Casey wrapped her hand around his, the key pressed between their palms. “I love you, too, Flynn. Let’s do it. Let’s move in together.”
He smiled wide and kissed her so hard that they both fell backwards on the couch. His body stretched across hers, his hands sliding below her shirt, and she knew in that moment that when he did one day ask her to marry him, she’d say yes.
Chapter 8
Christmas Eve
Jimmy Kavanagh
“Honestly, this one is even worse than the last.” Jimmy pulled at the collar of the itchy wool sweater with a reindeer plastered on the front, including a light-up nose attached to a battery pack in his jeans pocket. “I look insane. You realize I’m going to be crucified by my brothers, right?”
“The kids will love it!” Sophie countered. She was wearing a light-up sweater of her own with a green Christmas tree adorned with working twinkle lights. “Ava has been talking all day about these sweaters.”
He glanced down at the young girl who was wearing a light-up wreath around her head. “That’s the only reason I agreed.”
“You look like Rudolph!” Ava chimed in, tapping the bright red nose on his stomach. “He’s my favorite!”
He laughed then lifted her up and buckled her into the car seat in the backseat of their crossover SUV. “Well, of course. He’s the best reindeer of all!”
Ava began singing Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer at full blast as he shut the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. Sophie was already buckling herself into the front passenger seat. In a few minutes, they’d be pulling up to Kieran’s house for the annual Christmas Eve celebration.
“Did you put the presents in the trunk?” Sophie asked, glancing backwards as they pulled out of the driveway of the small house they shared on the outskirts of Woodlawn. She handed Ava an electronic tablet with a game on it, which would keep the child occupied and distracted the entire way there.
He nodded. “Yep. It’s pretty much maxed out on space back there.”
“You have a huge family,” she replied. “And this is the first time everyone will be together since I’ve met you.”
“Crazy. It feels like we’ve been together forever, and my family is always around.”
“True, but Quinn and Kiera have been living on the West Coast. I finally get to meet them!” Sophie clapped her hands with excitement, then dropped them over her stomach. She rubbed them slowly in a circle. Strange. “Who else am I meeting today?”
Jimmy’s thoughts were distracted, and he tried to think back through the list of family members she’d already met. “I think Quinn’s the only one left…right? Oh, wait, Flynn. Casey’s dating the new agent down at Legends. Well, he’s not entirely new. It just feels like that because he replaced Quinn. He’s been at it for a few years though, and done an amazing job with the company.”
“Right, you mentioned him a few times. Is he good for her? Do you like him?”
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “We grilled him pretty hard when they first started dating. Quinn punched him. He’s still here, still wants to be a part of the family, so I think he’s a decent guy. Casey’s head over heels, of course. She has been for years.”
“Young love,” Sophie mused. “So sweet.”
Jimmy reached over and grabbed her hands, interlocking their fingers as he continued driving. “Hey, we’re still young.”
Sophie laughed. “Barely. I feel like I’m one hundred years old most days.”
“Kids will do that to you.” Jimmy kissed the back of her hand.
Sophie cleared her throat and let go of his hand.
“What’s wrong?” He snuck a quick glance sideways at her before turning his eyes back to the road.
“Jimmy, do you want to have kids soon? I know we argued a bit about it the other day, but then we got distracted. It really hurt my feelings when you acted like you weren’t interested. Are we not heading that direction?”
Jimmy was quiet a moment, reflecting on the best way to tell the woman he loved how deliriously happy he’d be if they had children together. “Sophie, you’ve told me how hard being a single, young mother was. I would never want to pressure you into something before you’re ready, but if that day ever comes, I’d be absolutely thrilled to have children with you.”
Her brow furrowed. “You think I’m not ready?”
“No, it’s not that. No one is ever really ready for kids. My parents certainly weren’t, and they had five! If you look at Rory’s birth date, there’s no doubt Ma was pregnant at the altar. Life happens, and things turn out the way they are meant to be. I want us to be a family and for you to be my wife. I want to adopt Ava as my own. I want it all, babe.”
