Reunited

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, our mother to come to Boston with me," she explained. "She has information about the accident on the Mighty Quinn and she's willing to speak to the prosecutors on behalf of Seamus. And she thinks she might know where to find Lee Franklin."

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. "Hello, Seamus."

"Hello, Fi."

She slowly walked up to him. "It's been a long time."

He reached out and took her hand in a gesture so gentle that it startled Keely. She felt tears of her own burn in her eyes, the sight of her father and mother together causing a wave of emotion to wash over her. By the way they looked at each other, it was clear there was still something between them.

"We have a fine family here, wouldn't you say?" Seamus asked.

Fiona laughed softly. Keely had expected distrust or animosity or perhaps sarcasm from her mother. But Fiona looked at her husband as if they'd never been apart, as if they were still the same young couple starting out on their grand adventure to America, Seamus with his dreams and Fiona trusting him to make hers come true.

"You haven't changed a bit," Seamus continued. "You're still the prettiest lass I know."

"We have a lot of things to talk about, Seamus," Fiona said.

"That we do," Seamus murmured. "That we do. Can I show you the pub, Fi? I've made a bit of a success here. We serve food and drink. And there's a pool table in the back. Would you like to see the kitchen?"

"I'd like that."

They both wandered off, leaving their seven children completely speechless. Brian shook his head. "Look at the old man," he said. "You'd never know he was the same guy to tell us all those Mighty Quinn stories. After all this time, he's completely besotted."

"Mighty Quinn stories?" Keely asked.

"Ah," Brendan said. "We'll have to tell Keely a few of the tales, so she'll know the perils of falling in love. According to Da, love will destroy a Quinn if he-or she-surrenders to it. As you can see, Conor is a mess and Dylan and I can barely function. And there are evil women lying in wait for Sean and Brian and Liam. You're not in love, are you, Keely?"

She shook her head. "No. Of course not." Though it was a bald-faced lie, Keely really didn't have the guts to explain that she was in love-with a man they all hated. She'd have to deal with that little revelation later, when and if it was necessary.

Conor clapped his hands together. "Well, I suppose we should talk to Seamus's lawyer and let him know about our new witness. And you say our mother might know where we can find Franklin?"

Keely nodded. "She mentioned that his wife had talked about a brother who lived down in the Florida Keys and ran a charter business. If you find him, he might know where Lee Franklin is."

Conor reached out and slipped his arm around Keely's shoulder. "In all those Mighty Quinn tales, our ancestors always used to ride to the rescue of a damsel in distress. There are no damsels here, but you definitely rode to our rescue. I guess you now qualify as a Mighty Quinn."

"I'm glad I could help," Keely said.

But would it be enough to wipe away her other sin-the sin of loving their sworn enemy? Would they look on her help as an even trade for accepting Rafe as part of her life? Or would the grudges run deep, too deep to be erased by a good deed? Keely wasn't going to know until she told them about Rafe. But, as Seamus had said, there had been enough surprises for the day.

This was one confession that would have to be revealed at exactly the right time-if she decided to reveal it at all.

THE GRAND REOPENING of Quinn's Pub was in full swing when Rafe walked in the door. He slowly approached the bar and took a spot near the end. After a quick scan of the crowd, he found Keely. She stood near the pool table talking to two women who were playing darts, women he recognized as Dylan's fiancee and Conor's wife. She wasn't wearing an apron, so Rafe assumed she wasn't working. If he could only get her alone, then maybe they'd have a chance to sort things out.

He'd heard about the grand jury. They had refused to bring charges against Seamus. At first, Rafe was sure the fix was in, that Conor had somehow managed to get his father off. But then he learned that Lee Franklin had been found in Key West. The man had sworn in an affidavit that the fight on the Mighty Quinn had actually been between a drunken Ken Yaeger and Rafe's father. Seamus had tried to break up the fight and Sam Kendrick had been caught by the pitch of the boat in the storm. Talk of Yaeger's behavior had spread through the swordfishing fleet, propelled by Seamus's outrage. After the incident, Yaeger had been unable to get another spot on a boat for years.

Rafe didn't have to guess at Yaeger's motives for implicating Seamus. It all made sense and had Rafe not been so quick to jump to conclusions, he might never have brought these problems down on Seamus Quinn-or into his relationship with Seamus's daughter.

