I cupped her face, ignoring the pain as I shifted upright. My voice was still hoarse, but this time, not from drowning. “If it were anyone else, this would all be impossible,” I admitted. “But it’s you, and time doesn’t matter.” I exhaled. “I love you, Juliette Carmichael. I love you so damn much.”

“Good.” Her voice wavered, and when a tear slipped free, I caught it with my thumb. “Because I love you, too, Constantine Costa.”

I tilted my head. “Mm. I kind of like how Colin said it. Effing Costa.”

Her laughter faded into a quiet sigh. “What are we going to do with that boy?”

I kissed her nose, then brought my mouth to hers. “I don’t know . . . but we’ll figure it out together.”

56. Constantine

Chapter 56

Constantine

Dublin, Ireland

“Does your brother have a thing for Gwen?” I whispered into Juliette’s ear.

Juliette followed my gaze to Gwen sitting beside Easton on the couch opposite us, cracking up at something he said.

At the moment, it was just the four of us in Sean and Emilia’s living room. The oversized stone fireplace cast a glow across the space, illuminating the deep-blue furnishings and dark wood paneling, which gave the space an old-world charm. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the view of the sprawling countryside estate, where mist rolled over the gardens.

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Juliette responded, her tone laced with amusement. Keeping her voice down so they wouldn’t overhear, she added, “Not that he’ll ever act on it with Wyatt as her father and Gwen being over twelve years younger than him.”

“Hmm, I don’t know.”

I might not have been the best judge of who should date, but I did know what a man looked like when he wanted a woman. I’d missed the signs in the beginning with Hudson, but that was . . . well, different. And I hadn’t needed more than two days around Easton and Gwen to realize something was brewing between them.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.” Juliette patted my arm twice, then snuggled against me, shutting her eyes and drawing her knees up, using my chest as a pillow.

We were all beat. Maybe a nap wasn’t the worst idea in the world.

God, I was getting old. I supposed Gwen and Easton’s banter could serve as our white noise. I rested my head back, closing my eyes to steal a few minutes before the room filled again.

Upstairs, Colin and Lennon were playing pool with my sister and Hudson while Emilia and Sean tried to get their baby down for a nap. The faint sound of footsteps and the occasional clink of billiard balls reminded me the house was still full.