life in the hands of two or more pilots that I've never met in my life, not an easy way to feel relaxed, its almost impossible.

"Ah yes before I gave birth to Anthony, I was a stewardess for a couple years," she smiled softly as she looked up at the white plastic lined ceiling. "That is until I met James on one of the flights, he was such a sweet and honorable man, he asked if we could stay in touch and we did."

"That's so sweet," I smiled softly, forgetting my fears as I seen the look of pure happiness on her face, I felt bad that I was lying to her, this whole marriage was a scam for my family and yet they all think its real, everyone but Sanders and I.

I feel kind of lousy.

"Here you go ma'am," the stewardess handed me my bottle and a small cup filled with square ice cubes. "Have a nice flight."

"Thank you," I said as I opened my bottle and poured it into the cup.

"How did you meet my Alexander?" Karen struck me with, almost causing me to gasp and drop the drinks.

"I met him at his work, in a library in Chicago, I stayed to late and he asked if I wanted to go get some coffee," I smiled softly at the memory, at least I told her the truth, I did meet him like that, and I did like it a lot, he seemed like such a sweet man then, but now he's so much more. A gentleman and a very selfless one at that, that again I am using.

Now I feel even more than kind of lousy.

"How sweet," she smiled as she looked over at Sanders, leaning across me she giggled slightly. "He's out cold."