His father's death had been an accident. Rafe had always thought that he couldn't begin a real life until he knew for sure. But now that he did, he still felt adrift…empty…as if he were still searching for something. Or someone. Until now, he'd been too scared to risk it all-to risk his heart. But there was no need to dwell on the past anymore. He could have a future with Keely and he was going to make it happen.

He watched her as she moved to the dartboard. She wore a pair of jeans that hugged her backside and a top that was cut low enough to reveal the spot he'd often kissed between her breasts. She laughed, and though the sound of her laughter was swallowed up by the crowd, Rafe found himself smiling.

"Can I get you a drink?"

Rafe glanced up. He watched the friendly expression on Liam Quinn's face slowly change.

"Christ, it's you," Liam muttered. "You have a helluva lot of nerve showing your face after what you've done to our family."

"I just wanted the truth," Rafe said. "How was I supposed to know Yaeger was lying?"

"Hey, Sean," Liam shouted. "Look who dropped by. It's our old friend, Rafe Kendrick. Come to pay his respects."

The chatter that had filled the bar slowly died down as each of the Quinn brothers made their way to the end of the bar. Rafe stood, prepared to fight them all if required. The hell if he'd back down. Six against one weren't the best odds, but he wasn't about to run away from a fight, or from Keely. They were all about equally matched in height and weight. His only problem would come if they all decided to rush him at once. Then the fight would be over before it began.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Rafe explained. "I just want to talk to Keely."

"Keely? What do you want with our sister?" Conor asked.

"I came here to tell her something."

Dylan strode up to him and gave him a shove toward the door. Rafe fought the urge to swing around and plant his fist in Dylan's jaw. He wasn't going to be the one to throw the first punch.

"Get the hell out of here, Kendrick," Dylan ordered. "Nobody here wants to talk to you, especially not Keely."

"Don't you think you ought to let her decide?"

Dylan reached out and grabbed Rafe's jacket, but Rafe brushed his hand away. The move only served to increase the level of Quinn hostility. Sean jumped over the bar and grabbed Rafe's arms from behind. And Dylan drew his fist back and hit Rafe squarely in the stomach. Another punch caught Rafe in the jaw.

"Stop it! What are you doing?" Keely pushed Dylan aside and gave Sean a look that was strong enough to make him loosen his hold.

"Do you know this guy?" Conor asked.

"Yes, I do. And I'd appreciate it if you'd quit hitting him. What are you, a bunch of bullies?"

"Keely, this is Rafe Kendrick," Conor explained. "He's the one who caused all this trouble for Seamus. He's the one who sent Yaeger to the cops."

"He just wanted to know the truth," Keely said, pressing her palm against Conor's chest and pushing him away from Rafe.

"You don't have to defend me, Keely. I'm perfectly capable of defending myself."

Keely hitched her hands on her hips and turned to each one of her brothers, sending them a look that could peel paint. "You shouldn't have to defend yourself. It should be enough that I ask them to leave you alone. Isn't it enough?"

"You two know each other?" Conor asked.

"They do," Liam said, realization dawning on his face. "I remember now. You were here together at the bar one night. Keely, you threw a drink in his face."

"I do know him," Keely admitted.

Sean reluctantly released Rafe's arms and gave him a slight shove. "You said you came here to talk to Keely. Say what you came to say, then get out."

"I don't think you want to hear what I have to say," Rafe muttered, rubbing his jaw and testing the soundness of his teeth.

Keely screamed in frustration. "Just stop it. If the testosterone gets any thicker in here, we're going to have to open a bloody window. You're not going to fight each other and that's it. Conor, you're a cop. If you let them fight, then you're not doing your duty." She turned to Rafe. "Say what you came to say," she murmured.

"Keely, I really think it would be better if we talked in private."

"I've got nothing to hide from my brothers."

"All right. If that's the way you want it." Rafe cleared his throat. "Keely Quinn, I love you. I've known it for a while but I guess I couldn't admit it until that night at the cabin after you seduced me. After you left, I thought I could put it all aside. But I can't." He reached out and took her hand, then drew it to his lips. "Marry me."

Keely gasped, her eyes wide. "Marry you?"

"You spent the night with this bastard?" Brian asked.

"Yes," Keely admitted. "But I didn't-"

Sean jumped in next. "And you seduced him?"

Keely sighed impatiently. "Well, it wasn't the first time. He seduced me the night before. And then the night before that it was kind of a mutual thing." She glanced around at her brothers. "Don't look at me like that. I never said I was a virgin. And you six shouldn't talk. How many women have you seduced?"

