'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,
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.
