Flanagan led them in grace, a very faint Irish accent touching the words of the prayer as it rolled out. His Amen was punctuated by the clatter of dishes.
“Getting us all sorted out yet?” Gabe’s sister, Theresa, had a quick smile. “My father is Joe, and I’m Terry. I’m afraid we can be overwhelming at first glance.”
“And at second,” Ryan added from across the table.
“I think I’m getting there.” She glanced around, sorting out Mary Kate, her husband and children.
Terry grinned. “Mary Kate, Seth and I got Dad’s red hair and freckles, but Seth’s darkened when he grew up. Gabe and Ryan look like Mom.”
She nodded, wondering whether learning their names was of any use. If Gabe had his way, this could be the first and last time she met the Flanagans.
Seth was the solid, calm one, then. He sat next to the toddler, rescuing the teething biscuit the child dropped. “And Davy’s mother?”
Sorrow darkened Terry’s lively face. “She died shortly after he was born. Davy lives here with us.”
The sorrow touched her. “You must be very close.”
“We are that.” Gabe’s father had obviously heard her comment. “Every single one a firefighter, and proud of it.”
She blinked. “You’re all firefighters?”
“Well, not Siobhan. And not Mary Kate, now that she has a family. But her husband filled in for her, didn’t you, Kenny?”
Mary Kate’s husband stopped buttering bread for one of his children to nod, smiling.
“That’s amazing.” Would that make it easier or harder to enlist their aid with Gabe? She didn’t know.
Joe Flanagan shrugged. “It’s what we do. What we were born for. Maybe Gabe most of all.” He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “Gabe is strong as a horse. He’ll be back on the job in no time. I’m not saying anything against this program of yours, but Gabe doesn’t need it.”
“I see.” That seemed to answer the question of whether she could expect any help from Gabe’s family. His father, at least, was just as convinced as Gabe that Nolie was unnecessary.
Her head began to throb from the noise. She glanced at Gabe, wondering how he stood it all.
But Gabe was leaning back in his chair, gesturing with his fork at something one of his brothers had said. His angular face was the most relaxed she’d seen it. His hair, nearly blue-black where the overhead light reflected on it, tumbled onto his forehead a little.
As if he felt her gaze on him, he looked at her. His face was open to her for just an instant, and her heart seemed to turn over. Her breath caught, and the noise around them faded.
Whoa. She’d better be careful. Because if Gabriel Flanagan looked at her that way too many times, she’d could find herself agreeing with just about anything he said.
Chapter Two
By the time supper ended, Gabe was beginning to think he’d never get rid of Nolie Lang. Every member of his family seemed determined to talk to her. He could only hope they were all telling her the same thing he had—that he didn’t need her help. The woman should leave convinced she’d have to find another guinea pig for her experiment.
Judging by the way Nolie’s gaze kept darting toward the door, she was ready to be free of the Flanagans, too, for the moment, at least. Well, he wanted her to be free of them permanently.
He’d steered clear while Mom had showed her the wall full of fire-department photos and citations above the mantel, not wanting to be the subject of his mother’s praises in front of this woman.
But now Ryan joined them, chatting away as if he and Nolie were old friends. Gabe hoped he was reinforcing the family line—Gabe doesn’t need your help. Gabe is fine. Gabe will be back on the job in no time.
Ryan seemed to be turning on an inordinate amount of the Flanagan charm. Now, why was his little brother going to so much trouble? It certainly wasn’t as if Nolie were his type. Ryan might be initially attracted by the long blond hair, but everything else about Nolie would turn him off.
Plain. That was all he could think. She looked as if she hadn’t made the faintest effort—just run in from the barn and tossed on a white shirt and navy blazer. Even his tomboy sister Terry would have done a better job for an important interview.
So what interested Ryan so much? He sauntered closer to find out.
“That’s my father and his brothers when they first joined the department.”
Ryan had obviously taken over the explanations, while his mother smiled and nodded. Nolie couldn’t know it, but the Flanagan kids favored either Mom or Dad in personality as well as looks. Mary Kate, Terry and Ryan were as ebullient as Dad, while he and Seth had his mother’s reserve.
Ryan’s eyes sparked with mischief as Gabe joined them. “And here’s the brand-new citation for our latest hero, Gabriel Flanagan.”
Nolie studied the plaque with every indication of interest. Gabe averted his eyes from it and glared at his brother.
“Give it a rest, Ryan.”
“Hey, I will when you stop gold-bricking and get back on the job. I don’t want to have to uphold the family traditions single-handedly.”
“You’ve got Dad, Seth and Terry to do that.”
He could only hope they were also keeping Ryan in line. The kid had a tendency to take more risks than he needed to at times.
“They’re not the current hero.” Ryan, of course, knew exactly what buttons to push.
“Knock it off.” That came out with enough of a snarl in his voice that even his baby brother knew he meant it.
With another engaging grin for Nolie, Ryan moved away.
“We are proud of you,” his mother said softly. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Sure, Mom.” He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “I understand, but Nolie didn’t come to hear the whole Flanagan saga.”
“Actually it’s quite helpful in deciding what kind of dog will work best for you,” Nolie said. “I’m finding it all very interesting.”
She was probably picturing the publicity she’d get for her program with him as her prized exhibit. Well, he wasn’t going to join her dog-and-pony show, not if he could help it.
A clatter of dishes from the kitchen diverted his mother. She murmured an apology and scurried in that direction.
As soon as she’d gone, he squared off with Nolie. “I already told you. I don’t need a dog.”
Her level brows lifted. “I believe I heard you tell the chief that you’d cooperate.”
“What I told—” he began.
