Page 85 of Dirty Legacy

“Is my wife hiding in here?” His voice cuts through the laughter leftover from another Cathal story about Connor punching a kid in the face during a soccer game when they were seven. He appears in the doorway, looking unhappy, or maybe that’s his default expression.

“I’m cooking,” Cathal says, waving to his son. “And getting to know your wife.”

“Seems more like you’re telling her stories about me.” Connor approaches, glowering. “You better not have brought up the fucking pee spider again.”

“Oh my god! I forgot about that!” Danielle claps her hands together. “Cathal, tell her the pee spider story!”

“Another time.” Connor takes my arm possessively.

“Wait, no, I want to hear it.” I bat my eyes at him dreamily. “Please, husband?”

“No. You’re done here.”

“Typical Connor spoiling the fun,” Danielle says, rolling her eyes. She walks away and plops back down onto the couch with a glass of prosecco in her hand.

“You have an appointment.” Connor’s tone softens as he helps me to my feet.

“What are you talking about?”

“You need to start seeing a doctor, remember? Well, I hired one to make house calls. She’s waiting downstairs.”

“Good man,” Cathal says with a nod.

“You brought me an OB?” I’m not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, it’s very sweet, but the doctor who will eventually help birth my baby is kind of a big deal.

“If you dislike her, we’ll get another, and another, and another, until you’re happy.” Connor says it like he’s negotiating the most important contract of his life. He’s always like this, taking everything so seriously, and I have to wonder how he came from these people. Where they’re joyous and kind, he’s reserved and intense, almost ice cold.

But they don’t carry the same weight. Lives don’t depend on them the way they do on Connor. When he goes to work, there’s always the threat of blood. He doesn’t have the luxury of sitting around telling stories and cooking all day.

“Thank you.” I touch his bicep and kiss his cheek. “I really appreciate it.”

That seems to please him.

“He peed on a spider one time,” Rowan says.

“What now?”

“The pee spider story.” She flashes him a maniac smile. “Thought it was the only way to kill it.”

“Monster,” he says, steering me away. “I was six years old and she wasn’t even born yet.”

When we’re in the hallway, I slip my hand into his. “I like them a lot.”

“They’re good people.”

“Even Danielle. She hugged me and thanked me for what I did for Rowan.”

“She can be halfway decent sometimes.” He pulls me against him. “But only sometimes.”

26

ANGIE

Ican’t sleep that night.

Everything’s good with the baby, which was a huge relief. I liked the doctor, although I’m not sure we’ll stick with her yet. Connor’s supportive and open to whatever I want, and he even let me have dinner with his family and stayed for a drink or two with them before going out to work. Now we’re in bed and he’s breathing slowly, in boxer briefs and a black t-shirt, tattoos like black ink on his smooth skin.

But the numbers are bothering me.