Dylan's fiancee stepped into the fray, strolling over from her spot near the dartboard. "Yeah," she said, sending Keely an encouraging smile. "I'd like to hear the answer to that."

"So would I," Conor's wife added.

Another woman joined the group, slipping her arm around Brendan's. "Actually, I'd rather not hear anything about that," she said.

"How did this get turned around on us?" Dylan asked. "I still think we should beat the crap out of Kendrick."

"Enough!" Seamus stepped up, baseball bat clutched in his hand. He slapped it against his palm. "There'll be no fightin' in my pub." He nodded to Rafe. "Your father was a good man and he would have been welcome in my pub anytime. But I'd rather you don't show your face around here again." He turned to Keely. "And you're goin' to have to make a choice, lass. It's him or us. I won't be havin' a daughter of mine keepin' company with the likes of him."

"But I-"

"You listen to your da," Seamus warned.

Rafe gave her hand a squeeze. "I don't care how your family feels, Keely," he said. "I love you and if I have to fight each one of them, I will." He glanced around, from her glaring brothers back to Keely's stunned expression. Maybe Seamus was right. There was nothing more to be said. Keely knew how he felt and she knew how her family felt. The choice was up to her.

He slowly stepped away from her, then let go of her hand. Keely's gaze remained fixed on his as he moved to the door. It took every ounce of strength to walk away from her. But he had to believe that what he'd said made a difference. If she really loved him, then she'd make a choice and she'd choose him.

But when he reached the street, alone, Rafe drew a deep breath and raked his hands through his hair. "So much for love," he murmured. "I guess it doesn't conquer all." He started toward his car, but then the door of the pub flew open and Keely came running out.

With a soft cry, she threw herself into his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should have left with you, but I just didn't know what to do."

He furrowed his fingers through her silken hair, then brought his mouth down on hers. He'd forgotten how wonderful she tasted, how much he loved kissing her. "I missed you, Keely. I didn't realize how much until now."

His hands skimmed over her body, finding the curves beneath her clothes. She shivered and he realized that she'd come outside without a jacket. He grabbed the lapels of his coat and wrapped them around her, trapping her against his warm body. "I have something for you," he murmured, his lips against hers.

"What is it?"

He hugged her more tightly, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet box.

"What's this?" she asked as he held it in front of her.

"If you don't like it, we can pick out something else."

She slowly stepped out of his embrace and opened the box. Her eyes went wide and she gasped again. "Is this an engagement ring?"

"What else would it be?" He smiled warmly. "I asked you to marry me. A ring usually goes with the proposal."

"I-I just thought you were saying that to make my brothers angry."

Rafe laughed and shook his head. "Jeez, Keely. I'm not the kind of guy who tosses marriage proposals around lightly. I meant what I said. I love you and I want to marry you."

Keely stared down at the ring. "But we barely know each other. Even though we met in October, we've only really been together a month."

"Do you love me?"

"I do," Keely murmured.

"And do you want to marry me?"

"I do," she said. "But there are so many things-"

"Then you keep this," Rafe said. "You don't have to put it on now. When you're ready-when your family is ready-then I'll slip that on your finger and we'll make it official." Rafe leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "I want you to go back inside now. They're going to wonder where you went."

"But I want to stay here with you."

"Sweetheart, we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. For now, I think it's best if you smooth things out with your family. You dropped a pretty big bombshell in there. Next time, I don't think you need to provide the details of our love life."

Keely stared up at him and smiled. "I don't know why I said that. Sometimes even I can't believe what comes out of my mouth. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say with my brothers standing there ready to kill you."

"Can I believe that you're going to marry me?"

She pushed up on her toes and kissed him. "Yes, Rafe Kendrick. I will marry you."

Rafe captured her mouth once more and kissed her long and deep, a kiss that he knew would have to hold them until they saw each other again. But now that he had the answers he wanted, he didn't care if it took a day or a week or even a month. Keely Quinn was his and nothing could stand between them.

"Call me tonight," he murmured. "I want to hear your voice before I go to sleep. Better yet, come over and you can spend the night in my bed."

"I can't," Keely said. "I've been staying with Conor and Olivia when I'm in Boston. They'll know something is up if I don't come home."

"You already admitted to them that you weren't a virgin. Do you think they'll be surprised?"

