Brian

5

"I don't know what the hell I'm going to do if the report comes out." Brian leaned his head back against the sofa and stared up at the living room ceiling in Sean's apartment.

"Who did the investigation?" Sean asked, flopping down next to him and handing Brian a beer.

"Some guy named Wiffram."

"Harvey Wiffram. He's good. Most of his work is background checks for corporate clients. If there's dirt to be found, he'll find it."

"Everything was in there, Da's drinking, Ma's leaving, the social workers, every petty crime we got caught for. He even interviewed one of my grade school teachers. She made it sound like we were neglected."

"Technically we were," Sean said.

"But we were okay," Brian countered. "I mean, we were taken care of. Conor made sure of that. Things could have been a lot worse."

"So what's gonna happen?"

"They know about the shoplifting. And that little joyride we took with the neighbor's car. That might tarnish the image a bit. I'm worried about Conor. He had to pull some strings to keep us out of jail. And they have all the information about that murder rap that Da had hanging over his head last year. This could put some serious stink on all of us."

"Why don't you just give up the story?" Sean asked.

Brian frowned. He'd been thinking exactly that since he'd seen the report. But it went against every instinct he had as a journalist. Besides, he was determined to uncover the truth, just to spite Lily Gallagher's efforts.

An unbidden surge of anger raced through him. He shouldn't have been surprised that Lily would stoop so low. Though he hadn't expected her to be as single-minded as he was when it came to her own career, he could certainly understand it. Maybe he'd hoped that their relationship might give her a different perspective on Richard Patterson. It wasn't as if Brian was making the story up. Patterson was a sleazeball.

But to Lily, their attraction was all about animal lust and nothing more. Yes, he'd spent a lot of free time fantasizing about stripping off her clothes and making love to her all night long. There was something about her that could arouse his desire with just the thought of touching her.

It wasn't just lust that drove him, though. He'd always had such control over his desires, able to take a woman or leave her, depending upon his whims. But for some reason, he couldn't let Lily go, couldn't put her out of his head-or his life-for good.

"I'm not going to back off. That's just what Patterson wants. I have to report what I find."

"Is that some kind of rule they teach you in reporter's school?" Sean asked.

"No, it's just part of the job. Conor doesn't walk away from a murder, Dylan doesn't walk away from a fire. And I don't walk away from a story. It's as simple as that."

Sean shrugged and took a long drink of his beer. "Aren't there degrees of importance in your stories?" he said. "Maybe this story isn't as important as you think it is."

Brian considered the suggestion for a long moment. Was Sean right? Had he somehow built this all up in his head? Hell, he'd been trying to break the story for over a year and still didn't have one single shred of solid proof that Richard Patterson had violated any laws. Everyone at the station, including his bosses, would be more than happy if he walked away from it. And if he did, it would solve all his problems with Lily. They could call a truce.

"I can't let it go," he murmured. "Not as long as I think there's something there."

"Maybe she won't use any of that stuff."

"Oh, she'll use it," Brian said. "She's too smart not to. But my guess is that she'll probably save it, maybe wait until I'm just about ready to break the story, then drop it in the media to destroy my credibility. They'll be talking about me instead of the story."

Though Brian wanted to believe that Lily was as coldhearted as that, it was still a stretch. Everything he'd seen in her up to this point had led him to believe she felt at least a small measure of affection for him. Maybe she wouldn't use the report as ammunition. Either way, he'd have to be prepared with a counterattack.

"You need more bargaining power," Sean said as if he'd read his twin's mind.

"And how am I supposed to get that?"

"Find some skeletons in Richard Patterson's closet. Big, nasty skeletons."

"I've been looking," Brian said.

"At his business affairs. You haven't looked into his personal life. Is he cheating on his wife? Does he ignore his children? Does he employ any illegal immigrants? There's a million and one things that might be just as dangerous as what he has on you."

"Can you find something for me?" Brian asked.

Sean scratched his thumbnail over the label on his beer bottle as he considered the request. "Only if you can get me tickets to a Sox-Yankees game next month."

"I can do that," Brian said. "You find me something good to use on Patterson and I'll get you press box passes for the entire series with the Yankees."

