“Well, I’ve got to get back on the street. I’m still on duty,” Jimmy said as he left the apartment. “I’ll see you kids later.”

“Kids? He’s the youngest of us,” Rory jeered.

“Let him have it. He forgets all that when he puts on his badge.” Casey grinned before changing the subject. “How are you feeling, Rory?”

“Never better.” He winked at her, and Clare wondered how true that was.

“I hope so,” Casey said as she stood from the couch and made her way out of the living room. “I’m going to head to bed, guys. Early class tomorrow.”

“I feel like I never get a word in when I’m around your family,” Clare teased, turning to him.

“You gotta shout and throw punches—it’s the only way to make them listen.” Rory leaned back into the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. Clare noticed him wince ever so slightly at the movement of his legs.

“You’re really lucky, you know that, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your family—they’re special. They love you so much, and each other.”

“It’s a regular Irish lovefest,” he agreed sarcastically.

“I’m serious, Rory.” Clare cut off his attempt to make light of the topic. “I really hope you understand how special they are and how lucky that makes you.”

He nodded. “You’re right. I don’t know what I would do without them.”

“I’m starting to wonder the same thing,”

“They do love you, you know?” He leaned over, gently kissing down her neck.

“How is your knee feeling?” She interrupted his movement, leaning away from him. “And don’t give me the same line you just told your cousin.”

“Don’t worry about me. I told you I’ll be fine.”

“I know, but being in pain and not taking medication—it can’t be easy.” She trailed off, nibbling on the corner of her lip. Gently, she pulled her feet out from under the sleeping dog and pressed her knees against her chest.

“I had stopped them a while ago, babe. I had one day of falling off the wagon, but I’m back. My body will get used to it soon, and until then, I’ll just have to find other things to raise my endorphins.” His eyes twinkled mischievously as he raised his brows at her.

“I can’t imagine what you mean,” she giggled, leaning in to him and letting him kiss her deeply.

—

Clare thought about the last few weeks as she stood outside the flower shop with Ace, waiting for Rory. Several weeks had rolled by since she’d moved in with Casey, and Clare found herself falling into a new routine. There hadn’t been any word from Travis since she’d filed the restraining order, which was quite the relief.

Now, she spent most weekday mornings first at Legends, working out with Rory, then going to the rescue shelter and volunteering for a few hours, then finally heading to O’Leary’s for an evening shift behind the bar. Kane was monopolizing most of his brother’s time during the day, so Clare and Rory saw each other only for early-morning training and then late at night.

Clare peeped through the window into the local flower shop, called Fiona’s Flowers, to see that Rory was finally at the front of the line and paying for his purchase. He was talking to a clerk of high school age, who didn’t seem to fully understand what she was doing. Rory had become even more endeared to Clare when she found out that he always bought lilies for his mother on his way to the weekly family dinner. Clare had joined him the last few Sundays, and it had quickly become one of the highlights of her week.

“Excuse me.” A tall brunette pointed toward the door of the flower shop, and Clare realized that she was directly blocking the entrance.

“Oops, I’m sorry.” She smiled bashfully, moving herself and Ace to the side to clear the path.

“No worries.” The pretty young woman cocked her head to the side and stared at Clare with mesmerizing blue eyes. “Everything okay? You look a little lost.”

Rory was still in the shop, and Clare smiled as she looked back at him. She nodded as she turned to the beautiful woman.

“Actually, I think for the first time in my life, I’m exactly where I should be.”

“Oh, yeah? This about that handsome giant in there?” The woman nodded in Rory’s direction, teasing.

“Is it that obvious?”

“When you own a flower shop, you tend to spot things like that.”

“Things like what?” Clare asked curiously.

“Love, of course.”

Clare blushed at the woman’s answer, wondering if it was that obvious to everyone else how she felt, and if maybe Rory could tell, too.

“I’m Fiona, by the way, Fiona Doherty.” The tall brunette reached out a hand and Clare graciously accepted it. When Fiona reached down and petted Ace gently, Clare was glad to see that the dog let her. She hadn’t seen him be friendly with many people before, outside of Rory, Casey, his parents, and herself. She couldn’t help but wonder what the dog’s criteria were.

“Clare Ivers, good to meet you.”

The women finished their introductions just as Rory came waltzing out of the store.

Rory put his arm out for Clare. “Ready to go?”

She smiled and slipped her hand around his, squeezing herself tightly against his side to warm herself up.

“It was great to meet you, Fiona,” Clare said.

“You, too, Clare! Have a wonderful week!” Fiona said before leaving them alone and heading into the store.

The duo began walking down in the direction of his parent’s house. Ace followed dutifully, staying a step off to Clare’s side.

“Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you.” Rory slid a single pink rose out of the batch of lilies.

“Babe, you didn’t have to do that.” Clare nearly swooned, accepting the flower from him and holding it up to her nose to smell.

“Mhuirnín, I’m going to do this every week for as long as I live. Every woman deserves flowers, as often as possible.” He kissed her temple.

Not much later, they arrived at his parents’ home and made themselves comfortable around the expansive wooden dining room table that had been built to fit the large number of attendees. The table itself was packed to the brim with warm, homemade dishes, leaving barely room enough for their plates. Underneath, waiting for fallen scraps, sat Ace.

“The match is this Friday, and it’s for charity, so why not?” Seamus was eyeing Kane as he helped himself to some mashed potatoes.

“What’s the charity for?” Jimmy spoke up.

“Cancer,” Rory answered him. Then, turning to Kane, “You should definitely do it.”

“Why? It doesn’t have any part in the championship circuit.” Kane grabbed a roll from the bread basket in front of Quinn.

“Because it’s for charity, Kane. I know I raised all of you kids to help others, don’t forget that.” Dee sounded aggravated, shaking her head as she spoke before shoveling another bite of food into her mouth.

“Not even that, it’s also just good practice. The more time in the cage, the better you’ll be for the regional fight a few months away,” Rory added.

“You’re coming to that, aren’t you, Clare?” Casey sounded hopeful.

“Sure, if you guys want me there.”

“Hell, yeah, I need some more estrogen around here!”

“Hey, what about me, Case?” Dee chimed in as she surreptitiously palmed a piece of meat under the table. Clare tried to hide her smile as she heard Ace’s lips smacking happily with his treat. The mystery of Ace’s criteria for liking someone was beginning to clear up.

“Do you still have estrogen if you went through menopause a decade ago?” Quinn nudged Kane to make cracks with him. Everyone around the table started laughing, but Dee used her free hand to reach behind Kane and smack Quinn hard on the back of his head.

“Wiseass,” she grumbled, as the spattering of laughter turned into an uproar and everyone at the table joined in.

“Leave your mother alone, boys,” Seamus commanded, albeit clearly trying to stifle a smile himself.

“I’ll definitely be there, Casey.” Clare leaned in to Rory’s side as she sat watching the family dynamics erupting around her. She had never had any siblings, let alone five of them, so this was everything she had ever dreamed about as an only child.