by Kathryn Shay
Three days after Nigel shot him, Kinley was still bedridden. It wasn’t like on TV. The bullet had gone right through his shoulder, but did a lot of a damage on the way. He could sit up, now, though.
The nurse, Aggie, came in. She wasn’t a bad person. She’d been cheerful despite his orneriness. And she was the only one who was here every day. Kinley had insisted Portia take the business trip she’d scheduled today.
“Hey, Aggie. I’ve been a bear. I’m sorry.”
She gave him a rare smile. “Usually, I have to wait longer to hear that from patients.”
He chuckled, which jostled his shoulder some, causing him to cry out.
Aggie folder her arms across her chest. “You have visitors.”
“Who?”
“There’s seven of them. They shouldn’t all come in together.”
The notion that the O’Neils would come to his side made his eyes moisten.
“All I know is that guy who was president is with them. You know, the one that everybody loved.”
“Yeah, I know. I’d like to see them together.”
They marched in, one after the other, the boys he resembled so much, the girl who was a feminine version of his face, and the man who’d sired them all. Pa got the chair. The others flanked Kinley’s bed.
Holding back the emotion, Kinley quipped, “I thought you were all mad at me.”
“We are,” Bailey snapped.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because you’re family. And we love you.” She handed him a paper. “We have a schedule. Somebody’s going to be with you for the next six days.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Pa reached over and took the hand on Kinley’s uninjured arm. “We want to, lad.”
Kinley didn’t respond.
“Hell,” Aidan commented. “He doesn’t have a retort. First time ever.”
Clay cleared his throat. “To set the record straight, I’m not mad.”
A lot of hullabaloo over that remark.
“Why the hell not?” Bailey asked. “I’d be furious if you did something like this, too.”
“Because I understand why he did it.” He winked at Kinley. “Glad it worked out, buddy.”
“Yeah, me too.”
After the rest of them got their digs in, Kinley asked, “How is she?”
“Mad as a hornet,” Pa told him.
“I don’t blame her.” Kinley hesitated but had to ask. “She wouldn’t come with you?”
“We didn’t ask her.” This from Dylan. “We don’t interfere in each other’s relationships.”
“Like hell,” Liam said. “I remember when Sophie and I were having trouble getting together, you called me…what was it?”
Aidan snorted. “St. Liam of Perpetual Suffering. Then we got in a fist fight.”
Each guy told a similar story of the O’Neils messing around in each other’s lives.
“Face it boys,” Bailey told them, “You’re all meddlers.”
Just like an O’Neil, Kinley attacked. “Hey, lass, you were the worst with me.”
She arched a brow. “That I was.”
Pa’s face turned serious. “We shouldn’t have needed Jamie to read us the riot act to get us here.”
“Jamie got mad at you because of me?” Besides this group visit, her anger at them because of him was the first thing that made him feel good all week.
“Yep.” Bailey frowned. “She’d make a super O’Neil wife.”
Kinley looked down. “If I had my way.”
“You gotta grovel, man.” Pat was the one who knew a lot about groveling.
“I think it’s more serious than that.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” This from Aidan. “Go after her, bro.”
“Like I can, now.”
“Have you even tried?”
“No, he hasn’t,” Dylan said. “He’s been walking around with his tail between his legs.”
“That would be lying around with my tail between my legs, please.”
Aidan chuckled. “I guess he can keep up with us.”
Bailey leaned over. Kissed his head. “Don’t ever scare us like that again. Promise, and I’ll forgive you.”
“I promise. Now let me see that schedule.”
From the end of the bar, Jamie scanned the pub. This would be one of the last times she worked here.
“Hey, congratulations, Jame. You got a job!” This from Dylan who washed glasses behind the long mahogany counter.
“At the exact school I wanted.” Her gaze narrowed on him. “You swear you guys didn’t help? Clay maybe? Or you, Dylan? You’ve done a lot for education in New York.”
His brows rose. “Lass, they hired you fair and square.”
“I hope so.” But she decided to drop the issue. The school and grade level were exactly what she wanted and she’d choose to be happy about that. Like she chose to leave Kinley.
“Why the frown?”
“Nothing.” She picked up her tray. “I’ll deliver these drinks.” She crossed to the firefighters’ table. They came in frequently, and among them was Brad Larson, the one she’d had one date with. “Hey guys.”
“Hey.” Brad grabbed her hand. “We heard about that crazy guy going after all of you. Sorry that happened.”
“Thanks. It’s over now.”
“I also hear you’re, um, single again.”
“I am. Would you like to come over for dinner sometime?”
“I’d love it.”
After putting in their order, she took a stool to wait for it.
Pat, who had been at the end of the bar closest to the tables, stalked to her. “What do you think you’re doin’?”
“What do you mean?”
“You gonna cheat on our brother?”
“Oh, now he’s your brother. You’ve come a long way, Patrick.”
“I have. So’s everybody else. Except you.”
She sighed. “I’m glad he has you. But I’m not getting back with him. He did an awful thing and we could have lost him.”
“You lost him anyway, a ghrá. Think about that.”
