Mick'sology (The Flynn Family Book 2)

by Kayt Miller

  Hell. I don’t even know the doctor’s name. I need to remember it if something isn’t right when she presses charges.

  Before I get a chance to ask, Hank has his notebook out a pen at the ready. “Can I get your name, please? For my report.”

  “Sure. Um, I’m Doctor Lansing.”

  “Can you spell that for me?”

  “L.A.N.S.I.N.G.”

  “Great, thanks,” Hank clicks his pen and places it in his breast pocket along with the little notebook.

  As soon as Dr. Lansing leaves I smile at Hank. “You didn’t really need his name, did you?”

  “Nope. But, I didn’t like his attitude. I thought I’d let him know, in my own way, that I’ll be checking up to make sure he made the correct notations on her chart. It’ll be admissible when she goes to court. One wrong notation and those assholes could be on the street.

  “Court? I have to go to court?”

  Hank nods his head, “Most likely, Roni. You need to press charges. Those two deserve to be behind bars. Luckily you have some great witnesses like your neighbors as well as the two uniforms and me.”

  She gives him a weak smile and lays her head back on the pillows. Her eyes flutter shut, and I check my watch. She only gets to sleep an hour and then she needs to wake up again.

  Shockingly, the ultrasound tech arrives in record time. She rolls in a portable machine and takes film of our little one. We get to hear the heartbeat again, and it makes us even more emotional than the first time because now we know our baby is alive. An overwhelming feeling of relief sweeps over me. “Thank God,” I say silently.

  After the doctor checks out the ultrasound, he tells us that it all looks healthy. It looks good. She’s released after several hours. Hank drives us to her place, and I help her into the elevator. She’s sluggish and sore. I reach down and lift her by sliding one arm under her legs and support her back with the other.

  “God. Mick! No! I’m too heavy. Put me down. You’ll get hurt.”

  I can tell she’s getting agitated again. Fearing she’ll pass out from the anxiety, I set her on her feet. I lean into her as the clunky old elevator moves up slowly, one floor at a time. “Veronica?”

  She looks at me wryly. “Yes.”

  “If you ever say another negative word about your weight. Or if you insinuate that I can’t carry my woman when she needs to be carried, or you get upset when you think someone is going to lift you for any reason, I will tan that luscious ass of yours. It’ll be so red you won’t be able to sit for a week. I promise you. Do you understand what I’m saying to you, babe?”

  She nods and peers at me with huge doe eyes.

  “Do you understand? Because I mean it, Roni. I mean it with every fiber of my being. You aren’t heavy. You’re perfect.”

  She starts to scoff.

  “Roni,” I warn. “I mean it.”

  She nods at me again just as the elevator reaches her floor. I reach down and pick her up again. She says nothing. Instead, she wraps her hands around my neck as I carry her to the door. “Keys?”

  She opens her little purse and pulls them out. I turn her so she can do the lock. I’m not going to set her down until I’ve got her to her bed. Opening the door slightly, I use my shoe to open it the rest of the way. I kick it shut behind me and walk to her bedroom.

  Gingerly, I set her down. “Clothes off, Veronica.”

  Without arguing, she pulls off her clothes from earlier. There’s blood on her top I bought her for Christmas, so I toss that in the trash. She doesn’t argue. “I’ll get you another one just like it.” I pull out a t-shirt I’ve seen her wear around her place at night. I unhook her bra and help her into the shirt. “You hungry?”

  “Yeah. I’m thirsty too.”

  “Be right back.” I limp to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water, banana, and a yogurt from her fridge. I march back into her room to see her fast asleep on top of her comforter. I pull the blanket from my side of the bed and bring it to her. My side of the bed? I like the sound of that.

  I take my clothes off and lay on my side. I set my phone alarm to go off every hour. I’ll get her to drink some water and eat a little when I wake her up.

  Chapter 60: Roni

  “Roni? Wake up, Roni.”

  I hear his voice but I will myself to stay asleep.

  “Babe. You need to wake up for a little while.”

