“Morning, neighbours!”
Ryder closed his eyes. “Except for Alec.”
I turned and waved at my brother-in-law who was getting his mail from the post box next to his front door in just his boxer shorts. It was so typically Alec being Alec that I didn’t even flinch.
“It’s a cold one,” I shouted. “Huh?”
He looked down to his groin then back up at me and said, “You’re a smartass.”
We all laughed.
“Come over with Keela,” I called out. “We have to tell you guys somethin’.”
“We’ll be over in ten,” he said before retreating into his house.
I barely turned back in the direction of my own house before I was lifted off the ground. I yelped and latched onto my husband, hoping I dug my nails into him a little harder than he’d like.
“You’re goin’ to annoy me to death,” I told him.
“Safety first,” was all he said.
I shook my head as he carried me inside our house with my sister hot on our heels. We gathered around the kitchen table, and when I realised one twin was missing I said, “Where’s Dame?”
“Sleeping,” Dominic replied like it was obvious. “We used our key, and when I looked in his room, he was snoring, so I didn’t wake him.”
Ryder yawned. “Go wake him now.”
“Is it bad news?” my sister asked, taking the seat next to me.
I turned to her and saw fear in her eyes.
“No, baby, it’s not.”
“You want Alec and Keela to come over, and Damien to come downstairs,” she said, unconvinced. “Somethin’ is goin’ on.”
“It’s not bad news,” I assured her.
She gave me a once-over.
“I’d have been there in a second,” she said and leaned into me, hugging me tightly.
“I know,” I said, returning the hug, “but I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Worry me next time,” she stated as we pulled apart. “It freaks me out knowin’ you were in the hospital and I had no idea.”
I didn’t plan on there being a next time, but to appease her, I relented and agreed.
“I know it’s early, but how is Aideen?” I asked, noting she, Kane, and Jax weren’t there.
“On ‘er way,” Bronagh said. “We debated callin’ ‘er because of ‘er just havin’ the baby, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She threatened us a time or two on the phone for even hesitatin’.”
I smiled. “You would have opened a can of worms if you didn’t call ‘er.”
“Tell us about it.” Keela snorted as she strolled into the kitchen followed by a now fully dressed Alec. “She’s only just calmed down from havin’ Locke. There is no way in hell I wanted to piss ‘er off.”
After we had hugged one another, we spent the next few minutes looking at pictures of the newest addition to our family, and it only added to my excitement about Ryder’s and my baby news.
“I recorded some of the labour for you,” Keela said and handed me her phone.
I winced through some of the footage when I saw my friend in pain, but then I straight-up cackled at other clips.
“If you ever approach me for sex again, I’m cuttin’ your dick clean off,” Aideen bellowed at Kane, who was just staring at her and rapidly blinking.
“Babydoll, do you want—”
“What I want is for you to jump out that window right there,” Aideen cut Kane off. “You did this to me!”
Ash looked at Kane. “Isn’t this her second child?”
“Yeah,” Kane replied.
“Then why—”
“I’m sorry,” Aideen cut Ash off. “Does havin’ a baby make it stop hurtin’ like fuckin’ hell the second time or somethin’?”
Ash bit down on his lower lip, clearly trying to hide his smile.
“No, ma’am,” he replied to Aideen. “It’s just as bad as the first time… or so I’ve been told.”
Aideen leaned back into her pillow and said, “I’m surrounded by fuckin’ eejits.”
“Breath, Ado,” Keela’s voice sounded. “You’re doin’ brilliant, babe.”
“Keela, I’ll make you eat that fuckin’ phone if you’re recordin’ me!” Aideen warned.
The screen went black seconds later, making me laugh.
“She was sweet as pie after she had the baby,” Keela said, laughing too. “I felt sorry for everyone in the room with ‘er when she was pushin’ because for the few minutes I was there, she was a nightmare.”
“Bran!”
I looked up at my name being shouted and smiled at a groggy Damien, who was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.