The older man at the front of the room soon began the hearing, explaining the process to the people gathered there. He described the charges Creighton had been convicted under, and the terms of his sentence, along with what qualifications he’d need to meet to be eligible for parole.
Creighton’s slick case manager was given the first chance to speak, describing his client as a model prisoner who’d demonstrated good behavior and actively pursued rehabilitation during incarceration. It was a load of shit. There was no doubt in Rory’s mind that Creighton was playing a game, putting on a show to get what he wanted. From what Clare had told him of her past, he was damn good at manipulating people.
“Mr. Creighton, would you like to say a few words?” The examiner gestured toward Creighton.
“Yes, sir.” Creighton stood, his hands folded politely in front of him. “After five years in custody, I believe that I have proven that I can be a law-abiding member of the community. I’ve gotten along with the staff, never caused any issues, and I regularly volunteer in the law library. I’ve worked hard and managed to obtain an associate’s degree in an attempt to better myself and return to civilian life. I truly believe that I have reformed and will be able to live an upstanding life in the community.”
The examiner’s face showed no emotion. “Do you have plans for what you’ll do upon release?”
“I’ll move in with my brother, find a job, and continue my education. I will abide by any plan my parole officer sets forth for me, as well.”
Rory could see Clare almost vibrating with fury beside him, and he couldn’t blame her. Creighton was a pro. If Rory hadn’t known the truth, he’d have almost believed this good guy act he was putting on for the examiner.
“Is there anything else you’d like to say before we move on?”
Creighton nodded, and this time turned his body to face them. “Clare, I want to apologize for harming you. It was never my intention, and I deeply regret my actions.”
The examiner seemed pleased with Creighton’s apology, but Rory had to will himself not to run across the room and punch Creighton in the face.
Just before Creighton turned back to face the examiner, a sly smile lifted at the corner of his lips. Clare’s back went rigid beside Rory. Regret, my ass. Smug son of a bitch knew exactly what he was doing.
“Thank you, Mr. Creighton. You may be seated.” The examiner slid a few papers around on his desk before turning towards Clare. “Ma’am, you’d like to make a statement today?”
Clare stood, smoothing out her skirt. “I would, yes, sir.”
“Please state your name and then give your statement. Just a reminder, this is all being recorded and can be used in further appeals at any time.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“You may begin.”
Clare tilted her chin up, never once turning to look at Creighton. “My name is Clare Kavanagh, formerly Clare Ivers. I was in a relationship with Travis Creighton for almost five years before I left and moved across the country to get away from him. Despite my best efforts to avoid being found, Travis not only found me, but attacked me, my now husband, and our dog. However, it isn’t that night alone that is why I think Travis should not be granted parole. It’s every day for the five years leading up to that moment. I lived in fear under his unforgiving temper, and even after my escape, I was haunted by the mere thought of him finding me. He manipulated everyone he ever came across—whether through bribes, blackmail, or this fake charm he’s using today. Travis is who anyone wants him to be, but it’s all with his own benefit in mind. If you allow this man to walk free, people will be hurt.” Clare paused, taking a deep breath. “He’ll never hurt me again, whether he’s free or behind bars. I’m completely confident of that because of the support system I’ve found.”
Rory’s heart warmed, a smile spreading over his face. Damn, he was proud of his wife. She was a fucking bad ass, and he was loving every second of her confidence.
“But just because I am safe from him, doesn’t mean the rest of the world is. For his sake, and our sake, keep Travis behind bars where he can’t hurt anyone else.”
Clare sat back down, and Rory almost missed the tremble in her hands as she folded them in her lap. Glancing past her, Creighton fumed from his chair, nostrils flared.
“Thank you, Mrs. Kavanagh,” the examiner replied. “I commend you for making the trip out here to give your statement. It’s very brave, and will certainly be weighted heavily into my decision.”
She smiled, and Rory wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Fuck yes, my wife’s brave. He leaned in, his lips close to her ear. “You killed it, babe.”
The examiner cleared his throat and moved his papers into a single stack. “After hearing the statements given forth today, and reviewing the recommendations provided by the judge and district attorney, I feel confident in my decision today." He turned to stare directly at Creighton. "I was fairly confident coming into this hearing what my decision would be, but I always hope I'll hear something that might make the decision crystal clear and I believe I did today.”
Creighton smiled. Rory’s stomach rolled.
"Mr. Creighton, the number of charges you were convicted of is damning, and all recommendations were for the maximum sentence. After hearing this young woman's testimony today, and her strength to come all the way across the country to not just protect herself, but anyone else you may have come into contact with, the decision is crystal clear.” The examiner leaned back in his seat, a satisfied look on his face. “I am not going to grant your request for parole today. In fact, I don’t think I would grant it if you’d been in jail for twenty years. Officer, please take Mr. Creighton back to holding.”
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Creighton jumped to his feet but was immediately grabbed by two guards who placed him back in handcuffs. He continued to seethe as they escorted him past them and out of the room. “This is a fucking joke. You bitch. You’re never going to forget me, Clare. I’ll be in your fucking dreams.”
