Page 112 of Dublin Charmer

Nora smiles. “After your dad. That’s lovely, Em.”

I think so, too. The thought that papa might be looking down at us and smiling fills me with warmth and pride. Like the Quinns, he also believed in family first. He loved me and Gio with everything he had and did his best to give us a good life.

Nothing in life comes with a guarantee, of course, so after all is said and done, things come down to fate and faith.

“Dada!” Caoimhe is standing in her playpen, staring over the padded wall as our entourage retreats into the sunken living room. The little girl, now almost ten months old, has Tag’s dark hair and Laine’s curious eyes. She’s wearing jeans and a tiny, toddler-sized Dublin Devils T-shirt.

Tag grins. “Hiya, baby girl. Did ye wake up from yer nap?”

The toddler stamps her little feet as if trying to climb the netting wall.

“Do ye want to meet yer baby cousin, princess?” Sean picks her up and tosses her into the air before catching her and giving her a big kiss. “Come on. Let’s wait until Mommy fixes his stinky nappy.” Then Sean wrinkles his nose. “Och, speaking of stinky nappies…”

“I’ve got her.” Tag steps around the massive ottoman and leaves Antonio to the wives while he takes his daughter from Sean and heads off toward the stairs.

“Welcome home, to you both.” Nora hugs me and when she pulls back, she runs a gentle hand over her baby bump. “He’s perfect.”

“Agreed. And by St Patrick’s Day, your baby will be here to join the next generation of Quinns.”

Nora lights up. “I can’t wait.”

“Let’s get settled,” Finn tugs my hand toward the couch. “Yer pale, luv.”

“I’m fine.” Childbirth is a battlefield all its own, but everything went well.

The entire Quinn clan settles in and soon after, Cora rolls in a cart of tea and tarts. “Och would ye look at that wee lad. He’s a Quinn for sure.”

I chuckle and roll my eyes at Finn. “And here I did all the work.”

He shrugs. “Aye, I know. I was there.”

“Ye did well, lass.” Cora pulls me into a hug that smells like cinnamon and home. “And we’re ever so grateful that both mam and the wee bairn are none the worse for wear.”

My girl parts would argue, but that’s TMI for the family reunion.

Cora hands me a cup of tea and sets a tray of fruit tarts in front of me. I pull my feet up onto the couch beside me and lean against Finn as we all settle in. The family truly is a unit, flowing around us like water, supporting without smothering.

They’ve had practice at this, I realize. At taking care of their own.

I can’t believe I walked away from all of it.

I take a shuddered breath. “I’m sorry, Charmer. For leaving. For hurting you. For almost ruining all of this.”

“No, luv,” Finn starts, but I shake my head.

“No, I am. You welcomed me into your family when you had every reason not to trust me. You saved my brother. You gave me a place to belong for the first time since my father died, and I ran away from it.”

“But ye came back.”

“It doesn’t erase my mistake.”

Finn rubs a hand over my arm. “Forgiven-forgotten. Yer tired, luv. This is just yer hormones workin’ ye up. All is well.We’re here. We’ve got our wee man with us. And all is right in the world.”

“And somehow that’s terrifying, too. Everything is perfect. What happens if it all goes to shit?”

Finn’s expression softens. “The Quinns are family first and we’re a family. I won’t let anything go to shit. I promise ye that. Whatever the world throws at us, we’ll handle it together. First, with the two of us and then if that’s not enough, we’ll rope in the family on a whole. That’s a lot of love and determination behind us.”

It is.My eyes well up and he pulls me into a hug as the dam breaks. Tears stream down my face as the rest of the family looks over, their concern washing over me like a wave.