graceful. Why had he never noticed before?

"It was a fine funeral," Liam said, groping. "Your mother'd be pleased

you brought him here to lie with her." He poured, then thirstily downed

three fingers.

Outside the soft rain of Ireland began.

They'd never drunk together before, Brian realized. He poured more

whiskey into both gla.s.ses. Perhaps, at last, they would find some

common ground. With a bottle between them.

"Here's a farmer's rain," Liam said, soothed by the sound and the

whiskey. "A nice soft soaker."

A farmer's rain. His little boy had dreamed of being a farmer. Had he

pa.s.sed that -much of Liam McAvoy into Darren?

"I didn't want him to be alone. I thought he should be back in Ireland,

with family."

"It's right. You done right."

Brian lit a cigarette, then pushed the pack toward his father. Had they

ever talked before, the two of them? If they had Brian couldn't

remember. "It shouldn't have happened."

"There's a lot that happens in this world shouldn't." Liam lit the

cigarette, then picked up his gla.s.s. "They'll catch the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who

did this, boy. They'll catch them."

"It's been a week." It already seemed like years. "They've got nothing.

"They'll catch them," Liam insisted. "And the b.l.o.o.d.y b.a.s.t.a.r.ds will rot

in h.e.l.l. Then the poor little lad'Il rest easy."

He didn't want to think of vengeance now. He didn't want to think of

his sweet little boy resting easy in the ground. Time had pa.s.sed, and

was lost. There had to be reasons for it.

"Why didn't you ever come?" Brian leaned forward. "I sent you tickets,

for the wedding, when Daffen was born, for Emma's birthday, for his. For

G.o.d's sake, you never saw him until his wake. Why didn't you come?"

"Running a farm's busy work," he said between swallows. Liam was a man

filled with regrets so that one easily melded into another. "Can't go

larking off anytime you please."

"Not even once." Suddenly, it seemed vital that he have an answer, a

true one. "You could have sent Ma. Before she died, you could've let

her come."

"A woman's place is with her husband." Liam tilted his gla.s.s toward

Brian. "You'd do well to remember that, boy."

"You always were a selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Liam's hand, surprisingly strong, clamped down on Brian's. "Mind your

tongue."

"I won't run and hide this time, Dad." His eyes, his voice were steady.

In both was an eagerness. He would have relished a battle, here, now.

Slowly, Liam removed his hand, then picked up his gla.s.s. "I won't b.u.t.t

heads with you today. Not the day my grandson's been laid to rest."

"He was never yours. You never even saw him until he was dead," Brian

tossed back. "You never bothered, just cashed in the tickets I sent to

buy more whiskey."

"And where were you these last years? Where were you when your mother

died? Off somewhere playing your b.l.o.o.d.y music."