Clare scoffed, shaking her head. “More like nightmares.”
Chapter 4
“Of course our flight would be delayed.” Rory let out a sigh and took her hand, leading them away from the airline desk. “Well, mhuirnín, it looks like we have three hours to kill before takeoff. What do you want to do?”
After the hearing this morning and going through the long lines at security into the airport, she was honestly exhausted and just wanted to sit down. The emotional stress leading up to the decision, and then the absolute high after had absolutely drained her. Her stomach had been in knots all day, which she’d initially thought was nerves about the hearing, but seemed to be lasting.
“Now that we know where our gate is, maybe we just get a bite to eat somewhere in the terminal?” Her stomach rolled again at the mention of food. “Actually, you know what, I could use a bathroom.”
“There’s one right down there.” Rory pointed back down the terminal to a sign for restrooms. “Want me to hold your bag?”
“Yes, please.”
He leaned down to kiss her, but she just headed straight past him. Everything inside her felt like it was about to revolt, and she hurried her pace. Barely a minute later, she was bent over a toilet bowl, emptying the contents of her stomach. What is going on? She hadn't had the stomach flu in years, and nausea wasn’t one of her usual anxiety symptoms.
Grabbing some toilet paper, she began wiping her mouth when a realization hit her.
“Wait…” Clare slid her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the date, then pulled up the calendar. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God!”
She quickly cleaned up and rinsed out her mouth in the sink, before rushing back out to the terminal. Running back to Rory, she grabbed her purse from his hands.
“What’s the rush?” He chuckled lightly. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll be right back. Stay here.”
She was off again before he could question her. He’d ce
rtainly be annoyed, but the terminal was small and so he would easily be able to see her. Halfway down, she found a convenience store and searched the medical section until she found the one lone box she was looking for. It wasn’t the best option, but there was no damn way she could wait eight more hours until they were back on the ground in New York.
After paying, she tucked her purchase away in her purse and headed back to Rory.
“Everything okay?” he asked, standing from the low airport chair. “You’re worrying me.”
“We’ll find out. Come on.” She gestured for him to follow her.
“You’re being really weird, Clare,” he replied, but picked up their bags and followed her anyway. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I will,” she promised, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice but failing miserably. “In here.”
“The family bathroom?” Rory’s brows furrowed, then a wicked smile crossed his lips and he lowered his voice. “Quickie in the airport bathroom? Hell yeah, I’m down for that.”
She laughed as she closed the bathroom door and locked it behind them, leaving them in a small, enclosed room with only a toilet and sink. “No funny business. I need to pee.”
Rory’s smile faded. “Babe, I love you and I know we’re married, but are we really a pee-in-front-of-each-other type of couple?”
“Well, we’re about to become one,” Clare replied, laughing as she pulled her purchase out of her bag and held the box up to him. “Because I need to pee on this, and there’s no way I’m doing this without you.”
Rory’s eyes flickered down to her hands, recognition registering in his expression as his face lit up. “Pregnancy test?!” A smile spread across his face and he threw his arms around her in a giant bear hug. “Holy shit, we’re having a baby!”
“I haven’t peed on it yet!” Clare laughed and wiggled out of his arms. “I’ve been so distracted with the hearing that I didn’t even think about the fact that I’m late. It’s still a long shot, kinda early, but you never know. Okay, face the wall.”
“What? Why?”
“Because we’re not a pee-in-front-of-each-other couple!”
Rory turned around. “Thank God. I wasn’t ready for that.”
“I’ll never be ready for that,” she teased, sliding down her jeans and prepping the test. Making quick work of it, she slid the test between her legs and peed on the tip, then cleaned up, flushed, and pulled her pants back up. She capped the test and placed it on the sink before washing her hands. “Okay. I’m done.”
Rory turned back around and inspected the test. “Is that a plus sign?”
“Nope. It takes three minutes.”
“Fuck. That’s excruciating.” Rory ran his hands over his head. “What do we do for three minutes? We could always go back to that quickie idea.”
Clare laughed. “A whole three minutes? Wow, I’m such a lucky girl.”
Rory’s grin widened. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her softly on the lips. Clare wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her mouth, allowing him in.
“God, mhuirnín, I could never kiss you enough.” He nibbled her lip, then kissed her more deeply. “I always want more of you.”
“What do you hope the test says?” she whispered, willing him to tell her he wanted a family as much as she did. They’d talked about it before, of course, and both wanted a family one day, but never so soon. Only a year into their marriage, they hadn’t started really trying yet since she was still finishing veterinarian school and he was building a new business from the ground up. “Do you want it to be positive?”
“Are you kidding, mhuirnín?” He pulled back slightly. Steely gray eyes stared back at her—sincere, wanting. “If you’re pregnant, I’ll be the happiest man in the world.”
She smiled. “Really? It’s not too soon.”
“With you? Never too soon. Hell, we’ve probably waited too long.” He kissed her deeply, squeezing her tightly against him like he couldn’t get close enough. “Fuck, mhuirnín, I want babies. So many little Rory and Clare babies. I hope it’s twins.”
