Damien placed his hands on either side of my face. “Are you happy?”
“Yes,” I answered. “So happy … just utterly terrified. Damien, we’re havin’ a baby.”
“A baby,” he repeated, and his lower lip wobbled. “We’re having a baby, freckles.”
Tears spilled over the brims of my eyes, and I laughed when he shouted, “I’m gonna be a daddy!”
I heard Nico and Bronagh cheer from the kitchen, and it only made us smile wider. Damien brought his hand to my stomach and flattened his palm over it, staring down at me with pure love and admiration.
“How far along do you think you are?”
“I’ve no idea,” I answered. “Maybe four or five weeks, maybe less. The test says two to three weeks, but the package says that means four to five weeks pregnant. I missed me pill a few times, but I didn’t even notice. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Damien repeated. “Baby, I’m on cloud nine right now.”
“I know. I just don’t want ye’ to think I missed takin’ the pills on purpose.”
“I’m glad you didn’t take them. You wouldn’t be pregnant right now otherwise.”
I smiled, then my jaw dropped just as Damien lowered to one knee.
“I’m glad you said no the first three times I asked you to marry me because I wasn’t prepared if you had said yes,” he said. “I wanted this time to be better, so that’s why I’ve held off on asking you again. I wanted there to be candles, and a dinner I cooked for you, and romantic music, but I can’t wait to ask you this when I know no other time would be sweeter than right now.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Damien.”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black box. He opened the lid, and I sucked in a sharp breath when a small but beautiful diamond ring was revealed.
“I bought this the day after Enzo was born,” he said, gazing up at me. “I’ve been working my ass off, taking all the hours and overtime I could get to buy this for you.”
He took my left hand.
“The night your mom got the all clear in the hospital, I went to their house and asked them both for their permission to marry you. They gave me that permission and told me they loved me, Alannah. They called me son and accepted me into your family. Do you know how much that means to me? That they trust me with their only daughter?”
Tears spilled over the brims of my eyes.
“I know you’re scared for the future, scared that I won’t be in it, but you need to know that you aren’t an option for me, Alannah. You’re my priority. You and that baby you’re carrying. I’m so in love with you, freckles. I’ve only ever wanted you, and if you let me, I want to scream to the world that I have you.”
I felt like my heart was about to explode.
“Alannah Ryan.” Damien licked his lips. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I breathed. “Yes, yes, yes!”
He removed the ring from the box and slid it onto my finger. It fit perfectly, and Damien sighed with relief before a huge smile overtook his face. He got to his feet and kissed me until I felt dizzy.
“I got all of that on video,” Bronagh, who was in tears, announced from the doorway. “Good man yourself, Damien. I was about to accept your proposal if Alannah didn’t.”
Both Damien and I laughed as we hugged, kissed, and looked brightly to the future.
Five days later…
“Oh, my God!”
I dropped my phone with fright, then spun around and barrelled into the kitchen.
“What?” I shouted. “What’s wrong?”
I scanned the room, looking for any signs of danger, and when I found nothing, I focused on Keela, who was staring at her phone with wide eyes. I looked to the left when I heard commotion, and I stepped forward when I saw Nico, Damien, and Ryder running down the hallway and all but falling into the kitchen.
“What is it?” Ryder demanded as he rushed over to Keela.
“There is an indie book signing in town next week, and I never bloody knew about it!”
A huge breath of relief left me.
“Bloody hell, Kay,” I said and placed my hands on my hips. “You frightened the hell out of me.”
“Us too,” Damien grunted from behind me.
I loved how his voice surrounded me and made me feel all tingly and warm.
“I’m sorry, but this is serious,” Keela stressed. “Oh. My. God. Indie royalty will be there, some of me favourite authors. I’m buying a ticket right now.”
Her happiness was infectious.
“Get me one too, and I’ll go with you. If you’re this excited right now, I want to see how you’ll be at the event.”
The lads snorted from behind me.
Nico frowned at her. “Hasn’t Alec talked to you about when you are screaming about books? You scream when one you want gets a release date, a summary thing, a cover, an excerpt thing, and when it releases. I told you it makes me think you’re dying or something.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but it’s a book signin’, Nico,” Keela said in awe. “Me people will be there.”
I laughed. “Your people?”
Keela looked at me and nodded. “Book people. The best kind of people. They get me.”
“I get you too,” Nico stated, “but damn, screaming like you’re being killed scares the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” Keela smiled up at him.
“When is Alec gettin’ ‘ere?” I asked. “I’m starvin’.”
“Branna said we’re startin’ without ‘im.”
I whistled. “That’s not gonna go down well.”
Keela, the lads, and I filed out onto the decking of Branna and Ryder’s back garden. The smell of barbecue had my mouth watering as I took a seat next to Damien at the newly purchased garden table. Bronagh, who was snuggling her sleeping newborn son, sat across from me. The day after Damien proposed to me and I found out I was pregnant; my best friend went into labour and gave birth to her and Nico’s second baby. Nico cried in delight when he was told it was a boy. Bronagh cried with happiness because she was no longer pregnant. My new nephew was called Beau Damien Slater. Beau as in beautiful, not Beau as in bow tie.
