“No.” Hallie clutched the top of her satchel as if the timeline might jump out and into Colleen’s arms. “I’ve got it. I’ll meet you at the house early tomorrow for the drive to Jacksonville. Walter can take the girls to day camp and we can compare what we’ve learned from the interviews.”

The swinging doors swished open as Hallie attempted her exit, but Hank entered lugging a crate of dirty glasses and banging into her. “Just what I need in this crowded area—more Donohues,” he muttered.

Hallie juggled and maintained control of her papers and then stormed out, pushing past Hank while Colleen stifled a laugh. She turned to her brother. “I know you want to say something. I see it all over your face, but just keep it to yourself for now.”

He tossed his arm over her shoulder, drew her close. “I know you only want to look at the terrible things Walter’s done. I get that. But he’s also a good man. He’s been a great father; a big help to Dad around the house, fixing things and just hanging out. You can’t just shove him into the monster category and keep him there. There is good in him. Even you wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if he was so terrible.”

“He fooled me.” Colleen looked away, squelching the desire to be stern at the one person in all the world she did not want to be stern with—her sweet brother. But damn.

“Maybe he did, but please just cut him a break so that you can cut your sister a break. Please. He just bought Hallie the cutest cottage at the edge of town and fixed it exactly how she wanted. He’s good to his family.”

“I hear you,” Colleen said. “But have you forgotten what else he did? Have you conveniently forgotten?”

Shane eyes filled with the flash of tears, brimming but not falling. He pulled his sister into a hug. “I have not forgotten, Lena. I haven’t. I’m just desperately trying to keep us all together right now. I’m sorry.”

Colleen let her head rest on her brother’s shoulder, felt a simple peace that came with that love. “Now can we stop talking about it?”

“Yes.” He kissed the top of her head and released her as they returned to the pub from the back room.

A young woman with perfectly placed lip liner and a tight pair of jeans walked toward Shane smiling and they were soon in conversation, Colleen left alone in the middle of the room. Sometimes when she entered the pub she felt like she was diving into a warm lake, a place of relaxation and ease that was meant just for her—maybe it was how others felt when they went to a spa. The only thing that compared was sitting at the edge of the river at twilight.