Epilogue Isla
“ Y ou’re married?!!”
I winced at the furious expression on Brooke’s face. With her hands on her hips, she looked just like our mother when we were in deep trouble.
“And hello to you, too,” I mused as I sat my purse down on the table in the foyer of the Kavanaugh mansion.
“I cannot believe you didn’t tell me!”
If Quinn and I thought keeping our marriage a secret was going to be easy, we were thoroughly and completely wrong. Our first mistake came in having witnesses from Quinn’s family. I don’t know who broke first, Orla or Eamon. By the time we touched down this morning in Boston, a whopping three days after our wedding, Quinn’s entire family knew. And because Kellan and Brooke were friends, he had apparently spread the news to her, which led to her current interrogation.
“It was all very spontaneous. Quinn didn’t even have an engagement ring for me.”
“I call bullshit since Quinn doesn’t do spontaneous,” she argued.
I laughed. “He did this time.”
“Jesus, Isla, you just got back together. Don’t you think you needed a little time before taking the plunge?”
“After we both faced down death at Mikita’s hands, why would we wait?”
Although I had kept my wedding secret, I had filled Brooke in on what had happened with Mikita. At first, I hadn’t wanted to tell her since it once again highlighted the danger of Quinn’s world. But I knew she needed the finality of knowing he was dead and no longer a threat.
Her lips turned down in a pout. “Couldn’t you have done it before we all went back to Boston?”
“No. Because that’s where being spontaneous comes in,” I teased.
“But I always thought I would be your Maid of Honor and take you on a wild bachelorette party where some oily stripper in a banana hammock would dry hump you.”
“I’m still down for all of that except dudes with banana hammocks.”
Brooke eyed me curiously. “What do you mean?”
“One stipulation of marrying Quinn was I got to have the wedding of my dreams.”
Her face lit up. “Really? I can still be your Maid of Honor?”
“There’s no one I’d rather have in the world.”
Brooke threw her arms around me. After squeezing me tight, she said, “I’m so happy for you.”
When I pulled back to stare into her face, I asked, “Do you really mean that?”
She nodded. “I still have my worries about Quinn’s world, but more than anything, I want you to be happy.”
“Thank you, B. That means so much.”
“So, when is this dream wedding taking place?”
“I’m not sure. I’d love to have it right away, but the thoughts of wedding planning during this semester is overwhelming.”
“I can help.”
“Oh, that’s a given. You’re going to endure every cake testing and dress fitting with me.” I kissed her cheek. “I can’t do this without you.”
“I’m down for it.” She jerked her chin at Henry in his bouncer. “Before we conquer your big day, we have his.”
Even though he was seven months old, we had yet to have Henry baptized. Brooke’s main struggle was in finding a godfather for Henry. I was a shoe-in for the godmother, but Brooke hadn’t felt the call to any of the men in our family or of our acquaintance.
And then it hit me.
I gasped. “Kellan would be an amazing godfather.”
Brooke smiled. “Yes, he would. Henry adores him.”
“Have you thought about asking him?”
She shook her head. “Actually, I had someone else in mind.”
“Who?”
With a shy smile, she replied, “Quinn.”
My brows shot wide. “Really?”
“Henry has always been crazy about him. Despite his line of work, Quinn has always shown he would sacrifice himself for Henry.” With a smile, she said, “What more could you want in a godfather?”
Tears pooled in my eyes. “I think he would be honored.”
“I would be honored to do what?” Quinn questioned behind us.
Both Brooke and I whirled around to face him. I clasped my hand over my heart. “Way to sneak up on us like a creeper.”
He chuckled. “You know I’m stealthy.” He glanced between Brooke and me. “What is it you wanted me to do?”
Brooke nervously licked her lips. “Well, I was just thinking that you might want to be Henry’s godfather.”
Quinn blinked at Brooke. Time seemed to crawl by as he stood there frozen like a statue. I placed my hand on his arm. “Quinn?”
He cleared his throat. “You want me to be your son’s godfather?”
Brooke bobbed her head enthusiastically. “I do.”
“But Kellan?—”
“Is a wonderful man. While our lives will be tied together through the two of you, we might not always be as close as we are now.” Brooke’s voice began to tremble. “You’re my brother-in-law, and if we become as close as me and Isla, you’ll be my brother.”
“Jaysus, Brooke, you know how to cut a man in two,” Quinn croaked.
She laughed as she swiped a tear away. “Is that a yes?”
“Aye, it is.” When he drew her into his arms for a hug, I couldn’t hold back my own tears.
