Chapter 8

“Oh, Quinn!” Dee rushed over to Quinn the moment he walked through Rory’s front door, flinging her arms around his waist. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Ma, where’s Rory?” Quinn asked, hugging her. “What happened?”

“Oh, honey, he’s here. Most of the family is here, or on their way. We’re saying our goodbyes,” Dee told him, tears streaming down her face.

Goodbye. Quinn didn’t want to believe it.

“Oh, no!” Kiera gasped, apparently overhearing what Dee had just said.

Dee seemed to see her standing beside him for the first time, and a sad smile spread over her face. She embraced her next. “Oh, sweet girl. You’re a saint for coming.”

“I just gave Quinn a ride and thought I’d see if you guys were okay…” Kiera trailed off as Dee squeezed her a little too tightly.

“Thanks for bringing him,” Dee said, letting go of her while choking back a sob. “Poor Ace.”

“Is he…” Quinn paused, unsure what to say. Kiera squeezed his hand.

Dee pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her nose with it. “Murphy went down for his nap, and Ace lay in front of the crib like he always did. Such a good protector, that dog. When Clare went in to get Murphy up, Ace…” A sob ripped through her and she held the handkerchief tighter. “Ace didn’t wake up.”

Quinn’s jaw tightened as he absorbed the news. A sob came from beside him, and he lifted his arm to wrap around Kiera. “God, Ma…” Quinn said, shaking his head. “Where is he?”

“In the baby’s room,” she told him, her voice raspy. “Everyone else is in the living room. I need to brew a pot of tea.”

“Go see him,” Kiera said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll stay with your mother.” She gave him a small smile, then put an arm around Dee and walked her down the hall toward the kitchen.

Quinn watched them go, realizing in that moment that despite their years apart, Kiera was still everything he’d ever fallen for. She was kind, loving, compassionate, and selflessly devoting her time to a situation that most people would have readily avoided. She was the kind of woman who’d walk into the fire with him, even knowing she’d be burned. He’d written her loyalty off when she’d rejected him, but he’d been wrong.

She was here, and she was his friend. That part of her had never left.

Quinn moved to the base of the stairs and slowly made his way up. The hall at the top of the stairs was dark, but he’d been to his brother’s enough times to know his way around. When he reached the door of the nursery, it was slightly ajar and he tapped on it as he pushed it open wider.

“Come in,” his oldest brother’s deep voice rang out.

Quinn pushed the door open wider, seeing Rory sitting in the rocking chair, his elbows on his knees, his long, brown locks pulled into a messy bun. Quinn felt unnerved at the sight of one of the strongest men he’d ever known, in more ways than one, looking so drained, so defeated. “Hey.”

Rory lifted his eyes to him slowly. “Hey, Q.”

Stepping through the doorway, Quinn now saw Clare sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the crib. Ace’s giant black-and-white head took up her entire lap, the rest of his old body stretched out on his side in front of her. Clare’s top half was tilted forward over him, her hands gently caressing his fur as her blond curls fell around her face. Baby Murphy was nowhere to be seen, and Quinn guessed he was probably with one of his aunts downstairs.

It’d been only a few days since Quinn had last seen the dog, but Ace looked as if he’d lost half his body weight in that time. Mostly skin and bones, his fur was still as thinned out and patchy as Quinn remembered, but there was a stillness to him now that made Quinn’s stomach sink.

Rory pushed up from the chair and walked over to him. “Can you stay here with her for a minute? I need to check on Murphy.”

“Yeah, of course. Go,” Quinn told his brother. There were no tears on Rory’s face, but Quinn could see his grief nonetheless and his heart broke for him.

Rory stepped past him and into the hall. “Thanks, Q.”

Turning to his sister-in-law, Quinn moved farther into the room. “Hey, Clare.”

“Hi,” she replied, though she didn’t lift her head to look at him.

Quinn lowered himself carefully onto the floor next to her, laying his cane flat on the floor by his side. Reaching out, he gently petted Ace’s long body like he always had. He wasn’t cold or stiff, like Quinn had expected, but it was clear he was gone.

“You’re a good boy, Ace,” Quinn said softly, even though the dog couldn’t hear him.

“He was the best,” Clare added, her fingers slowly tracing an old, gnarly scar on Ace’s side. “He saved my life.”

“I remember.” Quinn recalled the story from when Rory and Clare were still dating. “He lived a good life, and it’s thanks to you and Rory.”

“And you. And this whole family, really,” Clare added with a sniff. “Everyone’s down there because of how much they loved him.”

Quinn didn’t respond but found himself wondering how Shea was doing with the news. She had such a special relationship with Ace.

“I just need a few more minutes with him, you know? He only just passed…” Clare said, continuing to pet Ace’s body. “I’m not ready.”

“Take all the time you need, Clare,” he assured her. “I don’t know if I’m ready, either.” He didn’t want her to feel alone or judge her for taking the time she needed to mourn, but there was a lot of truth to his words, too. Quinn had loved Ace dearly, and it broke his heart to see his powerful frame so disheveled, so empty.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Clare asked after a quiet moment, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

He nodded. “Of course. You know I’m always here for you, Clare.”

Clare had become like a sister to him the moment she’d entered their lives. She was the same age as Quinn, and the two had bonded easily as they both had spunky personalities and loved to joke around. It had been an easy friendship, and one that mattered a lot to him.

Clare sniffed again, leaning sideways to place her head on Quinn’s shoulder. “I’m pregnant.”

Quinn gasped. “What?”

Clare nodded, keeping her eyes on Ace’s body. She continued to stroke his head. “Yep. Baby number two.”

