She said she would marry him and he could hardly believe it.

Proposing to Evelyn Carnahan wasn't something Rick O'Connell planned on doing at that particular moment, but the situation presented itself to him and he couldn't pass it up. She was a woman who was so different from what he'd encountered in the past and a stubborn streak that irritated the hell out of him when he first met her. But that stubborn streak revealed amazing pluck and it was that pluck he quickly fell in love with.

Neither had any idea of how to go about getting married by the ships captain before they made port the following afternoon, though it seemed simple enough. Rick promised Evelyn he would talk to the man to see what he could do, but first things first.

With Evelyn's hand firmly in his, Rick went in search of his soon to be brother in law to let him know what they planned to do.

They found Jonathan in the card room at a table with several other players. He was looking intently at the cards he held and when Rick looked over his shoulder, it wasn't a winning hand. He figured it was time to step in and start helping Evelyn look after him so Rick clapped a hand on his shoulder, which startled Jonathan. "That's a hell of a hand you have there!"

The other players groaned and tossed their own cards on the table.

"Now see here O'Connell, we were in the middle of a friendly game." Jonathan was indignant as they got up from the table and walked away.

"From what I saw of that hand, you were about to lose your shirt. Besides, Evelyn and I need to talk to you about something."

"It couldn't have waited until tomorrow?"

"Not unless you wanted to miss your only sister get married." Evelyn explained and Rick watched her as a flush spread across her cheeks.

Jonathan stood up and looked absolutely stunned. "I say old mum, what's this all about?"

"I asked your sister to marry me." Rick smiled at him.

"And I said yes." Evelyn finished. "He's going to ask the captain to marry us tomorrow and I'd like you to give me away."

"Evie." He said and Rick couldn't tell exactly what it was Jonathan was thinking.

Evelyn though apparently did and the happiness that was so evident a moment before began to fade. "Jonathan?"

"Married."

"I know it seems fast, but it's what I want. If I had any doubts, I wouldn't do it."

Rick took her hand to reassure her. "And if I weren't sure that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Evelyn, I wouldn't have asked her."

Jonathan seemed to shake himself out of whatever had gripped him because he suddenly smiled at Rick. "Well, I suppose this is my fault because I asked you to come with us. Evie will tell you I don't have a romantic bone in my body, but I'm not so much of a cynic that I didn't see the two of you tumble for each other. I knew if you came on this trip, you'd have to admit it eventually." He turned to Evelyn and took her hands. "I'll give you away Evie and with my blessing."

"Thank you Jonathan." She smiled back before she put her arms around his neck and hugged him.

He gave her a brief hug in return before he let her go. "Now, now enough of that. If you two are going to tie the knot as it were, we need to talk to the captain. I remember reading somewhere or another that we have to be a hundred miles out from shore for it to be legal. I don't think we have that problem right now, but we may if we wait until tomorrow."

The pair looked at each other and she tried not to smile. "My dear brother, just how do you know this?"

"That sort of information can come in very handy Evie, especially if you don't want to get married."

Rick glanced at Evelyn and she shook her head in amusement. "Don't ask."

"Fine with me." He answered.

Jonathan smiled at them. "Let me take care of the old boy and make the arrangements for you. Mother always said I had a silver tongue when I wanted something and it may come in handy for this."

"You don't need to do that Jonathan." Rick told him.

"I know that O'Connell, but my only sister wants to get married and it's something I really want to do."

"Thank you." He said and put his hand out, which Jonathan took and they shook.

"All right then. Well, you two behave yourselves and I'll go see about getting you married." And he walked out of the card room, leaving Rick and Evelyn behind.

"For a moment there, I thought he was going to deck me." Rick commented to her.

"For a moment there, he almost did." Evelyn answered. "But he thought better of it because he knew I wouldn't like it."

He took her hand and led her out of the room and back out to the deck. "There's still time if you want to change your mind."

"Not unless you've changed yours." She said. "This was awfully spur of the moment and if you want to take more time, I can wait."

"It seems that I've waited my whole life for this, for you and now that I have you I don't want to wait."

"Then it's settled. We're getting married." Evelyn declared before she put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jonathan never told them how he got the captain to do it, but two hours later Evelyn Rose Carnahan and Richard Alexander O'Connell stood in front of him and were married.

They exchanged vows to love and honor in sickness and in health and to forsake all others until they were parted by death.

There were no rings to exchange, but Rick promised her that when they reached England he would take her wherever she wanted to go and they would find something they both liked.

She told him that it wasn't important to her what she had on her hand, but what she felt in her heart. And her heart was filled with a happiness and a contentment that she'd never felt.

He understood what she meant because for the first time since he was orphaned, he felt as though he was finally a part of something. Something that was more important than adventure or money and it was called family.