Sophie leaned over and kissed his cheek, grabbing his hand and holding it to her chest. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m already pregnant then.”
His eyes widened, and he snapped his head sideways to look at her. “WHAT?”
She nodded. “I’m pregnant. And look at the road!”
He turned his attention back to the road but let out a loud whoop. “Are you kidding me right now, Soph? Are we having a baby?”
“We are! Merry Christmas.”
“Holy shit!” Jimmy glanced in the rear-view mirror to see Ava was still completely engrossed in the electronic game and paying them no attention. “How far along? When is the doctor appointment? Because I need to take off work. No fucking way I’m missing that. Are we telling everyone tonight? We need to start putting the nursery together. When are we due? Holy shit, my mom is going to freak.”
Sophie laughed and patted his arm. “Babe, calm down. I’m only 8 weeks, I think. The doctor will confirm everything next Tuesday after the holidays.”
“Holy shit, I love you so much. This is amazing. We’re having a baby?” he asked again, still barely able to believe the news. A child—his! Boy, girl, he didn’t care. He just wanted it to be healthy, and he wanted to give that child the best life he possibly could. First things first, he was going to marry the woman he was starting a family with. “Sophie, let’s get married. Let’s elope tonight. Marry me.”
She laughed again and shook her head. “No way.”
What the hell? “That was a real proposal, babe.” He turned the car onto Kieran’s street, nearing his brother’s house. “You’re carrying my baby.”
“Exactly. I don’t want a proposal because I’m your baby mama. I want a proposal because you can’t imagine spending the rest of your life without me.”
Jimmy pulled his car into Kieran’s driveway. “Okay, fair point, but that’s entirely true already. I don’t want anyone but you, Soph.”
“Then you can plan a proper proposal and do it when you’re not in the heat of the moment after life changing news.” Sophie unbuckled her seat belt as they parked, leaned over, and kissed him again. “But I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby mama,” he teased, stealing her lips this time. They kissed for only a quick moment, but it was sweet and happy and his entire body felt like he was floating on a cloud. Honestly, he had no idea how he wouldn’t tell his family. They’d take one look at him and know he was over the moon.
They disembarked from the car and Sophie walked Ava into the house, hand-in-hand. The front door was open with only the screen door separating them. Sophie came to a dead stop in front of the glass, clutching her free hand to her chest.
“Oh, my God…”
“Soph?” Jimmy came around to her side, taking in the shocked expression on her face. Tears were beginning to brim her lower lashes, and panic began to swell in his stomach. He scooped Ava up into his arms, worried Sophie was about to fall over. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Fish?”
What? She wasn’t making any sense. “Babe—” The glass door opened behind him. Jimmy moved out of the way, having been bumped by the door’s edge. “What is—?”
“Sophie?” Flynn stepped out onto the front porch, letting the screen door fall closed
behind him. “Sophie Conroy?”
She nodded her head, bursting into tears. Loud sobs ripped from her chest as she threw her arms around Flynn’s neck. He embraced her warmly, lifting her entirely off the ground and spinning her in a circle.
“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” Jimmy was two seconds away from punching Flynn just like Quinn had if he didn’t put down his woman. This giant Neanderthal was a goddamn heartthrob around women for reasons Jimmy couldn’t understand, and there was no freaking way he was about to lose the woman he’d loved for the last two years to Casey’s new boyfriend. “Someone needs to fill me in now.”
Flynn put Sophie back down, but they kept staring at each other as if they were trying to memorize every inch of one another’s face. They both had tears in their eyes and were laughing.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Sophie said. “I tried to look for you, but I never actually knew your name.”
Flynn laughed. “Yeah, no one calls me ‘Fish’ anymore. It’s Flynn. Flynn Gallagher.”