"I just don't want to stir up trouble," Keely said. "Give them all a chance to cool down and then I'll tell them how I feel. Everything is still so new between me and my family."

"And between us, too."

"But I know you love me, Rafe. That's something I can count on. I can count on that, can't I?"

Rafe pulled her into his embrace and pressed his lips into her fragrant hair. "Forever," he murmured.

RAFE GLANCED DOWN at the address he'd scrawled on a scrap of paper. "This is it-210 East Beltran." Pulling the car to the curb, he parked a few doors down the street from McClain's Bakery in Brooklyn. After switching off the ignition, Rafe stepped out of the car and drew his overcoat more tightly around him against the January cold.

The old building was impeccably maintained on a quiet street that had a mix of old brick town houses with quaint storefronts at each corner. As he walked to the door, he stared through the wide plate-glass windows to a display filled with cakes of all shapes and sizes. Rafe paused. When Keely had told him she made cakes, he'd had something a little more ordinary in mind. But the samples in the windows were works of art, sculptures made of cake and frosting and a wild imagination. Keely's imagination.

He straightened his tie, then reached out to grab the front door. He hadn't bothered to call to let Keely know he was coming. Over the past week, they hadn't had a chance to see each other, though they had managed a nightly phone call and some pretty amazing phone sex. Rafe smiled to himself. Though having sex over the phone had been exciting at first, it really didn't compare to having Keely in his arms, to looking at her and kissing her and touching her at will. So he'd decided on a surprise.

He'd had Sylvie call for him under the guise of a bride wanting to discuss her wedding cake. Then he'd rented a suite at the Plaza as part of his plan to spirit Keely away from work for lunch, an afternoon of shopping and an evening of real passion, without a phone line between them.

A bell above the door rang as he stepped inside. The front part of the bakery served as a showroom, with narrow mouldings on each wall holding photo after photo of increasingly elaborate cakes. He studied a photo of a brightly colored cake that resembled a Hawaiian shirt. The next photo showed a cake decorated with tiny little fruits cascading over each tier.

"That's one of our marzipan designs."

Rafe turned to find an older woman standing a few feet away. "It's beautiful," he said. "But where do you find fruit that small?"

"It's not real fruit," she said. "It's marzipan, modeled and colored to look like real fruit."

"Marzipan?"

"Almond paste. Everything on that cake is edible and very delicious." She held out her hand. "I'm Fiona McClain. How can I help you?"

Keely's mother, Rafe mused as he shook her hand. He'd known that Keely resembled her brothers, but there was a fair amount of Fiona McClain in her as well, in the delicate nose and the warm smile. He hadn't thought he'd get a chance to meet Fiona on this trip, but now that he had, he was going to take advantage of it. "I want to order a cake."

"And what kind of cake would you like to order?"

"A wedding cake?"

Fiona laughed. "You speak as if you're not sure. Perhaps your bride should be here to help make choices?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. At least not on this trip. Maybe you can show me a few things?"

"Well, my daughter, Keely, designs all of our cakes and every cake is a one-of-a-kind creation. She likes to meet the customers and discuss their ideas."

"Is she around?"

Fiona shook her head. "She just stepped out for a few minutes, but she should be back soon. Maybe I could get some information from you first? It would help to know what you have in mind for the wedding."

"How much does a cake like this cost?" Rafe asked, pointing to a multitiered confection that seemed to be draped in layers of lace.

"We do cakes for all budgets." She pulled out a photo album and flipped through it. "That cake was ten thousand dollars. And this one was eight thousand."

Rafe gasped. "For a cake?"

"It all depends on the size and complexity. You must think of the wedding cake much like the wedding gown," she explained. "The gown is the focal point of the ceremony and the cake is the centerpiece of the reception. There will only be one gown and one cake for that one special day. So it must be the best. We often suggest to the bride that she spend as much on her cake as she spends on her gown. Now, when is the wedding?"

"Well, we don't exactly have a date yet," Rafe said.

Fiona frowned. "We can't put you on the schedule unless we have a date. And we do get booked very quickly. Right now we're booking clients for at least a year from now."

"Really?"

"Are you sure you're ready to choose a cake?"

"Actually, you're right. I didn't come here to pick out a cake. I just wanted to meet you."

Fiona blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"My name is Rafe Kendrick and I'm in love with your daughter and I plan to marry her. So I guess you'll have to ask her about the date."

