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“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?”
