‘You must understand that I never wanted to send you away for good, Tammy. It just took a while to figure out a solution,’ Haze said. ‘I couldn’t risk getting sued, or having this place get bad publicity—’
‘It’s OK,’ said Tammy. ‘I get it. You were just being responsible. I’m grateful for that.’ She looked at Cassius. Not a patch of tweed on him. That was a good sign. ‘Where’s he going to live?’ Tammy asked. ‘There’s not much space in the surgery.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Haze said. ‘We’ll work it out.’
‘I’ve been camping for a couple nights,’ Cassius said. ‘Nothing like sleeping under the stars.’
‘I’ll stick to glamping,’ Tammy said. Shay noticed that she cast a quick glance at the twins. There was a lot of catching up they all still needed to have. In-jokes he needed to… get in on.
‘Right,’ Haze said, ‘I need to skedaddle.’ He paused. ‘Or maybe ske-dawdleis more accurate for me. Look forward to hearing all about your vacation soon, folks.’ With that, he started to jog away.
‘He seems happy,’ Shay said.
‘He deserves it,’ Tammy said. ‘He’s helped us all.’
In the evening, after sharing a hearty Irish stew with the brothers, it was bedtime.
Between the four of them, they were developing a wonderful bedtime routine. The three brothers would take it in turns to bathe Tammy, brush her teeth, read her a story, and, eventually, share a bed.
It was fast becoming Shay’s favorite part of the day. There was something so reassuring and soothing about it, and now that they were back in Liberty, it was a chance to see what life might look like in the future. Everything felt as though it was exactly as it should be.
Shay was waiting in the bedroom for Tammy and his other brothers to come through. He’d been listening to the sounds of the splashing in the tub, and the toothbrushing song. Right on cue, the door opened.
But he wasn’t met by three figures: just one. She stood there in soft, cream pajamas, holding a velvet goldfish toy in her left hand.
‘Hello, darling,’ he said. ‘Where are Finn and Conor?’
‘They’re not coming up just yet,’ Tammy said. ‘Gonna have a couple drinks, they said.’
‘How come?’
Tammy was smiling. ‘They want you to know that they trust you with me. You know, to have time just for you and me sometimes.’
Shay felt an instant welling of emotions that he just hadn’t been ready for, and — to his shock — his eyes stung with tears.
‘That’s… wonderful,’ he said quietly.
‘Can I come to bed, Daddy?’
‘Course you can, sugar bug.’
‘Sugar bug?’ Tammy said, pulling back the covers.
‘You’re sweet and you’re small.’
She giggled. ‘I like it.’
‘I like you.’
He felt Tammy’s arms loop around him. Her little face was just there, so close to his. Her breath was soft and sweet, her slip of a body pushing against his, asking for affection, for something more.
‘I like you too.’ She blinked, her long-lashed eyes so wide, so perfect. He’d never wanted anything more, and he’d never want anything else.
He kissed her like a painter perfecting a canvas — sure and steady, each lick and nip a brushstroke, revealing his plan to her, making her hot for him, wet for him.
And when, minutes later, his hardness found home in her softness, as she quietly gasped and they shared the humbling intimacy of mutual surrender, he quietly whispered: ‘I love you. I always have.’
CHAPTER 18