She gave him a sly look. “The only thing that might make you an even better man would be putting out the effort to make things right.”
“Don’t even go there,” Patrick warned. “I’m not going to organize some big reconciliation between them and my folks. I don’t ever want to see my parents again. The only reason I’m even going to Boston for this wedding is because it seems to mean a lot to Michael, Sean and Ryan. After that, if they want to track down Daniel and our parents, it’s up to them. I want no part of it.”
He expected her to deliver another lecture, but instead she merely said quietly, “Maybe you’ll change your mind.”
“I won’t. If you’re counting on that, you’re going to be disappointed.”
“We’ll see.”
“It’s not going to happen, Alice.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Don’t patronize me, dammit!”
She gave him a serene smile that almost sent him over the edge. He barely resisted the urge to pound the table to emphasize his point. Instead he picked up his cards and looked them over, relieved to see that he had a full house working. He tossed one card and waited for Alice to deal him another. After a long look, she finally did just that without further comment.
Patrick took that hand and then the next, but then Alice went on a winning streak that caught him by surprise. When she finally yawned and called it a night, she’d accumulated twenty points to his eighteen.
To her credit, she didn’t gloat. Nor did she push overly hard for the reconciliation he’d declared wasn’t going to happen.
“We’ll talk about you paying up on our bet when you get back from Boston,” she said mildly as she headed for the deck. Then she smiled up at him. “Of course, if you wanted to smooth things out with your brothers while you’re there, then there won’t even be anything to talk about except getting you back together with your folks.”
Despite his annoyance, Patrick couldn’t help admiring her tenacity. “We’ll see,” he said, snagging her hand and pulling her toward him. He brushed an errant curl away from her face and let his hand linger. “You’re quite the little nag, aren’t you?”
She grinned, obviously not taking offense. “You have no idea.”
“Proud of it, too,” he concluded.
“You bet, especially when the cause is such a good one.”
“What if I were to threaten to kiss you each and every time you brought up the subject?” he inquired curiously.
She laughed at that. “Then you’d just be making it a whole lot more interesting.”
He studied her with surprise. “Really?”
“Really,” she said, keeping her expression serious, even though her eyes were twinkling merrily. “Good night, Patrick.”
She pulled away and stepped onto the dock. “I can’t wait to hear all about Boston.”
“You could still come with me,” he called after her.
“I don’t think so. I think I’ll just trust you to do the right thing.”
He watched her until she reached her car and drove away, then sighed. He really, really hated having someone count on him to do the right thing. In this situation he wasn’t even sure what the right thing was.
Chapter Eight
By Monday morning, Alice was already feeling restless and at loose ends. Spring break stretched out ahead of her like a prison sentence, rather than a relaxing vacation. Even though keeping up with a classroom full of five-year-olds was stressful, having time to herself with nothing to do but think about the past was worse. And now she had her conflicting emotions over Patrick to add into the mix. She would have given almost anything to have Ricky Foster around to give her a run for her money and keep her mind occupied.
Since she couldn’t have that distraction, she opted for going to Jess’s to see Molly. Molly was always good for some lively conversation, and she always knew the latest gossip in Widow’s Cove.
Alice knew the second she walked through the door and saw her friend’s face light up that she’d probably made a mistake.
“Over here,” Molly ordered, gesturing toward a secluded booth. She brought the coffeepot and two cups with her. “Talk,” she said as she poured the coffee.
Alice gave her a disgruntled look. “Any particular topic?”
“Don’t even try to pretend you don’t know what I’m asking about,” Molly retorted. “You and Patrick. How’s that going?”
Since Molly was unlikely to drop the subject, Alice concluded that the smart thing would be to turn Molly’s fascination to her advantage. “What do you know about Patrick’s brother Daniel?”
Molly made a face. “A pompous, self-righteous jerk,” she said succinctly. She looked as if she wanted to say a lot more, but she didn’t.
Alice’s gaze narrowed. The description sounded more personal than objective. “Okay, spill it, Molly. What did he ever do to you?”
“Nothing,” Molly said a little too quickly.
“Come on, Molly, tell the truth. You don’t say things like that about someone unless they’ve done you wrong.”
“Not me. Patrick,” Molly insisted.
Alice studied her skeptically. “And that’s it? You don’t like him, because he what? Took Patrick at his word and left him alone?”
“Pretty much.” She said it easily enough, but she wouldn’t meet Alice’s gaze.
“I’m not buying it,” Alice said. “If that’s all it was, you’d be moving heaven and earth to patch things up between them.”
“The same way you are?” Molly asked testily.
“Exactly.”
“Maybe I’m just not as inclined to meddle in something that’s none of my business.”
Alice gave her a wry look. “Since when?”
“Since it’s Daniel Devaney we’re talking about, if you must know. The man gets on my nerves, that’s all.”
“Oh, really?” Alice thought she was finally getting a lot closer to the truth. “It’s only a tiny little leap from getting on your nerves to getting under your skin. Do you have a thing for Daniel?”
Molly looked as scandalized as if Alice had accused her of stealing from the poor. “Don’t be absurd. The man would never give me a second look, and I don’t waste my time pining for idiots.”