The front doorbell rang and Sean jumped up from the sofa. "Pizza's here," he murmured.

Brian grabbed his wallet and tossed it to his brother as he walked to the door. "My treat," he said.

Sean didn't bother to argue so Brian figured he was a little short of cash. He felt guilty asking him to do some legwork for no pay, but Sean didn't seem to mind. He took money when it was offered and worked for nothing when it wasn't.

A few seconds later, Sean returned with the pizza and set it down on the coffee table. Then he went to the kitchen and retrieved two dish towels, throwing one in Brian's direction. "Don't tell Ellie," he muttered. "She'd kill me if she knew I was using her dish towels as napkins."

"Where are Liam and Ellie?"

"They're out looking for an apartment. I told them I'd move out and they could have this place, but with Ellie's salary at the bank and Liam's new projects, they can afford better. I don't know how I'm going to swing the rent on this place alone."

"You could always move in with me," Brian said. "I've got room."

"Nah. I'd have to leave once you and this Lily woman move in together."

Brian laughed, but it sounded a bit too forced, even to his own ears. "I'm not moving in with Lily Gallagher," he protested. Yet, he wasn't entirely convinced that he hated the idea. He at least wanted a chance with her, an opportunity to see if there was anything behind the passion they shared. Or if that passion would just burn out over time.

"You're not going to have a choice." Sean grabbed a piece of pizza and blew on it to cool it down. "It's the curse. There's no getting out of it."

"But I didn't really rescue her. Her life wasn't in danger. She was perfectly safe." He paused. "Well, there were a few other times that I suppose she might have been in a little danger, and I-in front of the pub the other day, I thought she was about to step out into traffic. And then she nearly tripped down some stairs and there was the bike in the park. I mean, she wasn't really in danger, I was just looking out for her." He paused. "Besides, it gave me a chance to touch her."

Sean took a bite of the pizza. He chewed slowly, pondering Brian's admission. "I suppose you could be right. Conor saved Olivia from Red Keenan's thugs. And Dylan saved Meggie from fire. And Brendan pulled Amy out of the middle of a bar fight. That's pretty big stuff."

"And Liam saved Ellie from a burglar. I saved Lily from a boring evening. It's just not the same."

"But you kind of wish it was, don't you?" Sean asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Right now, Lily and I can't be in the same room without finding something to disagree about. I don't know how the hell that's supposed to lead to eternal love and marriage."

"There must have been something that you liked about her."

"We had very hot sex in the back of a limo. That's a nice little fantasy fulfilled for any guy. And then she told me she never wanted to see me again. Most guys would love that. But I wanted to see her again. I still do."

"Eat some pizza and drink some beer," Sean said. "You'll feel much better. Maybe after we're done we'll head down to the pub and see if we can find you a woman."

Brian nodded. But he didn't want just any woman. The only woman he really wanted was Lily. And though he'd had her once, it just wasn't enough.

Lily slammed the newspaper down on the conference room table and glared at the four people gathered around it. "Who leaked this?"

The four suspects-Derrick, Margaret, John and Allison-all looked at her as if she'd just asked who among them had been born on Pluto.

"One of you must have leaked it." Lily picked up the Boston Herald and waved it in the air. "Page twelve. There are two columns on Brian Quinn in here. Everything in the P.I.'s report is in the article. It's like they had a copy of it. I thought I told you I would decide when to use that information."

"I didn't leak it," Derrick said. He looked at Margaret, his gaze accusatory.

Margaret shook her head. "Me, neither. You took our copy of the report."

"You didn't make any other copies?" Lily asked.

"It just came in day before yesterday," John said. "We barely had time to read it."

"Mr. Patterson had a copy," Allison offered with a weak smile. "He sometimes likes to take things into his own hands."

Lily drew a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She hated to let her temper get the best of her at work. But this was a major mistake. "All right. I'll take care of this. Get back to work. And no contact with the press unless you clear it with me, understand?" She tucked the newspaper under her arm and walked out of the conference room, heading directly for Richard Patterson's office, one story above. When she got to Mrs. Wilburn's desk, she didn't bother stopping. "Is he in?"

