Rory dug his elbow into David’s side. “Thanks for that.”
“College,” Rig joined the conversation, pointing to himself. “Back when Rory stopped being a mascot and became the campus wild child.”
“Then you’re practically family.” Jeremy was having a hard time forming sentences since Owen’s hand had drifted down to cup his behind. “You probably know half the people here.”
Rory looked uncomfortable, pulling at the collar of his dress shirt. “Noah and Wyatt. But they won’t be staying long enough to meet everyone else.”
David sent him a strange look Jeremy couldn’t decipher. “We’re not in that much of a hurry. I don’t have to be anywhere until brunch with my parents tomorrow.”
“That’s good,” Owen said, the smirk in his voice clear. “Flexibility is important in a friendship. If you can’t bend, you can’t friend. Right Rory?”
Rory seemed to know what he was talking about. He flinched and sent his cousin a withering glare. “You would know, Owen. Come on, guys. Let’s leave the newlyweds alone. I’m thirsty.” He tugged his friends away a little too forcefully.
“Have fun,” Owen called after them sweetly as they disappeared toward the champagne fountain. Jeremy sighed. They had a champagne fountain. Tequila would have been more appropriate.
“Are you going to tell me what I missed there?” Jeremy asked suspiciously. “I only left you alone for two days.”
Owen turned him around and sent him a sensual smile. “I’ll tell you if you come upstairs with me.”
He made a face. “Owen, we can’t—”
“Rory’s right, can’t is a dare,”’ he insisted. “And we’ll be back before anyone knows we’re gone. I love you and I believe I promised to consummate the hell out of that ass.” He saw Jeremy’s lips twitch and pressed. “It is traditional, husband.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Chapter Six
Christmas Day…
“But why?”
Seamus tweaked his daughter’s bright red nose. “Because people don’t marry blood relations.”
Penny put her hands on her hips. “Why?”
“Because then you can’t have babies.” The lie slipped from his lips out of self-preservation. This conversation was way too complicated for a five-year-old. Or the father of a five-year-old.
She scrunched up her face thoughtfully, looking adorably annoyed. “Jake and I have different blood, right? He had a different dad before you. So we could have babies if we wanted to.” She looked so relieved he wanted to laugh.
Seamus sighed and whistled for his brother’s dog again. “Come on, Lucky Penny. We need to grab Bad and get inside.”
She placed her gloved hand in his obediently. “That’s not his name, Daddy. And good. I’m cold and stockings were hours ago, but Gram said we had to wait.”
“Gram is right.” Not always, he silently amended, but often enough. They’d all stayed overnight at Declan Kelley’s hotel-sized house so they could spend Christmas together. Since it was the season of peace and love, when his mother sat him down this morning and asked him to forgive her for not practicing what she preached, he capitulated easily. After the outpouring of love at the wedding, it was hard not to. And he’d noticed Jen and his mother holding each other as Owen and Jeremy exchanged their vows. If his baby sister could start fresh after what happened, so could Seamus.
It bothered him more than he’d thought it would, her treatment of Jennifer. He was as shocked as anyone when Solomon told him the family secret. Stunned because he’d never had a clue. But that wasn’t what truly upset him. After the blind acceptance she gave to Owen and Stephen—hell, to him the first time he came home with a son that wasn’t his—he couldn’t wrap his head around the guilt she’d nearly buried her only girl under. When he realized how complicit he and the others had been by not seeing Jen as a grown woman—not noticing how unhappy she’d been before—he felt pretty damn bad about himself as a brother. And disappointed in his mother for the first time in his life.
He looked down at Penny. He was a protective father too, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her from harm and heartbreak. But he hoped he’d never load her down with his personal baggage. The last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid to take a chance on love because she’d learned the wrong lessons from him.
“I think I’ll ask Gram.”
“Ask her what, angel?” Seamus finally saw the dog and whistled one more time. Hopefully he’d listen. Penny had been holding the leash when Badass bolted away in the snow, booties and all.