Her eyes widened. “Flynn? As in Casey’s boyfriend? You’ve been around all this time, and we haven’t crossed paths?”
He smiled, rubbing the tears from his own cheeks with his palms. “Fucking insane. My sister’s only been a few minutes away all this time.”
“Sister?” Okay, someone really needed to explain to him what was going on right now. Jimmy looked at the blond-haired, green-eyed Flynn whose complexion was only slightly less pale from a suntan he’d gotten a few weeks ago on vacation with Casey, then to his girlfriend whose only physical commonality was bright green eyes set against dark brown skin and thin black braids. “What are you talking about?”
Flynn and Sophie suddenly seemed to realize their surroundings.
“He’s my foster brother,” Sophie finally explained, squeezing Flynn’s hand. He was a few years older than me, and not around for very long. My mother struggled with keeping him in line. A real troublemaker.”
“I was,” Flynn agreed, and then he gave her a wide grin. “Still am.”
Jimmy tried not to show his surprise, but he realized then and there that he really didn’t know anything about Flynn at all. He knew about Sophie’s history growing up, and respected the hell out of her for it. Her mother had taken in multiple foster kids during her childhood and some of the stories were harrowing. It was one of the biggest influencers in her decision to become a police officer.
Yet, in the last few years of knowing Flynn, he hadn’t even bothered to ask him about his background. Casey certainly hadn’t volunteered it—not that he’d expect her too. He resolved then and there to renew his effort to make Flynn feel part of the family and get to know him as a brother.
“We lost touch after he left. The system doesn’t really make it easy to keep in contact. I honestly never thought I’d see you again, Fish.” Sophie pointed to Ava. “This is Ava, my daughter. Ava, meet your Uncle Flynn.”
“Can I call him Fish, too?” Ava asked, putting out her arms to her mother.
Jimmy handed her over. “Fish?”
“Someone spread a rumor that I ate another kid’s goldfish at the foster home we were in. I swear I didn’t, but back then, I didn’t deny it. It made everyone a little frightened of me, and I liked that.” Flynn let out a loud belly laugh. “Fuck, I was a messed up kid.”
Jimmy chuckled lightly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s some psycho shit right there.”
“Guys!” Sophie cautioned, putting a hand over Ava’s ear. “Little ears over here.”
“Sorry.” Jimmy grimaced. “So, can I call you Fish? Does Casey know that story?”
Flynn shook his head. “Don’t you dare. I still can’t go out for sushi with her. She mocks me the entire time, trying to feed me raw fish and calling me a cannibal.”
“That sounds like Casey,” Jimmy replied, proud of his cousin’s antics. She’d grown up around a group of rough and tumble boys, so they’d taught her how to give a guy a hard time. “But, seriously, Soph, Flynn, I have a thousand more questions.”
“I’ll answer them all, I promise,” Sophie said, kissing Jimmy’s cheek. “But let’s get inside first because I don’t know how much longer the baby can go without food.”
“Fuck!” Jimmy slapped a hand to his forehead. “With all the commotion, I almost forgot we’re having a baby! Move, Flynn. I gotta feed my baby mama.”
Flynn gaped. “Sophie, you’re pregnant? Congratulations!”
“A baby on the way, a proposal, and reuniting with your long lost brother…” Jimmy shook her head in disbelief. “Today’s blowing my fucking mind.”
“A proposal?” Flynn asked, opening the glass door and ushering them inside.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Sophie replied. “I said no.”
“For now!” Jimmy reminded her. He was definitely going to ask her to be his wife, this time down on one knee and with a beautiful ring and speech prepared. Not only was he completely in love with her, but he wanted to be a father to Ava and their future son or daughter. They were going to be a family, and while he’d never put a lot of thought into it before, he was beginning to realize that this is what he’d wanted all along.