Keely's mother frowned. "I-I don't understand. Do you even know my daughter?"

"Don't worry-I'm not a stalker," Rafe assured her. "We met in Boston. I'm Sam Kendrick's son. I think you may have known him, or perhaps my mother, Lila. Sam worked on Seamus Quinn's boat once."

Fiona frowned. "Seamus was just questioned by the authorities about your father's death and now you show up-"

"It's a very long and complicated story that Keely and I are just sorting out ourselves. We met before she knew who I was and I knew who she was. Needless to say, her father and brothers aren't too keen on me marrying her. I was hoping I might have your support. Keely and I haven't known each other for long, but I do love her. And I know she loves me."

"And you want my permission to marry my daughter?" She shook her head, stunned by his revelations. "I'm not sure I can give that to you, Mr. Kendrick. I don't know you. My daughter has never even mentioned you. And I don't think I can give you my blessing under those circumstances."

"I'm a good catch," Rafe said. "I own my own company. I don't mean to brag, but I'm wealthy. I can give Keely anything she wants, a nice house, a good life. I can make her happy."

"Mr. Kendrick-"

"Rafe," he insisted.

"Rafe," she repeated. "I understand you caused a lot of trouble for Seamus. I know him. He doesn't forgive easily. I think you'd be better off convincing him of your suitability as a husband than me. Besides, Keely would never listen to me once she has her heart set on something."

"Then maybe you should tell her you don't approve."

"I don't," Fiona said. "You two have only known each other for…what? A month?"

"Actually, more like four," Rafe admitted. "But sometimes four months is enough."

"And sometimes five years isn't. My daughter has a life here and a successful business. She can't go running off to Boston."

"I know there are a lot of things standing between us, but I'm determined to marry her."

The bell above the door rang again and they both turned to watch Keely walk in. When she saw Rafe, she smiled, then ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I came to take you to lunch. I had my secretary call and make an appointment, so there's no turning me down. I've got reservations at five different restaurants, so you get to choose." He turned to Fiona. "Would you care to join us for lunch?"

Just then, Keely noticed her mother standing there. She slipped from Rafe's embrace with an embarrassed smile. "I-I suppose I should introduce you two."

"We've already met," Fiona said.

"Rafe and I have been seeing each other," Keely explained. "We met in Boston the first night I went there, last October."

"Is that so?"

"Ma, I know I should have told you, but there was so much going on. Rafe has asked me to marry him and I've said yes."

"You've only known each other a very short time, Keely."

"I know. But it's not like we're getting married tomorrow. You and I have a wedding to plan and so many decisions to make. And we can't set a date until we've designed a cake. A very special cake."

"Keely, I can't approve of this. And I don't think your father would either, even if he didn't happen to detest your fiance."

Keely shook her head. "I'm not going to listen to this. Rafe and I are going to be together and nothing you or Seamus says is going to keep us apart. Now, are you coming to lunch with us or not?"

"I'm not," Fiona said. "And you'd do best to stay here and help me finish this cake."

Keely slipped her arm through Rafe's. "I'll finish it later. Tomorrow. I'll have plenty of time tomorrow. Right now, I have to go to lunch with my fiance."

As they walked to the door, Rafe slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. But when they got outside, Keely's bravado dissolved and a worried expression replaced her smile. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

"Well, first we're going to have lunch. And then I thought we could shop for some things we'll need after the wedding and then I have a suite at the-"

"No! What are we going to do about my parents and my brothers? They all hate you."

"They'll get over that, Keely. If you and I are together, they'll be forced to accept me."

"How can you be sure of that? What if they don't? Conflict like that can tear a marriage apart."

"Keely, we won't know until we try. You just have to stand up for us the same way you stand up for yourself."

"And that's not the only thing we have to worry about. I have a business here. People depend on me. I can't just pick up and move to Boston, any more than you can pick up and move here. Besides my parents standing between us and six brothers, there's also three hundred miles of interstate-very congested interstate."

"And don't forget the measly three or four months that we've known each other. That should count for something, too." Rafe couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice. He drew a deep breath, then pulled her back into his arms. "Let's just forget about them for today. We have a whole afternoon and evening to spend together in New York. And we're going to make the most of it." He stepped back and looked down into her eyes. "Do you love me?"

"I do, but-"

Rafe pressed his finger to her lips. "No buts. For now, that's enough. And we'll figure out the rest later."