Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
~CAMERON~
“ A nd that’s about it.” I push my hand through my hair and glance around at the guys, who have all assembled in Hunter’s gym, where I’ve just filled them all in on the past few days.
Of course, I left out the part about the best sex of my damn life, even though I’m headed toward forty, but Maggie’s older brothers, not to mention her father, don’t want to hear that part.
“You’ve been busy,” Hunter says. “Is your head still whirling?”
“Pretty much,” I confirm.
“That’s a lot of money,” Shawn adds. “And it pisses me right off that it took her two years to find it. That fucker.”
A fresh wave of guilt hits me because I knew about the account all along.
But I couldn’t tell her.
“Well, she has it now,” Kane says. “And wasted no time getting the things she needs, which is a good start.”
“She wouldn’t choose a fridge,” I inform them. “She insisted I do it. Has she always been this indecisive?”
“No,” Kane replies.
“Not until she married The Lemon ,” Shawn adds. “After, whenever we asked for her opinion on something, she would say, ‘ Whatever is easiest is fine. ’”
I narrow my eyes as it all starts to make sense. Why didn’t I think of it before?
“So, she’s not good at asking for help or for things that she really wants. She’ll just go with the status quo, even if that means that she takes something she doesn’t like.”
“What a prick,” Hunter mutters and shakes his head. “So, in other words, he just always got his way, and Maggie put up with it.”
“Yeah, so now she’s used to that,” Keegan says. “She just goes with the flow, and anyone who knew her as a kid knows that’s not her. ”
“My Maggie is a fireball,” Tom adds. “She’s always been opinionated and not afraid to voice those opinions. Sometimes, that’s still the case, but not when it comes to herself. She’ll get better as time goes on. It’s glad I am that my girl had you to lean on in all of this,” Tom says as he claps his hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for helping her.”
“She did it all,” I say, meaning every word. “I was just there as moral support. She stood up for herself at that bank and handled Heather perfectly. She loves the new car.”
“So, here’s the million-dollar question,” Keegan says as he lifts a dumbbell and curls his biceps, trying out the new equipment. “When are you going to pop the question?”
Five sets of eyes turn to me, and I can only grin. “If I thought she’d say yes, I’d ask her today. But we’re not there yet. She’s had a busy week, and she’s finally starting to put all of the shit she went through with The Lemon to rest and move on. We have time, you know? But I will ask when the time is right.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Hunter says with a grin. “Look at us, all a bunch of Mushy Marcias over a bunch of women and babies. And that’s not a bad thing.”
“As it should be,” Tom says with a wink. “Because life wouldn’t be worth living if we didn’t have them with us.”
“I didn’t think I’d ever marry,” Kane admits, shaking his head. “Wasn’t even on my radar. I was happy out in that barn by myself, marking time by how much glass I blew. Until I saw Anastasia sitting on that bench in my museum, and it was like everything in the world was suddenly in color. Does that make me a Mushy Marcia? Aye, it does, and that doesn’t bother me in the least.”
“Same goes,” Hunter says with a grin, then looks out the window when we hear a car door close. “Well, the kid showed up, after all.”
“Who’s the kid?” I ask, joining him at the window.
“Rachel’s been dating this boy, Brian Masterson.”
“I know the Masterson boy,” Keegan says with a nod. “It’s a good family.”
“I actually like him,” Hunter admits as we all walk out of the gym and to the driveway where Brian just stepped out of his car. “But he doesn’t need to know that yet.”
“Hello, Mr. Meyers,” Brian says with a brave smile. I can see that he’s nervous, but he holds his hand out to shake Hunter’s. “Thanks for inviting me here today.”
The young man turns to all of us and keeps that brave smile in place.
“I’m Brian. I’ve been seeing Rachel.”
“So we hear,” Kane says and folds his arms over his chest. “How old are you?”
“Seventeen,” Brian replies. “Rachel and I are in the same grade.”
His eyes dart to the house as the nerves start to show more, but we don’t move. We’re here to check him out, make sure he’s good enough for our girl.
“What do you plan to do after high school?” Shawn asks him.
“College, but I’m not sure where yet. I’ll probably stay here in Washington.”
“Have you ever been in trouble?” I ask him. “And you best not lie because I can find out anything I want to know about you with the press of a few buttons.”
“Uh, no. No, sir. I once got detention because I accidentally set fire to something in science class.”
“Are you an arsonist?” Hunter demands. “Are you going to burn down my fucking house?”
“No.” Brian laughs. “Of course, not.”
“And do you plan to sleep with my niece?” Keegan asks.
Brian opens his mouth, then closes it again. Licks his lips. “Honestly, I don’t know how to answer that. If I say no, you’ll ask me what’s wrong with her, when there’s nothing at all wrong with her. She’s awesome. If I say yes, you’ll punch me in the face. So, there’s no right answer, except to say I’ll always be respectful, and I would never ask her to do something she doesn’t want to do.”
We glance at each other in surprise.
“I think that was the right answer,” I say at last and clap him on the shoulder. “Come on. We’ll go in and help out in the kitchen.”
