Christmas Day . . .
Elly glanced around the Finnegan homestead one last time, satisfied with the Christmas decorations. The entire Finnegan family was there, and the Callahans would be arriving at any moment.
“What else do you need?” Joe asked, coming over to stand beside her. He’d been overly protective all morning as she’d made preparations for the reunion, barely letting her lift a plate or cup. He also stole a kiss or two under the mistletoe.
She wasn’t complaining. She’d seen him often this past week and loved him more every day.
“How are things outside?” Elly asked.
“Tent is in place, tables are set up, and warmers are on. It’s not bad out there,” Joe admitted. “Thankfully, the weather today is milder than usual.”
“Great. The food is all set in the kitchen.” She wanted the entire family to gather in the main living area at first but knew they wouldn’t be able to sit inside comfortably for long. The house wasn’t that big.
The doorbell rang. Elly grinned at Joe before hurrying over to answer it.
“Hi, Marc, oh, you must be Kari,” Elly greeted the oldest Callahan sibling and his wife. “And Max and Maggie,” she added, smiling at the shy five-year-old boy and the three-year-old girl.
“Elly, it’s wonderful of you to have us over.” Kari placed a hand on her round, pregnant belly. “We’ve been looking forward to this reunion for months.”
“Me too.” Elly gestured for them to come inside. “Please, make yourselves at home. Oh, and this is Joe Kingsley.” She hesitated, then added self-consciously, “My boyfriend.”
Joe led them to the rest of the family members, where more introductions were made. Most of the siblings knew the Callahans from the way they’d helped out over the past year, but their spouses and children were new to the group.
Matthew and Lacy were the next to arrive, with their son Rory and a brand-new baby girl named Olivia. Matt’s K-9 Duchess trotted straight to Caleb, pressing her nose against the little boy she’d help find months ago.
“Duchess!” Caleb threw his arms around the German shepherd’s neck.
“We’re going to have to get a dog,” Brady murmured to Grace.
Twenty minutes later, the entire family was gathered together in the great room. Even the matriarch of the Callahan family, Maggie O’Hare and her new husband, Ian O’Hare, had come to the event. The four pregnant women, Kari Callahan, Joy Finnegan, Maddy Sinclair, and Kyleigh Finnegan were all seated on the sofa while everyone else stood.
The numerous kids were already becoming fast friends. Brady and Grace’s son Caleb, Aiden and Shelby’s daughter Eva, and their newest member of the family, Colleen, were the only kids on the Finnegan side. The Callahans were way ahead of them on that front. Miles and Paige had two kids, a daughter Abby and their son, Adam. Then there were Marc and Kari’s two kids, Max and Maggie, Dana and Mitch had Simon and Trina, Mike and Shayla had Brodie and Carly, Matthew and Lacy had their son Rory and a newborn baby named Olivia who was born last month just like Rhy’s daughter, Colleen. Lastly, Maddy and Noah Sinclair had a three-year-old son named Brian, and Maddy was expecting again. Between the adults, the kids, and Duchess, the house was packed.
“It’s chaos in here,” Joe whispered.
No joke. But she still loved it. The family members meshed as if they’d known each other their entire lives rather than reconnecting this past year.
“Excuse me, everyone, could I have your attention?” Elly shouted to be heard above the din. When the voices didn’t quiet, Joe let out a loud whistle. The group fell silent. She chuckled. “Thanks, Joe. Okay, I have an announcement to make about our family tree.”
“You do?” Maddy looked intrigued. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to wait until we were all together.” Elly lifted a small leather-bound notebook with yellowed pages from the coffee table. “I found Grandma Josephine’s diary in the attic. I know what happened between our grandmothers all those years ago.”
An expectant hush cloaked the room. Finally, Rhy said, “Don’t keep us in suspense, Elly. What does it say?”
“Grandma Josephine O’Brady, that was her maiden name, wrote about how she was sent away to help a family with three small children,” Elly began. “I guess this was a common practice back then. Older siblings were offered to other families to help during times of need. Sort of like free babysitting and housekeeping services. According to her diary, Grandma Josephine wasn’t happy about the decision but did her duty as requested.”
“Okay, but why did she break off communications with her own sister, our Grandma Margaret?” Maddy asked. “I don’t understand.”
“Grandma Josephine ran away from the family after the father of the children tried to force himself on her. He didn’t succeed,” she hastily added, “because she hit him with a cast-iron skillet, but she was too afraid to go back home, knowing her leaving so abruptly would bring shame to the family. And also, there was some resentment on her part because they sent her to stay with the family in the first place.”
“That poor woman,” Shayla murmured.
