Page 194 of Forget

“Apparently so,” I mutter. “Come help us plan out our backyard, then?”

“Anything for our boys and Aisling,” Noreen says with a grin.

Ugh, I really do love them all.

The rest of the day, we clean out the yard, get the ground ready for pavers, and put them down. This wouldn’t typically be a one day project, but when you have twenty men working on things, it’s a lot easier.

People come and go in waves, depending on what’s needed to head to the store to pick things up.

Once the basic plan is made, our moms head out to buy flowers to plant. When they come back, it’s with their garden club, who are militant in how serious they are about flowers and gardening.

My mom and Domh’s direct the guys since they’re not gardeners, and by six in the afternoon, the backyard is done.

I really hope she likes it.

Aisling

“Are you stalling, Dad?” I ask, amused.

Every time I start to leave, he asks me another question, or needs to show me something. This is the fifth attempt, and Dad colors in embarrassment.

Got ya.

“Maybe,” he drawls. “I guess you can go home now. Be prepared for a full house, though. The guys have been busy.”

“So you won’t tell me because it’s a surprise?” I ask, confirming.

“Correct. It’s a good thing, I promise, my daughter,” Dad says as he hugs me goodbye. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Dad,” I murmur, walking to my car.

What are the guys up to?

The drive home is filled with my trying to figure it out, but frankly, the amount of cars in the front yard negates everything I’ve thought of. I can’t park in the garage, so I maneuver the best I can, to get as close to the house as possible. Chuckling under my breath, I remind myself that it’s definitely not my birthday.

What the fuck guys?

Getting out of the SUV, I walk up to the front door, though I need to walk around a few cars as I do. Laughing to myself at the sheer amount of vehicles that there are, I push open the door, finding it unlocked.

“Hello?” I call out, hearing people at the back of the house.

“Hey, poppet,” Caelin says, looking around the wall leading to the back of the house. “Just in time.”

“Dare I ask what for?” I tease him, closing the door by leaning back on it.

“It’s more fun to show you, Aisling,” he says with a wink.

Huffing out a laugh, I nod as I walk over to him, taking his hand. Pulling me close, he kisses me firmly, seeming to relax now that I’m close to him.

“I always miss you when you’re gone,” he murmurs.

“How many times did you check the tracker?” I ask him.

While it’s warm enough that I don’t need my coat, he simply put it in the hidden pocket of my combat boots. I’m wearing a moss green dress that’s boho inspired, with a brown belt and embroidered flowers, and I can tell it’s a good choice by the way his gaze is heating.

“Whenever I could take a break,” he growls. “Come on then, poppet. Time to meet my mother and the families. We also have a surprise for you.”

“You do?” I squeak. I haven’t met his mother before, and wonder if what I’m wearing is inappropriate in some way. Shit. “Should I change?”

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