“I didn’t say you were,” I point out.
“Why don’t I help you draw it,” Lachlan says, taking over, “and then you can paint it.”
“Okay,” she whispers, covering her mouth to hide her yawn. “Thank you.”
Leaving them to do their own thing, I head into the kitchen to deliver the potatoes. Celeste and Skyla are standing at the double oven, taking the two birds out, Giselle is getting all the sides in order, buffet style, and Olivia and Willow are gathering up the plates and silverware.
“What can I help with?” I ask, and everyone waves me off.
“I heard you’re going to Ireland with Lachlan,” Sky says, walking over to me. “Go you, Aunt Quinn!” She laughs, and I roll my eyes. “I told Dad and Mom, I can watch Kinsley at your place, so she can sleep in her own room. I can take her to school in the morning and pick her up.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?” I take Skyla’s face between my hands and kiss her nose. It’s hard to believe she’s going to be twenty-three next year, which makes me realize Lachlan is closer in age to Sky than he is to me.
“What’s wrong?” Sky asks.
“Nothing.” I fake a smile, pushing down the self-doubt. Lachlan told me he’s falling in love with me. He spends the night, every night. No man jumps through the hoops he does, just to get laid by a woman twelve years his senior.
“Okay.” She gives me a look that says she isn’t quite buying it, but doesn’t argue. “What time are you leaving Thursday? Do you need me to spend the night on Wednesday?”
“That would be great,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her for a hug. “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.”
“Oh, stop!” She laughs. “I’m twenty-two and just recently moved out on my own.”
“And you go to FIT full-time, and will be graduating in May, while helping to run a multi-billion dollar company,” I point out, which has Sky blushing with pride. “Like I said, I’m very proud of you.”
* * *
Dinner is served, and everyone grabs a plate, piling food high, and then finding a seat at the expansive table. The kids have a separate table right next to us. Jase gives a small speech about being thankful for everyone here, and I can’t help the tears that come. I don’t know what I would do without my family. Jase and Jax have been there through everything: a dead father, a deadbeat mother, a cheating husband. Helping me to raise Kinsley. And now here they are supporting me as I find love.
“Hey, you okay?” Lachlan leans over and asks softly, giving my thigh a comforting squeeze.
“Yeah, just getting emotional.” I laugh it off. “Thank you for being here.” I press my lips to his cheek. “I love you.” I still in my place, realizing what I said right after the words come out.
Lachlan turns to face me. “Do you mean that?”
“Yeah.” I nod once. “That wasn’t how I wanted to tell you, but yes, I do mean it. I love you.”
He grins the most beautiful boyish grin, and cupping the side of my face with his hand, he says, “I’ve been waiting for you to catch up, beautiful. I love you.”
Twenty-One
Lachlan
“You have your cell phone?”
“Yes.” She nods.
“Passport?”
“Yep.” She nods again.
“Laptop to do edits during the flight?”
“Oh! I forgot that.”
I chuckle as I watch Quinn run back upstairs, for the third time, to grab her laptop. It’s four in the morning, and since our flight to Dublin leaves at seven, we have to get going, so we can get through security. Flying out of JFK is always a hassle, but during the month of December, it’s exceptionally crazy. Luckily, it’s the week after Thanksgiving and a few weeks before Christmas, so it shouldn’t be too horrendous.
“Got it!” she whisper-yells, not wanting to wake up Skyla or Kinsley. “Oh! I need the adaptor!” She takes off running her sexy ass back up the stairs again, while I get the pleasure of watching. While she’s up there, I spot Kinsley walking down the stairs, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists.
“Everything okay, Mini-Q?”
“Yeah, I heard Mommy running around and I wanted to say bye.” Her tiny mouth curls down into a sad little pout. “I’m going to miss you guys.”
“We’re going to miss you.” I glance up the stairs and don’t spot Quinn, so I kneel down in front of Kinsley and whisper, “I got it.”
Her eyes widen. “Can I see? Please!”
Pulling the box out of my pocket, which reminds me I need to stick it in my luggage before we go through security, I hand it to her.
“It’s so pretty,” Kinsley murmurs with a giant smile on her face. She’s staring down at the three carat, platinum, princess cut engagement ring I purchased the day after Quinn told me she loved me—that was after I spoke to Kinsley and asked if she would be okay with me asking her mother to marry me and the three of us becoming a family.