means they’re going to figure out where you live and start hounding you. They’ll dig up everything there is to know about you and blast it across the media waves.”
He shifted back and cupped my cheeks. “Baby, I said I don’t care, and I meant it. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“You’d be surprised,” I responded miserably.
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, my nose, and then my lips. “All I care about is you. I’m in this with you for the long haul, Addy.”
I closed my eyes and soaked up the genuine concern and care he showed in everything he said and did.
I was falling for this man.
Hard and fast.
I opened my eyes and stared into his kind, handsome face. I cupped his cheeks, lifted up on my toes, and kissed him.
“Oh, well, it looks like my baby girl is just fine, I see.” Mama Kerri’s voice startled us from behind. I pulled back so fast and spun around with my hand to my mouth, panting like I couldn’t get air in fast enough. Caught kissing a boy in my mother’s house. Definitely a first.
Jonah and Ryan chuckled and moved from the entryway living room to the kitchen.
“Cookies?” Jonah asked as he passed Mama Kerri. I swear that man was a cookie monster. Always hunting for the sweet stuff.
“Always. In the jar by the coffee pot, son,” she murmured, but didn’t pay him any mind, her blue- green gaze stuck on me and Killian.
“Mama, I uh, want you to meet someone.” I rubbed my hands together. “Killian Fitzpatrick, this is my mother Aurora Kerrighan.”
She waved her hands in the air and then wiped them on her apron before she stuck one out in greeting. “You can call me Mama Kerri. Everyone in this house does.”
“Obliged,” Killian said and took her hand. “You can call me Fitz. Most everyone but my girl here does.” He grinned.
“Your girl?” she smirked.
“Mama.” I gave her big eyes to let it go, something I knew she’d never do.
“No disrespect. I’m still trying to woo her into being mine.” He laughed lightly.
This time I felt the ache in my eyes as they bugged open wide at the shock of Killian’s admission.
My mother laughed. “None received. I like a man who knows what he wants and holds it close. Well come on back, the girls are outside.” She waved her hand as she started toward the kitchen then went straight through to the back door that led to the garden.
Killian nudged me forward.
I glared over my shoulder. “I can’t believe you said what you said to my mother!” I whisper-ranted.
He chuckled good-naturedly, nothing affecting him in the slightest.
When we made it outside there was a table laden with sandwich accoutrements, fruit, a green salad, and potato salad. My mouth watered realizing we went straight to the apartment after coffee and hadn’t eaten. There were blankets set out on the grass, my sisters in various stages of lounging while Rory played fetch with Amber, Simone and Jonah’s dog. Sonia sat at a small, four-seater table with chairs set up off to the side in a little cut out of greenery and concrete. She was leaning over a set of papers talking to her assistant Quinn while pointing at something.
Since it was Saturday, everyone was in casual attire.
“Hey, guys. Look what the cat dragged in, finally,” Mama Kerri announced to the group. “Told you she was fine. My mama radar would have known if one of my babies was hurting,” she proclaimed.
All of their stares hit us at once, smiles stretching across their faces.
I interlaced my fingers with Killian’s. “Come on, let’s go meet my sisters.”
He followed me to the first blanket where Genesis and Charlie were sitting and eating while watching Rory play.
“This is Genesis Coleman-Kerrighan, and that’s her daughter Rory playing with Amber the dog.” I pointed to my niece who did not stop playing. “Genesis is a social worker for the state. And our resident redhead is Charlie Hagan-Kerrighan. Runs a Youth Center downtown that helps wayward kids.”
“Guys, this is Killian Fitzpatrick…my uh…”
“Her boyfriend.” He supplied a label I was a bit nervous to commit to. Not that I didn’t want to, just that things were happening pretty fast for me. I didn’t normally feel this attached to someone of the opposite sex in less than a week’s time. I was really starting to understand what Simone went through when she fell for Jonah.
He bent over and shook both of their hands. “Call me Fitz. It’s