LIAM BOUNCED ISABELLA on his knee, remembering when Cleary and Mike were thirteen months old; he’d loved that stage in their lives. His sister-in-law, Brie, sat across from him at a table in a front corner of the pub. The October afternoon was dreary; the rain clouds had opened up onto weary New Yorkers scurrying around outside. “She still not walking?”
“With two brothers and a sister who do everything for her, she doesn’t need to walk, or talk much.”
Gurgling, Isabella patted Liam’s cheeks and babbled something unintelligible. She looked like her mother with her crop of reddish hair, almost violet eyes and cute bow mouth.
Liam kissed Isabella’s nose. “I’d do everything for you too, princess.”
Brie smiled. “Patrick calls her that.”
Glancing away from the baby’s face, Liam studied his sister-in-law, but before he could ask how she and Pat were doing, Dylan appeared at their table. “Here’s your lunch.” He set down corned beef sandwiches on rye bread. “The noon crowd’s gone so we’re not busy. Want me to take this gorgeous lady back to the kitchen so you two can eat in peace?” He cocked his head at Liam. “This one needs to talk to a woman anyway.”
Brie gave Dylan her megawatt smile. “Sure.”
Isabella raised chubby arms to Dylan; already she loved the O’Neil men and went easily to all of them.
Over sandwiches and a pint of beer, Brie nodded to him. “Tell me what’s going on with you.”
“You first. How are things with Pat?”
“You know, you always do this, shift the conversation away from yourself.”
Liam shrugged. “Unlike Dylan and Aidan, I’d prefer not to be the center of attention.”
A lock of deep auburn hair styled in a snazzy sweep fell into Brie’s eyes as she leaned over. “Okay, I’ll talk, then you will. Promise?”
“Scout’s honor.”
“We’re treading water.” Brie ran a polished nail over the rim of her glass. “Since Isabella was born, we’ve tried to avoid the knock-down-drag-outs. But one’s coming up for sure.”
“Why?”
“I’m expanding my business.” Brie had started a company called InPlace, where she went into homes and helped people clean out their clutter. “I’ve hired on some new people and we’re advertising in the Hamptons.”
“Pretty classy.”
“And very lucrative. It’ll mean more of my time.”
“With new people, you could cut back on your own calls, couldn’t you?”
“Not really. Some clients use our services and request me, specifically. Besides, working in homes is the fun part of the business. I like straightening out other people’s lives.” She rolled her eyes. “Probably because I can’t straighten out my own.”
“You’re working at it.”
“You’d think after seventeen years of marriage, we’d be a bit further along.” She took a bite of her sandwich. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to complain.”
“Hey, this is me you’re talking to. The guy whose hand you held for all those years Kitty was sick.” He shook his head, thinking how much he’d missed Brie. They hadn’t spent a lot of time together lately. “Work at it, Brie. He’s crazy in love with you.”
“I know he is. And I love him as much. It’s just that…” she glanced away “…he’s so insecure sometimes.”
“You hinted at that before.”
“There are things between Patrick and me that are private. Things we decided not to tell anyone.”
“I can respect that.”
Liam suspected Patrick’s insecurity had something to do with what happened when Brie and Pat first hooked up. She’d been in college at NYU and come into the pub one night. They’d fallen head over heels for each other, but when she got pregnant with Sinead, their first child, she didn’t marry Paddy right away. The details—and reason for the wait—had always been sketchy to the family. The only thing he and the guys and Bailey knew was that had been a black period in Paddy’s life.
But when Sinead was a year old, something happened and they’d gotten married. They were one of those couples who’d enjoyed lots of highs and suffered lots of lows in their relationship. Funny, all Liam could remember about his life with Kitty were the highs.
“The business expansion will make waves,” Brie went on. “I hope we can ride them out.”
“You will.”
“Now, tell me what’s going on with my favorite brother-in-law. Mike got upset about Sophie the firefighter. I know she works here, but there’s more to the story. Anything to do with you?”
