Reunited

by Kate Hoffmann

  "Keely came here to tell you something," Conor said. "Go ahead, tell them."

  "I can't just blurt it out," she murmured, her face warming in embarrassment.

  "All right," Conor said. He took Keely's hand and dragged her over to the bar. Then, grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her up and set her on the edge. The brothers gathered around, curious at his behavior. "Tell them your name," Conor ordered.

  "We know her name," Brian said.

  Keely shook her head. "No, you don't. Not my real name. It's Quinn. Keely Quinn."

  Five brothers reacted the exact same way-with mild shock. "Are you a relative?" Dylan asked.

  "Definitely," Conor said. "Look at her eyes."

  They all stepped forward, staring at her as if she were a bug in a jar. Keely smiled weakly. One by one, realization dawned and their expressions turned from curiosity to disbelief.

  "Holy shit," Liam murmured.

  "What the hell?" Sean said.

  Conor cleared his throat. "Keely, tell them who your mother is."

  "Fiona McClain."

  "And your father?"

  She swallowed hard. "Seamus Quinn."

  Conor nodded, a wide grin splitting his face. He turned to his brothers. "Keely is our sister."

  His announcement was met with dead silence. "We don't have a sister," Brendan finally said. "How the hell could we have a sister and not know about it?"

  "Show them the necklace, Keely."

  With trembling fingers, she reached beneath her sweater and pulled the claddagh out. Dylan stepped closer. "I remember this. She always wore it. And when she'd tuck us in at night, it would hang from her neck and I'd twist my fingers around it and hold her there until she kissed me again."

  "I have a picture of her wearing that necklace," Sean said.

  They all turned to look at him. "You have a picture of our mother?" Conor asked.

  He frowned. "Yeah. I took it before Da threw everything out. I wasn't about to tell you guys. You would have pinched it first chance you got." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, then withdrew the tattered photo. Keely's brothers passed it around the circle, staring at it long and hard.

  "I have a picture, too," Keely said. She reached into her purse and withdrew the photo Maeve Quinn had given her in Ireland. The brothers passed it around. "That was taken right before you left Ireland. Liam, you weren't born yet. And, you can see, my mother is wearing the necklace."

  "I remember this day," Conor said.

  "She was so beautiful," Brendan murmured.

  Keely nodded. "She still is. She's alive and she's living in New York."

  Suddenly, five pairs of eyes were riveted on her face. "Say that again," Dylan demanded.

  "I know it's probably hard to believe. Conor told me you thought she was dead. And I'm not sure I can explain my mother's motives for walking out on you all. You'll have to ask her that yourself. But she is alive and I think she'd like to see you, if you're willing to see her. I don't think you've ever been out of her thoughts, not for one single day."

  "She left us with a drunk," Dylan said, a trace of bitterness in his words. "Do you have any idea what it was like growing up in that house? She never called, never even bothered to check on us."

  Conor held up his hand. "That's not Keely's fault. She had no control over our childhood. So maybe we should take up those issues with our mother and not her."

  They all nodded and Keely relaxed, grateful they weren't going to punish her for her mother's mistakes. "I'm sorry I waited so long, but I wasn't sure how to tell you."

  Brendan stepped up first and drew Keely into his arms, giving her a gentle hug. "Welcome to the family, little sister." He laughed. "Imagine that. The Quinn brothers with a little sister. I suppose we're going to have to start watching our language when you're around."

  "Keely brought some other news," Conor explained. "She gave me a lead on one of the crew members who was on the Mighty Quinn when Sam Kendrick died. A lead that her mother gave her."

  Keely nodded. "My-our mother remembered that there was a Lee Franklin on the boat and she told me that he knew what had happened. If we can find him, he can tell his story and clear Seamus of Kendrick's murder."

  "Speaking of Kendrick…" Sean said. Reaching over to the bar, he grabbed a file folder. "I've been doing a little investigating." He held up a photo he took from the folder. "This is Kendrick's son. Recognize him?"

  Liam snatched the photo from Sean. "Sonofabitch," he muttered. "He's been to the bar. The past few months, he's been hanging out here right under our noses."

