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Ryan challenged Finn with a blistering glare. “Not anymore. He should go back to New York where he belongs.”
Ryan always had a quick temper, but in this case, he made a good point. Finn wasn’t their brother and there was no point in arguing that he belonged here. “Hey, Ryan. I’m here to honor your father.”
“We talked about this,” Sean said in a low voice. “Mom invited them. You do not want to piss her off today, okay?”
Ryan gave a curt nod, raising his chin to Finn. “You might still be Sean’s friend, but you’re not mine.”
“Understood,” Finn replied.
“All right. Let’s begin.” Sean raised his glass.
“You’re drinking beer?” Aidan asked Finn. “You can’t have a proper Irish toast without whiskey.”
“I stopped drinking Jameson a long time ago. Guinness will have to do.”
Ryan refilled his shot glass with whiskey, tossed it back, and refilled it again.
“Now,” Sean said, casting a judgmental eye to Ryan. “As the oldest brother, I should give the toast, but I’d like the youngest of us to do the honors first. Aidan?”
“Hey!” Ryan shouted to the room, followed by a shrill whistle. “We’re officially beginning the toasts.”
The music was turned off and people shushed each other to be quiet. The guests moved in closer, forming a ring around the brothers. Finn was humbled and honored to be included with the brothers for this moment.
“You’re up, buddy.” Ryan gave Aidan a nudge with his elbow.
Aidan was technically the youngest child, born a few minutes after Ryan. He was also the most serious of all the Murphy children. “Okay,” he said, pausing for a moment. “To Dad,” Aidan said in a firm voice.
“That’s it?” Ryan sputtered with laughter. “C’mon little bro, you’re a priest-in-training, you can do better than that.”
Finn laughed along with the brothers but paused when Aidan closed his eyes for a moment.
Taking a big breath, Aidan opened his eyes, saying, “I’m proud to be Jimmy Murphy’s son. My father taught his children many things. During his final days, I learned the value of patience. He wasn’t able to speak, but his eyes shone with love and acceptance. When I become a priest, I want to remember how important it is to have patience with others, especially those who are ill or unable to fully express themselves.”
Polite applause and murmurs of agreement filled the room.
Deeply moved by Aidan’s sensitive words, Finn shook his hand. “I’m glad you had that time with him.”
“Me, too,” Aidan said quietly.
Sean gave Aidan a hug and a few slaps on the back. “Ryan, you’re up.”
“Fortitude,” Ryan said with confidence. “That’s what my father taught me. As a cop, every day I have to demonstrate courage to protect and serve the community. Here’s to Dad,” Ryan said, raising his glass.
Finn raised his beer with the others saying, “Here’s to Jimmy.”
When the room settled down, Sean said, “It looks like I’m next.” He paused before saying, “Justice. As many of you know, I was inspired by my father’s belief in social justice. I wanted to stay in California, but my father encouraged me to move to New York and fight for justice on a global scale. Every human being should have access to basic human rights. It’s difficult work, and if I have any success at all, it’s because of my father’s influence.”
More cheers.
Finn gave Sean a big hug. “That was great.” Sean’s commitment to justice was one of the many reasons the two were best friends. Sean, more than any of his friends understood the depth of Finn’s feelings about what Patrick O’Connor had done.
Colleen and Brian came in from the patio and joined the circle of guests. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and snuck a peek at Finn. He held eye contact with her as long as he dared.
“You okay?” Sean asked with a nod to Colleen.
“Yeah. I’m good.” He pulled his gaze away to focus on his friend. Although Sean knew Finn had been interested in his sister in the past, Finn led him to believe that it was just a teenage crush.
“Hey, princess!” Ryan shouted.
