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“Well, that would be awful.”
“Indeed it would. I’ve always said, we should treat those we love as though we’re not guaranteed tomorrow with them. Because we aren’t.”
“I guess you’re right. I’ll do better.”
“That’s all anyone can ask. Now, should we have another piece of this cake?”
I walk away before either of them knows I was there. I don’t know if that talk will help with Rachel’s tone when it comes to me, but it can’t hurt.
Just as I join the other guys at the bar, Izzy screams.
“Jesus,” I mutter and rub my hand over my face, as nervous as I was when Rachel was born.
“Yeah.” Shawn swallows hard. “Didn’t need to hear that.”
Suddenly, Maeve comes rushing down, smiling widely. “It’s a girl. A perfect little girl. They’re looking everyone over and getting them ready to transport to the hospital so they can be checked out. But I think everything went just beautifully.”
Her eyes fill with tears, and I tug her over to me.
“I’m glad to hear it, Doctor Maeve.”
She smacks me on the arm but laughs. “She’s such a tiny little thing.”
“Women always get all bent out of shape over babies,” Shawn says, shaking his head, but his expression is soft. “I want to see them before they leave.”
“What did we miss?” Anastasia asks as she and Kane hurry through the door. “What’s going on?”
“Izzy had the baby upstairs,” Maeve announces. “A little girl.”
“Wow, that was fast,” Anastasia says. “Hi, Hunter.”
This is the most entertainment I’ve had in months.
“Hey there.”
“Are they okay, then?” Kane asks, his accent almost as thick as his father’s.
“As far as we know, yes,” Maeve says. “It just happened so quickly. Ma thinks Izzy’s been laboring for several days.”
“I think she’s been in labor all week,” I add. “Just based on what she said a few minutes ago. But I’m not a doctor. I could be wrong.”
“As long as she’s okay. And the baby is healthy,” Anastasia says, and we all turn as the EMTs bring Izzy and the baby downstairs.
Tom and Rachel hurry out of the kitchen, and Tom leans in to kiss Izzy’s cheek and rub his fingertip across the baby’s head.
“Blessings to you, my darlin’ girls.”
We follow as a group while the little family is loaded into the ambulance.
“Take care of my pub,” Keegan yells out at us, the biggest smile on his face. “I’m a da!”
“What a big goof,” Maggie says but wipes a tear from her eye. “Thank God for Ma. If you weren’t here, things could have been bad.”
“But I was here, my darlin’.” Fiona wraps her arm around her daughter. “Now, let’s go inside. I’ll cut into the apple cake I made.”
“We already cut into it,” Rachel says, and Tom shakes his head mournfully.
“Tom O’Callaghan,” Fiona says sternly. “You know I said to wait.”
“It was what the Americans call stress eating. I was just a wee bit worried about all of my girls up there.”
“Bollocks,” Fiona says. “Come, now. We’ll eat what’s left and anything else that anyone wants. We have a new grandbabe.”
Once back inside, the music starts again, and there’s laughter and celebration as the O’Callaghans celebrate their new addition.
Rachel’s managed to situate herself right in the middle of it all. Not shy in the least, she’s eating food and dancing with the girls. Laughing.
My baby is laughing and acting like a kid. Something I haven’t seen in far too long.
It seems the O’Callaghans are good for both of us.
I catch Maeve by the hand as she sweeps past me and lead her down the hall to a private corner. When I’m sure we’re out of sight of the others, I close my mouth over hers in a long, sweet kiss that has me wanting far more.
“What was that for?” she asks with a smile.
“I just needed it.” I kiss her forehead. “It felt like the right moment.”
“Well, I’m not complaining at all. I’m glad you were here. It made all of the craziness even more fun.”
“Rachel’s having the time of her life.”
“And you?”
I tuck a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. But I have to tell you, your family is a bit crazy.”
She laughs and pats me on the cheek. “You don’t know the half of it.”
Chapter 7
~Maeve~
“Are you sure it wasn’t completely crazy that I called you guys? I mean, we don’t know each other all that well, and I don’t mean to put anyone out.”
“This is what we were born to do,” Jules says, her face completely serious. “Tell her, Stasia.”
“She means it,” Anastasia assures me. “Jules and Nat are the bee’s knees when it comes to fashion.”
“We like to shop,” Natalie says with a smile. “Like, if shopping were an Olympic sport, Jules and I would be tied for first place.”
“No, we would be first place because we’re a team, and shopping is a team sport,” Jules says with a laugh. “Okay, now let’s get serious here. Nat, do you have any chocolate cheesecake?”