“I bet she thinks it’d be okay if I wedded Jake.”
“Married Jake. And I bet you’re wrong. Don’t bother Gram with that right now. It’s Christmas.” He’d become more open-minded about a lot of things this year, but he drew the line at letting her marry her brother.
Penny muttered under her breath, her little legs stomping beside his.
“What?”
“I want a chocolate state.”
Seamus snorted. “Statue.”
“That’s what I said. And a Jell-O.”
That one took him a minute. “Do you mean a cello? As in the instrument?”
“I said that, Daddy.”
Badass stopped beside them, panting happily with his leash dragging behind him. He grabbed it then picked Penny up in his arms. “We can get you a chocolate statue and cello lessons, I promise. But let’s save the wedding talk for a while. Until you’re twenty-five.”
“But I love him. And everyone says when you love someone you’re supposed to get wedded.” Her breath made clouds in the air and her big blue eyes made her look like a doll. She was so precious.
“Married. And of course you love him, Penny. He’s your family. Remember what the justice of the peace said? There are different kinds of love.”
“Was your married that nice?”
“Wedding?” He kept his tone casual. “Penny you know I never had a wedding. I told you that last night.” And last week. And the week before that. She’d gone just as crazy over the wedding plans as her grandmother. It brought up a lot of hard questions.
Penny nodded, sucking in her lower lip. “She had to move far away and take care of herself.”
She was talking about her mother. “That’s right. But you have Gram and Aunt Jen and Aunt Tasha. And they’re not moving anywhere, I promise. Now are you ready to open some presents?”
Like a flipped switch her mood changed and she wriggled wildly in his arms until he set her down. Her snow boots were a little too big and she waddled precariously as she ran toward the door. “Hurry! Wes will open everything without us.”
Jake wouldn’t let him, Seamus knew. Not until she got there. He was a good big brother. Always the one she turned to if she was hurt or had a question she didn’t want to ask her father. Jake never complained. Sometimes Seamus worried he’d put too much pressure on him, relied on him too much. But he’d always been so damn thoughtful. A wise old man trapped in a child’s body. He hoped that wasn’t what he wanted to see. He prayed Jake wasn’t hiding unhappiness beneath that shy, serious demeanor.
Stop worrying about the kids for a minute and enjoy the day.
How many times had his mother said that to him? Before Tasha’s pregnancy took a turn, Stephen often said the same thing. That he needed to spend time with people outside the pub and his own four walls. Adult people. That he needed to talk about something besides beer and finger painting.
But he couldn’t complain. His life was a good one. He owned his own business and was raising four interesting, creative and compassionate kids. They kept him hopping and didn’t leave much time for anything else.
It was perfectly normal for him to feel a little lonely now and then. Especially after that wedding. He wasn’t made of stone and his siblings had all found someone, or multiple someone’s—he corrected with a small, reflexive wince—to share their lives with. It was natural to quietly wonder what it felt like to have a partner you could depend o
n that much. Someone you were that passionate about.
Normal. Natural. Now shake it the hell off.
He looked down at the booted dog. “Do you know that song, Badass? Jake loves it. Shake it off,” he crooned, shouting in surprise when the snow beast shook his coat and ice hit him square in the face. Apparently Owen knew that song too.
The door slammed open and Penny leaned outside. “Daddy! Presents!”
“Coming.” I was just singing to a dog about my problems. “Close the door now, I don’t want to pay Aunt Jen’s electric bill.”
He hung his coat up and took off the dog’s insulated waterproof slippers before he let him join the crowd in the warm living room. When Seamus reached the kitchen, Owen and Jeremy were making out by the coffee machine. “Stop already. The wedding’s over. You’re old news.”
Owen turned toward him, his cheeks flushed. “Exactly. We’re married now. We don’t have to restrain ourselves.”
Seamus grabbed his chest dramatically. “You were restraining yourselves before?”
Brady stalked into the room with a scowl, sliding his phone into his pocket. Uh-oh. “Trouble?” He hoped not. Between Burke and that slave club or whatever Brady had been working on, there’d been too much trouble this year. He had kids to worry about.