"Miss Gallagher, you can't just-"

"Is he in?" Lily asked. "If he is, tell him I need to see him. Immediately."

Mrs. Wilburn snatched up the phone arid whispered something into it, then nodded to Lily. "He can see you now."

Lily knew she should have taken some time to cool down, to figure out why she was really angry. Was she upset because her orders had been ignored? Or was it because she knew that the article would hurt Brian Quinn? She'd made it perfectly clear to Richard Patterson that she was the one who would handle media relations. And trashing Brian Quinn in the press was her call, not his.

"Lily!" Richard cried as she stepped inside the office. "Did you see the Herald?"

"I did," Lily said.

"I would have loved to see it closer to the front page, but page twelve is pretty good. This has got to hurt him."

Lily calmed herself before she spoke. It wouldn't do to shout at him or throw a tantrum. "When I spoke to you last, we made an agreement. I asked you not to interfere, to let me handle things for you and in return I would help you with your little… problem."

Patterson held up in hands in mock innocence. "Hey, I just mentioned what I knew to a friend of mine and he must have gone to the Herald."

"Don't give me excuses," Lily said. "I know what you did. You made a copy of that report and you gave it to a friend who turned it over to someone at the Herald."

Patterson seemed surprised by her insight-and by her apparent lack of respect for his position. But Lily didn't care. Hell, maybe he'd fire her and solve all her problems. Though the job meant big money to DeLay Scoville, if Patterson fired her, she could go back to Chicago without having to admit failure. She could blame everything on a difficult client. "And don't threaten to fire me," Lily added, "because I'll quit before you get a chance."

"Why are you angry? This gives us an advantage."

"If we were going to use this, and I'm not saying we would have, it could have been made public to counteract any report he made. Now, if he airs something damaging to us, I have nothing to use. This is the whole story and in a few days, it's going to be forgotten. They'll have moved on to something new and we'll have nothing."

"I don't think this is nearly as serious as you're making it out to be," Richard said, clearly aware of his mistake now. "So I call the investigator and he digs up more dirt."

"And what if they trace this story back to you?"

"They won't."

"They could. And then, we're going to have to explain why you orchestrated this little personal vendetta against a popular news reporter. It's going to look like retribution and that makes us look petty and vindictive."

Richard sat back down, his jaw tense. "Then do something about it," he muttered angrily. "Just fix it. That's what I hired you for, isn't it?"

Lily nodded, then walked out of the office. She went directly to her own office, grabbed her purse and strode to Marie's desk. "Cancel my appointments for this afternoon," she said. "I'll call in for messages."

"Where are you going?" Marie asked.

"I have to do some damage control."

Lily knew what she had to do and dreaded the prospect. Every time she thought she'd seen the last of Brian Quinn, they got thrown together once again. Maybe, deep inside, she was glad Patterson had leaked the story. Maybe, subconsciously, she wanted to see Brian one last time.

As she rode the elevator down to the lobby, Lily wondered how he had reacted to the article. Had he been angry… or upset? There was no doubt that he was blaming her. She could deal with his anger, but Lily hadn't wanted to hurt him. He was a good man who'd done nothing more than his job. He didn't deserve to have his reputation tainted by his past.

When she got out on the street, she hailed a cab and hopped inside. "WBTN, the television station. It's on Congress. I'm not sure-"

"I know where it is," the driver said. He pulled into traffic and floored the accelerator. Lily held on, trying to focus on what she was going to say once she faced him. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she mused. After all, she didn't owe Brian any apologies. Wasn't he the one who said there weren't any rules?

Maybe this was all just an excuse to see him again. Lily couldn't deny that she'd been thinking about him. And not just random thoughts. Instead, she'd indulged in very vivid fantasies that involved a general lack of both clothing and inhibitions.

It was almost as if she'd fallen victim to an addiction, unable to deny herself, yet aware that indulging would become more dangerous over time. She needed his touch, needed to taste his mouth and to run her hands over his body. Being with Brian made her feel wicked and sensual and more alive than she'd ever felt with a man before. And though every instinct warned her off, she was like a moth to the flame.

