He made it sound romantic but Seamus would keep an eye out, just in case. William was a little intense and the last thing he needed was to help some stalker—Finn or not—chase after someone who didn’t want to be caught.
“Matthew is twenty-one. He’s good with computers.” He was clever and quiet, and his older brother’s shadow. “I figured we could put them in the apartment behind the bar if they ever showed up.”
“They’ll be showing up,” Shawn said with a knowing nod. “According to Aaron, they’ve got started making plans to come in the next few months. For all his bluster, I think he was trying to be polite. Letting us know we had company coming. Though I must be going deaf, because I was sure he said that all three were coming.”
“Three?” The little apartment might not be big enough. “He must be talking about Calamity.”
“Who?”
“Kate.” Seamus tried to recall the conversation about her. “Her brothers call her Calamity. I think she’s nineteen? Matthew mentioned something about her looking into colleges. Maybe she wanted to check out a few here.”
“Well no wonder he’s upset,” Shawn said. “Sounds like he had a full house and they all decided to leave him at the same time.”
Seamus nodded thoughtfully. “Should I try to invite him again? He’s a prickly bastard, but I wouldn’t want to be responsible for him being on his own.”
Shawn put a warm hand on his shoulder. “Have I told you how proud I am to be your father?”
“I know we look alike, Dad, but I’m not Stephen,” he joked. “And yes. You tell me all the time.”
“Don’t ever compare yourself to anyone, Seamus. Not even your brothers. It wouldn’t be fair to them.”
Seamus patted his hand with his own. “Thanks.”
Shawn sighed. “You don’t see it, I know. Maybe that’s our fault, because we expect it from you now. And I know we give you a hard time with the jokes about the kids, but you have to be patient with us, son. We haven’t caught up with you yet.”
He was at a total loss today. “What are you talking about?”
Shawn’s face showed his struggle as he reached for an explanation. “Do you know when you and Stephen were Little Sean’s age, you spent the summer driving us crazy because you kept running over to the neighbor’s house every time we turned around?”
“What? Me?” He had no idea what his father was talking about. Or why. “Are you talking about the Crosby house?”
Shawn shook his head. “No, this was before they moved in. The woman who lived there… Her last name was Ames. Your mother would bring her casseroles and soup several times a week because, well, she was very old and wanted to die in the house where she’d raised her children. Anyway, at some point, we think you must have overheard your mother talking to the home health aide about Mrs. Ames, and how sad she was that it was summer and she wouldn’t be around for autumn and the breeze that came with it.”
His father smiled, remembering. “She had this collection of wind chimes, you see. So many it was a little horrifying, to be honest. They were all hung outside her bedroom window and, according to your mother, she spent her days staring at them. Waiting.”
“Are we going somewhere with this or did you just want to give me nightmares about dying alone?”
Shawn ignored him. “Every day you’d go missing—four-years-old, mind you—and a few minutes after you disappeared, we’d hear all of Mrs. Ames chimes playing in a breeze that wasn’t there.” His father laughed softly. “Your mother tried to apologize, but the health aide said it was the only time the old woman would smile all day.”
“So I was weird and obnoxious?” Seamus tried to laugh, but it felt like something was caught in his throat.
“You were kind. Like Jake, you always seemed like you knew a hell of a lot more than you should for your age.”
Seamus looked down at his hands and lifted one shoulder. He hoped Jake wasn’t too much like him. “We both know that didn’t last, Dad. I was the rudderless Finn for years. How many times did you tell me I should go back to school or commit to a goal or direction before I adopted Jake? Can you remember? Because I can’t.”
Shawn waved the words away as if they blocked his view. “Wanting you to find your passion doesn’t mean I thought there was anything wrong with you. And being Jake’s father didn’t fundamentally change who you were. He was another example of it, and he gave you someone to love, but even before he came along you were always able to see what everyone else needed. You were always taking care of us.”
His father’s gaze refused to release him. “Some people build impossibly tall skyscrapers, Seamus. And some people show up exactly when you need them to and talk you off a ledge. Everyone has their calling.” He shook his head. “You’re such a good man, you’re worried about the old geezer who tried to bean you with his dishes. Not even I can compete with that.”