When she turns the handle and nothing happens, she bangs on the door. “I hungry, mammy. You awake?”
Moira sighs and opens her eyes. “I guess that’s the end of our morning.”
Chuckling, I bend my head and take her lips in a quick, hard kiss before pushing up from the bed and slipping into my jeans, throwing my shirt at Moira. “I’ll wake us up earlier tomorrow, milseán,” I assure her as she slips my shirt over her head and brings the collar to her nose.
Her lips tilt up in a smile when she catches me watching her.
“What? You smell good.”
Shaking my head, I walk over to the door and flick the lock, opening it only to be nearly taken out by Mikayla grabbing my knees. “Butch, you here! You stayed! I give Wolfie a treat!” She shouts.
Smiling softly, I run a hand over her soft curls as she looks up at me with wide blue eyes. “So I heard. Why don’t you go and say good morning to your mammy while I take Wolfie out for a quick walk?”
“’Kay,” she shouts and runs to the bed, scrambling up and into Moira’s waiting arms.
I rub at the slight ache in my chest as I watch them. Happiness is a strange feeling for me, but I realise that’s what I’m feeling as I watch the two people who hold my heart giggling in bed. Wolfie nudges me with his head, as if to hurry me along. Pulling the door gently shut behind me, I take him out to do his business before we head back inside.
Breakfast is chaotic, as it only can be with a busy little girl, but I love it. For the first time in a long while, I think of the family I left in England. I know my brothers have children, and I wonder what their lives are like. Are they like this every morning?
Chaotic, filled with laughter, chatter, and mayhem as we try to wrangle one little girl between two us. If I knew them as well as I thought I did, I imagined it was.
Still shirtless, I follow Moira to her car and wait for her to strap Mikayla in. Opening her door for her I draw her to me, enfolding her in my arms as I kiss her.
“I’ll see you this afternoon, milseán. I’ve got a few things to take care of this morning, but I’ll be home by the time you get back.”
“Okay,” she runs her hands through my hair, curling her fingers into the short strands at the nape of my neck, tugging my head down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “I’ll miss you. Be careful,” she says softly, clinging to me for a minute.
“Always, milseán. I have you two to come home to.”
“Yes, you do Mr O’Shea. Now let me go before I’m late for work. Love you.”
“A fecking hell, milseán, you can’t say that then expect me to let you go,” I grumble against her lips.
She giggles. “That’s good with me, but you’ll have to call your Aunt Jess and explain why I’m not coming in.”
“Fine,” I playfully swat at her rump as she turns away and slides into her car. “I’ll see you later,a stór.”
“Bye,” she waves, reversing down the drive and onto the road.
“Love you too,” I murmur, raising my hand as she drives away, Mikayla waving wildly from the back seat. “Fecking hell.” I mutter, whistling for Wolfie. I walk into my house that seems empty and clinical after the warmth of Moira’s this morning. It’s not a home like hers, that's for sure.
Going into my office, I choose a burner phone and call Aiden. “I need to meet who you want to replace me at one this afternoon at O’Hagan’s.”
“Good morning to you too,” Aiden grunts and I smirk. “I’ve got shit going on Butcher, I can’t let you take one of my best men when I need him.”
“Nothing will happen until the meet with your Da, you have time. Today, Aiden. I’m not fucking around.”
“Fine,” he sighs. “I’ll have Keelan meet you at the pub.”
“I know him,” I reply. “Good choice.”
Aiden chuckles but I can hear the stress in it, and I feel for my friend. There’s nothing I can do. He’d need to clean house himself, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t offer my services if he needed them.
“Figured you’d know my crew. Not much gets by you.”
“I make it my business to know everything Aide, something that you’d do well to remember if you go ahead and become head of your family. You’ll need to be more proactive at learning what’s going on in our city and keep your finger on the pulse.”
“I know,” he replies. “I’ve been so busy trying to keep my sisters safe and alive that I’ve not cultivated relationships like I should have.”