“What! No way,” she sputtered. “Let’s start with one.”
He winked at her. “We’ll see. You want it to be positive, don’t you?”
Clare couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “Yeah. I really, really do. This trip…it’s closing one chapter and opening another. As strange as that is, it’s also kind of beautiful. I’m not that girl I once was. I’m not even the girl I was when we met. I’m happy. I’m in love. I’m completely ready to be a mom.”
The timer on her phone beeped, saying three minutes was up.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Hell, yes.”
Clare picked up the test and looked down at the indicator window. “It’s positive!”
Rory let out a whooping sound, pumping his fists in the air. “We’re pregnant!” He lifted her straight up off the ground, and she wrapped her legs around him. “Babe, we’re having a baby!”
Tears streamed down her face, her heart pounding in her chest, and a tiny fluttering in her belly that might be nothing, but might just be…someone.
“I love you, mhuirnín.” Rory placed her feet back on the ground, then bent down to kiss her stomach and talk directly to her belly. “I love you, baby. Mama and I love you so much.”
“We’re going to be a family,” Clare said, lifting Rory back up and kissing him. “Our own little family.”
“Oh, babe.” Rory chuckled. “We’re Kavanaghs. There’s nothing little about us.”
Clare rolled her eyes. "I hope the baby gets my sense of humor because you’re not even remotely funny.”
"I hope the baby gets my honesty because you're lying," Rory teased. "But I love you anyway, baby mama."
I’m going to be a Mama.
Holy crap.
Epilogue
Nine Months Later
“He’s so handsome, Clare.” Rory held his swaddled baby in his arms, sitting in a chair next to Clare’s hospital bed. Only hours after birth, but she looked as beautiful as ever. Pregnancy had been good to her, and she still had that happy glow. Her eyes were tired, but her pride was unmistakable.
“I know all moms say it, but I think he really is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen. Possibly the most beautiful ever born.” Clare tilted her head, beaming at him. “He’s looking at you like you’re the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen.”
“Well, with a reference of only a few hours, I probably look pretty damn cool.”
Clare gasped! “Don’t curse in front of him!”
“Okay, okay. I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises about my family.” Rory stood and carefully handed their son back to Clare. “They’ll be here any minute.”
“Who’s coming?”
“Everyone.” Rory washed his hands again, just in case. He’d never seen such a tiny human before, and he wasn’t taking any chances.
“No, I mean, who specifically?”
Rory returned to her bedside. “Babe, everyone.”
“You’re joking.” Clare’s eyes widened. “Rory, that’s a lot of people. He’s so tiny!”
“I tried to tell them, but they weren’t having it. Don’t worry, everyone will wash their hands and be very gentle.”
Clare’s brow furrowed. “I hope so. God, Rory, this is our son. Our baby! We’re responsible for keeping him alive, for making him a contributing part of the world, for creating a good person. We’re parents now.”
He shook his head because the thought was terrifying and exciting all at once. "It's fucking insane.”
“Rory!”
“Sorry.” He put his hand over his mouth. “No cursing. Right.”
“IS MY GRANDCHILD IN HERE?!” Dee Kavanagh’s voice was unmistakable in the hall outside their room. “Rory? Clare?”
“In here, Ma.” Rory stood and pulled the curtain aside, welcoming her in but gesturing to lower their voices. “Come on in.”
“My grandson!?
?? Dee rushed forward, tears already streaming down her face as she bypassed right past Rory and went to Clare’s bedside. “Oh, my word. That’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen!”
“That’s what I said!” Clare chuckled. “I just can’t stop looking at him.”
The rest of the family began piling into the room, including his father and all his brothers, along with Nora, Fiona, and Shea. The room wasn’t nearly large enough for all of them, so they were practically spilling into the hallway, all angling to get a look at the baby.
“Can I hold him?” Dee asked. Clare gently laid him in her arms, and she cooed down at his little face as she rocked him. “Does he have a name yet?”
Clare looked at him, a small smile spreading on her lips. Rory grinned and looked around the room for his younger cousin. "Where's Casey?"
“Here!” She popped a hand up from behind Kieran, then the bright-eyed redhead stepped around him and up against the bed. “Oh, he’s beautiful!”
“Ma, Pops, Casey, everyone…” Rory gestured around the room to the rest of his family. “Meet Murphy Seamus Kavanagh.”
Dee gasped, and Seamus turned to look at him. Casey began crying and threw her arms around Rory. The entire room was sniffles and laughter.
“Thank you,” Casey cried, wiping the tears from her face. “My father would have loved to have met his namesake.”
“She’s right,” Seamus agreed. Casey’s father was his brother, and he’d died tragically in a fire when she was younger which is why Casey had grown up living with Rory’s family. “Murphy would have adored him. He’d have loved you, too, Clare.”
“Thanks, Seamus,” she replied, smiling. “We wanted to name him after the two strongest Kavanagh men. You and your brother seemed the obvious choice.”
“I’m honored.” Seamus wrapped an arm around Dee’s shoulders, gazing adoringly at his first grandson. “Welcome to the Kavanagh family, Murphy.”
* * *