She tried to brush the fantasies from her mind, but they kept returning, making her heart pound a little faster and her blood warm. When the cab finally screeched to a stop in front of the station, Lily was ready to tell the cabbie to turn around and take her back to her office. But instead, she paid him, then slowly strolled to the front doors of the television studio.

The spacious lobby was full of glass and chrome. A receptionist sat at a circular desk in the middle, a bank of television monitors above her head. Lily pasted a smile on her face. "I need to see Brian Quinn. Is he in?"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No. But if he's in, just tell him that Lily Gallagher is here to see him. He's probably expecting me."

She punched a few buttons on her console, then spoke into her headset. "Lily Gallagher to see you, Brian," she said. She waited for a few seconds. "All right." She glanced up at Lily. "He'll be right out."

A minute later, a door swung open and Brian walked through. Lily felt a tiny thrill rush through her. God, every time she saw him he managed to look even sexier than before. Today, he wore a blue Oxford shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, the sleeves rolled up, and tailored trousers that accented his narrow waist and flat belly.

He slowed as he approached her, then stopped about ten feet away. His hair, usually tidy, looked as if he'd been running his hands through it and Lily felt her own fingers clench as she remembered how the strands felt between her fingers. He watched her warily as she searched for something to say. "Hi," she finally said, certain that was all she could manage for the moment.

His eyebrow arched. "What are you doing here, Lily?"

She glanced around. "Is there somewhere we can talk? Privately?"

"I don't think we have anything to say to each other."

She could tell he was angry. "You saw the article in the Herald?"

"So has everyone else at the station."

"Can we please talk? I need to explain."

Brian nodded curtly, then turned and walked through the door. Lily had no choice but to follow. They walked down a long hallway, Lily a few steps behind him. He reached another door and pushed it open, holding it for Lily. She walked into a small room, empty of furniture, the walls padded with carpet. A single window overlooked a control room.

"What is this?"

"It's a sound studio." He reached over and closed the blinds on the window, then turned back to face her. "Say what you came to say," he murmured.

"I'm sorry." Lily clutched her hands in front of her and shifted back and forth. "I know you think it was me, but it wasn't. I had the information, but I don't think I would have used it. I do follow a certain set of principles, no matter what you might believe right now."

"Who leaked the story?" Brian demanded.

"I can't say."

"So your principles don't include telling the truth?" Brian asked.

"Who do you think did it?" Lily said.

"I think one of Patterson's cronies probably leaked the information, carefully, so it couldn't be traced back to him."

"I can neither confirm nor deny," Lily said with a weak smile. "All I can say is that I hope it doesn't cause you too many problems. I've handled situations like these. There may be some talk but it will die down. It's not like you committed murder or had sex with a prostitute. You just possessed a little youthful enthusiasm, that's all."

"They're putting together a damn focus group," he muttered, pacing back and forth across the room. "The station manager pulled me in the minute I got to work this morning. He's worried about my image and the news director is thinking about taking me off the air for a while."

"I'm sorry," Lily murmured, reaching out to touch his arm, her hand trembling slightly.

He stepped back, avoiding her touch. "Do you really care?"

His gaze met hers, and suddenly she knew they weren't just talking about the report. "Of-of course I do. I don't want to see you hurt."

They stared at each other for a long moment and then, as if a bomb had exploded in the studio, they threw themselves into each other's arms. Brian took her face between his hands and brought his mouth down on hers, his kiss hot and demanding. Lily's hands smoothed over his chest, aching to touch his skin.

Nothing seemed to matter but the taste of him, yet even that wasn't enough. He pushed her back against the carpeted wall and pressed his hips into hers, the heat of his arousal evident between him. Lily reached down to touch him there, needing to prove to herself that he still wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Slowly, she stroked him through the fabric of his trousers, his breath coming in hot gasps, his mouth ravaging hers. With a low growl, he brushed her touch away and pinned her wrists above her head, then fumbled with the buttons of her blouse.

