Page 176 of Bad Bishop

“You got me a key?” I blinked, confused.

“Not just any key.” He gestured at the mansion. “One that opens the door to this house.”

I stared at him, processing the meaning of his words.

“Is this big enough for us?” He searched my face, something urgent flicking behind his eye.

“I’m sorry?” My pulse hammered against the side of my neck, my heart expanding like a sponge.

“Is the house big enough?” he repeated. “For you, me, Imma, the baby, and the other two or three you’ll want in the future, since, unlike me, you don’t detest people.”

Stunned, I stared at him, looking for the right words.

He…bought this? For me? Forus?

“It’s a little shy of twelve thousand square feet. Ten bedrooms. Way too many baths. A pool. A tennis court. I think I’ll convert it to a stable, though. I know you like horses.” He scratched his jaw absentmindedly. “The kitchen is huge. There are two of them, actually. Imma will be happy. And the nurseries are good-sized.”

I seized his jawline, making him stop talking. I shook my head. He looked…dejected. Like he lost, somehow. And I knew why.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. But if you’re doing this just to appease me, please don’t. We’ll find a way to fit everything in our apartment. I don’t even need half the things we were gifted. I’ll happily donate them. And Imma can stay with my parents. I’ll be okay. All I care about is being with you.”

“I’m not letting you and the baby live in Hunts Point.” He stared at me like I was insane. “Living above a pub…it’s no place for a new mother and a child.”

“But you love Hunts Point.”

“There are things I love more. One of them happens to sit right in front of me.”

“You don’t have to choose.”

“I do, and I am. I’ll be in New York daily, for work. You’ll be close to your parents and have all the assistance you need.”

I was going to argue, but it seemed his mind was set. I started signing something, but he ignored me, slipping out of the driver’s seat and opening the door for me.

Hesitantly, I stepped out and allowed myself a good look at the house.

It wasn’t as grand and flashy as my parents’, but ten times prettier. It looked like something out of the historical books I read about England, where soirees took place and people fell in love.

I got a little choked up as the soles of our shoes slapped the bricked trail toward the dramatic black door.

“Don’t you dare cry,Gealach.” Tiernan squeezed my hand in his, his expression stone-cold and oddly focused, like he was in the middle of an important mission. “We haven’t even reached the best part yet.”

The best part?

What could be better than gifting me an entire freaking house for my baby shower?

We walked into the foyer, and the scent hit me immediately. Fresh paint. This must’ve been in the works for a while now. A small tremor danced behind my sternum. Dark hardwood floors and crown moldings greeted us. The hallway was vast and newly remodeled. The house was empty, but still felt somehow full. Of promise and character and memories just waiting to be created between these walls.

My husband tugged me toward the kitchen.

The island and woodwork were painted navy, the backsplash a crème, veiny marble accented in blue. The parquet flooring still emitted the pleasant scent of freshly sawed wood.

Tiernan turned to spear me with a look. “I can already see Imma standing here, yelling at me not to leave crumbs in her kitchen.”

A giddy giggle escaped me.

We went up the wide-set stairway and onto the second floor. First, we checked the residential wing of the house. The master was luxuriously sparse, with separate bathrooms for both of us and a walk-in closet I could easily get lost in. The nursery was painted baby blue, one wall already wallpapered with teddybears hanging from balloons. It was big enough to fit everything we were gifted, and more.

“Tiernan…” I choked out, breathless.