Epilogue
“I’M SO GLAD YOU could make it!” Pru gave Mae a careful hug.
The older woman squeezed her hard. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I’m sorry my surgery and recovery kept me out of the loop for so long and brought you trouble.”
They both looked across the room to where Ari and Flynn stood in animated conversation with his sister and brother-in-law beneath a hand-lettered banner that declared Happy Gotcha Day, Ari!
“It all worked out in the end. As of this afternoon, we’re completely legit. Judge Moseley signed off on the adoption.” She and Flynn were officially parents to a precocious fourteen-year-old girl, and life would never be the same again.
“That’s wonderful! Your mother would be so pleased.”
Pru felt an ache amid all the happy of having the adoption complete and the house full to the rafters with family. “I wish she could be here to see this. To know Flynn and how happy he makes me. And to see our family expand again. You know how much she loved that.”
“I do. As much as I enjoyed helping her do it. I know she’s looking down and smiling right now. She’d love seeing you and Kennedy settled.”
“And be plotting some form of match-making to see that Maggie and Athena follow suit.” Ari hadn’t been the only hopeless romantic in the family.
“Any likely prospects on that front?” Mae asked with interest.
Pru glanced at Athena, who stood by the big Christmas tree with a glass of champagne, talking to Porter. “Not sure. Athena’s been dating a guy from work back in Chicago for the past couple of months.” Apparently whatever had passed between her and Logan at the wedding had been a one-time thing. If Logan was bothered by that, he hadn’t let on. “And Maggie is…Maggie. A workaholic to the core.”
“Their time will come,” Mae said, with a knowing smile. “Love comes when you least expect it.”
“Ain’t it the truth,” Pru agreed. “You know, it helps, having you here. It makes me miss Mom a little bit less.”
“She’d be so proud of what you’ve done here with the inn. And what is it going on next door?”
“Our day spa is finally finished. We did a soft launch and an open house last week so we can start selling gift certificates in time for the holidays, but we don’t have the grand opening until after the new year.” Pru looped an arm through Mae’s. “You should schedule an appointment. We’ll give you the family discount.”
Mae beamed. “I will absolutely do that! Now, why don’t you introduce me to your Flynn?”
“Gladly.” Pru escorted her through the crowd of people who’d shown up for the adoption party. “Flynn, I want you to meet Mae Bradley, a dear family friend. Mae, my fiancé, Flynn Bohannon.”
Flynn grinned and took Mae’s hand. “Miss Bradley, I’ve heard many good things. You’re recovering well from surgery?”
“Slowly but surely, thank you. Congratulations on your new family.”
He hooked an arm around Ari’s shoulders. “I have the best daughter in the world, and that’s the truth of it.”
Ari snuggled in, a matching grin on her face. “We’ll pretend he isn’t biased.”
“I’m not biased. My entire family agrees, don’t you?”
The Bohannons—all six of them, who’d come over from Ireland for the adoption—shouted agreement.
“There, you see?”
His mother Moira laughed. “He’s a proud da.”
“And a good one,” Ari declared.
“The best,” Pru murmured, her eyes going misty.
“Here now, there’ll be no tears today, mo mhuirnín.” Flynn tipped her face up for a kiss.
“Happy tears,” Pru promised. “I’ve been a little watery all day.”
“A woman’s entitled to cry a few happy tears on the day she gains a daughter.” Moira punctuated the pronouncement with a lift of her glass.
“Oh, I don’t have anything to toast with.”
She tucked an arm through Pru’s. “Then let’s rectify that, shall we?” Before Pru could object, she was being steered toward the kitchen.
Once they were away from the others, Moira plucked some tissues from a box and handed them over. “There now. I thought you could use a minute.”
Pru sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. “Thanks. I’m so happy today. It’s just, I’m missing my mother.”
“Sure, and it’s no wonder. I know you wish she were here.”
“So much. I wish she could’ve known Flynn. He’s such a very good man, and I’m so lucky he came into my life.”
Moira skimmed a hand over Pru’s hair in a gesture so redolent of Joan, it made her throat ache. “I didn’t know your mother, but I’ve gotten to know you these past months. It takes a fine woman to raise someone as wonderful as you. We’re delighted you’ll be part of our family.”
“Oh, Moira.” Pru felt the waterworks starting up again. “Thank you. I can only hope that I do half as good a job with Ari.”
“You and Flynn have taken to parenthood beautifully, you have. Ari’s a darlin’ girl.”
“She makes it easy. She’s a great kid.”
“She absolutely is. We’re all besotted with her.” She plucked a glass off a tray on the counter and handed it to Pru. “Now that the adoption is finalized, the two of you should be looking toward picking a wedding date. That should be sooner rather than later, I’m thinkin’.” Moira's eyes, so like Flynn’s, twinkled.
Pru blinked at her, then looked down at the glass of sparkling cider she’d picked up instead of champagne. “I…oh my God.”
“Leaked like a sieve with both of mine,” she said cheerfully.
Pru felt faint. “I need to talk to Flynn.”
Her future mother-in-law grinned and wrapped her in a hug. “Topping off a day of joy with more joy is always a good idea.”
In something of a daze, Pru wandered back into the party. She must have looked as shell-shocked as she felt, because he immediately broke away and crossed to her.
“What is it?”
“I need some air.” She laced her fingers with his. Kennedy caught her eye from across the room and started forward, but Pru just shook her head. With their family, this wasn’t a secret that would stay secret long. But Flynn needed to be the first to know.
They stepped out into the early winter dark. The chill made her skin pebble, but she relished the good, clean air. It didn’t seem like her lungs were working quite right. She pulled Flynn around the corner, then just turned and burrowed into his arms. They came around her in an instant.
“What’s wrong, agra?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m happy. I’m so damned happy, Flynn.” She lifted her face and knew she was starting to cry again.
He brushed at the tears and offered a sympathetic smile. “Sure, and there’s plenty of reason for it. We gained a daughter today.”
Pru sucked in a breath and stepped back, laying a hand on her belly. “We gained more than that.”
Flynn just stared at her. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re a father twice over.”
“I’m—” His mouth dropped open and he covered her hand with his. “Truly?”
“I haven’t taken a test yet, but I think so.”
Flynn scooped her off her feet with a whoop. “This is wonderful!”
“Really? You’re not upset?”
“Upset? Why would I be upset?”
“Well, we weren’t exactly planning on this.”
“Mo stór, we haven’t exactly planned on anything, and life with you has been the best possible surprise. I love you.”
The kiss he laid on her left no doubt of that.
“We have to tell Ari,” he said.
“Not yet. Let’s wait. I don’t want her to feel like her day is overshadowed.”
“Are you kidding? This is awesome!”
With a laugh, Pru dropped her head to Flynn’s chest as Ari bounced out from around the corner of the house. “You’re never going to stop eavesdropping, are you?”
“Probably not. Then I’d miss all the good stuff. I’m really gonna have a sister or brother?”
“Looks that way. It seems the Reynolds-Bohannon family is going to be expanding faster than we’d expected.” Pru rocked back on her heels as Ari threw her arms around them both.
“Best. Day. Ever.”
As she stood in a tangle of arms with the man she loved and the child of her heart, Pru couldn’t help but agree.