Lily moaned as he tore at her bra, pushing it aside to reveal the soft swell of her breast. And then his mouth left hers and drifted down to her nipple. How could she possibly resist these incredible sensations racing through her body? He made her tremble all over, made her ache for his touch. When she was with him, he made her breathless and weak with longing.

But as quickly as it started, it was over. Brian released her hands and straightened, then carefully began to rearrange her clothes. He drew a ragged breath as he turned his attention to the buttons on her blouse. "We can't do this. I'm in enough hot water here."

"Kiss me again," Lily whispered, caressing his cheek.

He did as he was asked, but this time, some of the desperation was gone. This time, he was gentle and sweet. "We can't keep doing this, Lily," he murmured, his forehead pressed to hers. "I want something more."

"What do you want? Tell me and I'll give it to you."

He stared down at her for a long moment. "I want… a date. Something normal. I pick you up, we go out. We get to know each other better, maybe find out if there's something more going on here than just…"

"Lust?" she asked.

"Maybe."

"I thought we agreed that night in the limo that-"

"I didn't agree to anything," Brian interrupted, his jaw tight. He finished buttoning her blouse, then tucked it into the front of her skirt. "You asked me what I wanted and I told you. I'll call you, we'll go out for dinner."

Lily hesitated. This wasn't part of the plan. She knew the dangers she faced in trying to make a relationship work with Brian. When it was just lust, what they shared was simple. But when it was more, then she risked getting hurt. And Brian Quinn was exactly the kind of man who could shatter her heart into a million pieces.

He changed women almost as often as he changed his socks. She'd read it all in the report. He pursued women for as long as they resisted and then cut another notch in his bedpost and moved on. She'd known his type before. But that didn't mean she wasn't tempted.

"All right," she said, reaching for the door. An instant later, she felt Brian's hands on her waist. He slowly turned her around. His gaze met hers and then he bent close and kissed her again, his hands smoothing over her face as if he couldn't get enough of touching her. And when he was through, he sighed softly. "You go ahead."

"Are you coming?"

Brian chuckled, then glanced down at the front of his trousers. "I think I might need a few minutes-to compose myself."

Lily felt a blush warm her cheeks. "All right. I guess I'll see you then. It's a date."

"I guess you will. I'll call."

Brian pulled up in front of the Eliot Hotel and scanned the sidewalk for Lily. He saw her standing near the door, chatting with a bellman and he watched silently.

She wore a pretty cotton dress with a loose, flowing skirt that moved in the warm summer breeze. Her hair, a riot of curls, was pulled up into a haphazard ponytail and tied with a colorful scarf.

When the sun hit her, he could see the outline of her legs through the fabric of her dress. "God, she's beautiful," Brian muttered.

He'd been thinking about her all week but had deliberately held off calling her until yesterday. He'd hoped that, given time, he'd be able to understand his attraction to her, and thereby control it. But all he'd learned was that his desire for Lily was completely irrational.

He ought to hate her, or at least mistrust her motives. But the furor over the Herald article had died down. He was back on the schedule and according to a station focus group, the article had served to improve his image as a regular guy and a native Bostonian.

So, for now, he and Lily were at a standoff professionally and at a crossroads personally. Maybe after their first date, he'd finally have a clue. Brian beeped his horn and Lily turned to look his way. He stepped out of the car and waved and she came running up. Considering their last encounter in the sound studio, he wasn't sure how it would be between them. But as she came closer, a smile curved her lips.

"Hi," Lily said.

"Hi. Are you ready?"

"I am. But I'm not sure for what."

He circled the car and opened her door for her, grabbing her bag. Before she got inside, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her toward him for a quick kiss. She didn't resist, instead tipped her face up and kissed him back. This was how it was supposed to be, he mused. Easy and familiar. By the time he drew away, Brian felt as if they'd smoothed out the difficulties between them, at least for the day. He tossed her bag in the back seat and jogged around to his side of the car.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked, once they'd pulled into traffic.

"It's a surprise," Brian said. "But we're going to have fun, I promise."

"I'm glad you called," Lily murmured. "I wasn't sure you would. I wanted to tell you again how sorry I was for what happened."

