CHAPTER 12

JOHNNY

I may have teased Adam about pinching my woman, but I was happy to see the changes in my brothers.

Today was the first time in forever that Liam had cut loose and just messed around. He'd been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders since Rhett had been put away and he'd had to take over and make the hard decisions.

That Adam had decided to pick up Maya and spent time with her and the children out of our normal family time was a big thing. He wasn't the type to spend time with people, even those he loved, if he could help it. Preferring his own company.

It said a lot about how they felt about Maya. The only other woman that had my brothers behaving this way had been Noni. When Rhett had divorced her, and she'd withdrawn from our family, it had left a huge gaping hole in all our lives. So, for both my brothers to make the effort with Maya was huge, and I knew she'd embrace them because, to her, having grown up in foster care, family meant everything.

For the first time in years, probably since Rhett got imprisoned, our family felt settled. The clubs, except for the hiccup with small thefts and the security business, were doing well. Our house was again feeling like a home, which it hadn't done since our mother had passed away.

Both Adam's and Liam's houses would be finished in the next few months. While Julia's brother's company was excellent at what they did, we'd wanted them finished quicker, preferably before winter hit us hard, so we were all pitching in when we could. Even the Crows had been coming over to help.

Da too had been making plans, it seems, because he'd just told us while we tucked into the dinner Maya and Adam had brought us from the café that he would be building himself a small one-bedroom cottage just behind the main house. Leaving the main house to Maya, me, and the children.

When Maya protested that he didn't need to move out, he'd assured her that it was for the best because the main house was a family home and he hoped that we'd be filling it with more grandbabies for him to spoil soon. Maya had blushed bright red at his not-so-subtle hint, which made me laugh and Adam and Liam grin.

"A baby brother would be nice," Jackson said quietly. The table had gone silent at his words.

"It would," I agreed. "Brothers are good to have at your back and you're already a pretty good big brother to Emy."

Jackson smiled at me then shocked me with his next words, "If you marry Mum and have a baby, does that mean that we can call you dad? You're much nicer than my other dad."

‘Aw fuck,' my heart crumpled both in pain and happiness at his words. Maya took a deep breath and when I looked at her, she was blinking hard, trying not to let her tears flow.

Leaving my place at the table, I knelt down next to Jackson, turning his chair towards me so that I could see his face very aware that the whole table was listening except Emy, who was happily tucking into her dinner. I didn't want to screw this up. I needed Jackson to realise that I may not be his biological father, but I'd be the only one that mattered.

Tilting his chin up with a finger until I could see his eyes, only when I was certain he was ready to hear what I was about to say did I speak.

"Jackson, I'd love for you to call me dad, but that's only if you want to. I won't love you any less if you carry on calling me Johnny. What I can promise you is that nobody in this room will ever hurt you, your mum, or Emy ever again. Okay."

Jackson nods his little head. Leaning forward, he wraps his arms around my neck. Enfolding him in my arms and hugging him back, my eyes close to stop the tears from burning. I know if I look at Maya, I'll be a lost cause, and this moment is about Jackson, not me.

Jackson loosens his arms as he whispers, "I'd like to call you dad."

"That makes me happy. As soon as we can, we'll get the papers that will make you Jackson O'Shea. How does that sound?"

Jackson eases back and nods his head, "I like Jackson O'Shea, that means Emy and I'll have the same name as you and Mum when you get married, right?"

"It does," I agree.

"Okay," he agrees with a smile. "Can I be excused now?"

Ruffling his hair, I press a kiss to his forehead, "You can. Off you go." I help him down off his chair and stand up.

Waiting for him to leave the kitchen before I lose it. Maya stands and walks over to me, wrapping her arms around me, pressing her face into my chest so hard I wonder how she's breathing, her tears wetting my shirt.

"Fuck, milseán, fuck," I whisper against her temple.

"Congratulations, brother, it's a boy," Liam grins at me just as Emy demands, "Daddy up."

"And a girl," he laughs, breaking the tension. Laughing with him, I let Maya go and helped Emy out of the highchair.

Our lives, like we knew them, had changed, and it's all for the better. Maya, Emy, and Jackson have filled a hole that none of us even knew was there until it wasn't anymore.