Silence fell upon the room until Damien said, “I have to fix shit with her. I heard what she said to Dominic, and I need to fix it. I hate what I’ve done to her.”
“I understand you better than anyone,” Ryder said, “and my advice is baby steps. You’ve said you’re sorry a million times, and you give her space whenever she is around, but what you need to do now is let her know you’re here, you’re staying, and that you will earn her trust back.”
“How the fuck am I going to do that?” Damien asked on a groan. “She barely looks at me.”
“I can’t answer that, it’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself, kid, but it’s obvious you do like her, so just stick to your guns.”
Damien nodded, then retreated into the company of his own mind so he could think. We spent the next few hours together and after Keela made us a big feast, we scattered around the house to digest our food.
Kane, Damien and Ryder went upstairs with Alec to look at a new weight set he bought. Dominic didn’t leave Bronagh, which was standard protocol since she hit the thirty-eight week mark in pregnancy. He refused to be away from her side in case she went into labour. He didn’t want her to be without him like Aideen went without Kane for the majority of her labour.
The conversation, as usual, switched back to sex.
“It’s difficult with you sometimes though, babe,” Dominic said to Bronagh. “I’m constantly torn between wanting to fucking destroy you, but I also want to bring you flowers and chocolates and treat you like a princess.”
Bro, TMI!
Bronagh didn’t bat an eyelid. “Why not do both?”
Sis, TMI!
“That right there,” Dominic snapped his fingers, “that’s why I love you.”
I laughed and so did Bronagh as he lowered his head and kissed her. It was adorable.
“I can’t believe you’re both having a little human being.” I said as I gazed at my sister’s extremely swollen stomach.
Bronagh smiled against Dominic’s mouth before turning her head in my direction.
“I know, I wish she’d hurry up. I’m goin’ to be down at the hospital with you first thing in the mornin’ to get induced if nothin’ happens tonight. I’m pregnant nearly forty-two weeks. Enough is enough.”
I knew she was miserable and wanted her baby in her arms, but I couldn’t feel sorry for her when I was so bloody excited.
I clapped my hands together. “I’m goin’ to be the coolest auntie ever.”
“Technically,” Dominic started, “you’re the only auntie since I have no sisters…”
“Finish that sentence, Slater, and you won’t be around long enough to see your child bein’ born.”
I didn’t need to look at the door to know Aideen re-entered the sitting room, her voice was enough for me to move my legs, with a smile on my face, as she dropped down next to me with a still sleeping Jax bundled up against her chest.
The kid slept a lot—like father like son.
“I’m goin’ to be her auntie, too,” she stated crossly. “Keela and Alannah as well.”
Without speaking, I reached my arms out for Jax, and Aideen gently lifted him from her chest, and passed him to me. I leaned back, and lay him across my chest. I couldn’t resist smelling his head, and it almost caused me to gobble him up on the spot. I leaned my cheek carefully on his head, and sighed in delight.
I could get used to this.
“Yeah,” Keela jumped into the conversation, regaining my attention. “Fuck you for suggestin’ otherwise.”
Dominic held up his hands when he realised he was outnumbered.
“My bad, I forgot.”
He was such a wuss when it came to us, and it amused me greatly.
I closed my eyes as I heard footsteps as someone descended the stairs. I listened to my family converse while I gently stroked Jax’s back, but opened my eyes when I felt like someone was watching me.
I locked my gaze on Ryder when I saw him leaning against the doorway of the sitting room; his arms were folded over his chest as he watched me with his nephew. I would have paid good money to know what was going through his mind, but I think I had a clue as to what he was thinking because I was thinking the same thing.
I wanted to come home and see him lying on our sofa with our baby on his chest. I really wanted that, and I knew in my heart that he did too.
With my gaze still on Ryder I said to Aideen, “Ado, take ‘im, will you?”
She took her son then looked between Ryder and myself and said, “I’ve a feelin’ the drought is about to come to an end, am I right?”
“Yeah, babe,” I said as I stood up, still staring at Ryder. “There’s about to be a fuckin’ storm.”
“Go get ‘im, mama.”
Without a second thought, I walked towards Ryder. His eyes flared with heat as he pushed away from the wall, and grabbed hold of my hand when I reached him. Without a word to anyone, he turned and together we almost sprinted out of the house.
“Don’t break him, Branna!” I heard a voice shout from behind us then, “I still want to be Ryder when I grow up!”
Ryder and I laughed until we got into his—no, our house. As soon as the door closed I turned to face him.
“I’m movin’ back in. Tonight.”
“Okay.”