Page 138 of Poison and Wine
Since she was one of the doctors connected with the Kavanaugh family, she knew exactly what kind of “hardcore” man Callum was. “You guys have a safe trip, and I hope to not have to see you until the six-month shots.”
“Thanks, Dr. Sheehan,” I replied while Callum merely grunted. With a frustrated huff, I said,“Come on. Let’s get her dressed and out of here before you shoot someone.”
He grinned at me. “I’m making no promises.”
When we arrived back home, tears once again assaulted my eyes at the glimpse of the moving boxes. At the sight of my face, Callum gave me a reassuring smile. “Kitten, are you ever going to get over this?”
“I can’t help it. I’m still so hormonal,” I argued.
With Julianna’s arrival, it had been decided it was time for Dare and Quinn to move into homes of their own. They’d both bought penthouses less than five minutes from us. Although we would lose two brothers, we would be gaining Orla and Eamon. With me in school full-time, Julianna would need a nanny.
Thankfully, we had to look no further than Callum’s mother. After spending the first month of Julianna’s life with us, she decided she couldn’t bear to be so far away from her granddaughter. Eamon was thrilled to be joining his brothers and to begin his initiation into the clan. With their arrival, Maeve would be the only Kavanaugh still in Ireland, but thankfully, there were enough Kavanaugh clan members there to make sure she was safe and protected.
Dare appeared on the landing of the stairs. At the sight of Julianna, his face lit up. “There’s my beautiful princess!”
When he reached us, Julianna took one look at him, jutted out a quivering lip, and then burst into tears. Her reaction caused Dare’s face to fall. “What the fuck did I do?”
While Callum chuckled, I shook my head. “It’s not your fault, Dare. She just had her shots, so she’s not feeling her best.
Dare rubbed Julianna’s tear-stained cheek. “Oh, my poor wain,” he crooned, which caused Julianna to cry harder.
Not only did Julianna have her father wrapped about her finger, but all of her uncles as well. They loved helping Callum with bath time and bedtime. Her closet was full of ridiculously expensive clothes, not to mention all the toys and books they bought. It was quite humorous watching them wearing her in the sling, especially when fielding phone calls that involved dark dealings. Like Callum, Dare and Kellan loved having her fall asleep on their chests. While Quinn still shied away from holding her as much as the others, he enjoyed pushing her pram during our daily walks around the neighborhood.
Dare’s and Quinn’s devotion to Julianna was another reason why I was going to miss them so much. Just the thought that they wouldn’t be on the floor right above us caused tears to fill my eyes again. It felt like I was saying goodbye to my own brothers. Although she didn’t get to spend as much time with them, Rafe, Leo, and Gianni tried to come down every other weekend.
When Dare shot me a concerned look, I laughed. “I’m fine. I keep getting emotional thinking about you guys moving out.”
He grinned his signature cocky grin before throwing his arm around me. “I’m going to miss you, too, Sister Sassy.”
I rolled my eyes at him still continuing to call me by my old nickname. “Admit it. You’re only going to miss Julianna.”
“How could I not miss you?”
Putting my hands on my hips, I countered, “Me or my cooking?”
“You.”
I kissed his cheek. “While I don’t believe you, I appreciate the sentiment.”
“I’m not lying.” With a wink, he added, “I still plan on getting my fill of your cooking when I come here for dinner every night.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
When Julianna continued fussing in Callum’s embrace and rooting around on his chest, I held out my arms. “I think that’s my que to feed her.”
Dare wrinkled his nose. “That’s my cue to get my boxes and get the hell out of here.”
I rolled my eyes. “Like I would just whip my boob out right in front of you.”
The only thing that freaked the brothers out was feeding. Nothing made the room clear out faster than for me to start unbuttoning my top. Not that I wasn’t modest and wouldn't have wanted to flash them, but it was really quite comical. I walked into the living room and eased down in one of the chairs. Callum followed closely on my heels, easing Julianna into my arms.
Once she was latched and feeding, he squatted down in front of us. “I’m not going to lie that I’m starting to get slightly jealous of our daughter’s unlimited time with your boobs.”
With a squeal of horror, I kicked him with my leg. “You’re terrible.”
He laughed. “I can’t help it. I’m wandering through a sexless desert.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m sure if you’d had a third-degree tear to your dick, you wouldn’t be ready either.”