At Henry’s happy screech, I went over and picked him up. “What do you think about that, Henny Poo? Do you want Quinn to be your godfather?”
He grinned, showing off the new top teeth he’d just cut. “I think he approves,” I mused to Brooke and Quinn.
Quinn came over to us and held out his arms to Henry. “Come here, Little Man.”
Henry happily dove from my arms over to Quinn’s. And then something happened that none of us could have expected.
After patting the scars on Quinn’s neck, he pronounced, “Da-da.”
We all froze. “Did he just—” Brooke began just as Henry said, “Da-da, da-da.”
“Oh shit,” Quinn muttered with a panicked expression.
I held up my hand. “Babies often say da-da even to their mothers because it’s easier to say.”
“How would he even know to say it?” Brooke asked.
“Maybe he heard it at daycare or watching Baby Einstein?”
Quinn shook his head. “Don’t look at me. I sure as hell wasn’t saying it to him.”
“Maybe he’s just confused.” Brooke glanced between us. “Henry, who am I?” she questioned.
Henry eyed her before blowing a spit bubble. Brooke persisted by patting herself and saying, “Da-da.”
His little brows furrowed. He peered into Quinn’s horrified face and said, “Da-da.”
At that moment, I couldn’t help the laugh that burst from my lips. “Isla, this isn’t funny,” Quinn argued.
“If you could see your face, you would think so.”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Would you get a grip? My kid is calling your husband daddy.”
“Da-da!” Henry exclaimed again, which caused me to laugh harder. At my laughter, Henry began giggling.
“Isla, do something,” Quinn muttered.
“We can correct him when he gets older. What’s the harm in letting him say it right now?”
“Oh, sure, it’s fine now. Just wait until he goes to preschool and says his uncle is his daddy,” Brooke protested.
And once again, I dissolved into giggles. Quinn and Brooke shared an exasperated look at me. At that moment, Caterina and Callum came into the living room. Caterina’s bump was much more pronounced now that she was almost six months along.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Henry just called Quinn da-da.”
Both Callum and Caterina’s eyes bulged comically wide causing Quinn to say, “See, I told you it was bad.”
Caterina shook her head. “I didn’t think that. I was just surprised.”
“I tried to tell them he’s too young to understand, and when he’s old enough, we can explain that Quinn is a father figure, but not his father,” I replied.
“Exactly,” Caterina replied.
With a little pout, Callum said, “I thought I was going to be the first Kavanaugh to be called da-da.”
Quinn snorted. “Way to make this about you.”
Callum elbowed him. “We came in to tell you guys that Lorna is making a special wedding feast. Dare and Kellan will be here soon, so we can all celebrate.”
Before I could say anything, Quinn cleared his throat. “While that is lovely, Isla and I will be having a stateside wedding that includes a big poofy dress, an antique tiara, live doves, and a live band.”
I laughed at him remembering my must-haves. “We just have to get it planned.”
Clapping Quinn on the back, Callum asked, “It would be my honor to be your best man.”
Quinn smiled at him. “As much as I would love that, I don’t want to choose between any of my brothers. You’re all my best men.”
“I mean, you could get around it because I’m the oldest,” Callum pressed.
Quinn shook his head. “Nope. Not doing it.”
“Then who will it be?”
“I want to ask Seamus. In a way, it can honor Rian as well.”
Callum’s jaw clenched, and I could tell he was holding back his emotions. “I think that would be grand, brother.”
I turned to Caterina. “Would you be a bridesmaid?”
Her face lit up. “I would love to. As long as you don’t mind me waddling down the aisle.”
With a laugh, I replied, “I would love that. We’ll hurry and do it before you give birth.”
“That works for me,” she replied.
Dare and Kellan appeared then, and we filled them in on all the details. As we started into the dining room to eat, I couldn’t help the tears that pooled in my eyes. Always in tune with my emotions, Quinn appeared at my side.
“Are you okay?” he questioned in a low voice.
I nodded. “I was just thinking how incredibly blessed I am. After we lost my parents, I felt like Brooke and I were so alone. Now we’re part of a big, loving family. I’m so thankful Henry can grow up with you and your brothers.”
Quinn smiled. “We’ll certainly make a man out of him.”
“Just not a clan man.”
“We’ll see. He could follow in his father’s footsteps.”
When he winked at me, I playfully smacked his arm. Quinn brought his lips to mine, and I welcomed the kiss from my husband, my protector, and my lover.
My forever beast.