The Party (3 page)

Aidan tore his gaze off the road to stare at
his father. “I plead the fifth on that one, thank you.”

“That sounds pretty guilty to me. You should
have brought your lady friend to the Baptism.”

With a snort, Aidan replied, “No, I don’t
think so.”

“Ashamed of your family?”

“Of course not. Besides, she’s not much of a
lady, least of all a friend. We’re not anything anymore.” Under his
breath, he muttered, “Not that we were much to start with.”

Patrick sighed. “I still hope that one day
before I die, I get to attend your son or daughter’s baptism.”

Aidan couldn’t help jerking his hands on the
wheel, which caused the car to swerve on the road. “Pop, please.
I’d like to make it through today without a guilt trip, okay?”

“So it’s wrong for me to wish you were
married and had children?”

With a grunt, Aidan whipped the car into the
parking lot behind the church. “I’m going to say this, and then I’m
done with conversation, okay? The closest thing I’m ever going to
be to a parent is standing up as Mason’s godparent. Got it?”

Patrick nodded sadly. “Fine son. Whatever you
say.”

“Good. Now come on. It isn’t every day your
first great-grandchild is baptized, right?”

“That’s true,” Patrick said, with a
smile.

After getting out of the car, Aidan popped
the trunk. He took out the bag from the jewelry store that held the
finely wrapped package with Mason’s cross in it. Even though he had
gotten a small one, Aidan imagined it would dwarf Mason’s small
form for quite a while. The kid was barely six weeks old—a little
young for a usual baptism, but since it was close to Christmas, it
was the best time to get all the family together, including his
sister, Julia, who lived out of state.

As they stepped into the church, Patrick
motioned Aidan to one of the side rooms. When he opened the door,
he was bombarded by his sisters and their families. All his nieces
and nephews wanted hugs and to tell him about what had been going
on at school or dance classes or soccer practice. He gave each of
them his undivided attention. Finally, they abandoned him for
Patrick, and he could take a relaxing breath.

After handing over Mason’s gift to his
brother-in-law, Tim, he turned to his sister Angie.

“Well, if it isn’t The Godfather,” she
mused.

He grinned. “The one and the only.”

She hugged him tight. “We’re so honored that
you agreed to do this for Mason. He’s a lucky little man.”

Aidan pulled away to stare skeptically at his
sister. “Frankly, I’m still surprised I even made the list of
perspective candidates period. Surely there were more…how should I
say this? Suitable choices?”

Angie shook her head. “You were the only one
in the world Megan wanted.”

A gentle tug pulled at Aidan’s heart at the
mention of Megan. He had always tried hard not playing favorites
with his nine nieces and nephews, but he had always had a strong
bond with her.

Pulling off his coat, he glanced around the
room. “Speaking of, where are Megan and the Little Man of the
hour?”

She laughed. “Oh, she’s inside with Mason.
She said she wanted to get in a few rosaries before the
Christening.”

Aidan nodded as the volume in the room seemed
to magnify with all his younger nieces and nephews. Needing an out
to the chaos, he said, “I’ll go sit with her awhile.”

The corners of Angie’s lips quirked up.
“Maybe you should stop off in the confessional first?”

“Ha, ha,” he muttered before slipping out of
the room.

Standing at the doors leading into the
church, he peered at the altar. He spotted Megan on one of the
front benches, kneeling down on one of the risers. He strode up the
aisle. When he saw that she was finished praying and merely gazing
up at the giant crucifix, he knelt and crossed himself before
sliding onto the bench beside her.

“Hey Hot Mama,” he said in a low voice.

She grinned at him as she slipped her rosary
into her coat pocket. “Hey Ankle. Glad you could make it.”

Aidan shook his head at her old nickname for
him. As the first grandchild, Megan spent a lot of time with
Aidan’s parents. When she first started talking, she couldn’t say
‘Uncle Aidan’. Somehow his name got meshed into ‘Ankle’. None of
his other nieces and nephews called him that—it was just one aspect
of their special bond.

Aidan craned his neck to eye Mason’s sleeping
form in the carrier beside Megan. “You know I wouldn’t miss this
for anything in the world. I mean, it’s not every day a man as
young as myself gets made his
great
nephew’s godfather.”

