Page 21 of Dublin Charmer
“Sometimes it’s tough being the kid brother. The four of them were laughing at me downstairs. I thought I had a connection with a woman, and it wasn’t what I thought. They got a real kick out of it. Too eager, Tag said, but he meant too soft. The four of them…well, they’ve got the whole dark and dangerous reputations. I’m the exception. No one takes me seriously.” I stop myself, embarrassed by how bitter I sound.
“I don’t think that’s true at all.” Laine’s voice is firm. “And though there’s nothing you can do about being the youngest, I take you seriously. I think you’re the glue that holds the five of you together.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t think so.”
She studies me for a moment. “Do you know how much Tag respects what you do for this family? How bad he feels about failing you when your father died and he moved out? How proud he is of you for rising above your hurt and anger and holding things together until he pulled himself together enough to come home?”
I meet her gaze. “He said that?”
“More than once. Finn, the four of them might rib you, but no one in this family thinks you’re soft or that you can’t be taken seriously. You’re the quiet Quinn, no question, but that’s not a bad thing. While they’re all making noise, you’re watching, thinking, planning. You’re the last line of defense.”
Laine’s a straight shooter, so it’s nice to hear. “I appreciate that. Thanks.”
She pats my leg and gives me a knowing smile. “Your time is coming, sweetie. Whether it’s with the business or figuring out what you want out of life, there’s nothing but potential in front ofyou. Don’t wait to be invited to the table. You already have a seat—you just need to claim it.”
I draw a deep breath, and my heart swells a little. So, yeah, Laine is amazing, and that’s why Tag is one of the luckiest men alive.
Before I can respond, Brendan clears his throat and wipes his palms on his jeans. “Can we have everyone’s attention?”
The room quiets and when Bryan gets up to stand beside his twin, I know exactly what this is about. Both of them wear the identical expressions of cocksure confidence and I wonder if there has ever been a time when they weren’t so sure of themselves.
“So, Bryan and I were talking one night,” Brendan begins, “and we came up with this grand idea.”
“Oh, hell. This could go sideways fast,” Sean calls out, earning a laugh.
Bryan flips Sean the bird and focuses his attention on Harper. “We decided that since we shared a womb and every major event of our lives since...”
The twins exchange a glance, then move in perfect synchronization. Brendan kneels in front of Nora, while Bryan drops to one knee before Harper.
“We’d share one more…”
“What are you doing?” Nora whispers, her blue eyes wide.
Brendan takes her hand. “This isn’t because we all nearly got our arses shot off last week. But waking up in a hospital bed brought it home that life’s too short to waste time.”
Bryan looks steadier than he has in years and I’m proud of him for setting aside the fears that he’s been carrying since losing Yasmine. “We’re not rushing for a date.”
“Just putting our intentions into the world,” Brendan finishes.
Together, they produce matching ring boxes. The coordination is so perfect it borders on ridiculous, but somehow, coming from the twins, it works.
“Nora,” Brendan says, his voice rough with emotion.
“Harper,” Bryan says, as they both open the velvet ring boxes.
“Will you do me the honor of making my life whole?” they ask in unison.
For a moment, there’s absolute silence. Harper stares at Bryan. Nora’s hand trembles in Brendan’s grip.
“Yes,” Harper says, so quietly I almost miss it.
Nora’s answer comes as a half-laugh, half-sob. “Yes. Of course, yes.”
The room erupts. Sean whoops loudly, Piper claps her hands, and Tag wraps his arm around Laine, who’s wiping away tears. I grin despite the ache in my chest.
Brendan slides a ring onto Nora’s finger—an emerald surrounded by diamonds that catches the firelight. Bryan’s choice for Harper is simpler, but no less beautiful: a single, perfectly square-cut diamond in a platinum setting.
Brendan pulls Nora to her feet. “You set the pace, beautiful. You say where and when.”
