heard her mum’s voice for the first time in almost a year tears welled in her eyes.
“Hello?”
“Hello Mum, it’s me,” she said quietly.
There was a beat of silence before Gillian replied frostily. “Hello Rachel. What do you want?”
“I thought you should know, I’m pregnant.”
“You are?” she said, her voice warming up slightly. “How far along are you?”
“Four months. We wanted to wait a bit before telling everyone, after what happened last time.”
“And is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine and the baby’s fine.”
“When’s your due date?”
“Mid April.”
“That’s wonderful news Rachel. Congratulations, to you and Danny.”
“Thanks Mum,” she replied, relieved. “Beth’s pregnant too, she’s due a couple of months after me.”
“How exciting. Give her my love.”
“I will.”
“I’ll pass it on to your dad, he’s out at the moment. Can we come up and see you when the baby’s born?”
A lump formed in her throat, she’d missed them so much. “I was hoping you’d say that. You’re welcome to come up before then, if you want?”
“I’m not sure we can manage that,” Gill said a little tersely.
“That’s okay. Well, see you in April then.”
“You certainly will and if you need us, you know where you are.”
“Thanks Mum,” she said fondly before hanging up. Rachel smiled. That had gone much better than she’d anticipated.
Rachel’s pregnancy progressed smoothly and when she passed the three month mark she relaxed. She was taking it as easy as possible. Between them Dolores and Mikey were managing the clubs so she didn’t have to work any night shifts, although she was still doing the books. Danny had stopped involving her in a lot of the family business to avoid her getting stressed or worried, Alex acting as his main advisor instead, which pleased her because she felt it was his rightful place.
Best of all was Danny’s attitude to the pregnancy, which was a far cry from when she was pregnant the first time. He loved stroking her swollen belly and seeing her naked and ripe whereas before the prospect disgusted him. He bought a ton of items for the baby and hired decorators to paint the nursery yellow and green, neutral colours because they’d decided not to find out the sex until the birth. Although she didn’t think it possible, she fell in love with her husband even more. They still had sex regularly and he was very gentle and tender, showering her with love and affection. Martina furiously knit a heap of clothes for the baby, excited at the prospect of her first grandchild. However the thought that Frank would never get to see the baby made her incredibly sad, he’d so looked forward to being a granddad.
Although Danny kept it from Rachel, Richard Spencer still managed to cause them a lot of trouble. He hit the legitimate businesses, keeping them so busy they didn’t have time to attend to the illegal ones. On top of that Douggie Jones, a well respected money man who helped the Maguires launder their illegal money, was murdered, his body found in a river with a hole in his head. His loss hit the Maguires hard and Danny spent days scouting round for a suitable replacement. Salvation came in the form of Frankie McVay and although he was reluctant to leave Rachel when she was only two weeks from her due date, Danny was forced to go to Glasgow to meet with him. Frankie wouldn’t deal with anyone but Danny.
“Danny, good to see you, pal,” smiled Frankie when Danny strolled into a restaurant he owned for their meeting. “Are you hungry? Try the fillet steak, it’s fucking superb.”
“Thanks, I’m starving.”
“Hey you,” he said, jabbing a finger at a nervous-looking waiter. “Fetch my friend here a plate of this and…what do you want to drink Danny?”
“Lager please Frankie.”
“Lager and make it a Tennants, none of that poncey European
“Hello?”
“Hello Mum, it’s me,” she said quietly.
There was a beat of silence before Gillian replied frostily. “Hello Rachel. What do you want?”
“I thought you should know, I’m pregnant.”
“You are?” she said, her voice warming up slightly. “How far along are you?”
“Four months. We wanted to wait a bit before telling everyone, after what happened last time.”
“And is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine and the baby’s fine.”
“When’s your due date?”
“Mid April.”
“That’s wonderful news Rachel. Congratulations, to you and Danny.”
“Thanks Mum,” she replied, relieved. “Beth’s pregnant too, she’s due a couple of months after me.”
“How exciting. Give her my love.”
“I will.”
“I’ll pass it on to your dad, he’s out at the moment. Can we come up and see you when the baby’s born?”
A lump formed in her throat, she’d missed them so much. “I was hoping you’d say that. You’re welcome to come up before then, if you want?”
“I’m not sure we can manage that,” Gill said a little tersely.
“That’s okay. Well, see you in April then.”
“You certainly will and if you need us, you know where you are.”
“Thanks Mum,” she said fondly before hanging up. Rachel smiled. That had gone much better than she’d anticipated.
Rachel’s pregnancy progressed smoothly and when she passed the three month mark she relaxed. She was taking it as easy as possible. Between them Dolores and Mikey were managing the clubs so she didn’t have to work any night shifts, although she was still doing the books. Danny had stopped involving her in a lot of the family business to avoid her getting stressed or worried, Alex acting as his main advisor instead, which pleased her because she felt it was his rightful place.
Best of all was Danny’s attitude to the pregnancy, which was a far cry from when she was pregnant the first time. He loved stroking her swollen belly and seeing her naked and ripe whereas before the prospect disgusted him. He bought a ton of items for the baby and hired decorators to paint the nursery yellow and green, neutral colours because they’d decided not to find out the sex until the birth. Although she didn’t think it possible, she fell in love with her husband even more. They still had sex regularly and he was very gentle and tender, showering her with love and affection. Martina furiously knit a heap of clothes for the baby, excited at the prospect of her first grandchild. However the thought that Frank would never get to see the baby made her incredibly sad, he’d so looked forward to being a granddad.
Although Danny kept it from Rachel, Richard Spencer still managed to cause them a lot of trouble. He hit the legitimate businesses, keeping them so busy they didn’t have time to attend to the illegal ones. On top of that Douggie Jones, a well respected money man who helped the Maguires launder their illegal money, was murdered, his body found in a river with a hole in his head. His loss hit the Maguires hard and Danny spent days scouting round for a suitable replacement. Salvation came in the form of Frankie McVay and although he was reluctant to leave Rachel when she was only two weeks from her due date, Danny was forced to go to Glasgow to meet with him. Frankie wouldn’t deal with anyone but Danny.
“Danny, good to see you, pal,” smiled Frankie when Danny strolled into a restaurant he owned for their meeting. “Are you hungry? Try the fillet steak, it’s fucking superb.”
“Thanks, I’m starving.”
“Hey you,” he said, jabbing a finger at a nervous-looking waiter. “Fetch my friend here a plate of this and…what do you want to drink Danny?”
“Lager please Frankie.”
“Lager and make it a Tennants, none of that poncey European
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