“Come on. Let’s go inside before you can be more of a twatwaffle tonight.”He burst out laughing. “What did you just call me?”“It’s one of Casey’s words.”“Hmm, let me guess. It’s probably one of Casey’s words for me?”She nodded as she unlocked the front door. “Yes, but with some stronger expletives along with it.”“I figured as much.”

“Let me guess. This extremely horny moment was made possible by pregnancy hormones?Her giggle vibrated against his cheek. “Yes it was. Ugh, they’re insane.” She released his member and pulled away. “I think I’m starting to understand what it’s like to be you.”Throwing his head back, Aidan roared with laughter. “You mean what it feels like to be a horndog?”Wide-eyed, she replied, “uh-huh.”“Then why did you pull away?”“Well, because-” “That wasn’t me complaining, babe.”

“It was the way your sweet, soft hands wiped away my tears, and the way your body just curved into mine when you let me hold you. It all made me feel, for just an instant, that everything really was going to be all right. No one has ever comforted me like that…except my mom.” What the fuck? Did I just say all that out loud? I shook my head furiously from side to side as the room started spinning me like a Tilt-a-Whirl at the county fair back home.Abby grabbed my shoulders to steady me. I blinked my eyes trying to focus on her blurry, but beautiful image. “Most of all, it’s that I want someone like you to want me—just for me, not for Jake Slater the singer of Runaway Train.” I smacked my hand hard against my chest. “For what’s really inside me.”

“BASTARD, the voice screamed in my mind. That f*cking bastard! He knows what he did to me! He knows what he took, and he expects me to testify for him? Because of my love for Will, he’s using me like I’m just a pawn in his game. My chest tightened. But this isn’t about him, remember? It’s about the boy you love who holds you right now. It’s about protecting everything you hold sacred. I”

“It’s the truth, Em. You do save me. I would still be lost if you hadn’t come into my life, and I thank God everyday that you gave me another chance to show you how much my soul cries out for you. There will never be anyone else for me in the world.”

“It was at that moment that something bizarrely divine happened. Something I could have almost blown off if it hadn’t happened before my eyes. Two nuns walked in the door with their arms loaded down with packages. I’d never seen shopping nuns before, but it was all the sign I needed. “I want to go to school at Saint Catherine’s.” Mom gasped. “That all girls school?”“Yes.”“That Catholic school?”“Yes!” I continued looking at the nuns. One of them caught my eye, and she smiled. I returned her smile. Mom glanced over her shoulder. “Are you trying to tell me you want to become a nun? Because if you are, I’m taking you to the fucking hospital right now!”

“Uncle Aidan?” Percy began.“Yeah?”“Don’t you think you ought to marry Emma?”Aidan jerked his head up, slamming it against the trunk lid. “FUCK!” he shouted as he saw stars before his eyes. A few more expletives escaped his lips as pain raged through his skull.“Nice mouth you got there,” John chided.Gritting his teeth, Aidan rubbed his aching head. “You mention that one to your mom, and I’ll tell her about your ball-sack comment.”John’s eyes widened. “Dude, that is so not cool!”“Yeah, well, deal with it.” Aidan started to resume gathering up the bags when he noticed Percy staring expectantly at him for an answer. Aidan sighed. “Perce—”His blonde brows knitted together. “Don’t you love her?”“Oh Christ,” Aidan muttered, raking his hand through his hair. He winced as pain once again shot through his head. “Did your mom put you up to this or something?”“No. When I asked her the same question, she just said that you were a cad.” Percy shrugged. “I don’t even know what that means.”“I’m pretty sure it’s a dude who acts like a douchebag to women,” John said.Aidan glared over at John. “I am not a cad!”