  Keely's eyes went wide as the photo was shoved at her.

  "Have you ever seen him?" Sean asked. "Did you ever wait on him? Did he say anything to you?"

  "I think he has been in the bar a few times," she murmured, hoping that none of them remembered the night she threw sparkling water in Rafe's face.

  "This is the guy," Sean said. "He's the one causing all our problems. He's some multimillionaire. He made his money in real estate. I figure he's out for some kind of revenge. But why spread these lies about Seamus?"

  "Maybe he believes they're the truth," Keely said. Her brothers turned to her and she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "Not that I believe Seamus did anything wrong. But maybe that's what this Kendrick guy was led to believe. Just like you believed your mother was dead."

  "If that guy ever sets foot in this bar again," Dylan muttered, "I'll punch his teeth so far down his throat he'll have to talk out of his ass."

  "I think we should find this guy and beat some sense into him," Sean added.

  As her brothers debated how to handle Rafe Kendrick, Keely picked up the photo and stared at the image of the man who had been her lover. She ran her fingers over each feature of his face, recalling how he really felt, the strong line of his lower lip still damp from her kiss, the rough surface of his beard when he needed a shave, the intensity of his gaze as she watched her come.

  Keely drew a ragged breath. "Is it all right if I keep this photo? I might remember something later."

  If she couldn't have the real thing, a photo would have to do. But it wouldn't do for much longer. Keely needed to see Rafe and she needed to see him soon.

  CHAPTER TEN

  A BANNER HUNG above the front door of Quinn's, proclaiming the grand reopening of "Southie's Favorite Irish Pub" the day after next. Free Irish stew and corned beef sandwiches should draw all the regulars back after just a few weeks of being closed, Keely mused.

  Though progress with the bar had been amazingly swift, her father's problems with the law hadn't followed suit. Liam had called her in New York to give her the news. Though Conor and Sean had tried, they hadn't been able to locate Lee Franklin. Seamus's case would go before the grand jury in two days and they'd decide whether to indict or not, based on the testimony of Ken Yaeger. Though Seamus had professed his innocence, according to Liam the prosecutor wasn't interested in his story. That would be left for a jury to decide, if the matter actually went to trial.

  Keely wondered why they'd chosen to reopen the pub on the very same day as the grand jury. She suspected it was wishful thinking, an attempt to will a positive outcome when all looked bleak. But she'd come back to Boston with one final bit of hope for her brothers and father. She glanced back at her car parked in front of the pub. She wasn't sure that what she planned to do now was the right thing, but it felt right…in her heart.

  When she stepped inside, she found the interior of Quinn's in chaos. The tables were scattered haphazardly around the bar and boxes of bottles littered the floor. Brendan looked up and called her name, a smile breaking across his face. Liam and Sean stood behind the bar, arranging bottles on the shelves. And Conor and Dylan appeared a few moments later from the door that led to the kitchen. When Brian walked in behind her, Keely was satisfied that all her brothers were present and accounted for.

  "Hey there, little sister," Brian said, dragging her along to the bar. "Come to help us fix this mess
?"

  Keely smiled. "You look like you could use my help."

  "Since the pub bears your name, it's a family obligation. Grab a rag and get to work."

  Glancing around the bar, she searched for one member of the family who was missing. "Where's Seamus?" she asked.

  "He's in the kitchen," Dylan said. "He hasn't come out since we told him you'd be coming today. I hope you're prepared to stay a few days. He might not come out for a while."

  "Then he knows about me?"

  Conor nodded. "We told him last night. I think he's afraid to talk to you, Keely." He turned and shouted, "Da, come out here. There's someone here you need to meet."

  They all waited for Seamus to emerge from behind the swinging door to the kitchen. When he did, he was wearing a dirty apron that he quickly removed and tossed aside. He smoothed his hair with his palms, then approached Keely. She was surprised at how hesitant he appeared, wringing his hands together in front of him. She was accustomed to a brash and confident Seamus Quinn, a man who liked to stand up to people in an argument, the man who teased her and called her "lassie."