Bronagh was clear about the pronunciation, and we were all on board with it rather quickly.
“He’s so chunky,” I said to Bronagh. “I want to gobble ‘im up.”
“I know.” Bronagh smiled and kissed Beau’s head. “I keep smellin’ his head. I love that newborn smell.”
“Oh, me too,” Keela said as she adjusted Enzo’s buggy next to her. “I smell his head all the time as well.”
“That smell is one of me favourite things.” Branna smiled as she fixed the plates that were piled with food on the table. “When I was holdin’ Beau yesterday, I could smell it, and I instantly wanted another baby.”
Ryder snorted. “It’s not like you have long to wait to get another one.”
I froze, and so did everyone else. Branna and Ryder laughed.
“You’re pregnant?” Bronagh asked, wide-eyed.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m five weeks.”
I gasped. “Like me! When are you due?”
“The fourth of March.”
My jaw dropped because that was my due date, and Branna knew it since she was in the room with me and Damien yesterday when we found out at the hospital.
“What the fuck?” Aideen said from our right. “You’re both due on the same day?”
“Fucking hell.” Kane chuckled. “You both apparently had some fun on the same day.”
Ryder and Damien grinned as congratulations were passed around.
“You’re crazy,” Bronagh said to her sister. “The twins will be thirteen months when you have this baby … It’s just the one baby, right?”
“Yes,” Ryder answered on Branna’s behalf. “We triple checked this time.”
“Weren’t you gonna wait until the twins were at least one to try for another baby?”
“Yea
h,” Branna answered me with a nod. “But I forgot to get me latest birth control shot and bam. Pregnant.”
“Thank God I’m not the only one who got pregnant because I messed up with birth control.”
Everyone laughed.
“Since Alec isn’t ‘ere, you get the first burger of the summer, Lana.”
I rubbed my hands together as Damien put it on my plate. “Come to mama.”
“Tell me that in bed tonight,” he said, making me grin. “Please.”
At that moment, Alec walked out of the kitchen and into the back garden. When his eyes landed on me, he sucked in a startled breath, and Branna looked like she was about to run away as I bit into the first grilled burger of the summer.
“Branna,” he all but snarled, his eyes on the burger I held tightly. “What in God’s name is this?”
“Um …” She twitched. “Ye’ … ye’ said years ago that she could be your stand-in for first servin’s if you were ever absent or late to a meal.”
“That privilege was revoked the second she broke my favourite cup!”
“Well, how was I supposed to know that?”
“Because you know me!” Alec stressed.
“I’m sorry, okay?”
He put his back to Branna.
“The betrayal,” he said and placed his hand over his chest. “It runs deep.”
Nico rolled his eyes at his older brother’s dramatics as he bounced Georgie on his knee while everyone else watched the scene unfold with amusement.
“This tastes so good,” I hummed. “It’s really incredible.”
Alec spun around and pointed at me, his hand shaking with obvious anger. “You and me are blood enemies from this day forth, Ryan!”
I had no idea what a blood enemy was, and I didn’t care.
“Fine by me, tight arse.”
Keela covered up a laugh by covering her mouth with both of her hands while Alec glared holes into my forehead.
“I’ll make it up to ye’,” Branna said to Alec, slightly gaining his attention. “In fact, I’ve an offerin’ that will make up for this situation right now.”
“How?” he demanded, refusing to look at her. “That monster used my cup, then fucking broke it, and now she has eaten the sacred first grilled feast of summer. What can you possibly do to make this better?”
“I’ve a bigger plate made up with your name on it.”
I heard Alec swallow. “How big of a plate are we talking here, Branna?”
Hook, line, and sinker.
“Practically triple what everyone else is gettin’.”
His four brothers cursed in outrage while Alec turned to face Branna with the biggest smile I had ever seen on his too attractive face.
“I accept your offering and forgive you for feeding Pennywise first.”
I rolled my eyes, not offended.
“You’d sell your own child for a plate of dinner.”
Alec bared his teeth and hissed at me while holding up his hands and putting his two fingers together to form the symbol of a cross.
“Be gone, demon spawn.”
I opened my mouth so he could see the half-eaten burger and then closed it when he pulled a face of disgust.
“You’re gross,” Alec informed me.
I swallowed then smiled. “Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Sure, it was,” I beamed. “You’ve practically just told me ye’ love me.”
Alec’s left eye twitched. “I’m going to shove the rest of that damn burger into your mouth.”
I chuckled as I put the burger down and got to my feet.
“I got ye’ somethin’,” I said as I grabbed the small bag that sat next to the doorway.
“You got me something?”
“Yeah,” I answered Alec. “Though I’m not sure you deserve it.”
He snatched the bag from my grasp before I could finish my sentence. He rustled through it, then removed a box from the inside. Alec sucked in a sharp breath when he realised what I had gotten him.
“You did not!”
I most definitely did.
“Alannah!” He beamed as he removed his brand new, extra-large Harry Potter Mischief Manage cup from the box. “It’s huge!”
