Page 26 of Dublin Charmer

“There he is.” Bryan catches me at the bottom of the stairs. “Looking sharp, baby brother.”

I dodge his attempt to mess up my hair. “Hands off. Some of us actually try to look presentable.”

The dining room sparkles like something out of a magazine. Tag stands at the head of the table, one arm around Laine’s expanding waistline. She’s practically glowing these days, even if she complains about feeling like a whale.

“Wonderful.” Tag raises his glass. “Everyone’s here, so now we can eat.”

We settle into our usual spots—the five Quinn brothers and their beloved partners. It’s crazy how much our family has grown in just one year. Last year at this time we were all still reeling about the loss of Da, and Tag and Sean were both living on their own.

Now, we are a family again.

Cora rolls the serving cart into the dining room and begins setting our plates out for us.

“What have you got for us tonight, Cora?” Tag asks.

She smiles as she serves the ladies first. “Tender duck breast, pan-seared and finished with a rich raspberry-port wine reduction—infused with wild herbs, forest honey—served atop a bed of golden fingerling potatoes, slow-roasted in duck fat, rosemary, and black garlic, and accompanied by a delicate swirl of charred shallot purée.”

My mouth waters.

Brendan chuckles. “We’re so fucking fancy.”

That gets a laugh around the table.

“We’re blessed to have you taking care of us,” Laine says.

“Hells yeah, we are,” Sean agrees.

“To Cora.” Tag holds up his glass. “Slainte.”

“Slainte!” we all repeat.

Cora clucks her tongue and waves away our praise. “Your happiness and good health is all I need in thanks. It’s my greatest joy to take care of you all.”

One of the greatest life-changing decisions my parents made in shaping our lives was hiring Cora and her husband Connor as our caretakers.

Never underestimate the impact of the love of good people.

When Cora leaves us all to eat, the room falls quiet for a few minutes as we’re all transported into the heavenly realm of great food.

“How’s this for kicking off the new year right?” Bryan asks.

“Doesn’t get any better,” Tag says, then turns his attention to Piper. “Sorry if that sounded insensitive, luv. We’re all hoping for the best for your family.”

I pause with my fork in front of my mouth. “Did I miss something?”

Sean nods. “You’ve had your head down all day. Several of Kieran’s informants reported that Gravely made his move on the McGuires last night. They hit the house, the factory, and emptied several of the warehouses.”

The table goes quiet. Sean’s hand finds Piper’s, squeezing gently.

“Any word on casualties?” I ask, my tone careful.

Piper shakes her head. “Nothing concrete yet. I’ve tried calling Rory and even Mom, but haven’t been able to reach them. I don’t know if they’re dead or hiding.”

“Kieran’s men are looking for answers,” Sean says.

“And we’ve got our men on the gardia force working the scenes,” Tag adds. “We’ll find out what we can as soon as we can.”

“I’m sorry, Piper.” I meet her gaze across the table. “I know things aren’t great with your family, but still...”