I can’t help but laugh picturing little Eamon. “What did you end up doing?”
“Ach, what any good mother would do. I told him that the next timeI heard him using that type of language, and I didn’t care if he knew the meaning or not, I’d be taking a wooden spoon to him, I would.”
“What about Caity?”
“That girl.” She rolls her eyes. “She was always pestering her brother just to get a rise out of him. She got a talking-to as well. I told her if she kept poking him with that stick, I’d let him dunk her in an entire puddle of mud! She, of course, was enraged, but you would have thought Eamon had won the World Cup.”
“What about the World Cup?” a groggy Eamon says, sitting up in his chair.
Rosie and I grin at each other.
“Nice of you to join us, then,” his Mom teases.
“You’re not telling stories about me, are you? It’s not fair to do that while a man’s sleeping,” he grumbles as he stretches his arms over his head.
“Listen to you, going on,” Rosie says. “I haven’t evenbegunto tell Norah all the stories about you she needs to hear.”
“I think I’ll be the judge of that, Ma,” He stands then turns to me and asks, “Did you sleep any?”
I shake my head. “Not really. I dozed off a few times, but I have a hard time sleeping in hospitals.”
He caresses my cheek with the back of his fingers. “Want me to take you back to the house? I could use a shower anyway. I feel like a kip and a half.”
“It’s up to you and your Mom. I’ll do whatever you need me to. If the two of you want to head back, I can stay with Caity for a bit.”
“Don’t be silly,” Rosie interrupts. “Go on, you two. I’m fine here. Shower and get some sleep. There’s plenty of food in the fridge and pantry. Or I can order in something for you two.”
“You sure, Mam?” Eamon asks, bending to hug her and kiss her cheek.
“Aye, ‘course I am. I’ll call you if I need you, love. Go on.”
We say our goodbyes and leave the hospital. The sun is just setting, painting the sky in vibrant pinks and oranges on our drive to the house. Once we arrive, I send Eamon up to shower while I make us something to eat. It’s awkward rooting around in someone else’s kitchen, but I eventually findall of the ingredients for sandwiches. I’ll make something more substantial later, but right now, we need sustenance and rest. When I finish assembling the sandwiches, I place them on plates with chips, or rathercrisps, as they’re called in Europe.
I’m so lost in thought that I don’t hear Eamon come down the stairs. When a pair of large warm hands envelop my waist, I shriek, nearly dropping the glasses I had just pulled out of the cabinet.
“Eamon! You scared the shit out of me!” I yell, turning to glare at him until I see what he’s wearing. Which is nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants that are hanging deliciously low on his hips.
“Sorry, Acushla,” he chuckles, sliding his arms around me. “Did you not hear me?”
I place my hands on his chest and begin tracing the Dara knot of his tattoo before looking up at him. His hair is damp, with loose tendrils hanging over his forehead, and his beard is thicker than normal.
“Obviously not, or I wouldn’t have shattered the windows screaming. Warn a girl next time, sheesh.”
He kisses my forehead and asks, “What were you thinking about so deeply that you didn’t hear me thundering down the stairs?”
“Nothing really,” I say with a shrug. “Just trying to clear my brain out. Are you hungry?”
I slide a hand up to his shoulder and run my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He steps forward and buries his face in the dip between neck and shoulder, pressing me back into the counter.
“Mmmm,” he murmurs, hands creeping under the hem of my shirt. “Aye, I can think of something I’d like to eat right now.”
I shiver as heat pools between my thighs. I arch into him, tipping my head back to give him better access to my throat. He takes the bait, kissing and nibbling his way to my earlobe, gently taking it between his teeth.
“I really need a shower first,” I mumble distractedly. It’s hard to focus on anything other than his mouth and hands on me.
“Me too,” he purrs against my skin.
I release a breathy laugh. “You just got out of the shower.”
