LITMIR.BIZ

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      Tears promptly filled Alice’s eyes. “Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry. You must have been devastated.”

      “I survived,” Molly said grimly. “But I won’t let him take Kendra away from me, not unless we know for a fact that it’s the best thing for her. The kid is hurting. It’s not that I intend to keep her for myself, for heaven’s sake, but I do want to know why she left home before I send her back to the same situation she ran away from.”

      “Don’t confuse giving up Kendra with losing your baby,” Alice said gently. “The two things are not the same at all.”

      “Maybe not. I just know that Daniel’s involved in both of them,” Molly replied stubbornly.

      “Okay, what can I do to help?”

      Molly forced a smile. “Nothing that I can think of, unless you want to stand guard at the front door and keep him out of here.”

      “I doubt I’m much of a match for Daniel,” Alice said. “Anything else?”

      “No, and don’t worry about it. I’ll handle Daniel.”

      “You wouldn’t have to handle him if you’d just do as he’s asking and let him see Kendra. I’m sure the three of you could work this out.”

      Molly knew it was a reasonable suggestion, but if she was afraid of risking it, how could she convince Kendra to trust Daniel? “I’ll try to persuade her to talk to him,” Molly finally conceded, not even trying to hide her reluctance. “But I won’t force her to do it.”

      “Not good enough,” Alice said. “She’s thirteen. That’s too young to be making the kind of decisions that could affect the rest of her life. You’re the adult. You need to be smart about this, for her sake and your own.”

      It was good advice and Molly knew it. In fact, when Alice had gone and Kendra emerged from the kitchen, Molly led her directly upstairs where they could have some privacy.

      “Stay put,” she ordered. “You and I need to talk as soon as I serve another round of drinks.”

      Kendra’s eyes widened with alarm. “Am I in trouble? What did that guy say to you? I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m not wanted for anything. I didn’t knock over some convenience store. I never even shop

ifted a candy bar. I swear it.”

      Molly’s heart promptly melted at the girl’s rush to defend herself. “I know that. But we do have to talk, okay?”

      Kendra nodded.

      “Watch TV or something till I come back. Whatever you do, don’t come back downstairs tonight.”

      “Is that man coming back?”

      “I doubt it,” she said, then felt compelled to add, “but Daniel’s unpredictable.” She’d learned that the hard way.

      Even though he was feeling cranky and completely out of sorts, Daniel detoured past his parents’ house on his way home. He told himself he wasn’t going to go inside, not when he was still worked up by his conversation with Patrick and his war of words with Molly, but as soon as he saw that every light in the house was blazing, he changed his mind and pulled into the driveway. Checking on his parents had become a nightly ritual, one he couldn’t break so easily.

      Worried by all the lights, he ran up to the front door and let himself in, calling out for his mother and father as he entered.

      Inside, nothing more seemed out of the ordinary. The house was filled with the scent of dinner…pot roast, if he wasn’t mistaken. The TV was blaring from the living room, a testament to the fact that his father’s hearing was worsening, though he refused to admit it.

      Since he wasn’t up to competing with the evening news for his father’s attention, he wandered into the kitchen and found his mother just removing the roast from the oven. She jumped when he spoke to her.

      “Daniel Devaney, are you trying to scare ten years off my life?” she demanded, a hand pressed to her chest. A pink blush tinted her pale complexion and gave her more color than usual.

      “Sorry, Mom,” he said, grinning. “I thought you heard me come in. I yelled for you.”

      “Who could hear a thing over that racket from the TV?” She brushed a strand of still-black hair back from her face and studied him. “You look tired and worried. Can I fix you something to drink? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Will you be staying?”

      He shook his head. “I’ve already eaten. I had a bowl of chowder over at Jess’s.”

      Her blue eyes filled with curiosity. “Oh? What were you doing there?”

      “Business,” he said, but he could see that she didn’t believe him any more than Patrick had. “It’s true. Molly’s got a runaway hiding out over there.”

      “Seeing Molly must have been awkward for you,” she said, watching his face intently.

      “And then some,” he admitted. If she’d known the whole story, she would have realized just how awkward. He’d never told her the reason behind the long-ago breakup, most likely because he’d been too embarrassed and ashamed of his part in Molly’s miscarriage, to say nothing of the fact that he’d inadvertently left Patrick to deal with the fallout.

      “I don’t suppose…” she began wistfully, avoiding his gaze.

      He knew what she was asking. “Yes, Mom, I saw Patrick.”

      “How is he?” she asked. “Is he well? Is he happy? Was his wife there?”

      It made his heart clench to hear the eagerness in her voice. If Patrick had heard it, he’d never have been able to stay away as long as he had. “Alice wasn’t around, but he’s well and happy, I think. He still doesn’t say much to me.”

      “And that’s our fault, your father’s and mine,” she said with apparent regret. “I’m sorry for that, Daniel. You two were always so close. If I could change things, I would.”

      “You could tell him—tell both of us—why you and Dad left our brothers in Boston and brought us here with you.” It was the first time since the night he’d made the discovery that he’d put the question to her so bluntly.

      “How would that help?” she said, tears in her eyes. “It was so long ago. You were little more than babies.”

      “We could try to understand, at least. Mom, you are going to have to come up with answers sooner or later. Ryan, Sean and Michael will come here eventually, and they’ll insist on it. If you try to stonewall them, it will end any chance of a reconciliation for this family.”

      Her gaze turned toward the living room, and worry creased her brow. “Your father…he can’t cope with that, Daniel.”

      “He’ll have to,” Daniel said, his own gaze unrelenting for once. “You owe them, and us, an explanation. Maybe once all the secrets are out in the open, this family can finally start to heal. Don’t you want that?”

      “Of course I do, it’s just that your father feels so much guilt,” she said. “He blames himself for everything that happened, even though we made the decision together. You can’t possibly imagine how difficult it was, Daniel. No one can.”

      “Then tell us. Help us to make sense of it. I always thought you and Dad were such good, honorable people. Is it any wonder that this secret of yours took Patrick and me by surprise? What you did was so completely out of character.”

      She shook her head, as stubborn as all of the Devaneys. “It’s up to your father. He’s locked that part of our lives away, and I can’t go against his wishes.”

      “But you can talk to him, persuade him that talking about this is for the best. What you did back then is still having repercussions today.”

      “You

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