He stared out at the street where it had begun to rain in earnest and people were darting around puddles. “I thought I’d like to get to know her better. But now, I’m leaning the other way.”
“Why?”
“I could handle her job myself, Brie. I know what she does is dangerous. But as you know, Mikey flipped when she got hurt. And he’s only known her a few weeks.”
“Are we talking something serious here?”
“No. Just a date. I like her, and there’s chemistry between us, but no, I’m not thinking June weddings.”
“Then what’s the problem? Go out on a date. Have some recreational sex, maybe. Enjoy each other.”
Smiling, he thought of the kiss in the kitchen and how hot it had been. “I’m not wired that way.”
“All men are wired that way.”
“I don’t know. If Mike hadn’t had such a bad reaction...”
Gently, Brie laid her hand over his. “You can’t live your life around Mikey, Liam. You’ve been doing that for three years.”
“I know.” He saw a yellow bus pull up to the curb. Mike tumbled out with the two other kids who lived in the apartments above the businesses on either side of the pub.
He watched his son’s face. It was sullen today. “Look at him. He’s so freakin’ fragile.”
Tracking his gaze, Brie nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
Mike came through the door and rushed over to them. His hair had droplets in it, and his coat was wet. He took it off before he hugged Brie. “Hey, Aunt Brie, I didn’t know you were coming to the pub today.” He looked around. “Is Sophie here yet?”
“No, honey,” Liam said after he accepted his own hug. “I told you she couldn’t work for a few days.”
“Yeah, but she said she’d come by to see us, didn’t she?”
“I’m sure she will. Maybe not today. She’s probably home sleeping.”
As if they’d conjured her up out of some genie bottle, the door opened again and in walked Sophie. Her arm in a sling, she wore black jeans with a red cotton jacket and low-heeled boots. Her hair was down around her shoulders and damp as she came toward them. Liam’s whole body reacted as if she were some supernatural creature, at his beck and call.
“Hi, Liam. Hey, kiddo.” She glanced at Brie.
“This is Pat’s wife, Brie. Brie, Sophie Tyler. You met on the phone, I guess.”
The women exchanged pleasantries.
Mike leaned into Sophie and she circled her good arm around him. The gesture was so natural, it startled Liam. “You okay, Sophie?” Mike asked.
“Doing great today.”
He touched the sling. “You got hurt.”
“Just a bruise. Shoulder and arm muscles heal slow.”
“I saw the fire on TV.” Mike grimaced. “It looked bad.”
“It was.”
“Did anybody die?”
Her gray eyes zeroed in on Liam. He nodded.
“Yeah. Three guests of the hotel.”
“Any firefighters?”
“Nope, none. A few were injured like me.” She squatted down so she was eye level with his son. “Mike, we know how to protect ourselves. We’re trained in safety on the fire ground.”
“But you got hurt.”
“You know why? I was carrying a man who weighed” —she nodded to Liam— “a lot more than your dad, and he got scared halfway down the ladder. He bucked and caused us both to fall off it and onto the pavement. There was nothing anybody could do about that.”
As if he was waiting to be convinced, Mike nodded.
She stood and smiled brightly at Liam. Was she remembering the kiss? “How are things going here?”
“Great, Brie came in to have lunch with me.”
“All done, though.” Brie stood. “Hey, Michael Patrick O’Neil, want to go back and see how Isabella’s doing?”
“Okay.” He looked to Sophie. “You staying, Sophie?”
“For a bit.”
Mikey followed Brie to the rear of the pub.
Liam had to face her. “Hungry?”
She grinned, the mischief making her eyes warm and enticing. “Is the pope Catholic?”
“Sit, I’ll get you food.”
“I don’t want to bother you.”
Fat chance, he thought as he headed back to the kitchen. She bothered him, a hell of a lot.
o0o
SOMETHING WAS WRONG with Liam, Sophie thought as he approached her table carrying a plate. Gone was the flirty man who’d kissed her senseless in the kitchen a few days ago. In his place was a polite but distant coworker. He set the food in front of her and just stood there.