“Trust me, I’m very honored to be in your
presence.” Megan eyed him up and down before shaking her head. “I’m
assuming you had a wild night last night.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Hmm, from the bags under your eyes and the
fact Papa called me twice this morning to see if I had heard from
you.”

Aidan swept his hands to his cheeks.
“Seriously? I thought I looked pretty fabulous.”

“Always so cocky.” Megan nudged his shoulder
playfully. “Sure we don’t need to douse you with a little holy
water?”

“Ha, very funny. Your mother was already
advocating that I skip seeing you and head straight for
confession.”

“I’m sure she has a point. I mean, seriously,
when was the last time you were in church?”

Aidan quirked his blonde brows at her. “What
is this, the Spanish Inquisition?”

Megan laughed. “Oh, man, that reminds me of
our
Monty Python
marathons.”

Aidan grinned. “Your mom got so pissed when I
let you watch that when you were like seven.” He shook his head. “I
couldn’t believe you were smart enough to get most of the
humor.”

“You were always such a bad influence, but I
loved you anyway.”

Leaning over, Aidan kissed Megan’s cheek.
“And I loved you, too, even though a lot of the time you were an
aggravating little pest.” At her outrage, he winked. “We had some
good times together, didn’t we?”

“Yep, we did.”

They sat in silence for a few seconds. “So
how are you holding up?” He motioned to Mason. “You know, being a
new mom and all?” Aidan asked.

Megan fiddled with the hem on her dress. “I’m
hanging in there.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Aidan said,
“Now you know it isn’t polite to lie to your favorite uncle.”

She sighed, blowing a few blonde strands out
of her face. “Okay fine. Being a single mom is a lot harder than I
thought it would be, even with Mom and Dad’s help. I’m stressed out
all the time with trying to finish nursing school, and mentally…I’m
borderline falling apart. How’s that?”

Aidan put an arm around her shoulder, drawing
her close to him. “Aw, sweetheart. I hate to hear that.”

Megan shrugged. “It’s okay. Nothing you can
do.”

“Still no word from the douchebag?”

Glancing down at her hands folded in her lap,
Megan shook her head. “Nothing since he sent the last check after
he signed with the Falcons.”

Aidan growled at the thought of the punk who
had knocked-up Megan. If he could just get his hands on him…He
didn’t give a shit that the jerkoff was a 6’3 offensive lineman for
the Atlanta Falcons. He would still make sure to rearrange his face
as well as taking his testicles as a souvenir.

“I know what you’re thinking, and he’s not
worth it,” Megan said.

With a wink, Aidan replied, “You let me worry
about that one.”

“At least with the money he sent, I can get
my own apartment. I need a little independence from Mom and
Dad.”

Aidan shook his head. “You should stay home
and mooch off them as long as possible.”

Megan giggled. “Thanks a lot. I would think
you of all people would understand about wanting to stand on your
own two feet and not have your life choices over-analyzed
constantly by your family.”

“You have a point there,” Aidan mused. He
could only imagine how Angie loved giving Megan daily advice about
what she was doing right or wrong. Hell, she did it to him, and he
wasn’t even her child. But as the oldest of his sisters, Angie had
always been his second mother. And in the five years since his
mother’s passing, she relished the job with new vigor.

Tightening his arm around Megan, he said, “So
you’re willing to throw away rent on an apartment, but you won’t
take me up on my offer?”

She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Ankle? There
is no way in hell you would really want me to live with you.”

“Hey now, watch your mouth. We’re in church
for Christ sake!” he joked.

Megan laughed. “Listen, it’s really sweet of
you to offer, but trust me, you would be regretting it an hour
after Mason and I moved in.”

“I would barely see you guys with the guest
bedroom upstairs and my late hours. I could even move Beau out to
the backyard and give you the basement.”

“Let me guess. Part of the bargain would
include me doing your laundry and cooking your meals?”

Rubbing his chin, Aidan replied, “Hmm, that
sounds good.”

“Of course it does to you.”

“Nothing wrong with you taking care of your
favorite uncle.” When she didn’t reply, Aidan squeezed her
shoulder. “Okay, I was just teasing you, and I wouldn’t expect you
to do laundry and cook. Why won’t you let me help you out?”

Megan shook her head. “It’s very sweet of you
to offer, and I should jump at the chance. But I need to do this on
my own.”

“Fine. Be a stubborn ass.”

