Page 60 of Taming Irish

“She is,” I say, not giving her the chance to backout.

“Good.” Emer’s smile broadens. “Where are ye from,Makena?”

“Just outside NewYork.”

“Another Yank,” Emer laughs. “By God, ye’d think there weren’t any single women inIreland.”

“Pardon?” Makena’s cheeks growred.

Emer tilts her head and looks at me, then back at Makena. “Ye don’t know much about our family, I takeit?”

“No, I just…we just…this is just…” Makena winces and looks at me like she’s hoping I’ll explain. But hell if I know whatthisis between us. Not yet,anyways.

“Come on.” Emer hands Cadence to Aiden, then takes Makena’s hand, pulling her toward the far side of the room where the other women are sitting. “I’ll introduce ye toeveryone.”

Owen and Cillian are on me the second Makena leaves myside.

“Ye brought a girl home?” Owen says, a goofy grin stretching across hisface.

“Don’t start. It’s not likethat.”

“What’s itlike, then?” Cillian asks, smirking, rubbing a hand over hisbeard.

I grunt, not wanting to get into the details with the them, because I don’t really know what my endgame isyet.

Cadence squirms in Aiden’s arms, then stretches her pudgy hands out to me and makes a whining sound until I take her. The first thing she does is tangle her little fingers into my hair, clamping her gummy mouth around my chin in what Emer insists is akiss.

“Watch out,” Aiden says. “She just cut her first teeth, and she’s in a bitingphase.”

The warning comes a second too late as her sharp baby teeth dig into myflesh.

“Ow,” I mutter, which makes the kid laugh, then go in for a secondchomp.

This time, I’m ready. Twisting her around in my arms, I hold her so that her back is against mychest.

“Little piranha,” I mutter. “Ye ready for this?” I askCillian.

He glances over at his wife, Delaney, who looks ready to pop any daynow.

“Just want everything to go all right.” He drags his fingers through his hair, and I notice the dark circles under his eyes. “She’s got this whole idea of having a home birth. But after what happened withEmer…”

I wince, remembering how we almost lost my sister andCadence.

The men are silent for amoment.

As if sensing our sudden unease, all four women glance over atus.

Delaney gives Cillian a small smile while rubbing her enormous belly. Bree is caught in some silent conversation with Owen that defies their distance, and Emer grins like the Cheshire cat atme.

But it’s Makena’s gaze that sucks the air out of my lungs. Dark eyes locked on me, I swear I see every second of the rest of my life written on her beautifulface.

She belongs here. The thought ricochets in myhead.

“Ye’ve got it bad,” Aiden says beside me,chuckling.

“What?” I pull my gaze from Makena, who’s resumed her conversation with thewomen.

“Don’t jinx it,” Owensays.

---