Forever Mine: Callaghan Brothers, Book 9(43)

“Yes.” She shuffled out of the bathroom, yawning. He lifted the covers, so she could slide into bed next to him. She did, smelling of peppermint toothpaste and that lightly-scented face cream she put on every night.

Jack pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. This was his favorite part of the day, the time when they left the rest of the world behind and it was just the two of them. Her warm, fragrant body snuggled up against his. Instantly he began to relax. When Kathleen was in his arms, everything was right with his world.

“You okay?” he asked, pressing his lips to her forehead, as his hands stroked along the curve of her back.

“Yeah,” she breathed. “Just a little tired. Mmmm, that feels good. Don’t stop.”

“You’ve been tired a lot lately.”

“Yeah.”

She had been working a lot, spending hours every day trying to straighten out the Pub finances. Danny had made a real mess of things, not only by failing to pay his taxes, but also in keeping shoddy books. It seemed as if every other day, a supplier was showing up at the bar, looking for money Danny owed him.

When she wasn’t doing that, he’d find her scrubbing or painting or patching one thing or another, trying to make the private living space more livable. She spent her evenings with him at the bar, tending for those few hours they were open each night.

He loved her enthusiasm, but the frenetic pace she’d set for herself was beginning to take its toll.

“Tomorrow is supposed to be a gorgeous day,” he said, placing kisses just below her jawline. “Let’s play hooky and go up to the lake.”

“Sounds wonderful,” she sighed. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she lifted her chin to give him better access. “But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I promised Erin I’d help her with the books for Seamus’ construction business.”

“I thought Erin did all that.”

“She did, but now that she has the baby, she can use some help, especially since things are really taking off. Seamus is hiring more guys just to keep up with the demand.”

“Can’t she hire someone?”

“She did. Me.”

“But - ”

“But nothing,” she breathed. “Enough talking. Make love to me, Jack.”

Jack had the distinct impression she was trying to distract him, but he would not refuse an opportunity to make love to his croie. He settled into the cradle of her thighs. “This discussion isn’t over.”

Her reply was a lift of her hips and a tug on his hair.

Mornings were better suited to such discussions anyway, he decided.

––––––––

Jack woke the next morning with the certainty that something wasn’t right. For one thing, Kathleen wasn’t wrapped in his arms, snoring softly against his neck. For another, there were muffled sounds of her throwing up in the bathroom.

“Kathleen?” he called, knocking on the door when he discovered it locked. “What’s wrong? Open the door. Let me in.”

“Hang on.” The toilet flushed, followed shortly thereafter by the sound of running water and the telltale creak of the ancient towel rack. Kathleen opened the door and smiled at him weakly.

He took one look at her unusually pale complexion and the dark circles under her eyes and made up his mind. “That’s it, Kathleen. You’re taking the day off and staying in bed.”

“I told you, I can’t.” Kathleen patted him on the arm and went to the closet.

“The hell you can’t. You’re sick.”

“I’m not sick, Jack.”

“No? Then what do you call that?” he demanded, pointing toward the bathroom.

“I’m not sick, Jack. I’m pregnant.”

For a moment, Jack’s heart stopped entirely. Then it began to thunder so hard against the walls of his chest that he felt light-headed. He leaned against the wall for support.

“What?”

Her lips quirked slightly. “I’m pregnant.”

“Are you sure? You’ve been to the doctor?”

“Yes, I’m sure. And no, I haven’t. But I don’t need to go to the doctor to know. He’s in there.” Kathleen took his hand and laid it over the soft, natural swell of her flat belly. There was just a tiny bit of hardness there beneath her satiny skin. Why hadn’t he noticed it before?

“He?” he whispered.

“Yep. He.”

“Maybe it’s a girl.”

“It’s not.” The confidence in her voice nearly had him convinced.

“And you know this how?”

“I just know. He’s going to be big and strong, a force of nature just like his daddy.”

Jack chuckled, then went down on his knees and pressed tender kisses to her abdomen. “A boy. A son. My son. I can’t believe it. You are amazing, Kathleen.”

She laughed at that, cupping his head with her hands. “It’s not like I did it alone, Jack Callaghan. But don’t go bragging to the world just yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s bad luck to say anything before twelve weeks.”

Bad luck? Jack’s strong protective instincts rushed to the surface. His wife had just told him they were going to have a baby. He would allow nothing, including bad luck or any other force in the universe, to threaten their happiness.