Noah, his curls a lighter blond than Owen’s and clearly the youngest of the group, leaned back into the couch and crossed his arms. “Handsome, rich, his wall is a television and I feel like listening to him talk is making me smarter. Why are we here again?”
“Shut up, Noah.” Brady sent his brother a look of warning.
“What is it you need clarification on, Kelley? We’re here on Jen’s behalf.” Solomon was leaning forward, elbows on knees. Both his tone and posture were meant to throw him off his game. Declan knew he and Seamus were the ones he needed to direct his attention to. They were in charge of this.
“For the record, she would never ask any of you to come here. If Jeremy Porter were here I’d wonder, but he’s not. The Jennifer Finn I know is a mature, beautiful woman who is more than capable of fighting her own battles.” He saw the agreement in their eyes and continued. “She’s independent and aggravatingly stubborn.”
“Why do you say she wouldn’t ask us to come here?” Seamus asked.
“Because she’s the little sister whose problems everyone wants to fix.” Declan held up his hand when Seamus started to argue. “If she knew about your visit, she’d see it as another sign that she hasn’t earned the trust she believes she lost when she let her ex-fiancé into your lives.”
“So for the record, you’re clarifying that she’ll be pissed? I’m pretty sure I covered that in the car on the way over.” Owen glared at Seamus.
Seamus was looking more than a little uncomfortable. “I can see that you’ve gotten to know Jen, but no matter how old or independent she is, she is my baby sister. She’s a Finn. We take care of each other.”
“And you’re a Kelley.” Solomon studied him carefully. “Any relation to Gerald and Roddy?”
Declan nodded. “We share the same paternal grandfather.”
Brady slapped his hands on his tree trunk thighs, drawing their attention. “Did that grandfather give you all this? Because this is not the house of a college professor.”
Declan sent Brady a small, amused smile. “It isn’t the house of a crime lord, either. The Kelleys aren’t wealthy. I haven’t seen them in years but I’m guessing Solomon can confirm that for me. My mother, who raised me alone, was very wealthy. This is…was all hers.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Seamus offered, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. “I recognized your name when I met you. My father doesn’t talk about our grandfather much, or the people he had dealings with. But I know the name Kelley.”
“Jen had no idea. But you do?”
Seamus shrugged. “A bit. Bad blood. Rumors. When we were younger, Dad said once every few years a Kelley or two would come into the pub and accuse him of stealing the sunshine in winter, but things never got out of hand.”
“And every time someone named Kelley gets arrested in my precinct, they swear they’ve been framed by a Finn,” Solomon said, his voice wry.
“Reason twenty-six,” Noah snorted.
“Excuse me?”
“Sol the Elder likes to say his father’s Irish luck ran out when he fell in love with a Kelley. That was reason twenty-six on his list of why love is for suckers.”
Declan had never heard about a thwarted romance, but it was apparent that none of them had been inundated with the same negativity the Kelley children had from birth.
He shook his head, laughing softly. “She said my name didn’t matter.”
“It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement,” Brady said, challenge in his blue gaze.
“No, but you’re obviously not here because of it.” He glanced at Seamus, moving to cut off the next potential argument. “I’m a thirty-seven-year old professor with two master’s degrees and tenure. I’m asked to lecture in universities throughout Europe, I’m well-respected by my peers and I’ve never been involved with a student at the college.”
“Until now,” Solomon said.
“Yes. Until now. I struggled with it myself, but I would have made the same decision regardless. And despite my standing, I would accept an offer at another college and commute or stay home and take up baking before I would put her educational goals in jeopardy, or terminate our relationship.”
That statement made an impact.
“Your class is about sex?” This from Solomon.
“I discuss the psychology of sexual identity and gender roles. I allow my students to study sexuality through a broader lens and put modern prejudices and practices into historical context.” He kept his gaze steady on Solomon. “Education and communication is how we eradicate homophobia, interracial prejudice and the violence that follows both. Your family is an outlier, I’m afraid. Whole-hearted acceptance is not the norm.”
“So sex, but not sexy,” Noah said, sounding disappointed. “And just when I was considering a change in careers.”
“Can we go on record again? I’m not enjoying talking about sex and my sister. The last time I found out she was going to the club? I’m still not over it. I’d rather have a beer and watch something on the professor’s wall.” Owen was rubbing his forehead and eyeing the door.