“Aren’t you going to keep me company?”
“For a little while.” He glanced back at the kitchen. “I’ve got some things to do for dinner tonight.”
Her heart tightened at his dismissive tone. “Go ahead, then. As I said, I don’t want to bother you.”
His face shadowed and he took a seat. “Are you really all right?”
“Yeah, I meant what I told Mike.”
“Some big guy knocked you off the ladder?”
“Uh-huh.” She chewed her food. “I’m gonna take some heat for that.”
“Why?”
“Lance Callahan, the firefighter who handed the victim out to me, told his crew he knew I couldn’t carry the guy down. I didn’t have the muscles.”
“Your muscles are better than most men I know.”
“They are. They have to be, for instances just like this. Callahan’s one of ‘the club.’”
“The club?”
“Male firefighters who think women don’t belong on the line. I’m afraid they’re still in the majority. He was also one of two who transferred out of our house when I came on board. It’s happened in other stations, too.”
“Your group seems to accept you just fine.”
“They do. Now. For one thing, I practically grew up with the department, like I told you. And I’ve been with these guys a long time and proved myself. I dragged Bilotti over a spongy roof when nobody else saw he was in trouble. I found Murray during a Mayday.”
“Mayday?”
“Signal for a downed firefighter. And then of course, I always do my part in a run. It’s just that when men haven’t seen women perform well, they won’t give them a break.”
“I’m sorry. Will there be problems from this?”
“We’ll see. Marconi, our battalion chief, said to ignore Callahan’s grumbles. If it gets out of hand, he’ll deal with it.”
“Oh, good.” He picked up the menu on the table and studied it.
“Liam, is something wrong?”
Eyes downcast, he shook his head. “No, of course not. I feel bad for you.”
She cocked her head. “Were you worried?”
“A bit.” Now he met her gaze. “Mike got real upset.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He doesn’t do well with loss, or when someone he cares about is in danger. A lot went on with C.J., Aidan’s fiancée, last summer and it was hard on my boy.”
“I can tell he’s troubled.”
“That he is. Anyway, he seems okay today.” He watched her. “So, how were your birthday celebrations?”
She told him about the boisterous dinner at the Carusottis’ house. “I went shopping with Hannah the next day.”
“Was it fun?”
“Yeah.” She tossed him a flirty smile. Which he ignored. “I bought this great outfit. A black and gray skirt. A slinky top to go with it.”
“Sounds pretty.”
Shit, couldn’t he take the hint?
“It is. Maybe you’ll get to see it sometime.”
“Doesn’t sound like something you’d wear to the pub.”
That was the last thing she expected. “Ah...no, I wouldn’t.”
“Then I’ll probably never see it.” His eyes were filled with something deep and lonely.
What the hell? “I was hoping we could—”
“No, Sophie, we couldn’t.”
Her jaw dropped. Finally she got out, “Oh, okay.”
He stood abruptly, “Shall I go get the schedule?”
Her mind couldn’t keep up. “Schedule?”
“For when you can work again. Or do you wanna wait until you know your arm is healed?”
“I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Go get the schedule.” He started away.
“Liam?” she called after him.
“I’ll be right back,” he said without turning around.
Sophie stared at the empty seat across from her, wondering how she could have read him so wrong.
o0o
“SO, WHAT do you think?” Pat’s voice penetrated the haze Liam’s mind had been in since his conversation with Sophie yesterday. He couldn’t block the look of disappointment on her face and how...vulnerable she seemed. It wasn’t a word he’d usually apply to her. “Think?”
“Jesus, get with the program,” his brother growled from across the table. “Your mind’s been someplace else all morning while we’ve been trying to decide on the entertainment for November.”
“Leave him alone.” This from Aidan. “You’ve been a bear, too.”
