by Mignon Mykel
Grey got into the driver’s seat and shook his head, his face amused. “Chris didn’t move the bag, Angel.” Grey chuckled to himself and put the SUV into reverse, pulling out of the garage.
“He did! It was near the car seat and then it was gone. You know how Chris likes to move things.” It was true. Many a pair of sunglasses and shoes have gone missing since Chris learned to walk.
And he started at ten months.
That was a lot of missing sunglasses and pair-less shoes.
Grey, still chuckling, hit the garage remote and moved the car into drive, heading toward the Bay. “No, Angel. I moved it.”
I frowned. “But…”
“You never asked if I knew where it was. You would have saved yourself a lot of trouble.” Grey openly laughed at me now.
“You could have said something,” I grumbled, crossing my arms and looking out the window.
Grey’s hand wandered over and found its way to my thigh, squeezing gently. “You just said you were looking for something.” The smile was still evident in his voice, the bastard.
“Mmhm.”
Again, he laughed. “Now we have two. You know,” he paused and I could imagine him shrugging a shoulder. “In case Chris moves the one.” I glanced over at him and he took the opportunity to wink at me.
He was mocking me.
The bastard.
“Mmhm,” I repeated through tight lips, but I moved my hand to rest on top of his, intertwining our fingers when he turned his hand over to hold mine.
“So Con doesn’t know? You’re sure Mia didn’t slip?”
I shook my head, looking back at my husband. “No. According to Mia he’s completely clueless. Just thinks we’re meeting him at the pub for a quick lunch.”
Trying to surprise my oldest brother hadn’t been an easy feat for Mia and me. Most of our ideas, Conor seemed to figure out but for whatever reason, when Mia told him about today’s lunch, he hadn’t batted an eye.
He was going to be surprised to see our parents there as they were supposed to be on another cross-country trip, but likely more because Rory, Emily, and their son would be there. Caleb and Sydney Prescott, too. We still wanted to keep it intimate so we kept our numbers low. There were also going to be ten littles running around, so we were trying to keep a pretty decent ratio of kids to adults. If we started inviting every employee and every close friend, the pub would be so full the littles would easily get lost.
“I don’t know, Bren,” Grey said, shaking his head. “I think he knows something’s up. He was talking about seeing Rory and Emily.”
I scoffed, shaking my own head. “No. I think he and Mia were talking about taking a vacation without the kids, and Scottsdale was the main idea.”
“Either way,” Grey retorted with a shrug, “it’ll be good to see everyone. Hear any more news on the Prescott front?”
Caleb and Sydney didn’t have family here, outside of Jonny and the team, and because of that, they did a number of family dinners with Conor and Mia. Their kids got along incredibly well with Aiden, Ava, and Ali, but they hit a terrible rough patch recently.
My heart broke for them.
I shook my head. “No, but they did confirm they would come out with the boys for a little while.”
“Good. They need an hour or two away,” Grey said, nodding.
When we heard the news, Grey and I sat up all night talking about what we would do if we were in their shoes. It wasn’t an easy place to put yourself.
I glanced over my shoulder, checking on our boys. All three were zonked out.
I turned back around with a small smile on my face.
No, I couldn’t imagine what Caleb and Sydney were going through, but I wasn’t taking a single day for granted.
Stone
I pulled our Pilot into the back lot just as Conor and Mia were getting out of their truck, Aiden and Ava arguing as they hopped down as well. Little Ali climbed down quietly, reaching for her mom’s hand the moment her feet hit the gravel.
After parking, Brenna took care of Mikey’s car seat, hauling him in it, and I unbuckled Matt, lifting him out of the SUV and allowing him to run to his mother.
God I loved calling Brenna that.
Wife, too. That was another favorite.
I walked to the other side to release a sleeping Chris from the confines of his car seat, hoisting him out and carrying the sleeping boy into the pub behind everyone else.
Brenna had placed the car seat with a still sleeping Mikey on a table, freeing her hands so she and Mia could pull a few of the lower tables together.
O’Gallaghers opening staff was already in, which worked perfectly with the plan. Con would never guess something was off, that the girls had actually pre-planned for the pub to be closed until three, leaving the place available to us for a few hours.
I looked at my watch before heading toward Conor, who was helping Aiden shoot darts in the back. It was my job to keep him distracted.
Thirty minutes, and it would be go time.
Rory
We were soaring above the sky, just reaching altitude. It would only be a matter of minutes before the plane began its descent once again. I looked out the window to see if I could make out the lights of the towns below us as we flew through the dark sky.
It was a short flight home, only an hour, but Em hadn’t thought she could handle sitting in a car for five and a half hours.
To be honest, I didn’t think I could handle sitting in a car with her for five and half hours. She had to pee every twenty minutes. We would have never made it home.
I looked to my right where my wife of four years curled up beside me. She pulled up the arm rest to her right so she could pull her feet on the chair beside her, and the arm rest between us so she could lean into me. With my arm around her shoulders, she slept against me peacefully.
