Rather than be offended — or deny the charge — Zoe snickered. “I like how you always drop my married name when you want to accuse me of ludicrous things.”
“She’s fourteen,” Aric muttered. “Someone taught her that ‘lady parts’ thing.”
“Well, it wasn’t me,” Zoe countered.
“Nobody taught me anything,” Sami challenged. “I know things all on my own because I’m a genius.”
“I like her,” Aisling announced, grinning at the teenager. “She reminds me of someone.”
“You,” Braden shot back, his eyes flashing. “She’s exactly like you. Now there are two of you and it’s likely a tornado is about to slam into the house as payback.”
“You’re just upset because she thinks Redmond is hotter,” Aisling supplied. “You need to get over yourself.”
“Oh, whatever.” Braden’s expression was exaggerated as he shifted around his sister and moved toward me. “I’m surrounded by irrational females ... except for you.” He gave me a quick kiss. “You still think I’m the hottest Grimlock in the land, right?”
“Of course,” I answered automatically, allowing him to pull me close for a hug. “You’re definitely the hottest member of your family.”
“See.” Braden shot Redmond a triumphant look. “My girl knows quality when she sees it.”
“Your girl is only saying that because she doesn’t want to crush your fragile ego,” Redmond argued. “My girl has crystal-clear vision.” He offered Sami a charming smile. “She has young eyes, too, so I bet her vision is perfect.”
“Your vision isn’t going to be perfect when I give you a black eye,” Aric threatened.
Even though the threat sounded sincere, Redmond didn’t look all that worried. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Ignore him,” Sami offered. “He’s losing his mind. I think he’s getting dementia.”
Redmond tilted his head and smiled at her. “Can we keep this kid?”
“You’ll have to get in line if you want to keep her,” Cormack countered. “I saw her first.”
“Wait, is this the kid who blew up the revenant?” Aisling pushed Redmond out of the way so she could get a better look at Sami. “I heard you pulled off a neat trick today, Sami. I don’t suppose you can share with the class how you did it, can you? I would totally like to learn how to blow things up with my mind.”
Aidan picked that moment to stroll into the room with Jerry and Griffin Taylor, Aisling’s husband, close on his heels. He pulled up short when he registered what Aisling had said. “What did I miss?”
Sami’s eyes went wide when she saw him, and then slowly she let her gaze bounce between Griffin and Jerry. “What is it with the guys in this house?” she said after a beat. “Do you grow models on trees here or something? My mother said that wasn’t possible but I’ve always held out hope just in case.”
Cormack chuckled. “Not models.”
“I could be a model,” Jerry countered. The way he cocked his head told me he was intrigued by the teenager. “Who is this?”
A second round of introductions had Aric collecting himself, although he appeared to still be shaken by Sami’s “lady parts” remark. Personally, I thought the girl had gotten exactly what she wanted from the statement — to knock her father off his stride — and I found I was fascinated watching her work.
“You really blew up a revenant, huh?” Aidan plopped down next to Sami and accepted the mixed drink Jerry had made for him at the bar cart. “I think you might be my new favorite person.”
“She’s everybody’s new favorite person,” Redmond said. “I’m her new favorite person, though, so I have a leg up.”
“Oh, yeah?” Aidan’s amusement was overt. “Maybe she’ll want to throw you over for me. Have you ever considered that?”
“You’re getting married.” Disdain positively dripped from Redmond’s tongue. “I’m single and ready to mingle.”
“That is a stupid saying,” Aisling countered. “Besides, I guarantee that the kid’s going to like me best before she leaves this house. Do you want to know why?”
“Not really.”
“I’ll tell you why anyway. I know the true way to her heart, and it involves an ice cream sundae bar.”
Zoe perked up. “I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s the way to my heart.”
“I’m with my wife.” Aric looked morose but resigned. “Bring on the ice cream.”
“How about some bourbon instead?” Braden suggested.
“That, too.”
I had to smile. Everybody was already falling into an easy rapport. Sami’s ‘lady parts’ talk still had her father pouting but the rest of the room was swimming in comfortable conversation and Paris hadn’t even arrived yet. We were thirty minutes from dinner and the fist of unease that had been wrapped around my heart for much of the afternoon eased. These people could help. If we worked together, we would be able to figure all of this out. Everything was going to be okay.
As if on cue, Lily’s laugh took over the room as Cillian wandered through the door, the baby on his hip. “What did I miss?” he asked.
“There’s my baby,” Griffin cooed, swooping in to collect his daughter.
“Oh, I see how it is,” Aisling drawled, although she didn’t look altogether upset. Her smile was genuine as Griffin claimed Lily and brought her to sit on one of the parlor sofas with him and her.
“I happen to love both my babies,” Griffin teased.
For the first time since Sami had dropped the beefcake bomb, Aric stirred and fixed his full attention on something other than his teenage migraine. “Oh, I remember when Sami was that little.”
“I do, too,” Zoe noted. “She used to keep us up all night screaming. We slept in shifts ... sometimes only two hours a night.”
“Oh, this one still does that sometimes, too,” Aisling replied, running her hand over Lily’s head. “Luckily I have a bunch of brothers and a father to pawn her off on occasionally.”
“That is lucky,” Aric agreed, lifting his arms. “Can I hold her?”
Aisling nodded without hesitation. “Sure.