“That’s what she said,” I answered, making everyone snort.
Everyone except Alec, who walked inside the house, brought his cup over to the kettle and switched it on. I followed him, leaned on the counter, and together, we waited for the kettle to boil. When the switch flipped, Alec popped a tea bag into his new cup, filled it with boiling water, and leaned down and watched the blackness fade, revealing the secret footsteps and popular Harry Potter book quote.
I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.
“I’ve missed this so much,” he said and looked at me. “Thank you.”
I nodded. “You’re welcome.”
“Now.” He grinned, his grey eyes shining. “Never fucking touch my cup again.”
I grinned. “No promises.”
“No promises, Lord Alec,” he corrected.
I scowled. “I still think it was a fluke that Tyson barked and ran to find you when Keela’s water broke.”
“You lost the bet, stick to your terms. You have to call me Lord Alec for one whole month.”
“I hate ye’ … Lord Alec.”
Alec beamed. “This is one of the best days of my life. I want you to know that, demon spawn.”
I huffed.
“You all need to admit that I’m the baby whisperer and the dog whisperer. Things would just be easier if you accept the gift that is me. I’m a blessing. I’m practically a modern-day Jesus.”
“You can’t be a modern-day Jesus.” I rolled my eyes. “You only have fifty followers on Twitter.”
Alec grinned. “Jesus only need twelve.”
My eye twitched. “Damien?”
“Yeah, freckles?” he called.
“Your brother is comparin’ ‘imself to Jesus … again.”
“Just go with it, freckles.” Damien laughed as Alec tugged me back out to the decking with his new prized Harry Potter cup in the air for everyone to see. “Just go with it.”
“I want to make this very clear,” Alec said, gaining everyone’s attention. “Alannah is not allowed to touch my cup. Ever. If you see her drink from it, touch it, or even look at it, then you are to revoke her tea privileges when she visits your houses. Otherwise, I will withhold my fine looking redheaded son from you all.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, and so did everyone else.
“Sorry, Lana,” everyone said in unison.
I understood their betrayal. Enzo was too cute and won over me any day, but his father, on the other hand, had just ignited a fire within me.
“War,” I told him. “This means war.”
“Bring it, chicken legs.”
“Aren’t you glad you’re marryin’ ‘er?” Bronagh asked Damien as Alec and I continued to glare at one another
“Bee”—Damien laughed—“you have no fucking idea.”
COMING SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2018
BROTHERS
A Slater Brothers Novel
By L.A. Casey
DOMINIC
PART ONE
Present day…
When you had five children, sleep was very hard to come by. Sleeping in on the weekends? That was practically unheard of. I was a trier, if anything, so ever since I first became a father fifteen years ago, I attempted, every single weekend, to catch a few extra Zs. My wife, and mainly my know-no-boundries children, made it their personal mission to make sure I didn’t.
“Daddy?”
I refused to lift my eyelids as I grumbled, “Go away.”
“Come on, Daddy. Get up.”
I snored. Loud.
“Daaaaaaddy?”
I groaned but kept my eyes shut, hoping the kid harassing me would give up and leave.
“I know you’re fakin’ it.”
“Go bother your mom
,” I half pleaded, snuggling into my pillow. “Please.”
I felt tiny, soft hands touch my bare back, and that was when the let’s-pretend-dad-is-a-drum game started.
“I don’t wanna play with a girl. I want to play with you. You’re stronger than Mammy.”
I chuckled gruffly before I rolled onto my back, halting the drum game my son had started. I reached up and rubbed my eyes before I opened them and stared at the ceiling of my bedroom. A ceiling that had multiple stickers of stars and moons stuck to it from when Georgie was a baby. I turned my head to the left and came face to face with my actual baby. I reached over, gripped under Axel’s armpits, and heaved him onto the bed, making him squeal with laughter. He was the youngest of our five, our last child. My baby. He was spoiled rotten because of this.
“Your mom is plenty strong. Why don’t you want to play with her?”
“I’m not talkin’ to ‘er anymore.”
He said this as he sat directly on my chest, making me grunt.
“Why not?”
Axel scowled. “She keeps callin’ me a baby.”
My lips twitched.
“You don’t think you’re a baby?”
“I just turned seven,” Axel said, puffing his chest out with pride. “I’m not a baby, Daddy.”
I grinned at him. “Your mom doesn’t mean anything when she calls you baby, son. It’s just a habit from when your brothers and sister were little. She even calls me baby now and then … Do you think that I look like a baby?”
Axel considered this, then giggled. “You’re definitely not a baby.”
He spoke as he poked at my abdominal muscles. Muscles that at thirty-eight were still tight, toned, and very defined. My love for working out never faded as I got older and neither did my wife’s adoration for my body, so I made sure to keep everything tight and toned because it made her moan on sight.
I loved hearing that woman moan.
I yawned. “Is Mom still in her pjs?”
“Yup,” Axel said, popping the P. “She said she’s gettin’ a shower when ye’ wake up.”
“I better go downstairs and relieve her then. What do you say?”