more than enough,” Patrick had told him. “I never thought I’d say this, not even after I moved out of the house and you stayed behind, but I’m ashamed to be your brother.”
Even after all this time, Daniel could feel the words cutting through him, slicing his heart in two. He hadn’t fought back, hadn’t tried to explain. There were no acceptable excuses for what he’d done and they’d both known it.
Not that he’d listened to Patrick, not about staying away from Molly. He’d waited a day, then gone to see her, wanting her to know how sorry he was. He hadn’t expected her forgiveness. He’d simply known that he owed her the apology. He hadn’t been surprised when she’d thrown it back in his face.
Given all of that, it was little wonder that she couldn’t wholeheartedly get behind advising Kendra to trust him. That she’d even arranged the meeting was something of a miracle.
He sighed when the phone rang, not in the mood to deal with a last-minute crisis.
“Hello, Devaney,” he said curtly.
“Daniel, it’s me.” Kathleen Devaney’s voice shook.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Something had to be. She never called him at work.
“Do you think you could come by the house?”
The uncertainty in her tone, the hint of a barely contained sob, scared him. He glanced at his watch. It was after five, less than an hour until he was supposed to pick up Kendra and Molly.
“Is it Dad? Is he having a problem with his heart?”
“No. It’s your…there are some people here. Please, Daniel. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”
A million questions tore through his mind at once. Had his brothers shown up out of the blue despite his pleas to Patrick? That had to be it. He weighed his options. None of them were attractive. He could blow off his mother’s cry for help or he could call Molly and cancel, risking the fragile trust she and Kendra had in him. With a 9 a.m. deadline staring all of them in the face, postponement of tonight’s meeting carried all sorts of risks. Even so, he’d always been a dutiful son, even when it hadn’t been easy. He couldn’t fail his mother now.
“I’ll see what I can do about rearranging my schedule,” he reassured his mother. “I should be there in ten minutes.”
“Thank you.”
He was already en route when he called Molly from his cell phone. “I need to postpone dinner,” he told her.
“Just like that?” she asked incredulously. “Ithought this was so important. I thought it had to be tonight.”
“You’re right,” he admitted, never more aware of how impossible it was to struggle with divided loyalties. “It is important, but I just had a call from my mother. There’s some sort of emergency at the house. I’m on my way there now. If it’s something I can deal with in a few minutes, I’ll get back to you and we can still make dinner.”
He thought of his fear that he was going to find his brothers there. “My hunch, though, is that it’s going to take longer. If it’s not too late when I’m through there, I’ll come by the bar and apologize to Kendra in person.”
“And Joe Sutton? Can you put him off?”
“I’ll work it out. I promise. Joe won’t show up until I’ve had a chance to meet with you and Kendra.”
“Fine,” she said, her voice tight.
“Molly, I won’t let you down,” he told her urgently. “I won’t. Mom said this is an emergency. I have to go.”
She sighed. “Of course you do. I hope everything’s okay when you get there.”
He imagined the hell that might be breaking loose if this involved his brothers. “So do I,” he said grimly. “So do I.”
Chapter Seven
M olly slowly hung up the phone. She’d heard the genuine worry in Daniel’s voice and knew he wouldn’t be putting off this meeting with Kendra if there weren’t a very real crisis at home. Still, she wasn’t looking forward to trying to explain that to Kendra. The girl was suspicious enough. This would only reinforce her general
Even after all this time, Daniel could feel the words cutting through him, slicing his heart in two. He hadn’t fought back, hadn’t tried to explain. There were no acceptable excuses for what he’d done and they’d both known it.
Not that he’d listened to Patrick, not about staying away from Molly. He’d waited a day, then gone to see her, wanting her to know how sorry he was. He hadn’t expected her forgiveness. He’d simply known that he owed her the apology. He hadn’t been surprised when she’d thrown it back in his face.
Given all of that, it was little wonder that she couldn’t wholeheartedly get behind advising Kendra to trust him. That she’d even arranged the meeting was something of a miracle.
He sighed when the phone rang, not in the mood to deal with a last-minute crisis.
“Hello, Devaney,” he said curtly.
“Daniel, it’s me.” Kathleen Devaney’s voice shook.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Something had to be. She never called him at work.
“Do you think you could come by the house?”
The uncertainty in her tone, the hint of a barely contained sob, scared him. He glanced at his watch. It was after five, less than an hour until he was supposed to pick up Kendra and Molly.
“Is it Dad? Is he having a problem with his heart?”
“No. It’s your…there are some people here. Please, Daniel. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”
A million questions tore through his mind at once. Had his brothers shown up out of the blue despite his pleas to Patrick? That had to be it. He weighed his options. None of them were attractive. He could blow off his mother’s cry for help or he could call Molly and cancel, risking the fragile trust she and Kendra had in him. With a 9 a.m. deadline staring all of them in the face, postponement of tonight’s meeting carried all sorts of risks. Even so, he’d always been a dutiful son, even when it hadn’t been easy. He couldn’t fail his mother now.
“I’ll see what I can do about rearranging my schedule,” he reassured his mother. “I should be there in ten minutes.”
“Thank you.”
He was already en route when he called Molly from his cell phone. “I need to postpone dinner,” he told her.
“Just like that?” she asked incredulously. “Ithought this was so important. I thought it had to be tonight.”
“You’re right,” he admitted, never more aware of how impossible it was to struggle with divided loyalties. “It is important, but I just had a call from my mother. There’s some sort of emergency at the house. I’m on my way there now. If it’s something I can deal with in a few minutes, I’ll get back to you and we can still make dinner.”
He thought of his fear that he was going to find his brothers there. “My hunch, though, is that it’s going to take longer. If it’s not too late when I’m through there, I’ll come by the bar and apologize to Kendra in person.”
“And Joe Sutton? Can you put him off?”
“I’ll work it out. I promise. Joe won’t show up until I’ve had a chance to meet with you and Kendra.”
“Fine,” she said, her voice tight.
“Molly, I won’t let you down,” he told her urgently. “I won’t. Mom said this is an emergency. I have to go.”
She sighed. “Of course you do. I hope everything’s okay when you get there.”
He imagined the hell that might be breaking loose if this involved his brothers. “So do I,” he said grimly. “So do I.”
Chapter Seven
M olly slowly hung up the phone. She’d heard the genuine worry in Daniel’s voice and knew he wouldn’t be putting off this meeting with Kendra if there weren’t a very real crisis at home. Still, she wasn’t looking forward to trying to explain that to Kendra. The girl was suspicious enough. This would only reinforce her general
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