Hero in Her Heart. Marta Perry

were as deeply blue as Gabe’s, but far less guarded. A few lines on her fair skin spoke of life experience, but only a strand or two of gray accented her black hair. Again, like her son’s.

      “Thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

      Nolie shook hands, wondering a little. Gabe hadn’t called his mother, but she’d obviously known to expect them. That must mean the fire chief had called her, indicating a close relationship between them. She filed that fact away for later consideration.

      “You come right on in.” Mrs. Flanagan linked her arm with Nolie’s. “We’re all eager to get to know you.”

      All? Nolie took note of the cars lining the drive. “It looks as if you’re having a party. I can come another time.”

      That actually brought a short bark of laughter from Gabe, following them up the walk. “No party. Just the usual crush of Flanagans.”

      Mrs. Flanagan had a firm grip on her arm. Short of yanking herself free, she seemed to be stuck.

      Gabe opened the front door, and a wave of sound hit her, taking her breath away. Apparently all the Flanagans were talking at once.

      Gabe’s mother seemed to sniff the air. “Goodness, my stew.” She patted Nolie’s arm. “You’ll stay for supper with us. Don’t you run away until we have a chance to talk.”

      She scurried off. She couldn’t know just how much Nolie wanted to run away.

      Don’t be ridiculous. They can’t hurt you. She had to lecture herself on the subject of families now and then. Every family wasn’t like hers, after all.

      And if she could gain the family’s cooperation, her work with Gabe might be considerably easier. So she’d do this.

      People seemed to swirl through the huge living room and dining room that stretched the entire width of the house. She had a quick impression of comfortably overstuffed furniture and walls crowded with family photos—dozens of family photos.

      Gabe was still at her side, and she could feel the solid strength of him through the brush of his arm against hers. She sought for something to say. “You have a big family.”

      “You might say that. My parents have five kids, although sometimes it seems like more.”

      “And you all live at home?”

      Gabe’s eyes flickered with a touch of regret. “I have my own place. I moved home after the accident.”

      She added that fact to her mental calculations of the dog who would be best for Gabe, always assuming he stayed with the program long enough to get a dog.

      “I guess that seems odd, but my folks are old-fashioned.” He sounded slightly defensive. “They want their kids to live at home until they’re married.”

      “Or longer.” The speaker must be one of Gabe’s brothers, since he had the trademark deep blue eyes and black hair. Probably in his mid twenties, he had an engaging liveliness to his face, and he carried a wiggling toddler under one arm. “I thought we’d never get Mary Kate out of the house.” He held out his hand to Nolie. “I’m Ryan.”

      “The baby.” A red-haired woman arrived at his elbow. “I’m Mary Kate.” She started to shake hands with Nolie, then abruptly turned away to grab the toddler Ryan was dangling. “How many times have we told you not to hold Davy upside down? You want him to throw up on you? Come help me put a leaf in the table.”

      They left before Nolie had a chance to say anything, even assuming she could have thought of something. She glanced at Gabe, to find him watching her with amusement.

      “They’re a bit much, I grant you. Mary Kate’s the oldest, and the two red-haired hooligans are hers.” He nodded toward a boy and girl chasing each other. “I’m next, then Seth, then Theresa, then Ryan. The little guy Ryan was holding is Seth’s son, Davy. Don’t worry about remembering their names.”

      Because she wouldn’t be around long enough for it to matter?

      “I don’t want to impose.” What she wanted was to get out of this crowd and back to her quiet house. Alone. “I just needed to get a sense of what your home life was like so that I can choose an appropriate animal.”

      “My mother would consider it an insult if you left now.”

      He nodded to Siobhan, who was clinking a spoon on a glass. The signal sent her family scurrying to the dining-room table—a long walnut oval covered by a lace tablecloth.

      She could guess that Gabe’s opinion didn’t match his mother’s. Still, she needed all the help she could get with the man. If she didn’t win him over—

      She stopped that thought before it could take over. She managed a smile and let herself be piloted to a seat.

      The man next to her was obviously Gabe’s father, and just as obviously the patriarch of the clan. He sat in a massive chair at the head of the table, watching benevolently as his family took their places.

      He didn’t say anything, just waited as they quieted and clasped hands around the table. Before she quite knew how it had happened, Nolie felt her hands held firmly by Gabe’s father on one side and the sister she hadn’t been introduced to on the other—Theresa, she thought.

      Mr. Flanagan led them in grace, a very faint Irish accent touching the words of the prayer as it rolled out. His Amen was punctuated by the clatter of dishes.

      “Getting us all sorted out yet?” Gabe’s sister, Theresa, had a quick smile. “My father is Joe, and I’m Terry. I’m afraid we can be overwhelming at first glance.”

      “And at second,” Ryan added from across the table.

      “I think I’m getting there.” She glanced around, sorting out Mary Kate, her husband and children.

      Terry grinned. “Mary Kate, Seth and I got Dad’s red hair and freckles, but Seth’s darkened when he grew up. Gabe and Ryan look like Mom.”

      She nodded, wondering whether learning their names was of any use. If Gabe had his way, this could be the first and last time she met the Flanagans.

      Seth was the solid, calm one, then. He sat next to the toddler, rescuing the teething biscuit the child dropped. “And Davy’s mother?”

      Sorrow darkened Terry’s lively face. “She died shortly after he was born. Davy lives here with us.”

      The sorrow touched her. “You must be very close.”

      “We are that.” Gabe’s father had obviously heard her comment. “Every single one a firefighter, and proud of it.”

      She blinked. “You’re all firefighters?”

      “Well, not Siobhan. And not Mary Kate, now that she has a family. But her husband filled in for her, didn’t you, Kenny?”

      Mary Kate’s husband stopped buttering bread for one of his children to nod, smiling.

      “That’s amazing.” Would that make it easier or harder to enlist their aid with Gabe? She didn’t know.

      Joe Flanagan shrugged. “It’s what we do. What we were born for. Maybe Gabe most of all.” He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “Gabe is strong as a horse. He’ll be back on the job in no time. I’m not saying anything against this program of yours, but Gabe doesn’t need it.”

      “I see.” That seemed to answer the question of whether she could expect any help from Gabe’s family. His father, at least, was just as convinced as Gabe that Nolie was unnecessary.

      Her head began to throb from the noise. She glanced at Gabe, wondering how he stood it all.

      But Gabe was leaning back in his chair, gesturing with his fork at something one of his brothers had said. His angular face was the most relaxed she’d seen it. His hair, nearly blue-black where the overhead light reflected on it, tumbled onto