Certain Sure

by Williams, Reina M.

  “But not you,” Fin said his smile returning.

  “Leave us alone,” Fergus said as he stood.

  “She came here,” Michael said motioning to Maureen.

  “My mistake,” Maureen said. “Don’t know what I ever saw in you.”

  “We all know the answer to that,” Michael said. Fin knew: ruthlessness, greed, good looks, money. Fergus had the last two, but was lacking the first couple, thank goodness. Fin exhaled.

  Maureen snatched her purse and strode out, Fergus following.

  “Stay away from my family,” Fin said in a low tone. “That includes Katie.”

  “Or what?”

  “I know where the bodies are buried, so to speak,” Fin said. Fin suspected enough of Michael’s dirty secrets to make his life difficult. Fin hadn’t been the only one playing under Dunbar and Son’s former accountant’s skirt.

  “You don’t know anything,” Michael said. His hands shook as he poured himself a scotch.

  “I know where you’ll end up if you push me.” Fin clutched his hands in front of his chest as if he held the bars of a jail cell.

  Michael paled. “Katie’s not worth the hassle.”

  “Yes, she is, but not for you.” Fin chuckled and ambled out, closing the door behind him.

  He whistled until he stepped out onto the sidewalk. Maureen and Fergus stood down the block. Maureen shook her head while Fergus gestured his hands. Fin set his mouth. How Maureen could argue with Fergus now was beyond him. They quieted when Fin approached.

  “What’s the plan?” Fin said.

  “Maureen and I need to talk.”

  “I figured. What about Rose?”

  “We’ll pick her up tomorrow.”

  “You two be okay alone?” Fin said.

  “Are you telling the truth?” Maureen said. She studied him.

  Unwavering, he stared at her. “About what?”

  “The paternity test. You were the only one who saw the results.”

  “I’ll say this for the last time: Fergus is Rose’s father. And the only reason I put up with you is you’re her mom.” He squared off with Maureen. Michael wasn’t Rose’s father. He was only a sperm donor.

  “I really hate you,” Maureen said with a pretty frown.

  Fin chuckled. “Better get used to me, sweetheart. I’m sticking around.”

  “Katie’s not too happy about the pub. I could convince Dad to get rid of you.”

  Fin laughed harder. “Good luck.”

  “She’s going to Ireland, Maureen,” Fergus said. “Cut the crap and get in the car.”

  Maureen’s mouth popped open then closed. Fergus grabbed her arm. His fingers pressed into her skin so hard his knuckles whitened. Her mouth curved into a tiny smile while she gazed at Fergus. He pushed her into the driver’s seat. Fergus’s eyes glimmered as he brushed past Fin.

  “Take care, little brother,” Fin said. “Call me tomorrow.”

  “Right,” he said. “Show no weakness,” Fergus whispered before he climbed into the car next to his wife.

  Fin jogged down the street and jumped into his truck. The heater warmed his skin. He was already cozy inside knowing Katie loved him, that they’d made her wish, for him to be her first, come true. She would want him to forgive his father, Aleen, everyone, for the lies. They were no worse than his own, after all. He knew his father cheated before Aleen. He had proof. Michael was his half-brother. Two secrets which Fin had to keep from that one paternity test. Michael was the result of a long-ago affair in Ireland between his father and Michael’s mother. All because his father was unhappy, missing the love of his life.

  Fin could relate. Fergus said Katie was still going to Ireland to take the job. He could tell Fergus to take back the offer. No, he wanted Katie to stay because she decided to. More than anything, he wished to be with her, but first she had to realize they were meant to be. Perseverance, focus, three days to win the love of the princess. Maybe fairy tales could come true. He was about to find out.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Good morning,” Mrs. Knight said when Katie strolled past her house. Fin’s car wasn’t parked in his usual spot.

  “Fin out?” Katie asked. She batted her fingers along the fence.

  Mrs. Knight stopped pruning her bushes. “He went to see Rose at his parents’ earlier. They’re joining me later for tea. I’m glad he’s taking some time off, though I assume you’ll be working.”

  Katie nodded and fingered a rosebud, tight and delicate. How was it brave enough to bloom? She smiled and shook her head. Blooming was what roses did when the right conditions helped. Like Fin helped her unfurl a few petals before…

  “Are you well, Katie? You seem quieter lately.”

  A twinge of guilt faded Katie’s smile. She and Mrs. Knight used to have lunch a couple times a week, chatting and laughing. But she knew nothing about Mrs. Knight’s past. Why was she so hard on her family for not telling her? Maybe she’d never asked the right questions, like she hadn’t Mrs. Knight.

  “I’m sorry,” Katie said. “I have a lot to think about, I guess. I miss our lunches, though.”

  “As I do. Are you moving to Ireland?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Your mother seems to think so.”

  “Yes.” Katie rubbed some lavender between her fingers. Mrs. Knight’s signature scent. She didn’t need her unknown grandparents. Mrs. Knight had always been here.

