tomorrow.”
She nodded as he turned and left, then watched as he went over to join two other men in suits who were deep in an animated discussion about something no doubt related to the events of the afternoon. His answer had been logical, but she felt as if he’d hesitated just a shade before answering her. Why?
Suddenly her view was blocked as a uniformed NYPD officer moved to stand in front of her.
“Miss Finnegan? I’m here to drive you home.”
She wasn’t heading home, of course, but to the pub. She gave him the address and told him where it was. He smiled. “I love that place,” he said with a broad smile. As they drove, he told her that Finnegan’s was a favorite watering hole for him and a number of his friends—when they were off duty, of course.
He stopped in front of the bar, and she thanked him as she got out. There was an employee entrance that led to the offices, but she knew it would be locked by now, so she walked in the front.
To her shock—and a bit of dismay—the pub was doing a booming business. Mary Kathleen had even come back in for the evening shift. On a Monday, it shouldn’t have been so crazy, but it was.
And the first person to spot her was Declan.
Her older brother was handsome and charming and—in her opinion—the best host and barkeep in the world. He looked as if he’d stepped out of a movie as he worked the bar in his white shirt with rolled up sleeves and green brocade vest. But when he saw her, he folded his arms over his chest, a frown settling onto his face.
Danny bounced out to greet her, his eyes wide with warning. But it was too late. Declan was already coming around the bar to confront her. “Are you crazy?” he asked. His tone was furious. “And look at you! You look like you were competing in the mud-wrestling championships!”
She took a deep breath and was trying to figure out just how she was going to explain herself when he threw his arms wide and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank God you’re all right!”
Crushed against his chest, she felt her mind race.
What did he know? What did he think?
“She’s here!” Bobby O’Leary cried. “The woman of the hour!”
“All hail our kick-ass hero!” Jimmy McManus, sitting down the bar from Bobby, lifted his beer glass.
The darker of the two men she’d seen with McManus was there with him. Thankfully, there was no sign of Gary Benton.
Kieran froze, then slowly emerged from Declan’s embrace. Everyone in the place was looking at her and applauding.
“What, um, what...?” she muttered inarticulately.
“The television—check out the television,” Danny told her, hugging her tightly for a long moment.
Kevin, her twin, had emerged from behind the bar, too, and he also hugged her warmly, whispering, “I know you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but if you took chances... I came into this world with you, sis, and if you leave it before me, I won’t be able to cope.”
“I love you, too,” she murmured, then finally got a glance at the TV. A reporter was in the middle of explaining that a brave hostage had helped the FBI take down the thieves. And she was clearly visible in the shot behind him, which showed her seated in the back of the ambulance, a blanket around her shoulders and a cup of coffee in her hand, as an EMT spoke to her. The reporter was still going on about her courage under fire.
Except there had been no courage. There had been no choice.
She smiled weakly, waved a hand and managed a soft thank-you, then dodged behind the bar and ran to the offices in back.
Declan was right behind her, closing the door to the office behind them. She noticed that he’d brought a clean wet bar rag with him and looked at him questioningly.
“You’re still wearing a fair amount of dirt. You roll in an alley or something?” he asked.
He was watching her with his arms crossed over his chest again. Even so, she could tell that he was truly grateful to see her alive and well.
She could also tell that he knew there was more to the story.
“You were buying diamonds?” he asked her. “Instead of coming to work?”
She accepted the bar rag from him, sank into the chair behind the desk and studiously scrubbed at her face. “No, and I’m sorry. I didn’t think that the bar would be this busy. I—”
The door burst open. Danny rushed in and hurried over to her, dropping to his knees by the chair. “You’re really all right?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, my God, when I saw...” Danny sounded sick and shaky.
She patted his red hair gently, reassuringly.
“Kieran, you went there to talk to Gary Benton, didn’t you?” Declan demanded.
She went very still, looking at Danny. “Yes,” she said.
“Kieran, we all love Julie. She’s been our friend since we were children. I don’t like Gary one bit myself, and the way he’s treating her is awful. He’s a total jerk, and we should all be looking forward to the day when Julie is finally rid of him. I should have expected... Well, he was in here this afternoon, right? You don’t need to answer. Bobby O’Leary told me he was. And then you got upset and went to tell him... Well, I don’t care what you thought you were going to tell him. It’s only by the grace of God that you’re alive and well. Kieran—let this be a lesson. Stand by Julie. Be there to listen to her, to hold her hand. Help her make the split final. But stay away from Gary Benton.”
“You’re right,” she said, still staring warningly into Danny’s eyes. He opened his mouth as if he was going to admit the truth. She shook her head and looked up at Declan. “You’re right. It’s just that... He had the nerve to come here!”
“And if he comes again, we have to let him in. And we won’t throw him out unless he starts causing trouble or gets in a fight or something—and there’s no spitting in his food or his drinks, either. All three of you—you and Danny and Kevin, too—are off pursuing careers, which is wonderful. But the bar is my livelihood—and it’s all our heritage and what you have to depend on, too, if life doesn’t work out for some reason. We will not discriminate against anyone, do you understand me?”
“It’s not illegal to discriminate against assholes,” Danny said.
Declan shook his head in aggravation. “Danny!”
“Sorry. All right, if the jerk comes in, we won’t show him the door,” Danny said.
“Kieran?” Declan said.
“Hey, I served him coffee without throwing it on him—or even accidentally spilling a single drop,” she said.
“Good. But in future, stay away from him, let someone else take his order. Please,” Declan told her.
She
