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Nine months later…

F laherty pulled his wife into the shelter of his arms and confessed, “I thought nearly dying in that barn fire was the most terrifying moment of me life.”

Mary Kate sighed and leaned against her husband’s strength. “It still is the most terrifying moment to me.”

Flaherty leaned back and stared down into the blue-violet eyes that had bewitched him from the start. “Lass, how can ye say that when ye struggled for hours to birth our son?”

She brushed the tip of her finger over the top of their newborn babe’s head and then the curve of his cheek. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he, Seamus?”

His throat constricted for a moment as emotions he had successfully held off during his son’s birth came to a head. “God in Heaven, lass. I thought I would lose the both of ye. The birthing took forever.”

Mary Kate kissed their babe’s brow and snuggled closer to Flaherty. “Don’t you remember the midwife saying that it went quickly for a first birth? Only fourteen hours.”

“Fourteen hours,” Seamus rasped. “I promise to never make ye go through that again, lass.”

Mary Kate smiled as she closed her eyes. Their babe was wrapped in her arms, and they were both safe and warm in the circle of her husband’s arms. “Did I forget to tell you that I’d like half a dozen children?”

The choking sound he made had her laughing softly. “Ye have a mean streak, wife. ’Tis a good thing I learned of it now. I’ll not be getting ye pregnant again.”

“Well, if you are certain that you no longer wish to make love with me, then I’ll have to find someone else willing to have a family with me.”

“Over me dead body!” Flaherty proclaimed.

“If you wish,” she said sweetly.

“Are you trying to drive me daft, woman?”

She snickered. “Mayhap just a little. I love you, Seamus. I would never want to look elsewhere for the perfect da for our children.”

“Son—we have one son.”

“Ah, but he’ll need a little sister to watch over and protect. After all, James and Melinda have twins—a son and a daughter. We need to catch up.” When he didn’t answer right away, she whispered his name and slipped a hand around his nape, pulling him closer. “Kiss me, Seamus.”

Their lips met and time stood still. “Just one more babe, Mary Kate. And then, by God, that is all we’ll be having!”

“Yes, Seamus.”

Eleven months later…

Seamus Flaherty bent down and gently kissed Mary Kate’s forehead, all the while keeping their son from grabbing on to his new sister. “Ah, lass, ye’re going to be the death of me.”

“Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Was yer hair that red when ye were born?”

She laughed. “It was.”

“Ye’ve gone and saddled me with a daughter who will no doubt be as feisty as her ma.”

Mary Kate sighed. “She will be the sweetest little angel.”

“Do ye promise?”

She crossed her fingers and smiled at her husband. “I promise.”

He frowned. “Are yer fingers crossed?”

She lifted them out from beneath their daughter and laughed. “I didn’t want you to fret over having to be on your toes while chasing after our son and daughter.”

“I’ll chase after these two, and hope to bloody hell that they listen to their da—but no more than these two babes. I’m meaning what I’m saying, lass.”

“Yes, Seamus.”

Eight years later…

Seamus Flaherty stood with his arm around his wife, watching their daughter, and her five brothers, lead Garahan’s six sons across the field in their quest to chase and capture fireflies. Their laughter filled the soft summer-night air.

“Did ye ever think we’d be so lucky as to have such fine sons?” Garahan asked from where he stood holding his wife at his side.

“We were only having one babe,” Flaherty reminded his cousin. “Ended up with one daughter and five sons—and aye, they are all fine.”

Garahan laughed. “Funny, that’s what Melinda said to me—one babe, and look at us with six sons.”

Melinda and Mary Kate shared a telling look, then smiled. “Have you told James yet?” Mary Kate asked.

Melinda shook her head. “Have you told Seamus?”

The men turned and stared at their wives. Garahan was the first to laugh, then Flaherty joined in. “Here we go again.”