  “Why don’t you join me for lunch on Friday?”

  “I’d like that, thanks,” Katie said. “I better go. Have a good day.”

  “You too. Don’t work too hard.”

  Katie did that day, though. She was exhausted after a thirteen-hour shift. She plodded into the kitchen, dropped her things on the chair, and started at a sound from the family room. It was dark, so Katie flipped on the light over the kitchen banquette.

  “That you, Katie girl?” her father said. Katie walked over to where he sat on the sofa, pouring himself a whiskey. He motioned to her. She went up behind him and took the hand he’d left in the air. He pressed her hand gently. “You going to leave me too, my girl? Ireland and the Dunbar will take you from me,” he whispered as Katie leaned close to him. The sharp odor of alcohol seeped from his skin.

  “I don’t have to go, if you want me to stay.” She put her face to his before turning to kiss his cheek. The moist warmth of his tears brushed her lips. “I love you, Da.” He tensed and she stood, suddenly remembering the last time she’d said that to him. He’d yelled at her not to call him that name. He held onto her hand.

  “You’re a good girl.”

  Katie smiled through her tears. That was as much as she would get, but it was enough now.

  He let go of her. “You’re tired. Off to bed with you,” he said, waving his hand at her.

  She turned, choking back all she wanted to say. She went to bed. She’d said what mattered most.

  “I’ve had a call from Mary,” her mom said the next morning when she and Katie sat together over a late breakfast; her dad was still upstairs in bed. Katie held her breath a moment, wondering if something had gone wrong. No one had called her. “Rose will be over in a bit with Mary. I guess Fergus and Maureen are busy making plans for the new store. Maybe you’d like to join us at Mrs. Knight’s? Your dad said to tell you not to go in until four thirty. Jim and Sally can cover until then.”

  Katie nodded, breathing again. “Is Dad up?”

  “He’s awake. I’ll take up a tray. I know you’re worried, Katie, but everything will work out. You do what you feel is best.” Her mom patted her hand, leaving Katie sitting with her warm mug of tea.

  By the time Rose and Mary arrived, Katie’s dad was ensconced on the living room sofa, where he laughed as Rose decorated his cast with a few more drawings, embellishing on what she’d already done over the last couple weeks.

  “A little less pink and hearts and flowers, my girl,” he said. “A few more shamrocks, perhaps.”

  Rose giggled. “Don�
��t you like my pictures?” she asked with a small pout.

  “Of course I do, you’re a wonderful little artist. You should draw a picture for the new children’s menus at the pub.”

  Katie giggled at her father’s backtracking. Rose knew how to handle her grandpa.

  “Did you hear that Aunt Katie? Why didn’t you think of it?” Rose said.

  He winked at Katie as Rose hugged him.

  “I guess I don’t know as much as Grandpa.” Katie winked back.

  Rose whined when Mary said she would sit with Katie’s dad for a while but went along with Katie and her mom to Mrs. Knight’s, where Mary said she would join them in a bit. Katie smiled as Rose played with the little kitten and Mrs. Knight showed them some plans for a community garden and park.

  “Katie, I’ve forgotten my purse,” her mom said. “I need my glasses and checkbook. Go fetch it for me, will you?”

  Katie nodded and ambled across to their side door. She couldn’t find her mom’s purse in the kitchen; she must have left it upstairs. As Katie walked into the hall, she stopped on seeing her father holding Mary, maybe caressing her face. Katie leaned against the wall, trying to steady herself.

  “You need someone to look after you,” he said. Katie closed her eyes. She couldn’t move.

  “Fergus, Maureen, and Rose will move in soon,” Mary said. “I’ll be fine, Patrick. I told you, I’m worried about you. Don’t let Katie go, please. You need her and she needs you but you’re both too stubborn--”

  “Me? What about your James? Wants to take all my girls like he did our girl.”

  “No, you know that’s not true. We’ve been through this before. And he’s not mine. He’s never been mine. And I’ve never been his.”

  “Mary, love, don’t cry. I could never stand it…”

  A scream rose in Katie’s throat, but she clutched her mouth and hurried past to the stairs, running up. Mary stood by the stairs when she came back down with her mom’s purse.

  “Katie…” she began as Katie walked past, glaring at her. “Stop, please, let’s talk.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Katie Dillon, you listen,” her dad said as she passed the doorway.

  “You. What now Dad? Are you going to leave Mom? Did you ever--”

  “Your father loves your mother, he would never leave her, nor would I want him to. Did you not hear me tell Fin there are many kinds of love, Katie? Your father and I will always care about each other and your mother knows that. Maybe she’s the one you should talk to.”

  “I will, believe me.”

  Katie’s father sighed as she walked out.

  “Tell Rose I’ll be over soon,” Mary said. “I’m going to make your father some lunch.”

  “Take your time,” Katie said over her shoulder. She slammed the door behind her.