  "I hear you're my daughter then," he said, his gaze taking in her face.

  "I am," Keely replied, nodding her head and straightening to her full height. "Is that all right with you?"

  He stared at her for a long moment, a crooked smile twitching at his lips. "I never knew I had a daughter. Might have done things a bit differently if I had." Seamus shrugged. "At least you'll never have any complaints about me bein' a bad father, will ya now?"

  "I guess not."

  He didn't appear to want a hug, so, instead, Keely stepped forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Seamus patted her shoulder, his face reddening with embarrassment. "Welcome to the family, lass. If you can stand it."

  "Quite a welcome there, Da," Conor teased. "After that, she may decide to go back to New York and never claim us as her own."

  Seamus shook his finger at Conor. "Don't get me started, boyo. I've had enough with surprises lately and I don't want-" He stopped suddenly, his gaze fixed beyond Keely and the boys, his eyes widening. They all slowly turned to see what had brought an end to his merriment. Keely's breath caught in her throat as she watched her mother step inside the pub. She glanced back at her brothers to see the same look of amazement on their faces that suffused Seamus's. She had told her mother to wait until she came out to get her, but Fiona had obviously grown impatient in the car.

  Keely motioned to her to come in, but Fiona stayed glued to the spot just inside the door. "I asked my-I mean, our mother to come to Boston with me," she explained. "She has information about the accident on the Mighty Quinn and she's willing to speak to the prosecutors on behalf of Seamus. And she thinks she might know where to find Lee Franklin."

  For the moment, her brothers didn't seem to care about Franklin. All they could do was stare at Fiona as if they'd seen a ghost. After a long silence, Conor was the first to speak. "Hi, Ma." He slowly approached her. "Do you remember me?" He slowly drew her toward the bar.

  Tears swam in Fiona Quinn's eyes and her lower lip quivered. But joy also lit her face and Keely knew she'd done the right thing bringing her to Boston. "Of course I do, Conor." She looked from one son to the next. "I'd be able to pick each of you out of crowd. You haven't changed a bit. At least not to my eyes. Though you have grown taller than I ever would have expected."

  "And you haven't changed a bit, either," Conor said.

  When Fiona reached up and pressed her palm to Conor's cheek, a tear slipped away. She laughed softly as she brushed it from her face. "You're a good boy, Conor. You always were. And you've become a fine man. I understand you're married now."

  He nodded. "I am. And Olivia, my wife, is going to have a baby. And both Dylan and Brendan are due to get married. Dylan in June and Brendan after that, when he and Amy get back from assignment in Turkey."

  One by one, Fiona met her sons again after so many years apart. The anger that Keely expected from her brothers didn't surface and she wondered how they could so easily accept her mother's reappearance after her desertion so many years before. Then she remembered that they'd been told Fiona was dead.

  By the time Fiona reached Liam, her tears were flowing freely. She drew him into her arms and hugged him fiercely. "You were the one I worried about the most," she said. "I knew that Conor and Dylan and Brendan were strong. And the twins had each other. But I was afraid for you."

  "I survived, Ma. We all did. And we're glad you're back, even though it was a long time coming."

  Fiona turned and smiled at them all. "You've grown up to be such fine boys. Fine men, I should say." She sniffled, then slowly turned her attention to the last person in the room. She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Hello, Seamus."

  "Hello, Fi."

  She slowly walked up to him. "It's been a long time."

  He reached out and took her hand in a gesture so gentle that it startled Keely. She felt tears of her own burn in her eyes, the sight of her father and mother together causing a wave of emotion to wash over her. By the way they looked at each other, it was clear there was still something between them.

  "We have a fine family here, wouldn't you say?" Seamus asked.

  Fiona laughed softly. Keely had expected distrust or animosity or perhaps sarcasm from her mother. But Fiona looked at her husband as if they'd never been apart, as if they were still the same young couple starting out on their grand adventure to America, Seamus with his dreams and Fiona trusting him to make hers come true.

  "You haven't changed a bit," Seamus continued. "You're still the prettiest lass I know."

