In the kitchen, Paige was sitting on the counter. Liam stood between her legs, his arms around her, kissing her passionately. Her hands were clinging to his shoulders, and her legs wrapped around his hips. Their dark heads were so close together, it was impossible to tell where he began and she ended. They were so focused on each other, they didn’t even hear us come in. Beth looked up at me, looking as shocked as I was. I grinned and pulled her closer, lifting my hand and rapping on the doorframe.
Paige and Liam broke apart, both startled and breathing hard. Paige’s cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, and Liam looked annoyed at being interrupted.
I was unable to keep the enjoyment out of my voice. This was very un-Liam-like behavior. “Hey, what’s up?”
Liam glowered at me. “Not much, thanks to you.”
Paige flushed even darker and slid off the counter. “I have to go and check on Lucy.” She hurried away, and Liam watched her go, frowning. He turned back to me, his eyes narrowed. Beth eased away, murmuring about going to see Evan. We were alone in the kitchen, and he crossed his arms.
“What?”
I stepped closer. “She’s a single mom, Liam. That’s sacred shit.”
“I’m aware.”
“I care about her a lot. She’s Beth’s best friend. Not to mention Lucy and her feelings. You don’t trifle with that.”
He stepped closer, intensity rolling off him. “I’m not. I care about both of them.”
I met his eyes, his gaze steady and determined. “Wow. You’re falling for her.”
He lost his aggression and stepped back, shaking his head. “Yeah, I am. Both of them.”
“You might want to tone down the kitchen groping. The kids like to wander around at times.”
He chuckled low in his throat. “Evan is deep in Lego, and the hall floor squeaks. Lucy was in her room, and I could hear her singing away. I knew where they were.”
“You didn’t hear us.”
“I can’t listen for everything, Ronan. I thought you were taking Beth to your condo.”
I shook my head. “She’s exhausted. She needs a quiet night at home, not alone with me at my place. Not sure I could resist her there.”
He nodded. “How about pizza for everyone, and we’ll go? We can hang together tonight, and we’ll be back in the morning to pick them up.”
“You going to introduce Paige and Lucy as yours tomorrow?”
His eyebrows shot up, and I could see my question had taken him by surprise. “I think I need to check with Paige first. We’re still figuring things out.”
“With your tongues?” I asked mildly, grinning.
He grabbed me in a headlock, laughing.
“Shut up, little brother, or I’ll tell Beth about the time you pissed your pants in the woods when you thought you saw a bear.”
I grunted as I tried to escape. “I was five, for God’s sake. You told me it was a bear that ate bad kids—I was scared for my life!”
Beth and Paige walked in, seeing our wrestling and hearing our conversation.
“Well, this I gotta hear,” Paige said with a grin.
Liam released me with a smirk. “Happy to fill you in.”
I groaned. This was going to be a long night.
* * *
Beth was nervous on Sunday when I picked her up. Evan was unusually quiet as well on the drive. As we approached the Hub, I assured them everything would be great. Liam pulled up beside me with Paige and Lucy. Of all of them, Lucy was the only one not apprehensive. She was excited about swimming, meeting new people, plus the fact that Liam had promised her she could help him plant some things in one of the many gardens.
I only hoped the others relaxed enough to enjoy the day. I helped Beth unload the truck, holding two large boxes of cakes. She held another box. I bent down and kissed her. “You’ve already met my parents. And my siblings. You’ll be fine.”
She glanced toward the windows. “There looks like a lot more of them.”
I laughed. “There are. I won’t leave your side. I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” she murmured.
I kissed her again. “They are gonna love you.”
* * *
Beth
I had never seen anything like it in my life. There were people everywhere. More “uncles,” “aunts,” and “cousins” than I could count. Ronan laughed at my expression, informing me not everyone was there either.
“But for the most part, this is the usual crowd for special occasions.”
“What’s the special occasion?” I asked.
He stared at me with a grin. “You are.”
He led me around, introducing me to his family. I was hugged by everyone. So was Evan. Ronan’s family fussed over him the most, and he soaked it up like a sponge. Lucy won them all over with her smiles and curls, and I don’t think her feet were on the floor for the first hour. Everyone wanted to pick her up and hold her. She loved it. Paige was as stunned as I was by the enthusiastic greetings. She was as warmly welcomed as I was. Liam made it clear she was there with him, not simply a friend of mine. If that surprised anyone, they didn’t let on.