“Then what happened?” Mike asked.
“Grandma Josephine made her way to the city where she worked at a boarding house. And that’s where she met our grandfather, Michael Daley. They only had one daughter, our mother, Colleen who then married our dad.” She smiled. “Grandma Josephine had a good life despite never contacting her family again. Which is sad, I know.” She gazed around the room. “But look at us now. Here we are, three generations sitting in this room dating all the way back to our mutual great-grandparents, Thomas and Catherine O’Brady. I know our grandmothers Josephine and Margaret are in heaven looking down on us, thrilled to know we’ve been reunited.”
“That’s amazing,” Marc said. “I’m really glad you and Maddy did the DNA testing, Elly. Without you two starting this, we wouldn’t be gathered here today.”
“Yes, that’s true.” Elly grinned at her cousin Maddy. “And it’s obvious that being first responders is in our blood.”
“No lie,” Colin said. “It’s incredible how our similar our respective careers are too.” He frowned. “Except for you, Maddy. None of the Finnegans became a lawyer.”
“But I married one,” Kyleigh pointed out, smiling at her husband, Bax.
“Well, thank you, Elly, for bringing us together and for solving our family mystery,” Maggie O’Hare said. “I knew my mother had lost contact with her sister, Josephine, but even I didn’t know all of this. I’d like to review that diary in more detail if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not.” Elly crossed over to hand the diary to the eldest member of the Callahan clan. “I’m so glad you and Ian could join us today.”
“Ah, there’s one more thing before we dig into the meal,” Joe said as he returned to stand beside her. “If I could have your attention for one brief minute?”
The group gazed at him expectantly. Elly caught a glint of satisfaction in Rhy’s eyes, seconds before Joe turned to her. Then he went down on one knee and held out an engagement ring. “Elly, I love you with all my heart. Will you please marry me?”
She gaped in shock. When had he planned this? Then she smiled and blinked back tears of happiness. “Yes, Joe. I can’t wait to marry you!” She let him slide the ring on her finger, then threw herself into his arms, ignoring the twinge of pain from her cracked ribs.
The entire family, including the youngest generation of kids who may or may not have understood exactly what they were excited about, burst into applause.
“Hey, you’re moving a little fast, Joe, don’t you think?” Colin asked with a frown. “You and Elly only began seeing each other over this past week. Who do you think you are, Speedy Gonzales from the old cartoon?”
“Gonzo!” Brady declared. “That’s Joe’s new nickname. Gonzo!”
“Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo,” Brodie and Caleb began chanting.
“I don’t get it,” Maddy said with a frown. “Why does he need a nickname? Do all the Finnegan spouses have nicknames?”
“No, only the men our sisters fall in love with get nicknames,” Quinn said. “It’s a tradition.”
“Yeah, one you guys made up when I fell in love with Bax, calling him Penguin,” Kyleigh groused. “Just because he wore a tux to Rhy and Devon’s wedding.”
“Ah, but did you know that penguins can swim at speeds of ten miles per hour?” Bax asked. “They are truly remarkable flightless aquatic birds.”
“You sound like an encyclopedia,” Sami complained. “I’m glad I didn’t get a nickname.”
Reed puffed out his chest. “Just call me Clark. Clark Kent. A.k.a. Superman.” He smirked. “That’s better than Gonzo and Penguin.” He lifted his arms to the ceiling in a touchdown formation. “I win!”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Elly muttered, rolling her eyes. “I’m sorry, Joe.”
“I’m not.” Joe kissed her. “I love you, Elly. Thanks for making me the happiest man on earth.”
“I love you so much,” she whispered. “Kiss me again.”
He laughed and kissed her again. Then he turned to face her family. “Did any of you hear the story about how Elly brought a stray dog home that turned out to be a coyote pup? She hid it from Rhy for three days before he found out.”
“No way,” Paige exclaimed. “That’s scary!”
“You have no idea,” Rhy said on a sigh. “Especially since the little bugger bit her. I was worried she’d get rabies from that thing.”
The rest of her siblings brought up other stories until the entire group was laughing so hard they were crying.
Elly couldn’t complain since they were true. And she didn’t really mind. All that mattered was that they were here together on this beautiful Christmas Day.
And that God had blessed her with a wonderful man who was a perfect fit with the Finnegan family.
Thanks so much for reading the exciting conclusion of my Finnegan First Responders series. I truly hope you enjoyed Joe and Elly’s story along with the Finnegan and Callahan family reunion. You may be interested in my new Oath of Honor series. Each member of Rhy and Joe’s tactical team will get their own happily ever after. Are you ready for Steele and Harper’s story in Steele? Click Here!