“Now, doyougetme?” I asked.
He repeated, “Yip.”
I gave him a curt nod to signal the conversation was done and we were on the same page, but my mind was still back on the subject of Aislynn and Pagan.
They’d started seeing each other around the holidays, and I knew Ash liked the guy a lot; however, Pagan Sinclair wasn’t your regular Joe. He was the president of the Kings of Anarchy MC and wasn’t somebody to fuck with.
I had my reservations when Ash started seeing him, but I kept my mouth shut. I was protective of my sister, but she was a grown ass adult and could make her own decisions.
When I found out their relationship was over, I didn’t give it much thought. I assumed he’d fucked up, and she’d told him to go to hell as was Aislynn’s way. It had been too long since Ash and I had sat down and chatted, and I reckoned we were due a call because one thing was for sure.
If Pagan Sinclair tried to fuck with the O’Sheas, he’d have a war on his hands.
CHAPTER 13
ROSIE
Afew weeks later, a heatwave hit Wyoming, and we all basked in the hot weather.
School broke for summer, and the kids went about their days like they were on a teenage mission to have the time of their lives.
Gabby, Sunshine, and Kady flitted around town like social butterflies, which was weird considering my girl usually had her nose in a book. It wasn’t unwelcome, though. Gabs needed to experience life more, and Sunny Stone, with her immense popularity and effervescent personality, was the perfect girl to help bring her out of her shell.
My house suddenly turned into a hive of activity, probably because we had a pool.
Gabby and her friends sunbathed in my back yard in their shorts and bikinis, tanning to within an inch of their lives, which automatically attracted the alpha-macho teenage boys. It had been the way of the world for many years and would continue to be so for many more. Where girls went, boys followed, and vice versa, and my kids were no different from any other teens when it came to their dating rituals.
Donovan and Immie were doing great.
He’d taken to fatherhood like a fish to water and had forged such a beautiful bond with his daughter that just watching them together warmed my heart. Imogen was thriving. She was smart and clever and so sweet that everybody fell in love with her.
She already huffed and rolled her eyes at her dad’s antics, which he loved. The more shit she gave him, the more he seemed to revel in it.
He didn’t go many places without her, and I often walked into the Shamrock to see her jumping up and down in her bouncy chair and crawling across the wooden floor so fast that Donovan struggled to catch her.
He would strap her onto his back or chest and take her running or just go about his business at the gym. He even did his personal training sessions with her scooting across the floor in her baby walker while she shoutedbabaand grinned so huge that everybody could admire her two new little top teeth that were well and truly through.
Watching Donovan strut around with Immie attached to him, wearing his gym gear, with that beautiful, muscled body of his, and covered in those tattoos, was a sight burned into my retinas as well as my vagina.
Seeing a sexy dad with his baby was hot, and it seemed a lot of other women agreed, going by the sheer number of them who fanned their faces whenever he walked past them while he crooned at Imogen.
Luckily, I wasn’t the jealous type. Over the years, I’d learned that if a man wanted to fuck around, he’d find a way, and that was on him, not me. There was no point driving myself crazy by worrying about it. It was my job to choose wisely, and I’d chosen the best because, despite his previous form with the ladies, Donovan had never even glanced at another woman.
He glanced atme,though, and he did it constantly, usually with heated eyes and an appreciative smirk.
Donovan kissed and touched meallthe time, usually leaving me hot, horny, and needy as hell. However, although I assured him I was ready, he never took it further, which in some ways made me nervous. He was attentive in other ways, though. When we went to dinner, he always sat beside me so we could touch, whisper, and giggle at our own little jokes in our own little world. He was funny and self-deprecating and made me laugh, then he’d say something sweet and romantic, and I’d melt inside.
We never seemed to get deep, but I was beginning to discover that being vulnerable with me, or anybody, made him uncomfortable.
However, it wasn’t something I wanted to force. I had a feeling that doing so would make Donny shut down, so I decided to let it go for now. After all, we’d only been seeing each other for a few weeks. Some guys took longer to open up, especially men’s men like Donovan.
We were building a relationship, but we were also building a ton of sexual tension, and as much as I wanted Donovan to fuck me, I enjoyed our game of dancing around each other.
I felt like a teenager with her first boyfriend, especially when we’d make out and he’d get hard and dry hump me until I thought I’d explode with wanting him. God, I loved that so much, and sure, it would probably seem weird to some, but it just made me feel that we were starting from the beginning and creating something good and decent—something normal and right.
Maureen had picked Imogen up from the gym to take her to the Superstore over at Mapletree so she could stock up on provisions.
Immie loved going shopping with her nanna because Maureen always took her for a babyccino afterward at Martha’s coffee house and bakery—and no doubt an ample share of one of Martha’s lemon heaven cake bars. It drove Donovan crazybecause he tried to keep Imogen’s diet clean and healthy, but Maureen would come along and shove ice cream and chocolate down her throat while quoting the age-old line of ‘nanna’s house, nanna’s rules.’