  “Nooooo. My head hurts. I’m tired,” I whine.

  “I know. Just for a little bit. You need to drink a little water, honey. Doctor’s orders.”

  “Screw the doctor.”

  I hear him chuckle at my comment. “Fine,” I grumble. I work my body around so that I am sitting up. “My body hurts. Those jerk-offs really did a number on me. I’ll be sore for days.”

  “I’d love to get my hands on them. I don’t believe in hitting a woman, but I’d let that go just this once.”

  “Did Hank say anything to you about them?”

  “They’re in custody. They both lawyered up, but the most significant thing is they’re pointing fingers at each other.”

  “Trisha is the one that did all of the damage,” I say pointing to my face. “How bad is it? Be honest.” I haven’t had the guts to look at myself in the mirror. I want to take a shower, but I don’t want to glimpse myself in the mirror.

  “You’re still beautiful,” Mick says sweetly. “You just look like you went fifteen rounds.”

  I groan knowing it must be bad if he’s using a boxing analogy. “I hope they don't get out. What if they do? They may come after me again?”

  “Shh, they aren’t getting out. You signed the paperwork that Hank brought over to press charges against them both. And Hank will keep us posted on all of that, so you don’t need to worry.”

  I yawn and attempt to stretch out my sore muscles. I take another drink of water and ask, “Can I go back to sleep, Dr. Mick?”

  “Sure. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  I groan because an hour is not enough time. “Thank you for taking care of me, Mick,” I say sleepily.

  He tucks me in and kisses my temple. “Sleep tight, babe.”

  Chapter 61: Roni

  It has taken me two weeks to feel normal again. Not only am I attempting to get over the injuries from my assault but I’m also dealing with morning sickness. It should be ending any day now because every book I’ve read about pregnancy promises that it will stop by the second trimester. That was like two weeks ago. Enough already!

  Since I finally feel human again, Mick and I are going over to the house in Edgewater. His dad and brother are now completely done updating the home. Mick has shown me pictures of the place, and it’s amazing. It went from nearly needing to be condemned to move-in ready in only a few months.

  I finished up my work for the day and decided it was time to get dressed. Yeah, working from home has made me extra lazy when it comes to getting dressed. My commute is five seconds. I wear pajamas to work now. Not that I’m complaining. It’s been great. But, I get a little stir crazy. Bored. I’m bored. So bored. That’s why this little outing to the house in Edgewater is thrilling to me.

  Mick unlocks my door and walks into my apartment at exactly three o’clock. Yes, Mick has a key to my place. It just makes the most sense. He’s here all the time anyway. “You ready, Roni?”

  “Yep.” I grab my purse and meet him at the door. I lean up and give him a quick kiss on his sexy lips. “I can’t wait.”

  Mick grabs my hand and pulls me to him. It’s his turn to kiss me. He is longer and full of passion. He doesn’t mess around when he kisses me. “Let’s go. Dad and Keith are meeting us over there.”

  Mick’s brand new SUV is only down the block, so we hop in and take off. Mick was determined to get a safer vehicle. I get that after his accident. But, he also wanted it large enough for a family. Damn, he’s sweet.

  Edgewater is the neighborhood east of mine. It’s evident from the style and size of the homes there that it was once a wealthy area. Yea
rs of neglect have left it in need of people like Declan and Keith as well as Hank and Sophie to inject some much-needed love and money into the area.

  Mick chatters on about his day at work, about a new bartender he hired that’s driving him crazy already. I giggle at him when he rants about the new ones. He’s not very patient with them, but they almost always turn out to be great bartenders. He does an excellent job teaching them, and he enjoys that part of his job.

  The second half of our drive Mick talks about the company he’s working with to manufacture his drinks. David and Henry have paid for the initial batches, and he’s researching test markets. It’s all coming together. I don’t think he realized how long it actually takes to get something like his product on the market. From start to finish, it could take him over a year to really get it on any store shelves. Mick stops talking in mid-sentence and looks at me. “We’re here.”

