Daniel's Desire - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,68
Mom. Why don’t you fix this?”
“Fix it? Fix it how? Never did anything to create the mess in the first place. It’s that hotheaded brother of yours. He’s the one who stirred things up.”
“Actually, I’m the one who stirred them up,” Daniel reminded him. “I found those pictures, Dad. Once I did, there was no point in denying that they mattered.”
“I’m not talking about those pictures or about what happened all those years ago,” his father said. “That’s in the past and best left buried. If that’s what this visit is about, you’re wasting your time.”
Daniel met his gaze evenly. “Maybe that’s something you should pray about when we get inside, Dad. Keeping the past bottled up inside does no one any good. It certainly doesn’t make it go away.”
He let the matter drop then. He didn’t want to get his father so angry that he wouldn’t listen to reason once the service was over.
All during the Mass, Daniel noted that his mother’s gaze kept straying to Patrick as if she couldn’t get enough of the sight of him. More surprising was the fact that Patrick actually did seem to be at peace at long last. Sometimes all it took was that difficult first step to find forgiveness.
Once the service had ended and they were back in the car, Patrick was the one who said, “How about dinner at Jess’s with Daniel and me? Alice will be there. I know she’d like to get to know you.”
Their mother beamed. “I remember her so well as a child—I’d love to see her. I can see that she’s made you happy. It’s all right if we go, isn’t it, Connor?”
He gave her one of the indulgent smiles that were so familiar to Daniel. It had always seemed as if there was nothing on earth their father wouldn’t do to make their mother happy. Maybe that was because he’d done the one thing guaranteed to rob her of any real happiness and was trying desperately in his own small way to make amends.
“If it’s what you want, Kathleen, I wouldn’t mind a bowl of Molly’s chowder.” He glanced at Daniel. “Do you object?”
“Of course not.”
His father didn’t seem convinced. “There was a time not so long ago when the two of you were on the outs.”
“A thing of the past,” Daniel assured him. “We’re back together, this time for good, I think.”
His mother’s eyes promptly filled with tears. “Oh, my, something more to celebrate.”
Daniel exchanged a look with Patrick, trying to gauge if he had any clue about the best time to spring the rest of the news on them. Patrick shrugged, clearly leaving the really tough decision to him.
They were only minutes away from Jess’s when Daniel turned to his father. “Dad, I think there’s something you should know before we get there, you and Mom both.”
Connor frowned. “What’s that?”
“This isn’t just about spending an evening with Alice and Molly and us,” he said quietly. “Ryan, Sean and Michael will be there, too, with their families.”
Dangerously bright patches of color flooded his father’s cheeks. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Everyone’s there, Dad.”
“This is a damned setup?” he asked furiously. “How could you do this, Daniel? You know how I feel about dredging up all this ancient history.”
“It’s not a setup,” Daniel insisted. “It’s a chance, Dad, a chance to clear the air and get your sons back in your life. They’re willing to meet you halfway. Can’t you at least do that much?” He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his mother’s wistful expression. “Please, Dad. Do it for Mom.”
“Yes, Connor, please,” she said softly. “I want to see my sons. If it’s possible, I want them back in our lives.”
Connor regarded her with bewilderment. “Why, Kathleen? They hate us. They must.” He scowled at Patrick. “This was your idea, wasn’t it? You just want to humiliate us in public.”
“Molly’s closed the bar for the night,” Daniel reassured him. “It will just be family.”
“I still say this is a bad idea. I don’t want to spend an entire evening listening to them berate us,” Connor said. “Kathleen, you know it will only upset you.”
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “It’s time they get to have their say, Connor.”
“I won’t deny that there are a lot of strong emotions at work here, Dad, but the fact that they’re here at all tells me they want this,” Daniel said. “At the very least, help them to understand why you and Mom left them