Brady looked down and nodded. “Damn right there’s trouble. That morning show girl Owen and Jeremy invited to the wedding? What was her name?”
“Casey? Cassidy?” Seamus couldn’t remember. He didn’t watch her show.
Brady shrugged, agitated. “Noah took off with her in the middle of the wedding. Her station has been calling Stephen’s office because she’s not answering her phone, and Noah’s is still turned off.”
“Shit,” Owen groaned, stepping out of Jeremy’s arms. “That can’t be good.”
Brady sighed. “It’s my fault. I should have made them all promise to behave themselves at the reception. Noah is just the latest news. Last night, Wyatt got caught in the pantry with the caterer’s assistant—his daughter no less. Rory apparently frenched one of his buddies in front of Elder—”
“Wait.” Owen held up his hand. “Rory kissed David? In front of your father?”
“How did you know his name?” Brady ran a hand through his hair. “And yeah. I’m not sure how you missed it. Sol tried to leave without talking to anyone and had some harsh words for Rory when he tried to stop him. The mistletoe was right there so I guess he decided his cousin’s wedding was a great place to prove a point. With his tongue. It went downhill from there.”
“I must have missed that too.” Seamus shook his head. “All I remember is following the kids around all night and falling asleep with my shoes on. Ah, to be young.” He paused. “Solomon didn’t do anything crazy did he?”
Brady chuckled. “I wish. He’s already gone too. Merry damn Christmas.”
“Well hell. Let’s go before we lose anyone else,” Seamus said, already moving toward the living room. “Wes and Little Sean aren’t good at restraint. Let’s at least watch them open their presents before we all scatter to the wind again.”
They were horrible at restraint, Seamus thought as he stared at the carnage of torn wrapping paper and ravaged bows littering the floor around them. The couches were back, he thought gratefully as he sunk into one beside Brady’s boyfriend Ken. “Those are their presents right?” Seamus tried to smile. “No one else is missing anything?”
Ken laughed and patted his leg. “Your mother took matters into her own hands after Solomon and James went after Noah. She was the one passing out the gifts.”
He’d been planning to take pictures of the whole family together. Damn. “Good.” He glanced down at little Sean and grinned despite his mood. The child’s excitement was infectious. “What did Santa bring you, Sean?”
“Uncle Necky! Candy!”
Oh joy. Seamus raised his eyebrow at Ken Tanaka. “Nice. Santa doesn’t care about future dental bills, I’m guessing.”
“Dad?” Jake’s voice sounded surprised so he looked up.
“What is it, Jake?”
“It’s Santa.”
Seamus tilted his head. “What about him?”
Jake walked up to him, holding a wide, rectangular box as if it contained dynamite. “It looks like he got you something.”
Ken leaned forward. “Mrs. Finn? I think it’s time for you and the kids to find the special present I got for them in the garage.”
Seamus felt his jaw drop when his mother smiled sweetly and stood without argument, guiding his children away like the pied piper of grandmothers. Jake hesitated.
“Go on, son.” Seamus smiled encouragingly. “I’ll show you later.”
What was going on here? He looked around the room at all the overly innocent faces. Jen was sitting on the floor with Trick and Declan, all of them spoiling Badass with attention as they gathered up the wrapping paper. Owen, Jeremy, Stephen and Tasha were on the couch opposite, watching him with undisguised interest.
Brady and Wyatt were standing behind Shawn, and Ken’s foot was tapping restlessly beside him as he held the box. “Anyone want to fill me in here?”
“Open it,” Owen said quickly, frowning when Jeremy tugged him back against his chest. “I didn’t say anything.”
Oh well. Seamus supposed he couldn’t hope for a carboy with the shape of this box, but then, none of them knew anything about making beer so he shouldn’t be surprised.
He unwrapped it slowly, wondering what they thought warranted this kind of attention. And who exactly was his mystery Santa? He lifted the box’s lid and looked inside cautiously, sifting through the contents.