  I turn my head to see the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. I really mean it. “It’s perfect,” I say with a gasp. “Mick, it’s perfect.”

  “I know. But, let’s go inside and take a look.”

  He runs around the car to open my door. He reaches in and helps me out of the car and onto the curb. There's a driveway and a new one-car garage on the property but there are still Flynn Construction vehicles and equipment around. Mick said they were doing some landscaping since it seems spring has arrived earlier than normal.

  We step onto the covered, wrap-around porch on the front of the house, which is now painted a light shade of blue-gray. The gingerbread work above our heads and along the wooden railing has all been restored and painted it with cream and a dark plum color. They've added hanging baskets of flowers on the porch and placed some wicker furniture there to stage the space.

  “Is the furniture included, Mick?”

  “You like it?”

  “I do. It’s really perfect.”

  “We can ask them about that, okay?” He pulls the front screen door open and knocks on the wooden front door painted dark plumb like the other woodwork. There’s a blown glass window in the center of the door that looks like it’s been there since the house was built. Mick knocks but then just turns the knob and walks in. “Dad? Keith?”

  “Back here,” yells one of them. I’m not sure which one. We step in, and I look in front of me to see a beautiful wooden staircase leading up. On the left is the formal living room with a fireplace as the focal point of the room. Wooden built-in cabinets with glass doors flank the hearth. The woodwork matches the staircase and the other trim around the entire space.

  We walk through the living room into the formal dining room. There’s an elaborate built-in dining hutch and buffet inserted in the wall. It’s the same wood, but the glass on the lower cabinets is made with stained glass. It looks original too, but it’s been restored. “My goodness, Mick. Your dad and brother do amazing work, don’t they?” I say in awe.

  “They do. Come on. I think they’re in the kitchen.”

  We step through a swinging door, and I gasp. The kitchen looks like it belongs in a magazine. It’s primarily white except for the countertops. Those have a mix of the same gray-blue of the house with a vein of plumb running through it. The backsplash is made of white subway tile, and the floor looks like hardwood, but Mick says it’s ceramic tile. You can’t tell.

  “Declan and Keith, it's incredible.”

  “Thank you, Veronica. We’re glad you like it,” says Mick’s dad with a chuckle. ‘Want to buy it?”

  “I do! How much?” I’ve never asked how much it was. I was afraid to know. Now, I’m afraid because this is my dream house and if I find out it’s too much, I may cry.

  “Once you two finish your walk-through, we’ll sit down and crunch some numbers. Sound good?”

  “Yes.” Mick grabs my hand and pulls me toward the staircase. The upstairs is just as amazing as the downstairs. The bedrooms are a decent size even after they added larger closets to each room. These old houses were notorious for having tiny closets. There’s also laundry hook-ups on the top floor, which is great when you’ve got a baby.

  The bathroom is spectacular. There’s a huge whirlpool bathtub and an even bigger walk-in shower with three showerheads. The one on the ceiling flows down like rain. “Mick, I’m scared to find out how much his place is because I want it.”

  “I do too. Let’s go look at the yard and then we’ll talk to dad and Keith.”

  The backyard is a work in progress. The landscapers are working today cleaning out the flowerbeds and setting up pavers. There’s a new deck on the back, but the thing that catches my eye and literally makes me cry is the children’s playhouse. There’s a swing, a slide, a jungle gym, and a little house with a door. “Oh, Mick!” I exclaim. “It’s so perfect.”

  He taps my tummy, “Dad bought that for us. For you, actually. He thought you’d like it.”

  “Y-your dad bought it? But, this isn’t even our house yet.”

  “It will be,” interrupts Declan. “Now, let’s talk.”

  When we sit down with Declan and Keith, they have a spreadsheet showing us the purchase price of the house and their expenses plus labor. I’m glad they aren’t going to lose money on this place. I’ve brought the information from the bank about how much house Mick and I can afford together. It’s surprisingly high. Part of that is due to my new and improved income but still.

  When it’s all said and done, they are only asking $499,900 for the house, which is about half what the bank said we could afford.