“Pot calling the kettle black. Ever since C.J. went on a protective job for the UN, you been sniveling around like a wounded puppy.”
“Yeah, you’re all sweetness and light,” Dylan put in.
“Don’t start,” Pat warned his other brother, “or you’ll regret it.”
“Hey, just because all of you fuck up your love lives and I don’t—”
“God, I missed this.”
All four O’Neil men turned their cranky heads to the doorway. In it was their sister Bailey.
“Hey, B.” Aidan jumped up and covered the distance between them. He took Bailey in a fierce hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute.” She smiled over his shoulder. “Come on, guys, how about a welcome for the prodigal daughter.”
They took their turns embracing her. Liam went last. “It’s good to see you.” When he held her, he felt the baby she was carrying kick his stomach. “Hey. Little Paddy just kicked me.” He drew back and placed his hand on her stomach. “Hi, guy. Getting anxious to come out?”
“Not too soon, I hope.” Bailey was due to deliver her third child in four weeks. “By the way, we decided to give him a middle name to go by, since there’re already two Patricks in the family. It was Pa’s idea.”
Liam glanced over her head. Two agents stood guard near the door. From the window, he could see others standing post outside. Mitch Calloway, the head of her division was a guy they all knew because he’d worked closely with C.J., spoke first. “Hi guys.”
The men greeted Bailey’s personal protective agent. Then they introduced Kip Michaels, her new bodyguard. Aidan had met him and greeted him warmly. The others introduced themselves.
“C.J. around?” Mitch asked.
Aidan explained the situation.
“Come and sit, lass.” Pat nodded to the agents. “Can I get you something?”
“No, thanks.”
“Mitch.” Bailey’s expression was stern. They’d fought this battle before. “Have some coffee.”
“Maybe we will.” He told Kip to stay put and got them mugs from the urn in the corner, then went back to his position.
Bailey took a seat at the table next to Liam. He picked up her hand and held it. “Why the visit, sweetie?”
“I thought I’d come up while Clay’s in California meeting with the governor on a new youth crime bill.” She rubbed her belly. “Besides, I probably won’t be able to get back for a while after I have this little one, though I was two weeks late with both of the others.”
Dylan glanced around. “Where are the kids?”
“Angel’s with Ma and Pa upstairs. We dropped her off first so I could surprise you guys. Rory’s home...” She rolled her eyes. “I mean at the residence. He’s coming up after school on Friday.”
“How long you staying?” Aidan asked.
“I thought maybe I’d hang around for Mike’s scout ceremony on Tuesday. That way I could be here for the Halloween party at the pub this weekend. You know how much I always loved that night.”
Low groans from the men in black across the room. Coverage of the Second Lady in events like a party was tough for the Secret Service. Something that included costumes was a nightmare.
Liam nodded to them. “Your guys over there don’t seem happy about that.”
“Then they fit right in with you four. What’s going on?”
Aidan shrugged. “Guess we’re all grumpy this morning.” He told her about C.J.’s first stint in protection.
She said, “C.J.’s a good agent, A.”
“It’s hard, worrying.”
“I’ll bet.”
“I don’t know how Clay put up with what you did all those months.” Bailey had worked with gang girls when she and Clay met. He was a senator at the time, and sparks flew over her safety and other things.
Patrick smiled at her. “I remember the fireworks, lass.”
“You oughtta talk about fireworks,” Dylan put in.
“Just shut up.”
They always fell into old patterns when their sister was around. She’d given them nicknames. Pat was the Fighter, and Dylan, appropriately, the Taunter.
Dylan’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s pick on Liam.”
Briefly, Liam closed his eyes. He was tagged the Manipulator because he could usually avoid conflict and still get what he wanted. Today, he didn’t have the energy. “Nothing to pick on.”
“No, ’cuz you turned into the cowardly lion.” Dylan again.
“Man, do I regret telling you guys anything.”
“As if you can keep secrets.” Dylan told Bailey, “He likes the new waitress here, but chickened out asking her for a date.”
