Kate Hoffmann - Reunited

His announcement was met with dead silence. "We don't have a sister," Brendan finally said. "How the hell could we have a sister and not know about it?"

"Show them the necklace, Keely."

With trembling fingers, she reached beneath her sweater and pulled the claddagh out. Dylan stepped closer. "I remember this. She always wore it. And when she'd tuck us in at night, it would hang from her neck and I'd twist my fingers around it and hold her there until she kissed me again."

"I have a picture of her wearing that necklace," Sean said.

They all turned to look at him. "You have a picture of our mother?" Conor asked.

He frowned. "Yeah. I took it before Da threw everything out. I wasn't about to tell you guys. You would have pinched it first chance you got." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, then withdrew the tattered photo. Keely's brothers passed it around the circle, staring at it long and hard.

"I have a picture, too," Keely said. She reached into her purse and withdrew the photo Maeve Quinn had given her in Ireland. The brothers passed it around. "That was taken right before you left Ireland. Liam, you weren't born yet. And, you can see, my mother is wearing the necklace."

"I remember this day," Conor said.

"She was so beautiful," Brendan murmured.

Keely nodded. "She still is. She's alive and she's living in New York."

Suddenly, five pairs of eyes were riveted on her face. "Say that again," Dylan demanded.

"I know it's probably hard to believe. Conor told me you thought she was dead. And I'm not sure I can explain my mother's motives for walking out on you all. You'll have to ask her that yourself. But she is alive and I think she'd like to see you, if you're willing to see her. I don't think you've ever been out of her thoughts, not for one single day."

"She left us with a drunk," Dylan said, a trace of bitterness in his words. "Do you have any idea what it was like growing up in that house? She never called, never even bothered to check on us."

Conor held up his hand. "That's not Keely's fault. She had no control over our childhood. So maybe we should take up those issues with our mother and not her."

They all nodded and Keely relaxed, grateful they weren't going to punish her for her mother's mistakes. "I'm sorry I waited so long, but I wasn't sure how to tell you."

Brendan stepped up first and drew Keely into his arms, giving her a gentle hug. "Welcome to the family, little sister." He laughed. "Imagine that. The Quinn brothers with a little sister. I suppose we're going to have to start watching our language when you're around."

"Keely brought some other news," Conor explained. "She gave me a lead on one of the crew members who was on the Mighty Quinn when Sam Kendrick died. A lead that her mother gave her."

Keely nodded. "My-our mother remembered that there was a Lee Franklin on the boat and she told me that he knew what had happened. If we can find him, he can tell his story and clear Seamus of Kendrick's murder."

"Speaking of Kendrick…" Sean said. Reaching over to the bar, he grabbed a file folder. "I've been doing a little investigating." He held up a photo he took from the folder. "This is Kendrick's son. Recognize him?"

Liam snatched the photo from Sean. "Sonofabitch," he muttered. "He's been to the bar. The past few months, he's been hanging out here right under our noses."

Keely's eyes went wide as the photo was shoved at her.

"Have you ever seen him?" Sean asked. "Did you ever wait on him? Did he say anything to you?"

"I think he has been in the bar a few times," she murmured, hoping that none of them remembered the night she threw sparkling water in Rafe's face.

"This is the guy," Sean said. "He's the one causing all our problems. He's some multimillionaire. He made his money in real estate. I figure he's out for some kind of revenge. But why spread these lies about Seamus?"

"Maybe he believes they're the truth," Keely said. Her brothers turned to her and she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "Not that I believe Seamus did anything wrong. But maybe that's what this Kendrick guy was led to believe. Just like you believed your mother was dead."

"If that guy ever sets foot in this bar again," Dylan muttered, "I'll punch his teeth so far down his throat he'll have to talk out of his ass."

"I think we should find this guy and beat some sense into him," Sean added.

As her brothers debated how to handle Rafe Kendrick, Keely picked up the photo and stared at the image of the man who had been her lover. She ran her fingers over each feature of his face, recalling how he really felt, the strong line of his lower lip still damp from her kiss, the rough surface of his beard when he needed a shave, the intensity of his gaze as she watched her come.

Keely drew a ragged breath. "Is it all right if I keep this photo? I might remember something later."

If she couldn't have the real thing, a photo would have to do. But it wouldn't do for much longer. Keely needed to see Rafe and she needed to see him soon.

A BANNER HUNG above the front door of Quinn's, proclaiming the grand reopening of "Southie's Favorite Irish Pub" the day after next. Free Irish stew and corned beef sandwiches should draw all the regulars back after just a few weeks of being closed, Keely mused.

Though progress with the bar had been amazingly swift, her father's problems with the law hadn't followed suit. Liam had called her in New York to give her the news. Though Conor and Sean had tried, they hadn't been able to locate Lee Franklin. Seamus's case would go before the grand jury in two days and they'd decide whether to indict or not, based on the testimony of Ken Yaeger. Though Seamus had professed his innocence, according to Liam the prosecutor wasn't interested in his story. That would be left for a jury to decide, if the matter actually went to trial.

Keely wondered why they'd chosen to reopen the pub on the very same day as the grand jury. She suspected it was wishful thinking, an attempt to will a positive outcome when all looked bleak. But she'd come back to Boston with one final bit of hope for her brothers and father. She glanced back at her car parked in front of the pub. She wasn't sure that what she planned to do now was the right thing, but it felt right…in her heart.

When she stepped inside, she found the interior of Quinn's in chaos. The tables were scattered haphazardly around the bar and boxes of bottles littered the floor. Brendan looked up and called her name, a smile breaking across his face. Liam and Sean stood behind the bar, arranging bottles on the shelves. And Conor and Dylan appeared a few moments later from the door that led to the kitchen. When Brian walked in behind her, Keely was satisfied that all her brothers were present and accounted for.

"Hey there, little sister," Brian said, dragging her along to the bar. "Come to help us fix this mess?"

Keely smiled. "You look like you could use my help."

"Since the pub bears your name, it's a family obligation. Grab a rag and get to work."

Glancing around the bar, she searched for one member of the family who was missing. "Where's Seamus?" she asked.

"He's in the kitchen," Dylan said. "He hasn't come out since we told him you'd be coming today. I hope you're prepared to stay a few days. He might not come out for a while."

"Then he knows about me?"

Conor nodded. "We told him last night. I think he's afraid to talk to you, Keely." He turned and shouted, "Da, come out here. There's someone here you need to meet."

They all waited for Seamus to emerge from behind the swinging door to the kitchen. When he did, he was wearing a dirty apron that he quickly removed and tossed aside. He smoothed his hair with his palms, then approached Keely. She was surprised at how hesitant he appeared, wringing his hands together in front of him. She was accustomed to a brash and confident Seamus Quinn, a man who liked to stand up to people in an argument, the man who teased her and called her "lassie."