Chapter 1
Ronan
January, present day…
Ronan O’Mara pulled the steaming hot lasagna from the oven, setting it on top of the stove before removing the cheesy garlic bread from the second rack. “Kids! Dinner!” he shouted.
Thankfully, the kids had already set the table because Ronan had no idea where the hell Jude and Cope kept plates and napkins. He supposed he should know by now, since he had been making dinner at their house several nights a week since Jude had come home from the hospital.
Hurrying into the living room, Ronan spied Jude trying to get off the sofa.
He rolled his eyes, but stayed silent. A minor miracle in itself.
“Here, I’ve got you.” Ronan offered his hands to his best friend and helped ease Jude to his feet.
He held Jude’s shoulders to make sure he had his balance.
A week ago, Ronan had made the mistake of letting Jude go before checking if he was steady and had watched in horror as Jude melted back down to the sofa.
It would have been hilarious if Jude hadn’t come so close to meeting his maker.
Jude sighed. “Thanks, man. Dinner smells great.” He took a few steps toward the kitchen as the kids ran down the stairs.
“I’m so hungry, I could eat a whole elephant!” Wolf announced before running into Ronan, who was holding up traffic so Jude could get to the table without the kids knocking him over.
“Yeah, well, what if the elephant wanted to eat you too?” Ronan poked Wolf’s tummy. “You’d be an appetizer. One tiny friend ravioli.”
“What would I be, Daddy?” Everly asked.
“You woulda be a spicy meat-a-ball!” Ronan grinned.
“You need to work on that accent, Uncle Ronan.” Aurora said. “You don’t sound Italian at all.”
Ronan begged to differ. “What do I sound like?”
“A dork!” Aurora sprinted past Ronan, leaving him alone with his daughter.
“Am I a dork?” Ronan asked. “You can tell the truth. It’s okay, I can take it.” Ronan knew his daughter would give it to him straight with her usual dose of sweetness. After all, he was Everly’s favorite parent.
“No, Daddy, you’re not a dork.” Everly kissed Ronan’s cheek. “You’re Super Dork!” She giggled and ran into the kitchen.
Ronan clutched his heart. This was how it ended. It would have hurt less if his darling first born had stuck a knife in his back and gave it a twist.
The front door burst open and in ran Lizzy and Ezra, both still dressed in their little karate uniforms, complete with white belts.
“Oh, no you don’t, monkeys!” Ronan grabbed both giggling kids. “There’s no way you’re eating lasagna wearing white.”
“We’ve got clothes for them,” Cope said, panting as he walked into the house, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
“There wasn’t time to get them dressed after class ended.
Or now.” He pointed to Lizzy, who had stripped out of her gi and was left in her undershirt and diaper.
She made a break for the kitchen. Ezra, now similarly undressed, was right behind her.
Ronan got off the floor to hug Ten. “Why do you both look so exhausted?” Each man looked as if they’d run a marathon.
“We had to recapture the runners.” Ten sighed. “Getting twenty three-year-olds to stand in one place at the same time is impossible. We should have gotten hazard pay.”
“It was Jude’s idea to sign Lizzy up for kiddie karate. I didn’t know I’d be the one learning all the moves. I ache in places I didn’t even know I had.” Cope slumped into his seat. “You’re gonna have to serve the meal, Ronan. I can’t feel my fingers.”
“I’ll take them next week, babe.” Jude patted Cope’s left hand.
“No way, pal. You got dizzy walking to the bathroom earlier. I almost had to scoop you up like that last scene from An Officer and a Gentleman.” Ronan started to warble the theme song.
“Tattle-tail,” Jude muttered. “Where’s Fitz?”
“Date night!” Aurora said. “My Daddies are gonna get stoned.”
Ronan snorted and started to choke. “What?” He’d known Fitzgibbon for almost twenty years and there was no way the Fitz he knew would go anywhere near drugs.
“They’re getting hot stone massages at some swanky hotel in Boston,” Ten said. “Aurora is spending the night with us.”
