Chapter Eleven

 

Brady raised his voice so Seamus could hear him over the sounds of happy patrons and music. “Why are we having another Finn Again? And why is it in the bar?”

Seamus grinned proudly at the wall to wall crowd. “We’re celebrating.”

Ken joined them, his hand slipping instantly into Brady’s. Where it belonged.

Seamus smiled at them both, then puffed out his chest until Brady and Ken noticed his shirt.

“Are you kidding?” Brady laughed. “Did Owen make that on his vacation?”

Seamus was wearing a Finn Club t-shirt. And of course there was a shamrock on it. Because anything connected to Owen had to be shaped like a shamrock or taste like pizza. “Where is he and how did he convince you to wear that?”

“He’s on his way. But he didn’t need to convince me. I got one of these for everyone. Even Uncle Necky.” Seamus reached behind him and came back with two identical shirts, handing one to Ken before waving at someone else.

“Your family is crazy, Brady,” Ken said as they walked back to their small table in the corner.

Brady smiled. “I know. But I promise, you’ll learn to love it.”

Ken winked at him and took off his shirt, baring his tattooed back to the packed room. Brady heard a few catcalls from male and female strangers who happened to be looking his way before Ken slipped the ridiculous t-shirt over his head, pulled out his braid and posed for Brady. “How does it look?”

Brady was blushing. “Who’s the crazy one?”

“I am.” Ken smiled his siren smile and slipped his fingers into the belt loops of Brady’s jeans. “For you. Want to go check out the new restrooms?”

“Don’t tempt me like that. Every member of my family is in this bar.”

“Owen’s not here yet.”

And old Sol had told James he wasn’t coming. Brady was disappointed, but not surprised. He’d wanted to introduce Ken to his father, but he knew it would happen eventually. Ken wasn’t going anywhere. The rest of this Finn Club wouldn’t allow it.

“Most of my family,” he amended, looking around the room.

Ellen and Shawn both looked good after their recent health troubles. They were waltzing near the new stage where the band was playing. Stephen sat close to Seamus with Tasha cradled in his lap, caressing her rounded stomach as if he were holding the most valuable treasure in the world.

Rory was at the bar with an ER doctor who was separated from his wife, Wyatt and Noah were making Jen laugh…and Trick was leaning against the wall, not far enough away from her for Brady’s peace of mind.

He couldn’t find Solomon or James but he knew they were around here somewhere. His family. T-shirts. Seamus beaming like he had a secret… “Ken? Did anyone tell you what we’re celebrating?”

Ken shook his head just as the band stopped playing and the sound of silverware tapping glass started to spread. Old Shawn kissed his wife and joined Seamus in front of the bar. “Welcome to Finn’s!”

The crowd cheered.

“I’m old and retired, so I don’t get a chance to join you that often. My son, the new owner, was kind enough to let me steal some of the spotlight.” Seamus patted him on the back and Ellen blew him a kiss. The familiar sight made Brady smile.

“Ancient as I am,” Shawn continued, “I’ve learned a little about life. The most wonderful thing about it is that every day we get a chance to make new memories, discover new reasons to come together, find new people to love, and maybe even fix a few mistakes along the way.”

He paused and looked over at Solomon, who shook his head. Shawn’s shoulders drooped for an instant—not long enough for most people to catch, but Brady noticed. Had he expected Sol to come?

Someday Brady was going to find out what had happened between them to cause this decades-long rift. But it obviously wasn’t going to happen tonight. The Elder Sol was one stubborn son of a mule.

“Anyway, it’s a beautiful night and I hear we have a lot to celebrate. So drink, eat and make sure you tip the band.”

Everyone gave Shawn another round of applause, and then Seamus lifted a mug of beer. “Thank you to my father, the man who started this grand old pub, Shawn Finn. May I someday be that wise and that lucky to have such a beautiful woman on my arm.”

Shawn crossed his fingers and Seamus laughed. “It’s been one hell of a year,” he told the crowd. “I’ve never been prouder of my family, or more inspired by the wonderful people they’ve found to share their lives. People who, for some unknown reason, love them enough to put up with all of us.”

He pointed his glass toward Ken, and Brady laughed until Ken leaned over the table to kiss him.

“If all of you can hang in there just a little while longer, we have something really special in the works. But first, let’s raise a glass to the Senator’s wife, Mrs. Natasha Rivera Finn. I think she has something to say.”

“Something is definitely going on,” Brady said in Ken’s ear.

“Clearly,” Ken agreed with a smile. “It’s called fun. Pay attention.”

