He settled back, absently rubbing Finn’s side with his foot. “I’ve no wanderer’s thirst inside me like you had, or like Darcy and Ma and Dad. I want to see what I know when I wake in the morning, and hear sounds I’m familiar with. It centers me, you see,” he went on while Aidan studied him, “to know the names of the faces around me, and to be home no matter where I look.”

“You’re the best of us,” Aidan said quietly and made Shawn laugh with both surprise and embarrassment.

“Well, now, there’s a statement for the ages.”

“You are. You’ve the heart that draws in the land here, and the sea and the air and holds it with respect and with love. I couldn’t do that until I’d gone off to see all I could see. And when I left, Shawn, I’m telling you I didn’t think I’d be back. Not to stay.”

“But that’s what you did, what you’ve done.”

“Because I came to realize what you’ve always known. This is our place in the world. By rights, if we went by heart instead of birth order, you’d head the pub.”

“And run it into the ground within a year. Thanks, but no.”

“You wouldn’t, though. I haven’t always given you the credit you deserve.”

Shawn turned the Harp over in his hand, eyed it thoughtfully, and sent the dog at his feet a wink. “Just how many of these bottles did the man drink down before I got here, Finn, my lad?”

“I haven’t been drinking. I want you to understand my feelings and thoughts before things change on us again. And they will change if we make this deal.”

“They’ll change, but we’ll be the ones guiding the direction of it.”

“It’ll take more of your time.”

He’d thought of that, and what use he would make of the time it took. “I’ve time to spare.”

“And Darcy’s—she won’t be pleased with that.”

“No.” Shawn let out a breath. “But she’ll be pleased enough with the baubles and trinkets she can buy with the profits. And she’ll stand for Gallagher’s, Aidan.” Shawn met his brother’s eyes. “You can give her credit for that.”

“At least till she bags that rich husband.”

“After she does, and she deigns to visit with those of us who remain peasants, you could still ask her to put on an apron and pick up a tray.”

“And have her bash me head in with it.” But Aidan nodded, understanding. “Aye, she’d lend her hand if the need was there, I know it.”

“Don’t take this weight all on yourself—the deal and the worry and the work of it,” Shawn told him. “There’s three of us—well, four now that we’ve our Jude Frances. Gallagher’s is family. We’ll do well with this business, Aidan. I’ve a good feeling about it.”

“It’s good you came by. I’m clearer in my head than I was.”

“Well, then, that should be worth one more beer before I—” Shawn broke off as he heard voices, light and female. “Oh, blessed Mary, there’s the women. I’m off. I’ll use the back door.”