Man's Best Friend (The Dogmothers Book 6)
Page 32
“Not gonna blow?”
“Not…yet.”
Suddenly, the guests poured out to be with them, his immediate family closest, including Evie’s mother, Dawn, concern on her face.
“Evie.” Dawn scooted closer. “I thought we said you were going to head right into the living room for pictures. It’s freezing out here.”
“In a second, Mom.” She fanned herself. “I need the cold air.”
“Dear lass.” Gramma Finnie took her hand. “You look a wee bit peckish.”
“She looks greener than the leaves in her bouquet,” Yiayia added.
“Which I have right here.” Molly said. “You doin’ okay?”
“I’m fine,” Evie assured everyone, but clung a little tighter to Declan’s arm. “Just…”
“You need water?” Ella asked. “Nerves get you?”
“Nerves and…” Evie laughed a little. “Other things.”
“Other things?” Molly stepped closer.
“What other things?”
“Are you sick?”
“Do you need to sit down?”
“What’s wrong?”
The questions came so fast and furious that Declan held up both hands to rein in the whole lot of them. “Whoa. Back off my wife.” He threw her a grin. “I like the sound of that.”
She gave a tight smile, nodding. “It’s fine, Dec. I just needed air.”
“Just like you, Mom,” Pru said, sidling up to Molly. “And a Christmas wedding, too. Remember how dizzy and hot you were even though it was cold?”
“Because I was preg—” Molly froze.
And so did everyone else.
Except Declan and Evie, who just looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m telling you,” he murmured. “There is no such thing as a secret in this family.”
“Secret?” Ella exclaimed. “Why would you keep that a secret?”
“Because we were waiting for this.” Declan held up Evie’s left hand.
“Oh, nonsense, lad,” Gramma Finnie said. “’Tis a rare woman in this family who does things in that order.”
Trace put his hands over Pru’s ears. “You did not hear that, Umproo.”
“Oh my gosh!” Pru exclaimed. “Really?”
Declan and Evie shared a look and another laugh. “Tell them everything?” she asked.
“Why not?”
“Everything…what?” Colleen inched into the group, between Yiayia and Gramma Finnie.
“The reason…” Evie said, nervously toying with her necklace again. “I’m wearing this.”
“The locket with the baby pictures in it,” Pru said. “Right? Your great-great-grandmother’s locket?”
Evie looked up at Declan, her natural color returning. “There are baby pictures in it, but not Gloriana and Evangeline.” She flipped it open and turned the inside of the locket toward the group so they could see the teeny-tiny ultrasound images Evie and Declan had tucked inside the night before. “Unless our twins are girls and that’s what we name them. It’s too soon to know.”
“Twins?!”
The noise that rose up from the group was loud enough to wake Gloriana and Evangeline, wherever they were buried. Questions got fired, jokes were flying, and more than a few tears flowed as the celebration took on a whole new level of frenzy.
Somehow, they all managed to get back inside, and Pru hurried over with two champagne flutes for Declan and Evie.
“Yours is sparkling cider,” she whispered as she handed the glass to Evie.
“Perfect for making a toast,” Evie said, holding her glass high. “To Declan Joseph Mahoney, my husband, who is…”
“A banana?” he whispered, cracking her up as they got a few strange looks.
“The man of my dreams,” she said. “And that’s no joke.”
He lifted his glass. “To Evangeline May Hewitt Mahoney…” He swallowed as his throat tightened. “My wife, my partner, the mother of my children…” The lump in his throat nearly strangled him. “And my best friend.”
As their crystal glasses dinged softly, he could have sworn that was the sound of a basement door closing and locking, forever.
Christmas is right around the corner in Bitter Bark…and that means it’s time for a holiday novella!
Feliz Naughty Dog
Book Seven in The Dogmothers Series
Pru Kilcannon has one goal when she wakes on Christmas Eve—to perform the most “Random Acts of Christmas Kindness” so she can spread cheer and ensure her high school wins the county-wide “RACK IT UP” contest. But when her friends decide to team up with their boyfriends, the ever-helpful Dogmothers enlist the new kid in school as Pru’s partner for the contest. And that means good-girl Pru has to spend the entire day with the broody, moody, and crazy cute bad boy Lucas Darling, and his chaos-causing greyhound, Tor.
