“Eww, do you guys have to kiss all the time? I thought that wore off.” Dominic frowned at them.

“Evening to you too, Dom. Where are you off to?” Dec asked, loosening his arms around Zoe but not letting her go completely.

“Basketball. We’ve got a game tonight. You know, the one you promised to go to?” Dominic rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah, listen man I don’t think I should.”

“Typical!”

Zoe hid a grin, her baby brother had a huge temper when things didn’t go his way.

“Don’t be like that Dom, the baby could come any minute. You wouldn’t want Zoe to be on her own, would you?”

Zoe knew Dominic’s answer. When it came to basketball and anything else, the game would win. Not that he didn’t care, he did. But he was a typical eleven-year-old who just happened to live in a mansion in Hollywood. Given what had happened over the last year, he was adjusting just fine.

“You go,” Zoe said. “Maria and your mom are here. They can take care of me. Kathy is on her way, too. How many people do they think I need watching this birth?”

“They just want to celebrate with us, babe,” Declan said in his soothing tone, one he had to use more often as her pregnancy went on and on.

“Just go. I need a few minutes with my hormones.”

“Yeah, Grandma Patricia said if you got into a paper bag alone, you could still have a fight,” Dom said.

Declan glanced at Zoe and then burst out laughing. “Little man you shouldn’t be telling your sister that. She will hate my ma.”

“No, she’s right. I am really cranky. I don’t know how you put up with me.”

“Easy. I love you.” Declan bent to kiss her goodbye and then turned to her brother. “Right Dominic, lead the way. You have to win though.”

She watched them leave. He did love her, she knew that. She’d wound up the garage and put all her remaining money in a college fund for Dominic. Declan and his family had persuaded her that her father would have been proud to have a doctor in the family. Though she wondered how he’d feel about a professional ball player.

Zoe lay back against the sofa, trying to get comfortable. Her bump was big enough to produce a whole basketball team. When was this baby going to come out? But then she wasn’t keen on the actual mechanics of it arriving, so maybe she could wait a few more days. She decided to go for a swim. It would help ease the pain in her back.

She had changed and got into the water when her mother-in-law came out.

“You think you should be swimming?” Patricia asked.

“You think you should be telling my little brother I could fight with myself?” Zoe shot back.

“Oh yeah, sorry about that. But I was speaking from experience. I did have six you know.”

Zoe couldn’t be mad at her mother-in-law for long. The woman had become more than a mom to her since her wedding. She had become a dear friend.

“Are you having pains yet?”

“No, but my back is aching. I thought a swim would be good for it,” Zoe said.

“I guess it won’t do any harm. It will help you cool off, too. I can’t believe how hot it is. “

“So different from Ireland, isn’t it? We should have had the baby over there but I didn’t want to be away from Declan. Not with the premiere of The Irish Rebel coming up.

“He’s nervous over that one, isn’t he? Worse than I ever seen him before,” Patricia said.

“He says it’s the first role he’s believed in for a long—ouch! That hurt.”

“Zoe, come out of the water.”

“But…”

“Now. I think you’re in labor and, while I believe in water births, I don’t think this pool is the right place. Come on, out.”

Patricia roared for Maria while helping Zoe to come out of the pool. The pains were much more developed now.

“Oh,” she moaned.

“We better get Declan,” Patricia said.

“No don’t, it will take forever. Let Dominic have his game and then Dec can come afterward.”

Patricia looked unconvinced, but she did what Zoe said.

* * *

Some hours later, Zoe thought she would never have her baby. Declan arrived at the hospital and insisted she hold his hand and squeeze it tight every time a pain hit her. She agreed, determined her man would share in every aspect of the birth. She would never sleep with him again. Her child would be an only child. Time passed and the nurses started to panic. She could see it in their faces even though they tried their best to hide it.

“We can’t wait any longer. We have to get you into surgery, Mrs. Malone.”

“No, I want to do it myself,” Zoe protested.

“Come on Zoe, you know they have to operate. You’ll be fine.”

The last thing Zoe heard was Declan telling the doctor that if it came down to a decision between her and the baby, he was to save his wife.

* * *

Zoe woke up to find Declan asleep on the bed beside her. She gazed around her but didn’t see her baby. Heart in her mouth, she shook her husband awake.

“Where is my baby?”

“Here he is, Mrs. Malone,” The nurse held a wriggling bundle. “I just took him out for a walk, he’s getting a bit hungry. I thought you might want to feed him yourself.”

Zoe held out her arms for the bundle. Her son. Her and Declan’s.

“He’s prefect darling. In every way. Ten toes and ten fingers,” Declan murmured beside her.

“Oh Dec, he’s so tiny.”

“He is not. He’s bigger than most.”

“Says the proud father.”

“I am so proud of my wife and my son. My family.” Declan kissed her, his lips grazing hers. “I love you, Zoe Malone. More than ever.”

“I love you, too. When should we start planning our next baby? I don’t want to leave a big age gap between them.”

“Doctor, please give my wife some drugs. She’s acting crazy.”

Zoe held her baby closer as her husband wrapped his arms around them both. He kissed her on the head.

“Happy?”

“Oh yes.”

* * *

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading my book. Declan’s story took some time as Zoe wouldn’t behave! I hope you enjoyed their story, I have to admit it is my favorite so far. to find out when my next story will be released.

Until next time,

Best wishes

Jill