Brian shrugged, then reached over and wove his fingers through the tendrils of hair at her nape. "No talk about work today."

"All right," Lily agreed. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Let's not worry about that," Brian said. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

The drive passed quickly and as Brian suspected, they didn't have any problem finding something to talk about, though he was much more preoccupied with studying her beautiful face than making conversation. Lily chatted about trying to find something to occupy her free time in Boston and Brian suggested things she might try. He didn't suggest his first choice, that she spend every free minute in bed with him. Although he thought it was probably the most valuable use of her time-and her body-Lily probably wouldn't appreciate such brazen talk on their first date. By the time they crossed the Congress Street bridge, he'd nearly convinced her to try sculling lessons on the Charles.

"Sculling lessons," she murmured. "I could do that. I'm really good on the rowing machine at my health club."

Brian pointed out the window at the Children's Museum and the Boston Tea Party ship. "We're heading into Southie now," he murmured. "This is my neighborhood."

"You live here?"

"Not anymore. I have an apartment close to the station. But I grew up here."

"Can we go see the house where you lived? Is it still there?"

"Did I tell you about Southie?" Brian asked.

"I-I just read the report."

"Maybe I should read the report," he teased. "I wouldn't want to repeat something you already know."

"I thought we weren't going to talk about work," Lily said. "Although it will probably be a moot point before too long anyway."

"Why's that?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm thinking of turning this job over to one of the other people at the agency. I'm not sure I can be as effective as I should be."

"You'd leave Boston?" Brian asked.

She nodded. "I shouldn't have come to the station the other day. It shouldn't have bothered me that that story hit the papers." Lily paused. "But it did."

Brian stared out the street, unable to believe what he was hearing. Then with a soft curse, he pulled the car over the curb. "You don't have to leave," he said. "If that's the worst you're going to dish out, I can handle it."

"But I-"

He stopped her words with his lips, yanking her from across the car into a desperate kiss. The thought of her leaving Boston shouldn't have affected him at all. He shouldn't have cared. But he did-and he wasn't sure why. All he knew was that he needed to keep her close for now.

Brian reached up and smoothed his hand over her face. "You don't have to leave. Not on my account. Do what you have to do for Patterson, Lily. I'll understand. No hard feelings."

"You say that now, but it's still going to affect the way I do my job." She laughed softly. "Wait until you meet Emma Carsten. She'll have no mercy. By the time she's done with you, you'll be recommending Richard Patterson for sainthood."

"I thought we weren't going to talk about work," Brian murmured, his gaze fixed on her mouth as he ran his thumb over her lower lip. This was not how he wanted the day to go, caught in a debate about whether she'd be staying in Boston or walking out of his life for good.

"I'll stop talking about work, if you'll tell me where we're going on our… mystery date."

"Well, it involves food and water."

"That's it?" Lily asked.

Brian glanced over his shoulder and then pulled back into traffic. A quick left took them toward the waterfront. He'd been down to the Fish Pier a million times when he was a kid and knew the area well. Though his father offloaded his swordfish catch in Gloucester, the Mighty Quinn's home port had always been South Boston with most of its regular crew coming from Southie.

"Over there is Commonwealth Pier. That's where all the excursion boats leave from." He found a place to park, then pointed straight ahead. "And that's the Fish Pier. Those buildings are almost a hundred years old. This used to be the center for the fishing industry, but not anymore. Commercial fishing has fallen on hard times. There's a plan to develop this area with luxury apartments and a park. Some folks want to leave it the way it is. For the fishermen and all the history."

"Is this the Wellston project?" Lily asked, sending him a suspicious gaze.

Brian shook his head. "No. But it might as well be. It's the same kind of thing. Developers are snatching up waterfront property all over Boston. To them it's just real estate. To the folks who make their living on the water, it's their life. Pretty soon you won't know there were even fishermen in this town." Brian paused. "And now, I'll get off my soapbox. You should be here early in the morning, about six-thirty. They have the fish auction. It's a lot of fun."

"I'd like to see that," Lily said. "Maybe we could go sometime."

