Page 192 of Dirty Eoin

“I love you, Mr. O’Connell.”

Eyes of green.

Open. Honest. Sincere.

“I love you too, Miss Jones, soon to be Mrs. O’Connell once more.”

We both chuckle. I’ll wear her down quickly and she knows it. She knows how persistent I can be. That when I want something, I won’t stop until I get it.

I want her to be my wife. I want her to be the mother of my children.

I place her hand over my heart. “As long as it beats, it’s yours.”

She looks emotional. She knows I’m not very tactile, that I never wear my heart on my sleeve, but with her, I will try to do both.

“Well, given that there’s no one here to call me a promiscuous biker, you might as well spend the night.”

I raise an eyebrow at her.

“Now, that really would be making things official.”

CHAPTERSIXTY

DYLAN

The O’Connell Home, Darling, New York

Once Dr. Kellygave Eoin a clean bill of health, we didn’t see much of either him or Jaine for the best part of a week.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were up to.

I’ve just dropped in at my parents’ house to check on an issue with the CCTV, and even now the pair of them can barely keep their hands off each other. They managed to stop their canoodling to acknowledge my presence by saying hello, but that was about it.

My brother’s never been tactile. He’s never been emotional either. Jaine brings out both in him. She’s softened him. Humanized him. He no longer thinks about himself. He only ever thinks of her and the kids.

In the end, Ava was accepting of the fact that Eoin and Jaine wanted to try again. We’d already created the illusion that they shared young Finian together.

By all accounts, her and Eoin’s relationship had never gone beyond wining and dining anyway. I think in his heart of hearts, he never lost hope that he would end up back with Jaine.

They had chosen to focus on a toxicity that, in my opinion, wasn’t really there to begin with. It was just something they invented as they both needed someone to hate on for the guilt they were feeling over Paddy.

Were they destined like Jaine and my little brother?

Probably not.

I don’t think Jaine was ever fated to love our Eoin, but it doesn’t mean that he wasn’t fated to love her, and they do say love conquers all.

That and perseverance. For Eoin, the latter paid off.

My brother had everything. The only thing he’d ever been missing in his life was that one special person, and now he’s found her.

And Jaine?

I don’t claim to understand it. How one person can love so many.

When she lost Ace, she lost part of herself. When she lost Paddy, she lost even more. Eoin has helped her find herself again. Not the parts she lost, as they’re gone for good, but new parts. They may not be the perfect fit, but they’ve made Jaine Jones whole once more.

Their constant bickering stopped her from drowning in a sea of grief. He’s been the buoy that’s kept her afloat. A distraction that’s captured her attention and held it even though she refused to admit it to herself and to him.

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