“Only with the beautiful ones, Maureen,” Atlas shot back.
Mam giggled again, and I lowered my eyes in time to watch her face flush pinker.
Mumbling under my breath, I reached for my baby girl, who immediately held her little arms out for me to take her and murmured, “Baba.”
“Hey, beauty,” I whispered. “Da missed you.”
She immediately found her little nook under my chin and rested her cheek there. Then her little chest heaved, and she gave me her contented sigh.
She felt so warm in my arms and so right, like she was born to fit there perfectly. Every time she snuggled into my neck, my chest turned to goo, and my throat heated with emotion.
Grinning, I turned back toward my friends and simply stated, “Boys, this is Imogen.”
Atlas’s face grew soft as he leaned over and softly stroked Imogen’s hair with his calloused palm. “She’s a beauty, O’Shea. She’s got your eyes.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. That’s been mentioned before.”
“Wish Lorcan could’ve been here to see this,” John said quietly. He reached out to touch Imogen’s tiny hand and watched, mesmerized, as she gripped his finger. “Lorc would’ve loved her. Your old man always said Aislynn was the apple of his eye, and Callum was his mini-me. Tadhg, well, he was always your pop’s wildcard, but out of all his kids, he always had the most respect for you. He always said that you were your own man.”
I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the ball of emotion forming there. “I always thought he hated that about me.”
John’s eyes flicked to mine, and he grinned. “He did hate it. Still respected the fuck out of it though.”
My stare slid to Mam, who gave me a knowing look.
She’d told me more or less the same thing during her pep-talk outside the hotel in Scottsbluff. At the time, I appreciated the sentiment, but a part of me believed she was playing it up to make me feel better about myself and about Da. Still, I should’ve known better. Maureen O’Shea wasn’t a woman to blow smoke up anyone’s arse, even mine. Hell, especially mine.
“I came out to tell you all that we’re having a knees-up to welcome my granddaughter Imogen into the family and to thetown,” Ma advised. “Kennedy and Rosie have called all the kids to tell them to come over, and Kai said he’ll bring his big speaker thingy so we can play some music in the garden. Now come and get those plastic chairs back out, they won’t be much good sitting in the kitchen now, will they?”
Breaker laughed, “It’s okay, Mrs. O. I’ll get them. Donovan’s got Imogen.”
Ma huffed quietly. “Well, I can take her.”
“I only just got her back,” I protested. “You kidnapped her this morning, took pride of place next to her all the way home, and then stole her again as soon as our visitors started arriving. I’d like to spend a minute with my own daughter if it’s okay with you.”
Ma put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at me. “You’ve always been a selfish little feck, you, Donovan O’Shea.”
Atlas chuckled.
“Your brother Tadhg wouldn’t begrudge me my own granddaughter,” she added. “He’s a good son to his mammy.”
“Tell Tadhg to have a kid then,” I shot back.
“I willnot,” she snapped, her gaze falling on my kid and softening. “Why would I need him to get a rush on when I’ve already got my little angel face, haven’t I, Imogen love?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her Maeve’s secret, but I clamped my mouth shut.
Cal had been so good about the whole Imogen ‘who’s the daddy’ shit show that it wouldn’t be fair to fuck him over. I mean, he’d been on the hook for a while there and probably went through his own personal version of Hell. He hadn’t ripped me a new one, so there was that to thank him for; plus, it was Maeve’s news to tell, and I wouldn’t take that away from her. It wouldn’t be fair.
I’d just have to put up with Mam acting nuts; though I had to admit, it was nice seeing her so happy. She’d been lost sinceDa died, but Imogen had given her a new lease of life, so I knew Callum and Maeve’s baby news would be the icing on a very big cake.
Imogen lifted her head to watch Mam walk away to speak to Rosie. Then she swiveled her little neck and touched my jaw.
“Hey, gorgeous face,” I said brightly.
“Baba,” she announced, and wriggled her butt uncomfortably
My forehead creased. “You okay, baby?”