They got out of the car and strolled toward the two long buildings that made up Fish Pier. An arcade ran along the street level and Brian remembered playing there as a kid, racing in and out while he and his brothers played tag. He grabbed Lily's hand and drew her toward the building's arch, pointing up at the carving of Neptune's head.

"Some people say that Boston was built by the codfish aristocracy. But there's not much money to be made in commercial fishing anymore. When my da realized that none of his sons were going to follow in his footsteps, I think he was disappointed. That's when he bought the pub." He paused, searching for a change of subject. "That's the No-Name over there. It's a real popular tourist spot now, but when I was a kid, it was just a place where the dockworkers and fishermen ate. They make really good 'chowdah.'"

"Chowder?"

"No, that's not the way to say it," he said with a chuckle. "If you say it that way, they'll know you don't come from Bahston. You have to make all your vowels very flat. After we pahked our cah we stopped at the bah for a bowl of Bahstan chowdah."

"Chowder," Lily repeated.

Brian grinned. "Not chowderrrr. Chow-dah."

"Chow-dahr."

Brian pinched her cheeks together. "Chowdah. No 'R'."

"Chowdah," she said.

"Very good." He pointed to a line of boats tied up along the pier. "We're going over there."

"We're going on a boat?" Lily asked.

"Not the Mighty Quinn. That's tied up in Gloucester. My brother Brendan just got married and Amy's father bought them a boat for a wedding present. Brendan wanted to take it on a cruise so he asked if we wanted to come along."

When Brendan and Amy had first offered the invitation, Brian had been reluctant to go. But they'd called again and he'd caught himself saying yes, knowing how much he'd enjoy sharing the experience of a warm summer's day on the water with Lily. Though he knew it was a big step introducing her to members of his family, he had his reasons.

Right now, Lily was a fantasy to him, a woman who occupied a secret spot in his life that no one else could touch. They shared an incredible passion. But if he really wanted to understand what was happening between them, then he'd have to look at her in the real world, a world where relationships dissolved and people moved on with life.

As they strolled down the pier, Brian saw Brendan standing on the deck of a shiny new cabin cruiser. He waved, then held Lily's hand as they walked to the boat. "Geez, Bren, this is a step up from the Mighty Quinn."

Brian jumped down onto the deck and reached up for Lily, grabbing her waist. He swung her safely down, her body sliding along his until her feet touched the deck. Lily ran her hands over his chest, her fingers warm through his T-shirt. Desire snaked through him, but he quelled it by quickly turning back to his brother.

"I think I'm supposed to call it a yacht," Brendan said. "We asked for a new generator for the Mighty Quinn as a wedding present and Amy's father gave us a new boat. I don't think Avery Sloane likes his daughter riding around in an old tub like the Mighty Quinn."

Amy, Brendan's wife, stepped out of the cabin. She wore shorts and a tank top and her hair was mussed, as if they'd just gotten out of bed. "Honey, my daddy has ulterior motives. He thinks if he gives you the boat then you'll teach him how to drive it. Then he'll be able to borrow it and take all his business buddies out for an afternoon of motoring and martinis." She glanced at Lily and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Amy Aldrich Sl- I mean, I'm Amy Quinn. Brendan's wife."

Brian quickly took up the introductions. "Amy, this is Lily Gallagher. Lily, this is my brother, Brendan. Brendan is a writer and Amy gives away money." He gave his sister-in-law a quick kiss on the cheek. "I could use a few hundred if you've got some laying around."

"Last time I checked, your wallet wasn't a registered charity," Amy teased.

"Brendan and Amy just got married last month," Brian explained.

"Another victim of the Quinn family curse," Amy teased.

Lily frowned. "The Quinn family curse?"

"I don't think Lily wants to hear about our family superstitions," Brian said, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her closer.

"But I do," Lily countered.

"We'll save that story for later," Brian said. "You can't know all my family secrets. Or was that in the report?"

He watched the smile fade on Lily's face and he instantly regretted what he'd said. The report had become a sore spot between them and Brian should have known to avoid talking about it. Somehow, Amy sensed the shift in mood and grabbed Lily's hand. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour. Brian said you wanted to experience a real New England clambake."