How she fell asleep so quickly was beyond me. One of the first times she did, I was in the middle of a conversation with her, post-sex, and thought she’d gotten pissed at me.
Nope. She’d only been sleeping.
I grinned at the memory, then reached for her hand resting on my thigh. I let my thumb play over the rings there before reaching further over to place my hand on her swollen belly.
I would be forever thankful for the chance she gave me.
After I first got to Arizona to be with her, she and I fell into a very easy rhythm, which surprised me. I had never lived with someone other than my siblings and Emily and I hadn’t had a lot of alone time in the months, year, prior to me arriving.
I helped her study.
I walked the dog—that we ended up getting two months after I moved down and in. Sasha was a Golden Doodle, more golden than doodle, who definitely favored her mama to me, but was a sweet dog all the same.
Emily graduated from her CRNA program at the top of her class. I was so fucking proud of her. When she was looking at jobs, we discussed moving back home but then a position opened at the pediatric hospital she’d been working at, and it was her dream position so we stayed.
Which was fine.
O’Gallaghers ran fine without me there—because, low and behold, my sneaky sister had more up her sleeve than just a secret relationship. Girl was a genius in business.
Not that I’d tell her that.
I took my weight loss, muscle gain, and supplement knowledge to a new level, and started my own company. It was a move that I questioned, as all of my clients were loyal to the company I found them in, but the move turned out to be a great one.
Between the two of us, Emily and I were able to move to one of the better neighborhoods in Scottsdale and on the day we moved into our home, I proposed.
She said yes.
If you hadn’t caught that part yet.
We made a baby that day; I would swear that was the day of Will’s conception until the day I died.
William Alexander O’Gallagher was every piece of his mother.
Oh, he was a hellion. He had to get somet
hing from me other than the waves in his white blond hair, but he was definitely Emily in a little boy package.
Emily shifted against me and I looked down, seeing she was still sleeping. I felt the baby kick and soothed my hand over the spot before falling back into my reverie.
It probably wasn’t the most ideal being away from my siblings and parents while I had my own family starting, but it was working for now. Two weeks ago, my parents came and visited Em, Will, and I, staying in the house for a week before offering to drive Will with them to San Diego.
Emily and I took Will on a plane once.
Yeah.
We weren’t doing it again for another few years.
I grinned at the thought. I loved knowing I had years and years of happiness ahead of me. Sure, I knew life could change in an instant but I wasn’t going to do anything to change the path Emily and I were on. Did we have our fights? Absolutely.
But more than anything else, we had love and the love Emily had for me?
It was fucking amazing.
Emily
When we landed in San Diego, we were met by my parents-in-law, who had our three year old box of mischief, Will, by the hand.
Will tugged on his Mamaw’s hand until she let go, and he barreled his way toward us.
“Pick up your toes,” I whispered with a grimace, seeing in my head him falling face first into the ground. It wouldn’t be the first time if he did.
Rory chuckled beside me and rubbed the small of my back. I closed my eyes in brief ecstasy before Rory grunted. Opening my eyes, I knew what I’d witness.
Will launched himself at Rory’s legs and now my husband was lifting him in the air, settling him in front of him as Will wrapped his little legs around Rory’s hips.
“How’s it going, little man? You be good with Mamaw and Papa?”
Will nodded. “Yes huh. I got a Paw ‘trol toy. Wanna see?”
I ran my hand through his getting-too-long hair and we moved to meet up with Rory’s parents.
“The drive was ok?” I asked them, even though I’d asked them the same thing the other day when they made it to their hotel.
“It was,” Rory’s mom reassured me with a smile before hugging me. “And the flight? How’s this one holding up?” She put her hands on my ever-growing belly. I was thirty weeks but so ready to have this baby.
“Baby’s well.”
“Everyone’s at the pub and waiting on us,” Rory’s dad said, breaking in. It was Conor’s fortieth birthday and we were having a get-together for it.
According to Mia and Brenna, Conor didn’t know so that would be fun.
I reached my hand out toward Rory, who took it more than willingly. Then, as three, my little family followed Rory’s parents.
Conor
My wife was up to something. She’d been co-conspiring with Brenna for the last few weeks and every time I’d ask or say I knew what was up, Mia promptly denied it.
“Bullseye!” the board’s robotic voice said and I looked down to see my boy doing a dance in his spot. He had no moves.
Chuckling, I ruffled his hair. “Good job, Aiden.”
I let him be, checking on Ava at the pinball table, her five year old sister Ali looking on. When she shooed me away with her hand, I grinned and joined Stone and his boys.
“They’re up to something,” I told him as I took a chair, turning I backward, and sat down. My eyes were on my wife and sister at the bar, whispering something to Jon, the cook who was working our opening shift a little later.
Stone, with a bored look on his face, just shook his head. “Those two are always up to something.”
“Isn’t that the damn truth,” I mumbled.
Suddenly there was a lot of commotion.
I glanced over my shoulder at the sound of music playing from the kitchen and watched as my parents walked, in followed by…
“No fucking way,” I said around a grin, standing. Remembering I was near my nephews, I grimaced to Stone. “Sorry, man.” He just chuckled and stood but I didn’t pay any attention to him from there. My kid brother was home.