“Smartass.”

Tasha was making the audience laugh with some racy humor about her pregnancy, but once Brady started, he couldn’t stop looking at Ken.

How had he gotten so lucky? Nothing in his life had prepared him for this kind of happiness. He still wasn’t sure he deserved it. But that didn’t mean he’d let it go without one hell of a fight.

Just like Ken, he was ready for whatever came next. And yes, he had a feeling they weren’t done with that shadowy group of untouchables with blood on their hands. But Terry and Patricia were together and safe. Ken was safe and they were in love. For now, in this moment, life was good. Brady felt blessed. Happy. With this man by his side, he could do anything.

Ken must have felt him staring. “You’re missing Tasha’s comedy stylings,” he said. “What is it?”

“Have you ever been to Paris? I told you about the place Mom had there. I was thinking we should take a vacation. We’ve earned it.”

Ken leaned over and kissed him again with those perfect, wicked lips, making his heart skip. “I’d do Paris with you. Or you in Paris. Anytime, Finn. Anything you want.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you. I wasn’t expecting this.” He made a motion to include the bar filled with Finns. “I thought I had it all together. Thought I was doing great on my own.”

It was hard to argue with that. “You were Batman.”

“Exactly.” Ken’s grin softened. “I was fine until I met you.”

Brady smirked. “Jake says whenever people say they’re fine, it means that they’re too worn out from crying to go over why life sucks so bad.”

“Jake? The tween? Well, it must be true then.”

Brady nodded. “For the record, I was fine too. Just fine. All black shirts, control and careful passion. I didn’t think there was anything more for me. Until you.”

“Stop or I’ll drag you out of here before we find out what’s going on. You are trouble, Finn. A giant, gorgeous mountain of trouble. I should have known from the minute I saw you but I—Oh, wait, I think she’s getting to the good part.” Ken kissed him quick with a laugh, then turned his head back toward the bar.

“Time to get serious.” Tasha brought her hand up to quiet the crowd. “I’ve known these delectable Finns for years now, and they have many wonderful qualities. Too many to be fair to the rest of us. Those eyes. Those bodies.” She pointed at Ellen and Shawn. “Those parents.” Everyone laughed. “But they aren’t perfect. One of their less than wonderful traits is their need to be in your life. Not just involved. In. Your. Life. Little Finn knows what I’m talking about.”

Jen raised her glass and smiled, nodding. Brady noticed Trick laughing with another man behind her. A cop he recognized. James’ friend?

“So because everyone was so upset not to be present for what I thought was a very personal moment, we’re going to put on a show for them right now, aren’t we honey? Stephen? Baby, will you help me out?”

“He looks nervous,” Ken murmured.

“She’s Tasha and she’s got the entire room’s attention. I’m nervous.”

Seamus set out a chair and Tasha guided Stephen into it. “Senator? Do you remember that time you found out I was pregnant?”

He grinned. “I do.”

“Do you remember tearing up and kissing my stomach and singing Irish lullabies to it for over an hour?”

Stephen adjusted his collar, shaking his head at the crowd. “She’s exaggerating.” He sent her a warning look. “She’s also a brat.”

Brady watched Tasha share a look with Stephen’s twin Seamus, who held a camera phone up to his brother’s face.

“Uh-oh,” Brady muttered. “I need to talk to him about that. All recording devices should be banned in this place.”

Ken patted his thigh. “After tonight.”

Tasha took Stephen’s hand and placed it on her stomach. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you with everything that’s been happening, but the doctor asked me to come in for another ultrasound this week.”

Senator Finn paled visibly, sitting up straighter in his chair. “Tasha?”

Her smile was incandescent. “It’s okay, honey. I’m healthy. Everything’s perfect.” She paused. “We’re just having twins.”

The roar in the pub was deafening, but Brady didn’t need to hear to read the expression of joy on Stephen’s face. His blue eyes filled with tears as he stood, pulling his wife into his arms and kissing her senseless in front of God and everyone.

“We did that.” Ken sounded proud of himself.

“We did not do that,” Brady corrected him. “But we helped. I wonder if that gives us first dibs on baby names.”

“Maybe we could make that the fifth rule of Finn Club.”

“We’ll see.”

Ken’s golden eyes were filled with laughter. He looked like he belonged here, in Brady’s crowded and messy life. And Brady finally understood what Solomon meant when he said his brother was back.

Brady was home.

 

 

Keep Reading for the Bonus Quickie,

A Curious Proposal.