As if that wasn’t enough holiday havoc, Pru and Lucas have to accompany the grannies on a secret mission to check out a man Yiayia has met on an online dating service. Gramma Finnie is convinced Aldo Fiore is a mobster, Yiayia thinks he’s her dream man, and Pru just wants to be sure her great-grandmothers don’t get themselves arrested—or worse. There’s no telling what could happen when the Dogmothers spy on an eighty-year-old who might be playing a rather flirtatious Santa at the mall…or might be hiding from the Feds.
But no one expected the real trouble to come from Tor, the former racing dog who causes mayhem and mall madness. As Pru and Lucas attempt to control Tor, supervise the Santa Stalking, and knock out a few random acts of kindness…they also give in to a delicious little Christmas crush that just might lead to some magic under the mistletoe this year!
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The Dogfather Series
Sit…Stay…Beg – book one
New Leash on Life – book two
Leader of the Pack – book three
Santa Paws is Coming to Town – book four (a holiday novella)
Bad to the Bone – book five
Ruff Around the Edges – book six
Double Dog Dare – book seven
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing – book eight (a holiday novella)
Old Dog New Tricks – book nine
The Dogmothers Series
Hot Under the Collar – book one
Three Dog Night – book two
Dachshund Through the Snow – book three (a holiday novella)
Chasing Tail – book four
Hush, Puppy – book five
Man’s Best Friend – book six
Feliz Naughty Dog – book seven (a holiday novella)
And more to come!
For a complete list, buy links, and reading order of all my books, visit www.roxannestclaire.com. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to find out when the next book is released! And join the private Dogfather Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/roxannestclairereaders/ for inside info on all the books and characters, sneak peeks, and a place to share the love of tails and tales!
A Dogfather/Dogmothers Family Reference Guide
THE KILCANNON FAMILY
Daniel Kilcannon aka The Dogfather
Son of Finola (Gramma Finnie) and Seamus Kilcannon. Married to Annie Harper for 36 years until her death. Veterinarian, father, and grandfather. Widowed at opening of series. Married to Katie Santorini (Old Dog New Tricks) with dogs Rusty and Goldie.
The Kilcannons (from oldest to youngest):
• Molly Kilcannon and Trace Bancroft (Bad to the Bone) with daughter Pru and son Danny and dog, Meatball
• Aidan Kilcannon and Beck Spencer (Ruff Around the Edges) with dog, Ruff
• Darcy Kilcannon and Josh Ranier (Doubl
e Dog Dare) with dogs, Kookie and Stella
THE MAHONEY FAMILY
Colleen Mahoney
Daughter of Finola (Gramma Finnie) and Seamus Kilcannon and younger sister of Daniel. Married to the late Joe Mahoney. Co-owner of Bone Appetit (canine treat bakery) and mother of four.
The Mahoneys (from oldest to youngest):
• Declan Mahoney and Evie Hewitt (Man’s Best Friend) with dog Judah
• Connor Mahoney and Sadie Hartman (Chasing Tail) with dog, Frank, and cat, Demi
• Braden Mahoney and Cassie Santorini (Hot Under the Collar) with dogs, Jelly Bean and Jasmine
• Ella Mahoney and…
THE SANTORINI FAMILY
Katie Rogers Santorini
Dated Daniel Kilcannon in college and introduced him to Annie. Married to Nico Santorini for forty years until his death two years after Annie’s. Interior Designer and mother. Recently married to Daniel Kilcannon (Old Dogs New Tricks).
The Santorinis
• Nick Santorini and…
• John Santorini (identical twin to Alex) and Summer Jackson (Hush, Puppy) with dog, Maverick
• Alex Santorini (identical twin to John) and Grace Donovan (Three Dog Night) with dogs, Bitsy, Gertie and Jack
• Theo Santorini and…
• Cassie Santorini and Braden Mahoney (Hot Under the Collar) with dogs, Jelly Bean and Jasmine
Katie’s mother-in-law from her first marriage, Agnes “Yiayia” Santorini, now lives in Bitter Bark with Gramma Finnie and their dachshunds, Pygmalion (Pyggie) and Galatea (Gala). These two women are known as “The Dogmothers.”
About the Author
Published since 2003, Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty romance and suspense novels. She has written several popular series, including The Dogfather, The Dogmothers, Barefoot Bay, the Guardian Angelinos, and the Bullet Catchers.
In addition to being a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA™ Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne has won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense four times. Her books have been published in dozens of languages and optioned for film.
A mother of two but recent empty-nester, Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and her two dogs, Ginger and Rosie.
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