Page 102 of Filthy Christmas
“Studying what?”
“Interior design. She’ll be graduating in the spring.” Because he looked like I’d switched into Gaelic, I sighed. “It’s where you decorate— You know what? Never mind.”
I returned my focus to Savannah.
Her gift intrigued me. Crocheting hadn’t come easily to the girl, but before I’d left for Europe, she’d been able to regulate her tension and at least follow a pattern.
Savannah sucked in a breath. “Okay. My turn to get this over with.” She snagged the package and, with a shyness I didn’t think she had in her, passed the gift to Inessa.
Inessa cautiously opened the package and then her brow furrowed. “Are these…. crocheted underwear?”
Savannah bit her lip, then a hangnail, then her lip again. “They’re for your books.”
“What?”
“You know. Bookmarks.”
Her mouth opened. “Bookmarks?”
“But they look like underwear.” Savannah’s laughter sounded weak even thousands of miles away. “You know… a joke? You put the thong between the page and it marks your place.”
Inessa glanced at the surprisingly well-donethingthen burst out laughing. Savannah flinched, Aidan tensed up, prickly like a pissed-off tiger whenever his mate was agitated, then Inessa cheered, “I fucking love it!”
“Inessa, you owe me ten bucks too!”
As the family cascaded into laughter at Kat’s demand, Paddy and I shared a smile.
No, I didn’t have Aidan anymore. And if he was watching over me, then he’d just have to endure watching his brother and I grow close.
He shouldn’t have left me.
If Paddy’s arm slipped around my shoulders and I relaxed into his side as I watched the rest of the gifts being opened, and I devoured the sight of my settled boys, the happiness they’d found despite their heritage, then it was nobody’s business but our own.
And certainly not Aidan O’Donnelly Sr.’s.
TWENTY
Sorry,Aidan, but Lena’s mine now…
THE END.
OR IS IT…