“Did I pass that test?” Brian whispers to me.
“So far. Don’t fuck it up, and you’ll stay alive.”
“Ma usually kicks us out of the kitchen,” Shawn says. “But I’d like to steal a bite of something. I’m starved.”
“We brought an appetizer,” Keegan informs his brother.
“Why didn’t you say so?” Shawn says, and we file in the back door of Maeve and Hunter’s gorgeous house that sits on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
This is exactly the type of place I envision Maggie wanting to live in. And if that’s the case, I’ll buy a house like this for her. Maeve will have ideas. And if the perfect house doesn’t currently exist, I’ll build her one.
We descend on the kitchen, making the women laugh. Fiona shoos Shawn away from the pot she has boiling on the stove, just as he predicted.
“Get out of my way, Shawn O’Callaghan,” she says, but then she pats him gently on the cheek. “It’s hungry you are, I’m sure. There are some goodies over there on the island to keep you at bay until we’re done in here.”
“Brian!” Rachel exclaims and hurries over to hug him. “Oh, God, were my uncles mean to you?”
“No,” Brian assures her with a smile. “They’re really nice.”
“Right.” Rachel narrows her eyes and glares at us all but then smiles. “They’re just overprotective.”
With a glance, I realize that Maggie’s not in the kitchen, so I set off in search of her.
I find her with Maeve and Lexi in the living room. Before I can join them, I hear Maeve say, “I don’t like the problems you’re having with your house, especially because you live alone. I know you settled on that place, Maggie, because you couldn’t afford what you wanted. Why don’t you sell it and buy what you really want?”
“It’s fine,” Maggie replies, the way she always does, and my jaw firms in frustration. I’ll be damned if this woman will continue to settle. She deserves so much more than that. “It suits my needs just fine. It’s just appliances, Maeve. My roof didn’t cave in like at your old house. My staircase isn’t a rushing river.”
“Just think about it,” Lexi says. “You’ve always wanted something closer to the water, and now you can afford that. I know we could find you something beautiful.”
“I want to know how it’s going with The Cock,” Lexi says, lowering her voice, and both of my eyebrows climb into my hairline in surprise.
Maggie giggles. “He’s good. Like, really good. No complaints there. And not just in the bedroom, but in every way. We’re enjoying each other, and he’s so nice. And, yes, the sex is superb.”
“Attagirl,” Lexi says. “I told you, the bossiness is fun in the bedroom.”
“You weren’t wrong,” Maggie says.
She’s been telling her sisters about our sex life?
The idea has a smile spreading over my face. I know she confides in these women, and from the sound of it, she’s happy. That’s what I want.
It doesn’t bother me at all if she talks to them about us.
“Mags?” I call out and round the corner into the room. “The food’s in there,” I announce and point toward the kitchen. “What are you ladies up to?”
“We heard all of you file in and knew we wouldn’t be able to think through the noise,” Lexi says with a smile as Maggie’s face flushes, and Maeve clears her throat over a laugh. “Also, Fiona keeps shooing us away, even though we’re just trying to help.”
“She likes to fuss,” Maeve says and presses a hand against her belly. “This one likes to kick.”
“Oh, let me feel,” Maggie says and pounces on her sister, pressing her face to Maeve’s stomach. “Talk to Auntie Mags, little love. That’s right, tell me all about it.”
I smirk as Keegan comes into the room holding his daughter, Eve.
“Our family has grown odd,” he decides and sways back and forth with the baby. “Isn’t that right, wee one?”
“She’s beautiful,” I inform him and reach over to let the baby grab my finger. “And she has a firm grip.”
“I’m reminded every time she reaches for my hair,” Izzy says as she joins us. “I live my life in a ponytail these days.”
“Tommy, you come here with that!” Anastasia yells as her son toddles into the room, running with a full-sized pickle in his pudgy little grasp. “You can’t eat that whole thing. You’ll make a huge mess.”
We spend an hour, a full hour , laughing at the babies’ antics, and I find myself holding a sleepy Eve, rocking her in the chair in a corner, watching the others.
“Hello, lovely girl. You are a sweetheart, aren’t you?” Her green eyes are huge as she sucks on her pacifier and plays with my chin. “Are you going to let yourself drift off to sleep? You look a little sleepy. Your mama said it’s your naptime.”
I glance up and find Maggie watching me soberly, and when I smile at her, her face softens into a smile.
Jesus, I want this with her. I want babies and a marriage. A home.
“You’re awfully comfortable with a baby in your arms,” Stasia says as she sits next to me and coos at Eve. “It’s pretty damn cute.”
“Damn!” Tommy announces, and Stasia hangs her head in shame. “Why? Why does he only say the bad words?”
“And now we have proof that it’s not my fault,” Kane says with a laugh, scooping up his son and kissing the boy’s round cheek. “You can’t be saying that, lad. It makes your mother a little nuts.”
“Nuts,” Tommy says, pointing at his mom.
“Not helping,” Stasia informs her husband.
“Okay, everyone. Dinner’s ready,” Fiona announces as she walks into the living room, where we’ve all gathered. Her eyes grow misty, and she reaches for Tom’s hand. “And isn’t this a fine bunch? All of our loves together.”
