I felt a wall of flame come from Mickey.

“Pip!” I snapped, looking to her to see she was gazing as dreamily as her voice at the door, which was when I felt Mickey’s pain for Pippa was going to be next.

She looked to me. “What?”

“Gross! Kissing Ash!” Cillian shouted, showing that clearly the loud explosions coming from the TV weren’t drowning out our conversation.

Or he was listening.

“Not gross, dude. She’s cute,” Auden replied.

Mickey turned menacing eyes to me.

“Auden doesn’t lie, honey,” I said gently.

He stormed off and not long after he disappeared down the hall I heard the fridge open and close then the sliding glass door open and close.

He was drinking beer and brooding about his daughter becoming a woman.

I grinned.

“He’s hot when he’s all dad-who-doesn’t-want-his-daughter-dating,” Pippa observed and I looked to her to see her gaze aimed at the hall.

She was right.

She looked to me and grinned. “He’s a total score, Mom. All the girls at school say it. They even get in heated debates about who’s the hottest dad. Amber Spear’s or Aisling Donovan’s.”

“Obviously, it’s Aisling Donovan,” I stated haughtily.

“Totally,” she agreed, still grinning.

My eyes drifted back to the hall as I mumbled, “Maybe I should go to him.”

“Maybe you should let him get used to it,” Pippa advised, shifting up to sit on her knees on Mickey’s couch in his front living room. “He’s gonna have to. Kellan is into Ash big time. They’re both movie freaks. She knows all about boxing. They watch the same TV shows. For high school, all that is serious. They sit with us at lunch but they’re totally into each other and never stop talking.”

The idea of Ash never stopping talking was one I couldn’t wrap my head around.

But I loved that she found a boy she could open up to.

“Anyway, I want some ice cream. Do you think Mickey would mind if I had some ice cream?” she asked.

“No, kiddo. Just ask to see if the boys want some too.”

“Okay, Mom,” she replied, got up and bumped into me playfully as she passed me.

I watched her disappear in the hall and heard her talking to the boys about ice cream and even heard her opening the sliding glass door to make her request for ice cream officially of Mickey. When it was granted, I also heard her asking him if he wanted some too.

When I heard the door close again, I wandered into the hall but stopped at the baby picture of my guy.

I stared at it wondering if his parents knew what a remarkable man he would become.

I moved away from it knowing from experience with Auden and Pippa that they absolutely did.

Five minutes later, the sliding glass door opened and I looked from helping Pip scoop ice cream to the door.

Mickey was about to step in when, eyes never leaving the TV, Cill called, “Get this, Dad! If Ash marries Kellan we’ll have a Kellan and Cillian in the family. Isn’t that hilarious?”