“That’s amazing, Clare.” Quinn kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her back. “You’re an amazing mom to Murphy. I know you’ll be the same for this baby, too.”

“Thanks, Q,” she replied.

“What did Rory say?”

Clare shook her head. “He doesn’t know yet. I just took the test this morning, then Ace…I can’t tell Rory right now, not when he’s in so much pain. But I needed to tell someone. I needed someone to know.”

Quinn squeezed her a little tighter, then returned to petting Ace. “It might be nice to get some good news during such a sad time, though. Rory’s obsessed with Murphy. There’s no doubt he’ll love this baby just as much.”

“Oh, he definitely will. He’s such an amazing father,” Clare agreed. “But this is Ace’s moment. After everything Ace did for us, it’s his turn to be in the spotlight.”

Silence enveloped them for a few minutes as Quinn let Ace’s fur slide through his fingers, savoring the moment and trying to memorize exactly how it felt beneath his hand. She certainly had a point—this dog had done so much for the Kavanaghs, especially Rory and Clare.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Clare said, breaking the silence. “Something to distract me.”

Quinn thought about it for a second. “Kiera’s here.”

“Really? That’s sweet. I’ve missed her since she’s been in school on the West Coast.” Clare’s focus shifted to him. “Did she come with you?”

Quinn nodded. “Yeah, she drove me here.”

Clare dropped her head to his shoulder again. “Oh, Quinn.”

“What?”

“You know exactly what,” Clare replied with a huff. “Don’t you remember how heartbroken you were after just seeing her once a few years ago?”

Quinn didn’t respond immediately, because Clare was right. She had seen him frustrated and hurt after seeing Kiera at Kieran and Fiona’s wedding. Nothing had happened, but seeing her had been enough to drive him crazy. He’d still wanted her, and she’d barely paid him any mind. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and the first time he’d realized that not only was she never going to date him, but they weren’t even friends anymore, either.

“What are you doing, Quinn?” Clare pried further.

“I don’t even know.” He groaned. “About anything. Everyone around me is so sure of themselves, so set on a path in their lives. And I’m just…I don’t know. Left behind, I guess.”

He wasn’t even sure he knew who he was anymore, let alone what he wanted out of life. He was reconsidering everything—his love life, his job at Legends, his plans for the future. The accident had changed everything. Kiera was changing everything.

“People only get left behind when they refuse to move forward, Quinn. You’re strong. You have an inner strength most people never have. You’re a fighter—even if it’s not in the ring.” Clare reached out and squeezed his hand gently, her green eyes sad, yet confident, as she fixed them on him. “You’ve got a bright future, Quinn. All you have to do is decide which one you want.”

Quinn slowly absorbed her words. He knew he needed to hear everything she’d just said to him, and yet fear still pulled at him. “I’m not sure the one I want…wants me.”

The ache in his chest that had been there since the moment Kiera had kissed him deepened as he realized what he was most afraid of. She was the future he wanted. Kiera was it for him—she always had been. Despite his fear that history would repeat itself, how badly he wanted her had never changed. The rejection still stung, but she was here now.

She wanted him now. Maybe that had to be enough.

“Ace?” A tiny voice caught his attention.

Quinn and Clare both lifted their heads to see Shea standing in the doorway of the nursery. Big, pink earmuffs on her head, a book held tight to her chest, the twelve-year-old stared down at her best friend.

“Can I talk to Ace, please?” she asked politely, stepping into the room.

“Oh, honey.” Clare’s voice broke as she lifted a hand to beckon Shea to her. “Of course you can. Come. Sit.”

Shea plodded over, and Quinn spied Fiona in the doorway behind her. She leaned a shoulder against the frame, one hand across her waist, the other over her mouth. Tears streaked her face, but she didn’t come any closer.

Quinn just offered Fiona a small smile, turning his attention back to Shea as she kneeled in front of Ace and placed her book down on the floor next to her. Ace’s head was still in Clare’s lap, but Shea leaned over him and kissed the top of his head before pausing over his ear. She lifted his ear and began whispering to him.

“My sister told me what happened, Ace,” Shea whispered directly into his ear, her voice loud enough for Quinn to hear, though he pretended not to. With her diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, she was rarely aware of the volume of her voice, or how that compared to her surroundings. “And I want you to know it’s okay. I’m not mad you left me. I love you and I’ll miss you, but you’re still my best friend.”

Clare sniffed as Shea leaned back on her heels, gently petting Ace’s body.

“It’s going to be okay,” Shea said, talking to Clare this time. “He loves us. Right, Uncle Quinn?”

“Right, Shay-Shay,” Quinn replied. “He loved us very much.”

“So it’s going to be okay. Uncle Quinn says it is,” she repeated, almost as if she was convincing herself more than she was them. “It’s going to be okay.”

All three of them sat silently for a moment—Clare still holding Ace, Quinn still on the floor next to her, and Shea gently petting Ace’s chest. Fiona cried quietly in the doorway, her face downcast. Kieran appeared behind her, rubbing her shoulders as she leaned back into his chest. He nodded slightly at Quinn, who nodded back.

The rest of the family trailed in slowly, one or two at a time. They took turns thanking Ace for being a part of their family, for loving them with everything in him, for sacrificing so much to keep them safe, and for holding on so long.

Stories were passed around and weighted laughter sounded throughout the room. Even Kiera joined in, holding Quinn’s hand as she shared her own happy memory about Ace from the last time she’d been to one of their Sunday dinners years ago.

The big, lovable, black-and-white dog with patchy fur and too many scars to count was gone, but the impact he’d had on all of their lives never would be.

Goodbye, Ace. Thank you. We love you.