The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy

of it.”
    “Perfect. Now, here’s this idea I’ve been mulling over. It’s a large room, so I thought what if we made this corner here a kind of play area.” Gesturing, Jude crossed the room. “Shelves up this wall for toys, a little table and chair that would fit right under the window.”
    “We can do that. But if you were to come ’round the corner with the shelves, you’d make better use of your space, and have it more like a separate spot, if you know what I mean. And I can make them adjustable so you can change the look of them as needs be.”
    “Around the corner . . .” Jude narrowed her eyes and tried to picture it. “Yes. I like that. What do you think, Darcy?”
    “I think the two of you know just what’s needed here, but it’s up to me to get you into Dublin for some smartlooking maternity clothes.”
    Instinctively, Jude laid a hand on her stomach. “I’m not showing yet.”
    “Why wait? You’ll need them long before the baby needs shelves, and you’re already thinking of those, aren’t you? We’ll go Thursday next, when I’ve the day off.” And the portion of her pay she allotted herself for fun in her pocket. “That suit you, Brenna?”
    Brenna was already taking her measuring tape out of her toolbox. “Suits me for the pair of you. I’ve too much work just now to take a day being dragged around Dublin shops and waiting while you gasp over the next pair of shoes you can’t live without.”
    “You could do with a new pair of boots yourself.” Darcy skimmed her gaze down. “Those look like you wore them to march over to the west counties and back again.”
    “They do fine for me. Jude, tell Shawn to find a place for his junk here, and I’ll start on this room first of next week.”
    “ ’Tisn’t junk,” Shawn said from the doorway. “I spent many a happy night in that bed where Darcy’s making herself at home just now.”
    “Well, junk’s what it is now,” Brenna shot back with a little sniff. “And in the way. And how many times, I’d like to know, do you have to hit a nail to put holes this size in a wall?”
    “You put pictures over them, and it doesn’t matter how big the holes are.”
    “Since that’s your thinking on it, if you’ve a mind to put up anything in the cottage, call someone who knows one end of a hammer from the other. You’ll want to make him swear to that, Jude,” Brenna warned, “else the cottage’ll be rubble by spring.”
    “I’ll fix the damn holes meself if it’ll shut you up.” His tone was pleasant, dangerously so. And that was just enough to give Brenna’s heart a little jerk and make her cover the reaction with sarcasm.
    “Oh, to be sure, you’ll fix them. Like you fixed the sink at the pub the last time it plugged up so I had to wade through an inch of water on the floor to repair the damage.”
    When Darcy snickered, Shawn sent her a cool and silent look. “I’ll have what’s left of mine out by tomorrow, Jude, if that’s all right with you.”
    Recognizing scraped male pride, she started to step forward quickly. “There’s no hurry, Shawn. We were just . . .” She trailed off as the room took a sick, slow spin.
    Before she could stagger, Shawn darted across the room at a speed that had Brenna’s mouth falling open and scooped his sister-in-law into his arms.
    “It’s nothing.” Her head already clearing, Jude patted his shoulder. “I was just dizzy for a minute, that’s all. It happens now and then.”
    “You’re for bed,” he said, already striding out. “Get Aidan.” He tossed the order to Darcy over his shoulder.
    “No, no, I’m fine. Shawn, don’t—”
    “Get Aidan,” he repeated, but Darcy was already up and running.
    Brenna stood where she was for a moment, her measuring tape in her hand. As the oldest of five, she’d seen her mother stretch right out on the floor during a dizzy spell while pregnant, so she wasn’t particularly alarmed by Jude’s behavior. What she was, was stunned by the fluid strength she’d just witnessed. Why the man had plucked Jude up as if she’d been weightless.
    Where had that been hiding?
    Shaking herself clear, she hurried into the master bedroom in time to see Shawn lay Jude gently on the bed and pull a throw over her.
    “Shawn, this is ridiculous. I—”
    “Lie down.” He jabbed a finger at her in a way that made Jude obey and Brenna goggle. “I’m calling the doctor.”
    “She doesn’t need the doctor.” Brenna nearly flinched from the