  Once I heard the price I said, “We’ll take it.”

  All three guys laugh loudly. Mick’s dad slaps him on the back, and then he pats my hand gently. “Good. I’m pleased,” said Declan.

  “When can we move in? Oh, and how much more for the all of the furniture?”

  Keith takes this question. “You can move in at the beginning of next month after you close with the bank. We should be done with the landscaping and a few last minute things inside by then. We’ll get a list of the things we bought to stage the place, and if you want any of it, you can just pay us our cost. Sound good?”

  “Yes!” I turn to Mick and smile so big it makes my face hurt. “We have a house, babe!”

  He slides his hand over the back of my neck and pulls me in for one of his kisses, “We did. Congratulations. Dad, Keith, can you give us a second?”

  “Sure thing,” says dad.

  I turn and watch as the guys get up and leave. “Mick?” When I look back at him, he’s on his good knee holding a small, square box. It’s light blue just like my necklace. “Mick?” I say shakily.

  “Veronica.”

  I giggle at that. “Uh oh.”

  He chuckles, “Veronica McGonigall. I know I’ve told you many times that I love you. That I loved you the second, you attacked me in that taxi.”

  I giggle and snort at that. “Mick! I didn’t attack you.”

  “Please don’t interrupt. I’m trying to be romantic. Plus, my leg is killing me.”

  “Oh, babe. Get up.”

  “No. Now shush. Now I have to start over. Blah, blah, blah. I love you…yadda yadda yadda. Oh yeah, now I remember where I was.”

  I’m giggling through his entire proposal, and it’s perfect.

  “Veronica Minerva McGonigall, did you know that 4,153,237 people got married last year? Not to cause any trouble but shouldn't that be an even number?”

  I throw my head back at that because I know that was a joke. Again, this is the perfect marriage proposal for us. It’s so very us.

  “One more try… Veronica Sue McGonigall. I love you with all of my heart. You and our little peanut have made me the happiest man on the planet. That’s quite an accomplishment because when you met me, I was the most miserable man on the planet. You complete me.”

  I laugh again.

  “I know it’s a movie line, but it’s true. You’re my person, and I’m yours. I love every single thing about you but my favorite this is definitely your tits. Just sayin'.
”

  “Mick! You’re ruining it,” I giggle.

  “No, my favorite part of you is your heart. The second thing is your mind, and the third thing is that I know what an amazing mother you’ll be. Be my wife, baby. Marry me?”

  I’ve stopped laughing, but I haven’t stopped smiling. “I know you wanted to add tittage in there at the end, but you were smart to leave it off the list,” I say with a smirk.

  It’s his turn to laugh. I take the blue box from his hand and pop the lid open to reveal the most delicate and beautiful rose gold solitaire diamond I’ve ever seen. It’s the same gold as in my necklace. “Mick, it's perfect.” I smile at him as he waits. “Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you. I love you so much, Michael Flynn.”

  “Thank fuck!” he sighs in relief. “I was scared shitless you were going to say no.”

  I take the ring from the box and hand it to him. He slides it onto my left ring finger. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss. “Thank you. Your proposal was perfect.”

  Chapter 62: Roni

  “Roni, put that box down. Now!” shouts Mick.

  I stand from my stooped position to see eight Flynn’s and a McGonigall––each with their hands on hips. “Um, I just wanted to help.”

  “You are helping. You’re telling everyone where to put the boxes, babe. You aren’t supposed to be lifting anything.”

  “Look at Sophie, she’s doing as she’s told,” Henry adds pointing his thumb backward.

  We all turn to see Sophie clutching a large box meant for the upstairs bathroom. “Yeah. I see that, ” I say sarcastically.

  “Sophie, Goddamn it. Put that box down!” Henry races to her to grab the box out of her hands.

  I know why they’re worried. I’m about four and a half months along in my pregnancy and Sophie is about a month more than that. Neither of us should be lifting anything. I just feel terrible that everyone is lugging all of my junk. I need to get over that and go back to directing traffic.