Now there was a telling comment, Alice thought. She wondered if Molly realized she’d all but admitted to having feelings, even if they were feelings she was fighting.
“Is he as handsome as his brother?”
“They’re identical twins,” Molly retorted, then rested her chin on her hand and leveled a speculative look straight into Alice’s eyes. “You tell me, does that make him handsome?”
Alice couldn’t seem to prevent the blush that crept into her cheeks. If she expected total honesty from her friend, then she needed to repay it in kind. “It does in my book,” she admitted.
Molly sat back with a satisfied look. “I thought so. How far has it gone?”
“It hasn’t gone anywhere. We went out on his boat on Saturday, had dinner and played cards. Just a relaxing day. Nothing more.”
“You were down in that cozy little place of his below deck till well after midnight and all you did was play cards? I am very disappointed in you,” Molly chided.
Alice regarded Molly curiously. “How did you know I was there past midnight?”
“I wasn’t down there peering in the portholes, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Molly retorted. “Your car was still there when I closed up here. If you didn’t want me to notice it, you should have parked someplace else or left earlier. The point is, you were with the man and wasting time on cards.” Her expression brightened. “Was it strip poker at least?”
“No, it was not strip poker!” Alice said with feigned indignation. “As a matter of fact, the stakes were much higher.”
“Oh, really? Maybe you didn’t let me down after all. What were they?”
“If I won—which I did—he would make peace with his family.”
Molly s
tared, obviously shocked. “Patrick agreed to that?”
Alice grinned. “He didn’t expect to lose.”
“You did tell him that Jess taught you to play poker didn’t you?”
“I did, and apparently he wasn’t overly impressed.”
“Foolish man.”
Alice shrugged. “His gullibility served my purposes very nicely.”
“So now you’re trying to figure out how to bring about this reconciliation?” Molly concluded. “Is that why you were asking about Daniel? You think he’s the obvious link?”
“You disagree?”
“Let’s just say I wouldn’t turn to Daniel if my life were on the line, but that’s just me.”
Alice grinned. “Interesting. All that vehement protesting and your cheeks are bright pink.”
“Don’t make too much of that. The man infuriates me.”
“My point exactly,” Alice said. “I think I’ll see what I can do about hooking up with Daniel Devaney while I’m on break from school.”
“Patrick won’t thank you for interfering in his life,” Molly warned.
“Sometimes you just have to do what you think is best and to hell with the consequences for yourself,” Alice said.
“You don’t care if Patrick is furious with you?”
“I’d prefer it if he weren’t,” Alice admitted. “But I’m willing to take the risk.”
“You’re a braver woman that I am,” Molly said, regarding her with admiration. “Just don’t expect too much from Daniel. And don’t go dragging him down here for this big reconciliation. I don’t want him on the property.”
She sounded dead serious. Alice studied her more closely. “How did he let you down, Molly?”
“I never said he let me down. I believe I said he was a pompous, self-righteous jerk.”
“Because he let you down,” Alice repeated confidently. “That just gives me one more thing to straighten out.”
“I do not want to be your spring break project!” Molly shouted after her as she headed for the door. “I doubt that Patrick does, either.”
“That’s the problem with having a friend who has good intentions and time on her hands,” Alice called back. “We just go on about the business of doing our good deeds, anyway.”
Patrick heard all about Alice’s visit to Jess’s the second he crossed the bar’s threshold on Monday evening. Molly couldn’t shut up about it.
“So what?” he asked, when he could finally get a word in. “It’s not as if Daniel is going to come roaring over here to make peace just because Alice pesters him to do it. He knows better, at least where I’m concerned. What about you? You interested in making peace with my brother?”
“When hell freezes over,” Molly said fiercely.
Patrick grinned. “You might want to tone down that response. It tends to give away the fact that down deep, you still have the hots for the man.”
“I most certainly do not,” Molly said. “And you, of all people, know exactly why that is.”
Patrick sobered at once. “I do know, Molly, and you’ll get no argument from me. He treated you badly, and you have every reason to hate him.”
“To say nothing of the way he stood behind your folks rather than you,” she said. “I can’t forgive him for that, either.”
“Leave me out of it. Daniel and I can wrestle with our issues. You don’t have to take on my battle. And I won’t hold it against you if you were ever to decide to give him another chance.”
“I won’t,” Molly said flatly. “I’d say he’s shown us both his true character, wouldn’t you? Who needs it?”
Just then she glanced toward the door, and her expression turned sour. “Don’t look now, but our meddling friend is back to report in on her day’s adventures.”
Patrick swiveled his stool around to see Alice marching toward them with a determined glint in her eyes. She looked as if she were returning from battle, though he couldn’t quite read whether she’d been victorious.
“Have a busy day?” he inquired lightly.
“As a matter of fact, I did,” she told him. “I went to see your brother.”
“So I heard,” he said, keeping his tone neutral.
Alice frowned at Molly. “You blabbed?”
“Of course, I told him,” Molly said without regret. “He had a right to know.”
“I suppose,” Alice conceded.