We saw Rory and Em usually about once a year, but this was definitely a surprise. I walked over to them and pulled Rory into a hug, grinning and patting him on the back. “Hey, kid. What brings you back?”
My nephew Will wiggled from Rory’s arms to be let down, scrambling to join Matt and Chris.
“Hey, Em,” I told her next, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “You look ready to pop.”
She smiled, her face absolutely lighting up. “Don’t I wish.”
“That baby’s cookin’ for another ten weeks. Don’t jinx it,” Rory said, pointing at me.
I chuckled but went back to my earlier question, “Seriously though. What brings you home?”
Then the commotion was at the front of the bar and I turned and watched as Caleb and Sydney Prescott and their brood of boys came through the doors, their youngest baby girl held in Caleb’s arms. My friends looked tired but the fact they were here instead of where they likely had been before?
Something was definitely up.
Before I could question it, the music changed, this time to fucking Happy Birthday.
I turned in a circle, taking in my family and friends before my eyes landing on my wife, standing by Brenna. I playfully glared at her and stalked toward her. The music was loud and everyone was singing, but it didn’t stop me from leaning down at talking in her ear, “I told you no birthday shit.”
She smiled up at me, that beautiful fucking smile that still knocked me in the gut after ten years. “You only turn forty once, old man.”
I groaned at the reminder, but my groan was quickly replaced when Mia’s lips found their way to mine.
“Happy birthday, lover,” she spoke against my lips.
I smiled against hers. “Thank you, Mia baby.”
Mia
Our time was wrapping up.
I was happy with how things turned out. Brenna and I managed to surprise Con, something I wasn’t sure was possible.
I looked around, taking in our family and friends, seeing everyone so happy.
Even Cael and Sydney had smiles on their face, as Sydney had a sleeping two year old Brooks on her lap, her chin resting on his brown hair, while Caleb held their youngest, Braelyn. Brody and Brandon were playing with Aiden, but it didn’t miss my attention every time Cael or Sydney’s eyes lingered on one of their babies longer than normal.
My heart broke into a thousand little pieces every time I saw Sydney look at my girls, knowing that I couldn’t help fix her hurt. That nothing I could do, nothing Con could do, could help their family.
I liked to think that this helped, getting their family out and moving. It was probably hard, but I hoped it was at least healthy for them.
Before tears could burn my eyes, I moved to my husband, hugging him from behind. He angled his body so he could reach behind him, curling an arm around me and bringing me to his side.
“Thank you, Mia,” he said, bringing his lips down to my ear, the beard he still wore to this day, tickling against my ear.
“For?” I snuggled into his side.
“Everything, Mia baby. Everything.”
HOT HOLIDAY NIGHTS
Dear Reader:
This holiday novella takes place the holiday season after Rory finds himself on Emily’s driveway in Arizona. Due to some spoilers in regards to All Night Long, Hot Holiday Nights needed to be released ‘last’ as to not give away one of Brenna’s secrets.
I hope that those who enjoyed Rory really enjoy him now, and those who felt Rory and Emily’s “happily for now” wasn’t enough for this couple…
I hope this eases that for you.
xox Mignon
December 22
Rory
“Grrrr-UH!”
My head jerked up at the sound of distress coming from the living room, quickly followed by something heavy thumping down on what I assumed was the coffee table. I saved the e-mail to my n
ewest client as a draft, and moved from my lean-to against the counter to my full height—checking behind me to make sure the water on the stove wasn’t boiling over—before calling out.
“…Em?”
I ran a hand through my hair, missing its once pony-tail length. It was still longer—a good two or three inches in length—but I kept the sides short these days.
Turning the heat down on the burner, not wanting to burn the rotini I had going, I cautiously walked into the living room of the house I moved myself into about seven months ago.
I had to admit, I’d been a bit surprised that Emily allowed me to just drop my shit in her rental, further allowing me to stick around, but I rolled with it and in all honesty, this cohabiting thing was the shit.
Had someone to talk to every day. Someone to watch stupid movies with, even when she groaned the entire time.
And I do mean the entire time.
Someone to sleep with every night.
That one took a few weeks to work up to, but eventually I stopped sleeping on the couch and moved my ass into her bedroom.
At her request, I’d like to add.
Sex was still off the table, but Emily was warming up to the idea. I mean, it wasn’t like my last performance was all that stellar; of course she wanted to work up to the idea again.
Twenty five months was a long fucking time to go without sex—I was pretty much a born again virgin. But I would relive every one of those days again, knowing that I would eventually get to this spot, right here.
I walked through the large archway all the houses in Arizona seemed to have, into the living room where Emily was sitting on the couch, cross legged, with her elbows on her inner thighs and her head in her hands. Stepping into the two foot area behind the couch, I crossed over to stand directly behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.
She was fucking tense as hell.
“What’s up, Em?” I squeezed her shoulders, digging my thumbs into the knots that had formed there.