The remainder of her shift dragged, but she reached home in time to get Ben off the bus. Her son marched down the steps and stomped right past her. He’d been mad at her since they returned from Camp David. Still stinging from Pat’s rebuke, she rushed after him. “Now wait just a second, young man.” He stopped. “Come in here and sit down.” He must have recognized her tone. She’d tried reasoning with him, ignoring his treatment, but nothing worked.
She stood before him. “This hurts me, Ben. You have to stop being mean to me.”
Sincerely, not surly, he said, “But you’re being mean to Kinley. I wanna see him. Please, Mom.” He threw his arms around her. It was the first hug she’d gotten from her son since Camp David. “Please. I know he got hurt.”
“How do you know that?”
He looked at her like kids sometimes did when they thought their parents were being idiots. “I heard you talking on the phone. To other grownups.” He held her hand. “And I hear you crying sometimes. You wanna see him and so do I.”
“All right. I’ll arrange for one of the O’Neils to take you.”
“You take me, Mommy.”
God, she wished so badly she could. But Kinley could talk her into forgiving him in minutes. No, she wouldn’t take the risk.
Paddy was slated to spend the day with Kinley, and he’d been at the apartment since nine. After some awkwardness at trying to make conversation, Paddy decided another tack was needed. “All right, Kinley. We can’t keep talkin’ about the weather, or the grandkids or my health and yours.”
Kinley let out a heavy breath. “I know. I don’t know how to be around you.”
“’Cause I left you all those years ago? There’s nothing I can do about that, now.”
“No, not because of that. I don’t…” He hesitated. “All of you flocking to me like this, I have no idea what it means. What’s my place i
n this family?”
“Simple as pie. You’re my son. Their brother.” He coughed. “We all love you.”
The boy sighed. “It’s hard to accept.”
“I know. That’s why we’re comin’ here.” He looked Kinley in the eyes. “Why we’ll always be here. After finding you again, I’m never givin’ up on you.”
“So how do we act?”
“Like men. Wanna play some gin rummy?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Don’t let me win.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Paddy helped him to the kitchen table, got cards and since Kinley was weaned off the opioids he’d been taking, two beers. After lumbering around, Paddy sat down. They played a spirited round of gin and ended up tied. Then the doorbell rang.
“Hungry?” Pa asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s lunch. I ordered from Timmy’s, this hamburger joint near the pub. I guess that’s them.”
The burgers were juicy and rare, the French fries crisp and salted.
After lunch, Kinley yawned.
“All right, time for naps.”
“Naps?”
“Hell, yeah, I’m gonna catch some zees in that comfie recliner, while you get the rest you need.”
Kinley laughed, walked back to the bedroom with Paddy following and slipped in the bed. “Thanks, Paddy.”
“You can shorten that, you know.”
“Excuse me?”
“Instead of Paddy, it could be Pa. Any time you’re ready.”
Kinley swallowed hard. “I waited all my life for that.”
Paddy got teary-eyed. “I’m sorry. But we’re here now. Let’s do this right.”
Chapter 16
The intercom buzzed, waking Kinley. He heard Pa, aka, Paddy, grumbling out in the living room, “Hold your horses.”
Kinley sat up and swung his feet out of bed. He was wearing knit shorts and a tee that matched. Jamie had once said the color on him made her swoon. Jamie. He thought of her every time he awoke and every time he went to sleep. Who was he kidding? Unless someone was distracting him, he thought about her all the time.
“Look who’s here.” Pa stood at the door with Mary Kate and…Ben Ralston. His denim shorts were topped by a Batman tee and his smile was uncertain.
Kinley’s throat got thick. He barely got out, “Well, hello.”
Mary Kate brought Ben over, said, “Hello, Kinley,” kissed his cheek then left.
Ben threw himself at Kinley. “Is it okay I’m here?”
Kinley hugged him tight. “I can’t think of anybody else I’d rather see.”
“Even Mommy?”
“Mommy, too. But you came, and that’s enough for now.” He gestured to the couch across the room in a sitting area. “Could you hold my hand so I can go sit over there?”
Somberly, as if he’d been tasked to find the Holy Grail, Ben led him to the window and sofa in front of it. Kinley patted the cushion next to him. “Come on up.”
Ben climbed onto the couch and frowned at him. “You’re sick.”
“Not exactly sick. Hurt. On my shoulder.”
“Mommy said that bad man hurt you. The one I was supposed to watch out for.”
“You’ll never have to worry about him again.”
The boy’s brows furrowed, so much like Jamie’s did, it made Kinley sad. “How sick are you?”
“Not bad. It’s been a few days.”
His face animated. “Could you play Candyland?”
“I’ll play only if you let me win.” He touched his shoulder gingerly. “Remember, I’m hurt.”
“You don’t want that. You’re teasin’ me.”
“I am, but before you go get the game, tell me how you are. What’ve you been doing?”
Instead Ben asked, “How come Mommy won’t come and see you? Or talk to you?”
“What does Mommy say?”
“That you did a bad thing, too. And she’s mad.”
“Whether what I did was bad or not is a matter of opinion.”