Chapter 9
Christmas Eve
Quinn Kavanagh
“That’s absolutely insane,” Quinn said. He slapped a hand against Flynn’s back and shook his head. Flynn and Sophie had just finished telling the entire Kavanagh family in Kieran’s living room about how the two of them had known each other before. “What a crazy small world.”
He’d just met Sophie officially for the first time, and already loved her vibrant energy and the way his brother smiled when he looked at her. Her daughter was absolutely adorable and was clearly already a fan favorite in the family and had Jimmy wrapped around her little finger. There was no doubt that these three were the real deal—their own little family.
Kiera leaned into Quinn’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist. “It’s beautiful. All this family coming together.”
Quinn glanced at his wife, wondering if that was her queue that they should tell his family their news. She shook her head slightly, so he said nothing.
“Is it weird that I’m dating her brother?” Casey asked, pointing between Flynn and Sophie, then to Jimmy and herself. “And that she’s dating my cousin?”
Kane burst out laughing. “That’s some weird fucking family ties.”
“Kane! Language.” Dee smacked her son’s arm. “There are little kids running all around.”
He rolled his eyes. “Kids gotta grow up eventually. Is it time to eat yet?”
“Ooh, I’m starving,” Sophie spoke up. She suddenly paused and looked over at Jimmy. “Should we tell them?”
Quinn furrowed his brow. This was already becoming one of the weirdest Christmas Eve’s they had ever had. Between the news he and Kiera were going to give the family, Fiona’s bed rest and the change of venue, and Flynn and Sophie’s reunion, it was definitely already shaping up to be a memorable occasion.
Jimmy wrapped an arm around Sophie and pulled her into his side. “I knocked her up, guys!”
Sophie elbowed him hard in the side, but she was laughing. “Jesus, Jimmy! What a charmer.”
There was silence in the room for a quick second as the news sank in, but the moment it did, everyone burst into cheers. Dee was already crying and hugging everyone, clearly overjoyed at the thought of another grandchild. The children wove in and out of the adult’s embraces, clearly confused as to what was going on.
“Oh, my God, this is fantastic. This is an answer to prayers. What a blessing!” Dee cried out, hugging Sophie for the hundredth time. “Come on, let’s get you some food, sweet girl. You’re eating for two now!”
“Does this mean the pressure is off of us for a while?” Kiera whispered to Quinn, giggling. “I’d be fine with your mom not asking me every day when we’re having kids.”
Quinn laughed and shook his head. “That woman is unstoppabl
e.”
“Darn,” Kiera teased, still keeping their conversation low enough to only be between them. In a large house full of people, that wasn’t too hard to do since everyone else was talking over one another. “And you know it’s only going to get worse once they find out.”
“We could just start trying,” he replied, smacking her bottom lightly and nuzzling his nose into her neck. “I’d love to practice. A lot.”
Kiera wiggled her brows. “Is that so? We might need to work really hard at it.”
She added heavy emphasis to the word, biting the edge of her bottom lip and letting out the lightest exhale that made him want to kiss her senseless right then and there. Damn, he fell deeper and deeper for her every day.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the hallway. No one even noticed them slip out. It was too easy to get lost in a large crowd like the Kavanaghs. They quietly and quickly ran up a flight of stairs and ducked into the first open door which turned out to be the laundry room. Quinn closed the door behind them and put a heavy basket in front of it. “Take off your pants.”
A familiar fire lit behind her eyes. She unbuttoned her jeans, shimmying out of them. The moment she was free, he grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the top of the washing machine then pushed her knees apart. She fumbled for his pants button, freeing him from the confines of his own pants and pulling him inside her.
Quinn growled, sinking his teeth into her shoulder as she took every inch of him. She was always ready and willing, and he honestly couldn’t get enough. They weren’t seriously trying for kids since she was still taking birth control, but he knew that they were beginning to broach the conversation. Maybe soon they’d discuss stopping precautions and giving it a real go, but for now, he planned on practicing again and again and again. You know, just in case.