Page 45 of Aidan

“Aidan said you got to spend time with Nora today. Did you have fun?”

Aisling untangles herself and shoves the paper at Sorcha, who takes it gently. “I drew this for you.”

“Wow, look at this. You did such a great job,” she praises her. “Is that you with Nora in the kitchen?”

Her younger sister nods. “Uh huh. I helped make shepherds pie for lunch. It was delicious, too. Even better than Glen’s. But don’t tell him I said that.”

Sorcha chuckles. “I promise I won’t tell him.”

“Okay good. I’m going to my room,” Aisling says before she walks away and down the hallway leading to it.

“I guess someone didn’t miss me too much.”

I stand up and hug her from behind. “She missed you. But she also trusts that you were going to be back so she didn’t need to worry about you being gone.”

Sorcha turns in my arms and loops her arms around my neck, the paper crinkling in her hand. “I suppose you’re right. I’m so used to always being available in the pub if she needed me.”

“It’s good for all of you to have a little freedom from each other. It helps her”—I glance over her shoulder—“and the boys develop a bit of independence.”

“You always somehow manage to put things into perspective.”

“It’s my superpower.”

“Oh, I think you have a much greater superpower than that,” Sorcha says low enough that there’s no way either Kellen or Carson can hear and glances downward before meeting my eyes again. Then she winks.

“You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you?” I say just as quietly.

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Carson calls out.

We jump away from each other, both of us clearing our throats, while Sorcha swipes her free hand across the top of her thighs and her other clutches the drawing tighter. She turns to face her brother. “Boring grownup stuff. Nothing that would interest you.”

He doesn’t look like he believes her, but just shrugs and picks up the game controller that had been discarded next to where he’s sitting. Kellen’s gaze darts between his sister and me and then he gets up from the couch to turn on the television and the gaming system. Seconds later, they’re both ignoring us and their attention is on the game.

Sorcha darts a glance my way and her eyes dance with amusement. I thread my fingers through hers and tug her out of the room. “C’mon, let’s go for a walk.”

“I need to drop this off in my—our—room first.” She flashes me the piece of paper. “I’ll be right back.”

She hurries down the hall and returns a minute later. Taking her hand again, we leave the boys and stroll through the house with no real destination in mind. It’s like I’m trying to make up for the far too infrequent times we were able to see each other over the years by keeping her close.

“Have you given any thought to going back to art school or opening that art gallery?” I squeeze Sorcha’s fingers.

“Yes and no. I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure where to even start. Besides, opening a gallery isn’t as simple as you seem to think,” she says with not a small amount of sarcasm.

“What does it take?” Whatever it is, I’ll make sure she gets it.

Sorcha darts a glance in my direction and widens her eyes, not in surprise, but as though I should already know the answer. “First of all it takes a location. Then I have to reach out to the artists of the type of art I want to showcase and see if they’d be interested in a collaboration. None of whom I actually know where to find. But most importantly, it takes the single thing I don’t have.”

“And that is?” I raise an eyebrow risking her annoyance with my ignorance.

“Money. A lot of damn money.”

I stop her outside the library and wait until she looks at me. “It’s a good thing then that Idohave it.”

Sorcha lets go of me and crosses her arms with a glare. “Didn’t we have this discussion before. I’m not taking your money, Aidan.”

I close the fraction of distance between us until I tower over her. She tips her head back, but the fierce expression doesn’t lessen.

“That was before you knew who I was and didn’t think I had any,” I point out. “We’re getting married. My money is your money. And we havea lotof it. If you want to open a gallery, then open it. We—you—can afford it.”

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