pockets of his jeans and his shoulders slouched, the kid’s emotional state was obvious. He wasn’t looking forward to hot dogs and cake, apparently.
“Hey, Craig,” Ronan called out.
The kid barely grunted in response and kept going around the side of the house. Two men came walking up, holding hands and wearing their own scowls. Cassidy could tell immediately that the younger of the two was a Callaghan.
“Sorry about that,” the guy said. “Craig wanted to stay home and play video games, like he doesn’t get to do that every day.”
Ronan smacked him on the shoulder. “Oh, I’m so loving this, little brother. Now you know what it was like for me when you were that age.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The guy’s scowl disappeared when he looked at Cassidy. “Hi, sorry, for the mini-drama. I’m Finn Callaghan, and this is my partner, Michael Caruso. The kid that nearly ran you down is our foster son, Craig.”
Ronan made the necessary introductions, and when they’d all shaken hands and exchanged greetings, they followed the trail laid by the sullen Craig into the backyard. There were dozens of people already hanging around, drinking, playing, and laughing. Cassidy paused a second, feeling a bit intimidated. Diego placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back.
“I don’t know anyone, either. We’ll stick together.”
Grabbing her hand, Ronan said, “Yes, we will. Let me introduce you to my uncle.”
The three of them walked through the yard stuck together, as if they were part of the road company for The Golden Goose. Cassidy didn’t mind too much as she felt safe and comfortable with each of these men. The way they touched her was both arousing and strangely cozy. Once again, she wondered how they must look to Ronan’s family and friends. No one gave them any funny looks, at least not that she could tell. Perhaps she was being overly sensitive. Of course, she knew how weird it was for them to attend as a troika because she knew how intimate she and each of the men had become. She really hoped that closeness wasn’t being telegraphed by her or the guys.
Ronan led them over to a place under a large shady tree. An older man with grizzled features and buzzed white hair held court in a wheelchair. The birthday boy, no doubt. A rather stunning and tall redhead stood next to him, her hand on one of the chair’s steering handles. Ronan had told her he had a female cousin who was a homicide detective. This had to be her.
The woman smiled broadly when she caught sight of Ronan. “Hey, there, cousin.”
The birthday boy waved at someone before turning to them, his shrewd eyes taking them all at a glance. He wrinkled his brow, as if working out a hard puzzle. Okay, so this guy had definitely seen the oddity in their threesome. Yet all he did was smile as widely as the woman beside him. He held out his hand when Ronan stepped up.
“Good of you to come, boyo.” There was a slight Irish lilt to his voice that sounded like he’d emigrated and not been born in Boston.
Ronan not only clasped the hand, he leaned in to kiss the older man loudly on the forehead. “Like I’d miss it.”
He gently pulled Cassidy in closer as he hadn’t let her hand go when he greeted his uncle. Diego, of course, kept his palm plastered to the small of her back.
“Uncle Jack, Regan, meet Dr. Cassidy Barnes, the new medical examiner. And this is my new partner, Diego Nieves.”
With her right hand held hostage by Ronan, all she could do was nod and smile. “It’s nice to meet you both. Thank you for having us.”
Hmm, where did the us come from? It’s seemed natural to say it, and she was hard pressed to say whether she meant us as in her and Diego or us as in her, Diego, and Ronan. And why did the latter feel so right?
“We’re delighted to have you,” Jack said. His sincerity was obvious. If he thought it was strange that his nephew came with two dates, he didn’t hint as much.
Regan, however, had other ideas. Her
“Hey, Craig,” Ronan called out.
The kid barely grunted in response and kept going around the side of the house. Two men came walking up, holding hands and wearing their own scowls. Cassidy could tell immediately that the younger of the two was a Callaghan.
“Sorry about that,” the guy said. “Craig wanted to stay home and play video games, like he doesn’t get to do that every day.”
Ronan smacked him on the shoulder. “Oh, I’m so loving this, little brother. Now you know what it was like for me when you were that age.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The guy’s scowl disappeared when he looked at Cassidy. “Hi, sorry, for the mini-drama. I’m Finn Callaghan, and this is my partner, Michael Caruso. The kid that nearly ran you down is our foster son, Craig.”
Ronan made the necessary introductions, and when they’d all shaken hands and exchanged greetings, they followed the trail laid by the sullen Craig into the backyard. There were dozens of people already hanging around, drinking, playing, and laughing. Cassidy paused a second, feeling a bit intimidated. Diego placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back.
“I don’t know anyone, either. We’ll stick together.”
Grabbing her hand, Ronan said, “Yes, we will. Let me introduce you to my uncle.”
The three of them walked through the yard stuck together, as if they were part of the road company for The Golden Goose. Cassidy didn’t mind too much as she felt safe and comfortable with each of these men. The way they touched her was both arousing and strangely cozy. Once again, she wondered how they must look to Ronan’s family and friends. No one gave them any funny looks, at least not that she could tell. Perhaps she was being overly sensitive. Of course, she knew how weird it was for them to attend as a troika because she knew how intimate she and each of the men had become. She really hoped that closeness wasn’t being telegraphed by her or the guys.
Ronan led them over to a place under a large shady tree. An older man with grizzled features and buzzed white hair held court in a wheelchair. The birthday boy, no doubt. A rather stunning and tall redhead stood next to him, her hand on one of the chair’s steering handles. Ronan had told her he had a female cousin who was a homicide detective. This had to be her.
The woman smiled broadly when she caught sight of Ronan. “Hey, there, cousin.”
The birthday boy waved at someone before turning to them, his shrewd eyes taking them all at a glance. He wrinkled his brow, as if working out a hard puzzle. Okay, so this guy had definitely seen the oddity in their threesome. Yet all he did was smile as widely as the woman beside him. He held out his hand when Ronan stepped up.
“Good of you to come, boyo.” There was a slight Irish lilt to his voice that sounded like he’d emigrated and not been born in Boston.
Ronan not only clasped the hand, he leaned in to kiss the older man loudly on the forehead. “Like I’d miss it.”
He gently pulled Cassidy in closer as he hadn’t let her hand go when he greeted his uncle. Diego, of course, kept his palm plastered to the small of her back.
“Uncle Jack, Regan, meet Dr. Cassidy Barnes, the new medical examiner. And this is my new partner, Diego Nieves.”
With her right hand held hostage by Ronan, all she could do was nod and smile. “It’s nice to meet you both. Thank you for having us.”
Hmm, where did the us come from? It’s seemed natural to say it, and she was hard pressed to say whether she meant us as in her and Diego or us as in her, Diego, and Ronan. And why did the latter feel so right?
“We’re delighted to have you,” Jack said. His sincerity was obvious. If he thought it was strange that his nephew came with two dates, he didn’t hint as much.
Regan, however, had other ideas. Her
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