Page 109 of Safe and Sound

Jerking her chin at me, she replied, “Is that the reason why you haven’t had one considering how much you don’t want children?”

“You’re damn right it is.” And now with Piper’s existence a vasectomy was a moot point.

At the thought of my daughter, my chest clenched as my stomach pitched and rolled.

After eyeing me curiously, Caterina brought the back of her hand to my forehead. As I tried bobbing away from her, I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Checking to see if you have a temperature.”

“What the fuck for?”

“To see if you’re sick.”

“Motherhood has made you paranoid.”

“Then why are you pale as a sheet?”

Shite. She had me there. As much as I viewed Caterina as a sister, I still wanted to talk to Callum first. “With the Philly Celtic Grand opening in a week, I’m worn down,” I lied.

Caterina’s expression softened. “You need to take care of yourself.”

“Jaysus, you’re no better than Mam.”

Poking her head in from the dining room, Mam asked, “Did I hear you call my name?”

“No. I didn’t.”

Her auburn brows furrowed. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you look like a ghost, Darragh.”

“Ooh, she’s using your full name,” Caterina teased.

“For the record, I’m just a little overworked. Now if you ladies will excuse me, I need to speak to Callum.”

“At least eat dinner with us,” Caterina suggested as I started out of the room.

“We’ll see,” I called back as I started down the hallway.

When I got to the living room doorway, I did a double take. Callum lounging on the couch with a blue ice pack on his crotch wasn’t the shocking part. It was the purple sparkling crown atop his head and blinging clip on earrings. With his face turned to his four-year-old Julianna, he also wore a look of pure endearment.

Despite the touching scene, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

Callum’s expression turned menacing, which caused Julianna to shake her head disapprovingly at him. “No, Daddy, not your mean face,” she chided.

“I’m sorry,mo chuisle,” Callum replied.

His mean face reprieve was short lived when I held my phone up to snap a picture, “Don’t you fucking dare,” he growled.

Julianna’s little brows shot up in horror. “You said a bad word.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that,mo chuisle. Your uncle Dare always brings the bad words out of me.”

Jabbing her finger at me, she said, “Don’t make Daddy be bad, Uncle Darey.”

With a laugh, I replied, “I’m sorry. I’ll try.” Jerking my chin at her, I said, “Now come give your favoriteuncaila hug.”

After hopping off the couch, Julianna dove into my arms. With the same grin she’d been melting my heart with since she was born, she said, “Hiya.”

“How’s my best girl?”

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