“Why?”
Liam stood. “I’m not participating in this. I’ll go get Bailey something to eat.”
“Li—wait.”
“Nope. I won’t discuss it. And I’ll remember next time not to tell you jerks anything.”
“Hey, I understand,” Aidan called out. He was the Peacemaker.
But Liam wasn’t having any it. He walked away because he was no longer talking about—or thinking about—Sophie Tyler.
o0o
“TWO DEVELOPMENTS in the Concord Hotel fire, next at eleven.” The male news anchor’s somber expression didn’t bode well.
Setting the popcorn bowl down, Sophie scrambled for the remote and upped the volume on the TV. “What now?” she asked aloud in her empty apartment.
Wasn’t it enough that she’d been rejected, although subtly, by Liam O’Neil? She hadn’t seen him since she went to the pub the day after the fire. She would, though, because she was bar-tending this weekend, then going back to the firehouse on Monday. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what happened with him. She hadn’t imagined the sexy kiss in his kitchen, or the flirtation before that. But something had changed.
Oh, who cared? It was only a fling. Hannah was right, Sophie didn’t need a ready-made family.
The news program came back on.
“Rachel Scott, reporting for WNYC News. There have been two new developments in the fatal fire three nights ago at the Concord Hotel. The arson division of the FDNY has declared the fire incendiary. For you laymen out there, that means...”
Sophie said aloud, “It was torched.”
“An inside source told WNYC several suspicious fires in lower Manhattan have had investigators spinning their wheels. We contacted the fire department but they aren’t releasing any details as of yet.”
“Then how do you know about it?” Shit, Joe would be really pissed about this broadcast.
“More information will follow when this news station can uncover it.” Here the woman arched a subtle brow. “We believe the public has a right to know, but apparently officials of the FDNY don’t agree.”
Oh, great.
“Other news involving America’s Bravest—one female member of America’s Bravest—is the complaint lodged by a victim of the hotel fire. Arnold Miller, the man carried down a ladder to supposed safety, notified officials just hours ago that he’s filing a formal complaint against the department for his broken leg. Apparently, Miller fell several feet with Firefighter Sophie Tyler when she was unable to descend the ladder with the two-hundred-ninety-pound man. Stay tuned here for further developments.”
The other news anchor faced Scott. “Are there many female firefighters in the FDNY, Rachel?”
“Thirty. There was a PBS special in 2006 about their difficult integration into the FDNY.”
“Yes, remember we interviewed Brenda Berkman on her retirement? The video focused on her.”
Scott frowned, as if she really cared. “It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out. I hope it doesn’t give a bad name to female firefighters all over the country who are doing their job.”
Sophie stared openmouthed at the screen. Holy fucking shit! Had these people really implied Miller fell because he was being carried out by a woman? That she wasn’t doing her job? It was one thing for guys like Lance Callahan to accuse her of incompetence. It was another for a scandal to happen on national TV.
Her phone rang. It would be her captain. Or maybe Joey. She leapt for it. “Hello.”
“Sophie? This is Dylan O’Neil. I just saw the newscast given by our friend Rachel Scott. I called to warn you.”
There was an edge in Dylan’s voice she’d never heard before. He was always so charming and happy.
“I saw it. Warn me about what?”
“Rachel Scott. She’s given our family a lot of grief. Her coverage of Bailey and Clay has endangered them on more than one occasion.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you all about it when you come in this weekend. But she’s a shark, and she could go after you.”
“About the female firefighter thing?”
“Uh-huh. Watch your back if she contacts you and I’ll clue you in when I see you.”
“Sure, thanks.”
“Knowledge is power, babe. And you’re one of ours now so you aren’t alone.”
She wouldn’t be alone anyway. Her crew and Hannah and a lot of other smoke eaters would be at her side. But for some reason, knowing the O’Neils would have her back made Sophie feel better—for a minute. God, she couldn’t believe she was going to fight this battle again.