  "We have a lot of things to talk about, Seamus," Fiona said.

  "That we do," Seamus murmured. "That we do. Can I show you the pub, Fi? I've made a bit of a success here. We serve food and drink. And there's a pool table in the back. Would you like to see the kitchen?"

  "I'd like that."

  They both wandered off, leaving their seven children completely speechless. Brian shook his head. "Look at the old man," he said. "You'd never know he was the same guy to tell us all those Mighty Quinn stories. After all this time, he's completely besotted."

  "Mighty Quinn stories?" Keely asked.

  "Ah," Brendan said. "We'll have to tell Keely a few of the tales, so she'll know the perils of falling in love. According to Da, love will destroy a Quinn if he-or she-surrenders to it. As you can see, Conor is a mess and Dylan and I can barely function. And there are evil women lying in wait for Sean and Brian and Liam. You're not in love, are you, Keely?"

  She shook her head. "No. Of course not." Though it was a bald-faced lie, Keely really didn't have the guts to explain that she was in love-with a man they all hated. She'd have to deal with that little revelation later, when and if it was necessary.

  Conor clapped his hands together. "Well, I suppose we should talk to Seamus's lawyer and let him know about our new witness. And you say our mother might know where we can find Franklin?"

  Keely nodded. "She mentioned that his wife had talked about a brother who lived down in the Florida Keys and ran a charter business. If you find him, he might know where Lee Franklin is."

  Conor reached out and slipped his arm around Keely's shoulder. "In all those Mighty Quinn tales, our ancestors always used to ride to the rescue of a damsel in distress. There are no damsels here, but you definitely rode to our rescue. I guess you now qualify as a Mighty Quinn."

  "I'm glad I could help," Keely said.

  But would it be enough to wipe away her other sin-the sin of loving their sworn enemy? Would they look on her help as an even trade for accepting Rafe as part of her life? Or would the grudges run deep, too deep to be erased by a good deed? Keely wasn't going to know until she told them about Rafe. But, as Seamus had said, there had been enough surprises for the day.

  This was one confession that would have to be revealed at exactly the right time-if she decided to reveal it at all.

  THE GRAND REOPENING of Quinn's Pub wa
s in full swing when Rafe walked in the door. He slowly approached the bar and took a spot near the end. After a quick scan of the crowd, he found Keely. She stood near the pool table talking to two women who were playing darts, women he recognized as Dylan's fiancee and Conor's wife. She wasn't wearing an apron, so Rafe assumed she wasn't working. If he could only get her alone, then maybe they'd have a chance to sort things out.

  He'd heard about the grand jury. They had refused to bring charges against Seamus. At first, Rafe was sure the fix was in, that Conor had somehow managed to get his father off. But then he learned that Lee Franklin had been found in Key West. The man had sworn in an affidavit that the fight on the Mighty Quinn had actually been between a drunken Ken Yaeger and Rafe's father. Seamus had tried to break up the fight and Sam Kendrick had been caught by the pitch of the boat in the storm. Talk of Yaeger's behavior had spread through the swordfishing fleet, propelled by Seamus's outrage. After the incident, Yaeger had been unable to get another spot on a boat for years.

  Rafe didn't have to guess at Yaeger's motives for implicating Seamus. It all made sense and had Rafe not been so quick to jump to conclusions, he might never have brought these problems down on Seamus Quinn-or into his relationship with Seamus's daughter.

  His father's death had been an accident. Rafe had always thought that he couldn't begin a real life until he knew for sure. But now that he did, he still felt adrift…empty…as if he were still searching for something. Or someone. Until now, he'd been too scared to risk it all-to risk his heart. But there was no need to dwell on the past anymore. He could have a future with Keely and he was going to make it happen.

  He watched her as she moved to the dartboard. She wore a pair of jeans that hugged her backside and a top that was cut low enough to reveal the spot he'd often kissed between her breasts. She laughed, and though the sound of her laughter was swallowed up by the crowd, Rafe found himself smiling.

  "Can I get you a drink?"

  Rafe glanced up. He watched the friendly expression on Liam Quinn's face slowly change.