  Somehow Katie managed to pretend. She’d gotten good at it this last year. At least she could be herself at the pub. The after dinner crowd, not that it was one, on Tuesdays was mostly regulars, so there were no uncomfortable moments. Except when she thought about Fin and why he hadn’t called when he said he would. At least she knew things were okay with Fergus and Maureen, from what Mary and Rose had said.

  Katie worked hard cleaning and moving her computer into the office. Fin had asked her mom if Katie would. She wondered why, but there was so much to think about Katie stopped really thinking at all and, by the time she got home, was just tired. She crawled into bed and fell asleep.

  “Where’s Dad?” Katie asked her mom the next morning when she came down to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

  “He walked down the street to the Drews’ again. I think Mrs. Drew likes having him come there. It’s been hard on her since Bob retired a few months ago. Though I don’t know how she’ll feel once your dad’s back at the pub. He’s asked Bob to come there for checkers or darts. There’s never an ideal, you have to take what you can.”

  “Do you? Did Dad tell you about…”

  “His conversation with Mary? No, but Mary did. You can love more than one person, Katie.”

  “Do you love someone else too? Danny Boyle?”

  “I guess your aunt Aleen mentioned him?” Her mom swirled her hand over the counter.

  Katie nodded.

  “Yes, we dated for a couple years in college then we broke up. I wanted to finish my degree and teach and he wanted to get married. He was my first real love. We met again when your dad and I separated and I was in Ireland, but I saw I was meant to be with your father.”

  “You saw?” Katie’s stomach jumped. Her mom had visions too? Did all the women in their family have these crazy flashes?

  “You wouldn’t understand and it’s hard to explain.”

  “What if you made the wrong choice? What if who you saw wasn’t Dad?”

  “I made my choice and I haven’t been sorry. I could have been happy with Danny, but I love your father, he needs me, and we had you two girls. I still care about Danny, as your dad does Mary. You can’t help who you love, can you?”

  “I guess not.” Katie hugged her arms. Her mom brought her some toast and sat down next to her.

  “Anything you want to talk about?”

  “No. I just don’t understand. Doesn’t it bother you that Dad still loves Mary?”

  “Don’t you love Fergus?”

  “I never slept with Fergus.”

  “If Maureen weren’t in the picture, can you honestly say you wouldn’t have? I know how Fergus feels about you, very protective and loving, like your dad feels about Mary. Your dad’s had more cause to feel betrayed. I almost left him for Danny those twenty years ago, but he and Mary would and will never want to be together as a couple again. I think I’ve said enough, maybe too much.”

  “But--”

  “No, there are things you don’t need to know. When you have children, you’ll understand,” her mom said while she stared off out the window and Katie shifted uncomfortably as she munched on her toast. She wasn’t sure she’d ever have children now, not unless they were Fin’s, and how that would happen she didn’t see. Except she was still late. It must be something else; it seemed unlikely she’d be pregnant from one time. Yet something loosed in her, a deep joy, thinking she and Fin made a baby, the sweet girl in her vision.

  When Katie walked into the pub that evening for family night with Rose and Mary, the first person she saw was Fin. In the few days she hadn’t seen him, all her annoyance with him faded, and she only felt how her skin prickled pleasantly around him and how sweet he was. She knew not only how good he was with Rose, who now screeched over to hug her parents, who sat talking at a table with James and Aunt Aleen, but also what a good brother he was. Katie hadn’t said what she wanted at Fergus’s that night. She didn’t know what to say to Fin and their attention was on Fergus. Maybe she and Fin were better off not talking, as they seemed to bicker when they did.

  Fin leaned against the table when Rose came over. Katie noted each shift in his muscles, each movement of his hands as he hugged Rose, stood, and brushed back his hair with his right hand. Katie flushed when he turned and spotted her, though he made no sign of seeing her. He greeted his mom instead. Katie wended her way over, saying hello to some of the staff until she stood next to Fin. Mary sat next to Fergus, who held Rose on his lap. Two chairs remained vacant, next to Aunt Aleen. Fin pulled out the chair next to her for Katie, who sat, without a word.

  “Katie,” James said, “Mary tells me you’ll be staying on at the pub?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m sorry,” Katie said as Fin sat next to her. The pub hummed with noisy families but Katie knew her dad had called Jim in to cover for Fin so he could enjoy dinner with his family. She hoped Jim wouldn’t quit after being inundated with the underage set.

  “We haven’t been clear with you, either,” Fergus put in. “Take your time deciding.”

  Katie glanced at Fin, who turned his head to her briefly before running his finger along the side of his frosty water glass.

 
; “I hope you’ll take the job,” James said. “We need someone capable like you.”

  “We need her here,” Fin said as he stood. “I better check in with Jim. I’ll be right back.”

  Katie watched him walk away, forcing herself to look back at the table when she began to stare at his firm backside.

  “Did you know we’re moving into Grandma’s?” Rose asked Katie. “I can see you and Uncle Fin and Grandma and Grandpa and everyone lots. And Mommy says I’ll love the school here and she’ll take me shopping at Stanford.”