Lily blinked in surprise. "I-I-"

"Don't worry. The boys are doing all the cooking. We just have to sip drinks and soak up the sun."

Brian watched as they both disappeared into the cabin. Then he turned back to his brother, who watched him with a perceptive grin. "She's pretty," Brendan commented. "Is she the one?"

"The one?"

"Yeah. Did you save her? Family rumor has it that you did."

"Who told you?"

Brendan shrugged. "I think Sean may have mentioned it to Li and Li told Ellie who had lunch with Amy a few days ago. You know how the Quinn family grapevine works. You sneeze in the morning and by dinnertime, we all know you have a cold. I've been thinking about starting a family newsletter so we're all sure we have the facts straight."

"Very funny. Are we ready to go?"

Brendan nodded. "Catch that stern line, then go up to the bow and cast off after I start the engine."

Brian did as Brendan ordered, pushing off from the pier as the engine accelerated. Before long, they were cutting through the water and headed out into the wake left by one of the passenger ferries. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon with just a light breeze and a little chop. He crawled up the steps to where Brendan sat behind the wheel and took the seat next to him.

Brendan handed him a beer. "It's not the Mighty Quinn," he said staring at the wide panel of electronic gear.

"No, it's not," Brian agreed. "There's no boat like the Mighty Quinn."

"I figure I'll give this back to Amy's father as soon as he knows out how to run it on his own. But for now, I'll have a little fun with it."

"Are you going to live on the Mighty Quinn this summer?"

"I don't know," Brendan said. "Doesn't really matter where I live, as long as Amy's there. I know it sounds corny, but-"

"It doesn't," Brian interrupted. He paused. "It doesn't sound corny at all. It sounds nice. Hell, a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have understood what you meant, but I do now."

"You do?"

"Not that I want to spend the rest of my life with Lily. Still, I can see how that might happen… how someone… how I might want to settle down. I guess you could say I'm open to the possibility."

"There's just you and Sean left now."

"Sean will never surrender," Brian said. "He's a rock."

"Even Da is softening up. I talked to Keely last week, and she said our parents went out to dinner. Da even sent Ma flowers the morning after. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks."

Brian's mind flashed back to the conversation he'd had with Sean about their mother's infidelity and wondered if Brendan knew anything about that. "Sean mentioned something the other day that surprised me. He said that Ma cheated on Da. Do you remember that?"

Brendan frowned, clearly surprised by the revelation. "Nah. That can't be."

"I think that's why Sean is so angry with her, why he doesn't want to talk to her. Do you think he saw something?"

"Wow." Brendan slowly shook his head as he stared out at the horizon. "I don't know. I suppose that would explain a lot of things. But I still don't think it's true." He paused. "Sometimes, I wonder what might have happened if they'd just had it a little easier, if he'd just loved her a little more. Da didn't make her life easy. I think about my marriage to Amy and I'd never even consider doing half the things Da did to Ma."

Brian had to admit that he'd harbored the same thoughts himself. He'd always known that love wasn't supposed to be easy. Yet with his brothers, it seemed to be so natural, as if they didn't even have to think about it, never had to doubt their feelings or sacrifice who they were. But with Lily, everything was complicated and unsettled, a disaster waiting to happen. It couldn't possibly be love, so what the hell was it?

They'd shared the most incredible intimacy the night they'd met, stripping away everything but their need for each other. And though he'd known the curves and angles of her body from the start, he didn't really know her. He needed to find out more about the woman who'd made him feel such overwhelming desire. Just who was Lily Gallagher and why did he want her so much?

Today, he'd have his chance to learn. They'd spend the day and evening well chaperoned. With Brendan and Amy around, they couldn't possibly lapse into a passionate interlude they'd regret later. By the end of the day, she wouldn't be some powerful fantasy, she'd just be an ordinary woman, a woman who couldn't possibly hurt him.

Brian stared out at the tiny islands that dotted Boston's harbor. Then, maybe when she left Boston and went back home to Chicago, he could say goodbye without any doubts or regrets. He could put her in the past as he had every other woman in his life and begin again. After all, Lily couldn't be "the one." Could she?