Epilogue

It was the fourth of his brothers to tie the knot. This one had been quick, but Keith never looked happier, and Emily was glowing. Mike O’Connor grabbed a beer from the bar and twisted off the top. From the way things were going, he’d be the last of the brothers to settle down.

It was almost comical how his family thought he was playing the field. He hadn’t had sex for six months and not because he couldn’t. He had a couple of women that called him on a regular basis for booty calls. Mike was sick of the meaningless sex. He wanted someone to spend time with. In bed and out.

Maybe it was because he’d been watching his older brothers all settle down. They were all so sickeningly happy. Not that he wasn’t glad for them, but it was getting more difficult for him to be around them. Especially, when they’d start on him about how he had to stop running around.

“Bro, we’re a dying breed.” Aaron nudged him.

“Hey, with the way this is going Mikey here is the next to sail off into the sunset.” Nick laughed.

“Maybe I’ll just be the cool single bachelor that your women call and complain to.” Mike laughed. That was certainly not what he wanted.

“Bachelor maybe but definitely not cool.” Isabelle poked him in the chest.

“That’s right I’m the cool one.” John draped his arm around Isabelle’s shoulder.

“Dream on. Your cool factor dropped after you took the plunge, bro.” Nick teased.

“Yeah but his sexiness skyrocketed.” Stephanie tucked herself under John’s arm and kissed his cheek. She and John had found out they were about to have another baby and they were both over the moon.

“Please, don’t use sexy in the same sentence with my cousin.” Kristy gagged.

Mike was starting to feel like he was smothering as everyone circled around the bar. He stepped back and let out a breath.

“Hey, are you okay?” Stephanie touched his arm.

“Just been busy at work.” Mike forced a smile.

“That makes what I’m about to ask really bad.” Stephanie pointed to the door leading to the patio.

“What is it?” Mike didn’t care how busy he was. When it came to family, he’d be there. Just like they always were for each other.

“John, I need to talk to Mike about that situation.” Stephanie kissed John’s cheek and linked her arm into Mike’s elbow.

It was a beautiful night even though it was a little chilly for the end of August. Mike walked with Stephanie to one of the patio tables outside the country club. They sat down, and Stephanie smiled.

“I’ve got a friend who may need some advice on a situation.” Stephanie folded her hands in front of her.

“Do I know this friend?” Mike asked.

“I don’t think so. She’s actually the grand-daughter of one of my clients.” Stephanie explained. “She’s trying to get custody of her friend’s daughter.”

“It’s hard to get a judge to take a child away from their parents unless there’s something dangerous.” Mike had seen enough of it to know.

“Her friend was the girl murdered last month,” Stephanie explained.

“Did her friend have a will or anything to give her custody?” This was a different situation altogether, and chances were child welfare would be the ones to deal with any arrangements for the child.

“No, but she always told Belinda that if anything happened to her, the little girl needed to be kept safe.” Stephanie sighed.

“Then Belinda and her husband need to tell child welfare that,” Mike said.

“See that’s one of the problems. Belinda isn’t married.”

“That could make things harder.”

“But the little girl is deaf, and Belinda knows sign language. She’s also a social worker herself.” Stephanie sighed. “She’s desperate.”

“If she’s a social worker than she should know how this works,” Mike said.

“She does, but John tells me you know sign language too.”

“What difference does that make?” Mike didn’t know how him being able to sign could help her friend’s situation.

“Belinda don’t need a lawyer for herself. She needs one for the child.” Stephanie took his hands. “They want to place the little girl with the man Belinda thinks killed her friend and the little girl is terrified of him.”

“Well, that really changes things.” Mike sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Text me her information.”