“Me too!” Wolf said, his mouth stuffed full of garlic bread.
“We can take Lizzy too if you guys want a quiet night,” Ten offered.
“Sounds great,” Jude agreed. “There’s some stuff we need to talk about.”
“I’ll go pack!” Wolf hopped off his chair and ran for the stairs.
“We’ll help.” Everly wiped her mouth and slipped off her chair. “The last time Woofie packed for himself, he forgot panties and had to wear mine!”
“Purple is definitely his color, Uncle Jude!” Aurora ran after Everly.
“Makes sense,” Jude said, chuckling. “It’s my color too.”
“How are you feeling, Jude?” Ten asked.
Ronan watched as Jude sighed heavily. If Jude had a nickel for every time someone had asked that question in the month between his accident and today, he could retire a millionaire.
“I’m okay, Ten. Still a little dizzy if I stand up too quick. A little double vision, but it’s getting better.” Jude pushed his empty plate toward Ronan, who wordlessly took it and scooped more lasagna.
After Ronan had gotten over the horror of almost losing Jude, he’d spent a lot of time putting himself into his friend’s shoes.
How would he handle the same injury? Definitely not with the same grace Jude had.
Would he be a Positive Polly or a Debbie Downer?
Would he be impatient, bored, lonely, angry?
Probably all of the above and then some.
“I’m gonna go make sure Wolf packs enough clothes.” Cope got up from the table and set his empty plate in the sink. “Last time he spent the night at your house, he tried to wear his pants inside out because he only packed pajamas.”
“I’ll help.” Ten pressed a kiss to Ronan’s temple and followed Cope out of the room.
“Alone at last.” Jude snickered. “This is some good shit.” He pointed his fork to his plate and dug into his second helping.
“I’m really getting the hang of cooking,” Ronan said, reaching for the garlic bread.
“Sorry that I’ve been nothing but a lump this past month.” Jude offered a small shrug.
Ronan shook his head. “I don’t want to hear that shit.
I scrubbed your blood off the basement floor.
I prayed for you almost constantly, which you know is something I don’t ever do.
Your job right now is to heal. The last thing we need is for you to have a setback.
I almost lost you,” Ronan said, sniffling, very close to crying.
“My daughter almost lost her favorite uncle.”
Jude snickered. “I promise not to tell Fitz every chance I get.”
“Yeah, right.” Ronan knew that’s exactly what Jude would do and he couldn’t wait to see it. “This last month has taken its toll on all of us. You and the kids especially. All we want is for you to get back to normal. It’s annoying as hell having to be nice to you all the time.”
“I’ve got an appointment on Monday to reevaluate my condition. I want to get back to work more than anything, but as much as I hate to admit it, I’m no use to you if I get dizzy every time I stand up. Sometimes I feel nauseous after reading a few paragraphs. So I can’t even do office work.”
“It will all come with time. I know it sucks to keep hearing people say that, but it’s the truth.
” To be honest, it sucked having to say it.
Jude was the strongest man Ronan knew and seeing him at less than full-strength was awful.
He wanted his best friend back at his side at work and in life.
Hanging out watching golf with Jude on Sunday afternoons, instead of being out and about, sucked monkey balls.
“I couldn’t have come this far without you, Ronan,” Jude said softly.
“You’ve gotten Wolf and Lizzy off to school on time, been there to pick them up and take them out.
You’re cooking for us twice a week, delivering meals, shoveling snow.
You’re the one keeping us afloat. Cope is stressed to the max, being responsible for all of the things he usually does, along with my chores too.
I don’t know how, but I promise I’ll find a way to pay you back. ”
“Just get better. That’s all the payback I need.” Ronan slapped a hand on Jude’s shoulder. “I swear to God, if I have to spend one more weekend watching assholes hit a tiny, white ball with a stick, I’ll lose what’s left of my mind.”
Jude laughed, sounding like his old self.
Ronan wasn’t a doctor, but he knew laughter was the best medicine. He’d do everything in his power to make sure Jude had everything he needed to make a full recovery.