“Ma’s getting sentimental,” Shawn warns and stands to make a beeline for the dining room. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
“Thanks for bringing the cake, Anastasia,” Fiona says to her daughter-in-law as she gets ready to cut the white cake with ornate flowers decorating the top. “It’s just beautiful. Is this the sort of thing you’ll be selling in your new bakery?”
“On a smaller scale,” Stasia confirms. “No more wedding cakes for me because they take too much time. We’re getting close to opening. Just a few weeks left. We’ve decided to call it O’Callaghan’s Bakery.”
Tom’s head comes up in surprise. “You are?”
“We are,” Kane says. “It’s a fine name and carries some tradition with it.”
“A fine name it is,” Tom agrees. “What sorts of things will you be selling then?”
“We’ll have some Irish baked goods that I’ve learned to make during our visits to Ireland, along with some traditional American things. And I took some advice and spoke with the diner. They said they’d like some pastries each morning, as well.”
“I’ll be first in line the day you open,” Keegan says. “Congratulations to the two of you.”
“Stasia,” Fiona says as she cuts into the pretty cake. “This is pink on the inside.”
My eyebrows rise. Maggie squeezes my hand, and Izzy and Keegan share a look. Keegan nods.
“Well, I confided in the girls a couple of weeks ago, but we wanted to give it a little more time before we announced to everyone. And then, Maggie was gone, and so much has been happening. Anyway,” Izzy says, “I’m pregnant again. And, we just found out that it’s a girl.”
“Eve’s going to be a big sister,” Maeve says and jumps up to hug Keegan in excitement. “And, coincidentally, we just found out the sex of ours a couple of days ago. The little stinker has been shy in our last few scans. It’s a boy!”
The amount of excited noise that this group of people can make is on a decibel similar to that of championship football Sunday.
More hugs, tears, and laughter are spread around.
“I get a brother!” Rachel exclaims and hugs Maeve. “He’s going to be so cute. Can we make his room a race car theme?”
“We can make it whatever you want,” Hunter says with a wink.
“So much good news,” Fiona says and wipes her eyes, then reaches for more tissues. “So many blessings.”
“We have more,” Shawn adds, smiling proudly at his wife as he wraps his arm around her shoulders. “No babies for us, but Lexi finished her book, and it’s already been optioned for a movie.”
“Holy shit!” Maggie exclaims and makes a beeline for Lexi, who’s already been swept up in hugs.
“Shit!” Tommy mimics.
“Oops.” Maggie cringes. “Sorry. This is the best news. I want to read it.”
“I’ll send it to you,” Lexi promises. “And being optioned isn’t a guarantee of a movie, but it’s pretty cool that it hasn’t even been released yet, and the studio is already interested.”
“Such a wonderful accomplishment,” I say and kiss her cheek. “Good job, Lex.”
Rachel brushes a tear from her cheek, and Maeve wraps her arm around the teenager. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m supposed to study abroad next year in France. But with the new babies, and all of the things happening with the family, I don’t want to go. Ma, I’ll miss everything. I don’t want to do that.”
“We’ll talk about it,” Hunter says and eyes Brian, who just lost his smile for the first time since he arrived.
I suspect there are several reasons that Rachel is rethinking her studies in Europe.
“There’s no law that says you can’t stay home,” Tom assures her as he takes her hand in his. Tom and Rachel have had a special bond since the day they met. “I think your grandma and I will be here more often, as well. We don’t want to miss anything either.”
“Oh, sure, we start having kids, and you’re around more,” Kane says.
“Of course. We have grandbabies,” Fiona says. “And more on the way. Thank goodness the house is almost ready for you, Keegan. You can’t squeeze much more into that apartment above the pub.”
“Just one more month,” Izzy says, crossing her fingers. “They’re wrapping up some last-minute things, and then we should be able to move in. I can’t wait. Not that I’m not grateful for the home we have.”
“You need more space,” Maeve assures her. “That’s not being ungrateful.”
Maggie walks over to me, takes the sleeping Eve from my arms, passes her to Lexi, and then sits in my lap.
God, I love having her in my arms, but this blatant display of affection is surprising, given that we’re with literally every single person in her family.
“Cake?” Rachel asks and passes us each a slice.
“Thanks,” Maggie says and takes a bite of the pink cake. “Good.”
“Get a room,” Stasia says from behind her hand, then winks at us. “Just kidding. I think you’re super cute. Maeve, can I put Tommy down for a nap somewhere? He’s falling asleep in his cake. It’s been a busy day.”
“Of course.” Maeve leads Stasia and the baby down the hall.
“My phone’s ringing,” Maggie says with a frown and wiggles around, tugging her phone from her pocket. “Hello? Leo?”
She sits up and plugs her other ear, listening.
“Okay, that sounds great. Yep. Okay. Thank you so much. This is exciting. Perfect, thank you.”
She hangs up, turns to me, and bites her lip.
“What is it?”
“He just emailed me the finished song. I get to listen to it.”