Brochures for tourist attractions and breweries. A bright green travel guide. A credit card and a round-trip airline ticket in his name. “Ireland? Who the hell got me a ticket to Ireland?”
“We got tickets too,” Owen said, obviously unable to resist sharing the news. “I love our broken down cabin and I had big plans for it, but a honeymoon in Ireland sounds too good to pass up.”
Seamus felt a headache coming on. “Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. For Christmas, Santa is sending me to Ireland as the third wheel on my brother’s honeymoon? Does Santa expect me to keep them in line? Is this a gift or payback for something they think I’ve done?”
Brady scowled. “It’s an all-expenses paid vacation to another country, Seamus. Not a travel mug. Don’t be a dick.”
“You’re right,” he agreed readily, still floored. “But I obviously can’t use it. This is nearly three weeks of being away from home and,” He squinted at the dates. “Almost three months in the future?”
“That’s when your friend in Galway has a clear enough schedule to show you the sights and take you through the brewing process.”
Seamus stilled, turning his head to study Ken suspiciously. “My friend in Galway?” Was the infamous hacker monitoring his emails?
“You mentioned it to me,” Jen intervened swiftly, sensing his suspicions. “That you’ve been swapping emails with a brewer in Ireland? It was easy to get the email, Seamus. It’s right on their website.”
His interest in travel had suddenly increased over the last sixty seconds. God, it would be amazing to go. How better to learn the best way to incorporate brewing into the pub than learning from the masters? He shook his head. Impossible. There was no way it was going to happen. “Three months from now the kids are in school and I’m swamped at the pub or in parent-teacher meetings. Three months from now the weather might be good enough for me to patch that leak on my porch roof. Three months from n—”
“Three months from now you’re going to Ireland, Seamus Finn. That’s final.” His father was watching him with his arms crossed, a mulish expression on his face.
“No, Dad. I’m not.” He could be stubborn too.
How dare someone try to send him on a vacation to talk about beer in Ireland? It’s not like it was his dream come true or anything.
“Your mother and I will take care of the children
. Jen and the others will help out wherever they can. Brady and Ken have already agreed to look after the pub while you’re away. Under my supervision, naturally.”
Seamus glanced at Brady. “You’re willing to put in that kind of time?”
“We’re insisting,” Ken corrected beside him.
He lifted his hands helplessly. “But Owen and Jeremy are—”
Shawn put his hands on his knees and leaned forward. It was his father’s body language for meaning business. “They’ll be touring castles and enjoying themselves. You’ll be on your own for everything but the flight there and back. But while you’re there…”
Here we go.
“We have a cousin or two in Galway I’d like you to look up for me. It might be nice to get to know those Finns before I die.”
There it was. When Shawn Finn asked you to do something for him “before he died”, there was simply no way to refuse him. He never had to scream or shout. Never had to threaten. Because he rarely asked for anything, he got whatever he wanted.
Seamus couldn’t think of another argument, anyway. He’d miss the kids, sure but… He wanted to go. “It’s too much.” Everyone groaned and he shook his head. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going. I’m clearly going. But it’s still too much.”
“You’re too much, brother.” Stephen pressed his wife’s shoulder to his head and caressed her temple when she closed her eyes. Seamus hoped she wasn’t too worn out from the last few days. “You give the actual shirt off your back to complete strangers, rescue damsels in distress… You have enough points in your ledger to officially apply for sainthood. But you suck at accepting gifts.”
“It’s Christmas.” Jen hopped up to sit on his lap, crushing the box while she kissed his cheek the way she used to as a child. The way Penny did now when she wanted something. “And it’s your turn to have an adventure. So just say thank you and start planning your trip.”
He laughed, but his throat was tight with suppressed emotion. He was a lucky man with a full life. Blessed with family. “Thank you. And Merry Christmas, Santa. I owe you one. Probably more than one. A vacation from all my cares sounds too good to be true.”
Finn Again (The Finn Factor Book 5) Page 9