Despite his irritation, Patrick was curious. “How’d it go?”
“He told me to mind my own damn business,” she said indignantly. “And I am quoting him precisely.”
Molly chuckled. “That’s our Daniel. Never did mince words. Despite his tendency to want to keep the peace, the man has the diplomatic skills of Attila the Hun.”
“Funny, he said pretty much the same thing about you,” Alice retorted. “What the devil went on between you two, anyway? I have a feeling if I’d never mentioned your name, I might have gotten further.”
“None of your business,” Molly retorted.
Alice sighed. “I’m just trying to help.”
Patrick understood that her heart was in the right place, but he’d tried to tell her not to waste her energy fighting his battles. Molly had apparently told her the same thing. “Leave it alone, Alice. Things are the way they’re meant to be.”
“Life is not meant to be lived like this. Families shouldn’t be split up,” she argued.
“Tell that to my folks,” he said. “They’re the ones responsible.”
“Way back then, when they left Boston, yes,” she agreed. “But you’ve only made it worse, and they’ve all let you get away with it.”
“Which only means that we’re all content with the status quo,” he pointed out. “Leave it be.” He tucked a finger under her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “How about I buy you dinner?”
“I’m not hungry,” she said, her expression glum.
“A drink, then?”
“Sure.” She looked at Molly. “A diet soda, please.”
Patrick grinned. “Big drinker, huh?”
“I know better than to drink anything else on an empty stomach.”
“Then let me buy you dinner,” he repeated. “The special’s pork chops.”
“Not interested,” she insisted.
Patrick turned to Molly. “Make it one special, then. We’ll be in that booth over there.”
Molly frowned at him. “I don’t get it, Patrick. Why aren’t you more upset that Alice went meddling where she didn’t belong?”
“Because he was secretly hoping I’d fix things,” Alice said.
Patrick frowned at her. “No, because it’s no big deal. I knew how it was going to turn out before Alice ever went traipsing after Daniel. So did you, Molly. You could have saved your breath trying to stop her. There was nothing to worry about.”
“I wasn’t worried. I was annoyed,” Molly said. “I didn’t like the idea earlier, and I’m no happier about it now.” She scowled at Alice. “No more meddling on my behalf, okay? Promise me.”
“Fine. I promise,” Alice said.
She looked so dejected Patrick almost felt sorry for her. She’d obviously wanted to do something helpful, and she’d only been slapped down from all directions for her efforts.
“Come on,” he said, steering her over to a booth. When she was settled across from him, he met her gaze. “Come on, Alice, cheer up. You tried. It didn’t work out. I’m not unhappy about that. Molly is definitely not unhappy about it. You shouldn’t be, either.”
“Why is everyone being so stubborn?”
He grinned at the plaintive note in her voice. “I can’t speak for Molly, but as for Daniel and me, we’re Devaneys. It comes with the genes.”
“More’s the pity,” she muttered.
“Forget about it. Come to Boston with me this weekend. We’ll have some fun, go to the wedding and you’ll see that none of this matters in the greater scheme of things.”
“I don’t think so,” she said as indignant
ly as if he’d suggested they go skinny-dipping in broad daylight. “I won our bet. I can’t go to Boston.”
He chuckled. “We can pretend I won. Or we can play one hand of poker right here and now, winner take all.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ve already bumped up against two stubborn Devaneys. I’m not sure I could handle a whole crowd of them.”
He laughed at that. “That makes two of us. Think of it this way—you coming along would be a mission of mercy.”
She finally grinned at that. “Nice try, Devaney, but you’re not going to get me by playing on my sympathy. I will take those pork chops, though.” She glanced at Molly, who was across the room taking in the scene with obvious fascination. “With mashed potatoes and gravy, please.”
Patrick winked at Molly. “Give the lady whatever she wants.”
“Naturally,” Molly said. “Around here we aim to please our customers.”
Alice gave her a sour look. “Then you can lay off all the I-told-you-so’s that are on the tip of your tongue.”
Molly grinned. “I’m not sure I can go that far.”
“Try,” Alice said. “Otherwise, I might be tempted to take one more stab at getting Daniel to listen to me.”
“Then by all means, Molly, keep your mouth shut,” Patrick said fervently. Given his own inability to resist Alice, he doubted his brother could withstand another persuasive onslaught, and the last thing he wanted was for Alice to manage to drag Daniel over here where he’d only stir up a lot of old issues for Patrick—and for Molly.
Patrick had second and then third thoughts on the drive down to Boston. Michael’s wedding was just about the last place on earth he wanted to be, but he’d made his brothers a promise and he didn’t intend to break it. If having him there made up for some of the old hurts inflicted by their folks, then it was the least he could do.
He drove straight to his oldest brother’s pub, then stood outside Ryan’s Place trying to work up the courage to go in. At that moment he regretted, more than he could say, not trying harder to talk Alice into coming with him. Staring through the glass, he was grateful that the pub was packed. He doubted Ryan would have much time for him. He could say hello and head to his hotel, then try to regroup in time for tomorrow’s wedding. With any luck there would be so much commotion at the wedding no one would even notice he was there.
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