“It’s a Fitzgerald family trait,
remember?”

Aidan grinned. “That it is.”

“Well, I think in your generosity you’re not
thinking clearly about what a buzz kill it would be having me and
Mason at your house.”

“Is that right?”

“Mmm, hmm, just think about this one. You’ve
brought home your flavor of the week for some hot sex, and she
either sees some young chick running around or hears a baby crying.
Dude, you would so be striking out in the bedroom with some major
blue balls.”

Aidan widened his eyes. “Margaret Elizabeth
McKenzie, what a mouth you have in church!”

“I learned it all from my very naughty
uncle.”

With a grunt of frustration, Aidan said,
“I’ll have you know I don’t bring women home.”

She rolled her eyes. “God, you are such a
player.”

“Not you too?”

Megan grinned. “I can’t help but highlight
the error of your ways. I mean, I’ve been played by your kind many,
many times and burned even more. I’m a woman scorned,
remember?”

Aidan winced at the thought of how he treated
women—girls very much like Megan. How could he want to castrate
Mason’s father when he wasn’t any better himself? Well, except for
the fact he made damn sure to always wear a condom to ensure there
weren’t any Little Aidan’s running around out there.

Megan glanced down at her watch. “Will you
keep an eye on Mason for me while I go to confession real
quick?”

Aidan’s eyes widened as he took in the
sleeping infant in the carrier. “Um, Meg, I don’t—“

“Oh come on. He’s dead to the world, and
you’ll be fine. Besides, you’re his godfather.”

“Yes, a position I’m wishing I hadn’t agreed
to.”

Megan swept her hands to her hips. “I need to
go to confession before I stand at the altar with my son, Ankle.
Are you really going to tell me no?”

“Fine, fine. Go on.”

“Thank you,” she said, before kissing him on
the cheek. Her heels clicked down the aisle. It hadn’t been a full
minute after Megan disappeared into one of the confessionals that
Mason began to stir in his carrier. Leaning over, Aidan rocked him
a little, hoping to avert a crisis. But when the baby’s tiny face
crumpled, Aidan muttered, “Oh shit.”

A wail erupted from Mason’s lips that echoed
throughout the church. “Hey Little Man, don’t do that.” He rocked
the carrier faster, which just seemed to piss Mason off more.

“You really should pick him up when he’s
crying like that,” a voice said over his shoulder. He glanced back
to see his sister, Becky’s, three sons staring skeptically at him.
From eleven year old, Percy’s, exasperated expression, Aidan knew
it had been him giving the advice.

“Fine,” Aidan grumbled. He bent over and
gently slid his hands underneath Mason’s writhing body. Already
outfitted in his Christening gown, Aidan found it hard to grab onto
more than just lace in his hands, especially since he was worried
about hurting him. Finally, he rescued Mason from his baby carrier
hell. Aidan propped him on his shoulder and gave him a few
reassuring pats. “All right, Little Man. You’re free. Give it a
rest with the crying,” he said.

His thirteen year old nephew, John, snorted.
“Wow, Megan must’ve been smoking something when she chose you as
godfather.”

Aidan scowled at John over Mason’s head. “For
your information, I was the only one she wanted for the job.”

“Give him his passie,” five year old Georgie
suggested.

Aidan furrowed his blonde brows. “His
what?”

“Dude, you gotta be kidding,” John said. He
leaned over Aidan and grabbed Mason’s diaper bag. Digging inside,
he pulled out a pacifier and waved it at Aidan before sticking it
in Mason’s wide-open mouth. Immediately, the baby calmed down.

With a sigh of relief, Aidan’s gaze swept
over the three boys. All three wore khaki pants, white button down
shirts, red ties, and blue blazers. He shook his head and grinned.
“Nice get-ups. You could pass for a boy band like the Osmond’s or
something.”

“The who?” Percy asked.

“Never mind,” he mumbled. Glancing past the
boys, he sighed with relief at the sight of Megan coming out of the
confessional. He was more than ready to hand Mason back over to
her.

She grinned at him. “Couldn’t resist Mason’s
charms?”

“Ha, very funny.”

“Yeah, I heard him all the way in the
confessional.” She reached over and took Mason from him. Nestling
the baby close to her chest, she then smiled at Aidan. “You know,
you looked like a natural holding him.”