“Can I call you Dada?” she asks, wiping a tear.
“I’d love that.”
“Okay…” She crushes herself against me again.
“There’s something else,” Darcy begins, smoothing Sadie’s hair. The golden hair. The blue eyes. Just like mine. How did I not see it?
This is as much her news as it is mine. But I sneak the baby doll from the empty seat at our table and hand it to Darcy.
“Sadie, guess what?” She holds up the plastic infant. “I’m having another baby. You’re going to be a big sister.”
“I am?” She sits up now, taking this very seriously, like she’s been given a promotion.
“Here’s a baby doll to practice holding because infants are very fragile,” I say to her.
She takes the doll and crushes it against her chest. Yeah, she’s going to need some practice.
“Dada, will you be the baby’s daddy, too? I don’t mind sharing you.”
We laugh, Darcy and I, figuring we might get asked this again and again. I’m not quite sure Sadie understands why I’m suddenly her father, but she accepts me, and that’s all I need. There’ll be time to explain when she has questions years from now.
“I’ll be your dada and the baby’s.” I poke her in the ribs. “I’m the only dada allowed to make babies with your mum.” I send Darcy a look to make sure she knows she’s mine.
Her smile tells me she knows.
Hell, she knew before I did.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ewan - One Month Later
“Youjustgonnainviteyourself to every Quinlan wedding, Lachlan?” I get out of Griffin’s Escalade in front of the city council’s office, where Darcy and I are exchanging vows.
This quick ceremony is for Darcy, Sadie, and me. Connor and Griffin are here to be our witnesses.
I promised Darcy we’d have a big party later, but as I said to Sabine years ago,Quinlans don’t have babies in sin. Rules I broke over and over. But hopefully, our vows will give us redemption from all the sinning I did.
“We haven’t heard from you,” Lachlan answers me, leaning on the railing in black pants and a black button-down shirt, looking dangerous as usual.
“I’ve been busy,” I remind him.
In addition to our ramped-up investigation work, I’ve been house hunting with Darcy, enrolling Sadie in preschool, and hiring staff for the council seat I plan to win.
Griffin knows our mother so much better than I do. She isn’t thrilled I got physical with Darcy, thinking she was kin, but the fact that we don’t share blood has softened the blow. She is beyond thrilled that our family has grown, and it includes wee ones who belong to her.
Rian, however, isnotas thrilled, as I imagined he wouldn’t be. He’s traveling to New York next month where he and I can hash this out in person. It’s also time he gets to know our father, and perhaps seeing his daughter so happy will change his mind.
I’m not putting up with any of this half-brother, adopted-daughter shite. Family is family. Quinlans stand together.
Life is short. Grab it by the balls. And marry the fucking woman you want.
Da gets better every day, with Sadie urging him outside to go on walks. He brings her to the playground and is his new best friend, showing him how to use all those apps on his phone because Ma doesn’t have a clue.
“So, what are you doing here?” I ask Lachlan.
After one of his wicked smiles, he steps out of the way, and I see Kieran standing there.
Darcy squeezes my hand. “Oh!”