Blame It On Paris

'Excuse me,' she murmured to Will, when yet another couple ambled up to greet him. She motioned, a universal signal that she was headed for the ladies' room.

She wasn't, but she needed a moment of silence for a minute. Around the corner of the long patio and lawn, she found a swimming pool-lit up and surrounded by more guests-but past that, she found a little corner of quiet. A nestle of trees provided a privacy border for the pool area, and no lights intruded into the warm shadows. There was a walkway, cement benches, probably leading to a golf course-Kelly didn't know or care; she just sat down for a second, and tried to draw a couple deep cleansing breaths.

She'd never had a panic attack before, but she was pretty sure this was one. Her heart kept pounding as if a sniper threatened her at gunpoint. Her palms were damp and her stomach was twisted like a rope. She couldn't seem to catch her breath.

'Hey, Kel…' Liz. Will's youngest sister, showed up under the tree, and abruptly spotted her. 'You needed to escape from there, too? When they started up with the big-band songs, I had to catch some air.'

Liz plunked down on the bench beside her. 'My mom's having a blast. Definitely her dream of a party, but it sure isn't mine. Too many canapes and Chantilly and pink rouge, you know? Not that Mom is that old. There's just a heavy focus on investment strategies and retirement homes and grandkids in every conversation. A major whew.'

Liz, thankfully, seemed oblivious to Kelly's freaked-out mood, and just having her there helped Kelly get a grip.

'You've never lived anywhere but South Bend, have you?' Liz was happy to gallop in any conversational direction.

'Nope. Born and raised here.'

'Yeah, me, too. That's why I'm dying to get out. I'm so hungry to move to Chicago. Someplace with life and lights and things to do. People with energy and ideas. People with some edge, you know?' She stretched her long legs, then glanced at Kelly. 'You don't agree?'

'Well, I loved trekking into Chicago. Love traveling whenever I can afford it, too. But I have to admit, I always love it here. It's just home.'

'You don't ever get bored?'

'Sometimes. But it seems like, well, I'd love to travel to glamorous places, do glamorous things. But over the long haul, this seems to be a good place. The kind of place where you feel safe, where people know you, where you'd want to raise your kids because there's such a strong sense of family and all that. Sounds boring to you, huh?'

'Maybe it won't later,' Liz said, clearly seeking to find a tactful response. 'I just need out of here for now. I'm not ready to settle down- Hey, Will!'

Kelly turned swiftly at Liz's delighted greeting.

She'd had no idea that Will had walked up and found them, or how long he'd been standing there. He answered his sister immediately, but he wasn't looking at Liz-he was looking at her.

He stepped closer, reached out a hand, his expression looking absolutely grave.

'What's wrong?' she asked immediately.

'Nothing,' he said quietly. 'I just heard you talking.'

She searched his face. She couldn't imagine anything she'd said to Liz that was odd or that he'd have objected to, but something happened, because his expression echoed a man who'd been hit hard with the wrong kind of surprise.

The band suddenly picked up the happy birthday song. 'Mom's going to open up presents,' he said. 'We'd better get over there.'

'Sure,' she said. But she suddenly wasn't even remotely sure of anything.

THREE AFTERNOONS LATER, Will sat in Dr. O'Malley's waiting room, waiting for his dad to come out. Aaron claimed the visit was unnecessary, since he already knew he was going to get a completely clean bill of health.

Will bought that like he bought into fairy tales. His dad would never have asked Will to drive him unless he feared hearing a medical verdict that he didn't want the rest of the family to know.

Will also figured his dad was going to turn this into another effort to manipulate him into taking on the business. But Maguire's, right now, wasn't remotely on his mind.

Kelly was. He'd been shaken ever since his mother's birthday bash.

Kel didn't want to live in Paris.

She'd never wanted to live in Paris.

She'd said she would. She'd said she'd come with him. He knew she meant it, and hed believed she'd wanted to go to Paris with him, wanted to be with him. He'd believed she wanted everything they'd had in Paris together, that the only reason they were both in South Bend was to resolve family problems, after which, they were both free.

'Mr. Maguire?' The nurse standing in front of him looked impatient, as if she'd been trying to get his attention for some time. Possibly she had. His father answered to Mr. Maguire. He never had.

'Your father would like you to join him in the doctor's office,' the older woman told him, and ushered him into a room at the end of a long hall.

Will walked in and immediately noted his father's pale complexion and angry eyes.

'Aaron's ankle has healed well.' Dr. O'Malley said pleasantly. 'In fact, he's fully recovered from the accident. We're pleased with all the X-rays and tests in that regard.'

'He's trying to put a 'but' in there,' Aaron growled to his son.

Dr. O'Malley ignored him, something he'd probably learned to do a long time ago when dealing with certain impossible patients. 'However, his blood pressure is through the roof. It would help if he'd quit sneaking the occasional cigar, but that really isn't the issue. His blood-sugar levels are too low. He's got a building hiatal hernia, as well as ulcers. So far, the ulcers have been controllable with medication, but the best we can say is that they're not getting worse.'

'He's making a lot out of little things,' Aaron said to Will. 'You grow older, your body starts to wear out. It's annoying as hell, but it's not like any of this is a surprise.'

Will looked directly at the doctor. 'He needs to cut down on work.'

'It's so nice to talk to someone who can add two and two. Your father certainly can't. In an ideal world, he could just cut down, but your father doesn't seem to be able to do that.'

'I could if I wanted to,' Aaron interjected.

'And that's the thing. He doesn't want to. So if he continues on this pattern, he's headed for some serious health repercussions. Since I can't get him to see reason, Mr. Maguire, I'm hoping you can.'

'Poppycock,' Aaron grumped when they climbed into Will's car a few minutes later. 'And don't tell your mother any of that crap. She's on me all the time about traveling and getting out of the business and doing things together.' He shot his son a sneaky glance. 'Of course, we'd be able to do those things if you'd come on board.'

'All right.'

'Don't waste your time saying no. I've heard it all before. You act like I'm torturing you, offering you a chance to climb into a successful business that's done well by all of us. I raised you to care about family, so I've never understood-'

'I said I'd do it. Dad. And I will. If we can come to terms.'

'-why you wanted to take off, live in Paris. Kicking around's one thing, every man needs to sow some oats. But you're getting near thirty now, I think…' Aaron stopped talking. Stopped moving. They were at a stoplight on Grape Road that stayed red and stayed red and stayed red. And when it finally turned green, Aaron said. 'What did you say?'

'I said that I'll take over Maguire's. If you and I can come to terms.'

Back at the house. Will asked his mom to come through with a couple sandwiches and iced tea. then to leave them be in the library for a while. Barbara looked as if her son had given her gold. She didn't know what the specific discussion was going to be about. Didn't care. Typical of his mom. she could smell something good in the air.

She danced in with the sandwich tray and tea, bussed both her men on the forehead, swore no calls would get through unless there was a fire and closed the double doors to give them privacy.