“You’re better now. Why don’t you go see her and tell her you’re sorry?”
“It won’t change her mind.”
His little lip trembled. “I thought we were gonna live here. Is my bed still here? My toys?”
“Yep. Want to go see?”
“Can I?”
“Uh huh. I’ll wait here.”
When the boy ran out, Pa came to the door. “I hope this is okay. He begged to come. His ma said he could.”
Kinley raised his gaze to Pa. “It’s more than okay. And I’m glad Jamie knows he’s here. How long can he stay?”
“Mary Kate’s taking him back after dinner. She said when we order from that fancy kitchen downstairs, you know what he likes.”
“I do.”
“What a shame about you and his mother.”
“Pa, I want her back.”
“Can’t be you’re tryin’ very hard, then. You know, the O’Neil men don’t give up on the women they love. Ask any of the boys.” He shrugged. “Or Clay, for that matter.”
Ben came up behind Pa. “You should hurry if you want Mommy and me to live here again.” Apparently, he’d overheard the conversation.
“Why?”
“Mommy’s got a date tonight.”
Hell, Kinley didn’t need to hear that.
“Thanks for cooking dinner.” A smile came to Brad’s handsome face.
“You’re welcome.” Jamie tried hard to be enthused. “Want to take dessert outside? It’s May so the bugs haven’t come yet.”
She led him to the patio. The yard at their city home was tiny, but Grandma and Grandpa loved the outdoors and had built a small patio and planted geraniums and daffodils around it. “So, you’re off shift. You said firefighters went off and on every few days.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have a side job?”
He reddened. “I do.”
“What?”
“I’m an aspiring writer.”
“Wow. What do you write?”
“Firefighter stories.”
“You should talk to Dylan about his career.”
“I’m nowhere near his talent. He’s a super star.”
“He is. I forget sometimes.”
“I’m in awe of Sophie’s family. So many successful people.”
“And you only save lives.”
“I guess.” A cute blush. “I forget that sometimes.”
“Tell me about some of the people you saved.”
By the time Ben got home, Jamie was in awe of this man. Her son came flying in with all kinds of exuberance. It was eight at night, so she’d probably never get him to sleep. Skidding to a halt, Ben asked, “Are you Mommy’s date?”
“Yep.”
“Brad’s a firefighter. He brought you something.”
Ben eyes widened. “I don’t want anything from him.” His little eyes were tormented. “Kinley says he wants you and me to live with him, so you don’t need any dates.” With that he rushed upstairs and slammed the door.
Jamie rose. “I’m sorry to cut our evening short, but I have to talk to him.”
“Of course you do.”
There was no sign of Ben when they walked inside. At the door, Brad nodded to the firetruck. “Want me to take that with me?”
“No, of course not. He’ll play with it. He just…”
“Wants you with the guy who took you away from me once before.”
“I’m not going back to him.”
They could hear Ben stomping around. “Good luck with that,” he said, kissed her cheek and left.
Why, why couldn’t she fall for somebody like him, a truly good man?
Dylan came to spend his day at the apartment. Arriving at nine with breakfast, they ate bagels and lochs and were sipping coffee in the living room afterward.
“Fancy place you got here.” New York spread out under his wall of windows.
“Why didn’t you ever buy something like t
his?”
“Ha! Can you imagine Fathi and Nizar running around in an apartment in the sky? No backyard. No kids nearby. We like our old Victorian.”
“That’s a showplace.”
“How do you know?”
“When every book of yours comes out, there’s a slew of background stuff on you released on the internet.”
“I kept my location a secret as long as I could. It’s near Liam’s and Aidan’s places in the city. We have a house on the beach in Rockaway where Pat’s lived for years. Aidan and Liam bought one together down a ways, too.”
“Sounds like the best of both worlds.”
Dylan took a bead on him. “You’ll have to make some changes when you marry Jamie.”
His heart leapt in his chest. “That’s not going to happen, Dylan.”
“Too bad. Then maybe I shouldn’t ask you a question I’ve been mulling in my head.”
“Ask me anyway.”
“I want to write your story. What happened to you. What you did with your life.”
“I’d be the villain in it?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because of what I did to you guys.”
“You have a great character arc.”
He laughed. “I’m must say that in all the years people have talked about me, no one’s ever described me like that.”
Dylan came to the edge of his chair. “See it objectively. Boy rejected at fourteen, in a gang, becomes a billionaire through true grit.”
“And revenge. That was my motivator.”
“Not all along. I think if we dig deeper, we might find a lot of other things motivated you.” He hesitated. “You know I wrote my story with Rachel.”
“It was subtle and sensational at the same time. Even though I knew Rachel lived through her time in Syria, I was on the edge of my seat when she was over there.”
A bright, big smile came to Dylan’s handsome face. “You read my work?”
“Hmm. Know thine enemy.”
“And look where that got you.” Dylan chuckled. “I get reader mail that complains the boys coming over from Syria was a bit much. Too unrealistic. Little do readers know. They believed the love story, though.”
“Rightfully, so. All you guys are saps.”
“You’ll eat your words someday.”