The irish blessing, p.10
The Irish Blessing, page 10
“We only started traveling together a year and a half ago, so we’ve only been to Mexico, Aruba, and Turks and Caicos.”
“Your wine, sir.” Bernard opened the wine bottle and poured a small amount into Cole’s glass. He waited while Cole swirled the liquid and then smelled it, followed by a sip of the wine.
“Perfect. Thank you.” Cole set his glass down, and Bernard filled both our glasses.
“Are you ready to order, sir?”
“Yes. We’ll have the five-course tasting menu.” Cole folded his menu and handed it to Bernard.
“Miss. Your menu, please.”
I sat there confused for a moment, looking down at my menu. I’d never gotten to order. Cole had taken it upon himself to do it for me once again, and I didn’t particularly like it. I handed Bernard my menu and took a sip of my wine.
“You should go to Europe. My two favorite cities are Vienna and Prague. I took my ex-girlfriend to Prague last year, and we had a fabulous time. We even went truffle hunting. I’d never done that before.”
“That sounds different. Did you like it?”
“For the most part. But I didn’t realize the truffle hunter used a dog. That took some of the pleasure out of it for me.”
“I take it you don’t like dogs?”
“Not especially. I can’t say that I’ve ever wanted one. My ex-girlfriend had a little terrier. I hated that thing. The hair, the smell, and the barking were too much. I made her get rid of it.”
That was it. Cole had failed, and he’d done it big. He didn’t like children, he didn’t like dogs, and I couldn’t even order my meal. He was opinionated and overbearing, and far from the guy for me. I was too independent to put up with someone trying to control me. Alex had loved me deeply, had made me feel safe and secure, and had always been there for support. One thing he’d never done was tell me what to do. He might have made suggestions and tried to guide me, especially since I’d been so young when we’d gotten together, but he’d always let me make my own decision.
Bernard returned and placed a beautifully decorated plate in front of me. “We will start with amuse-bouche. Tonight we have yogurt fouetté.”
I glanced across the table at Cole, my eyebrow slightly raised. I had no idea what was on the plate, although it looked too pretty to eat.
“For lack of a better description, it’s a whipped yogurt. Amuse-bouches are bite-sized precourse appetizers. They’re usually savory and packed full of interesting flavors.”
I took a nibble of the yellowish yogurt molded into a flat, circular shape in the middle of my dish. “I like it. It has an interesting flavor. So, tell me about yourself. Mel didn’t tell me much about you other than you live in Del Mar, and her company is doing a remodel on your house.”
“Well, let’s see. I own a corporation, Payson LLC. I deal in real estate with our current holdings consisting of industrial, retail, and residential properties, and I recently added two high-end boutique hotels to our balance sheet. I like to travel and entertain, which leaves no time for hobbies. Although I do like to take an early swim in the mornings to start my day.”
“What would you describe as your perfect evening?”
“Wow. You’re picking my brain here. I guess it would be an elegant evening out with a beautiful woman. Someone like you. You are stunning, Liz. The real you is far more beautiful than your picture, and the picture I saw of you was gorgeous.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the compliment. So, no quiet romantic evenings at home for you? A glass of wine in front of the fireplace or making a special homecooked dinner for a lovely lady?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Cole laughed and took a sip of his wine. “I’m not a homebody.”
Cole struck out for the fourth time. He was a wealthy jet-setter who didn’t have time for the small stuff or enjoy the ordinary things in life. Cole was far different from me. At this point, I was clueless as to why Mel thought we’d be a perfect match. “So, tell me about your travels. I have a huge bucket list I’m hoping to complete someday.”
“As I alluded to earlier, Europe is my favorite.”
I listened to Cole as he talked. Bernard occasionally interrupted his stories while he brought course after course to the table, each plate a small artwork unto itself. Cole was a handsome man. His teeth were perfect and brilliantly white, and his eyes a sparkling green. There was a touch of silver at his temples, so I suspected he was older than I’d initially thought. Besides the smattering of gray, his hair was mahogany brown, short, and neatly styled. He looked like he could be on the cover of GQ magazine, his looks and physique up there with the best of them.
After two hours of casual conversation, we finally finished dinner. I was both stuffed and tired. I’d had a long day before the date started and was ready to go home. I stood when Cole helped me with my chair, and we walked outside, waiting at the curb for the valet to bring his car around. Cole drove me home.
“I’ll walk you to your door.” His hand on my back, Cole escorted me across my driveway and down my plant-filled walkway to my front door.
After retrieving my keys from my clutch purse, I stood under the porchlight and unlocked my door. I turned back toward Cole. “Thank you for dinner. I had a lovely evening.”
“You aren’t going to invite me inside for a relaxing after-dinner glass of wine in front of the fireplace like you mentioned during dinner?” Cole gave me a suggestive smile, the whiteness of his teeth noticeable in the darkness.
“I’m sorry. I had a long day before our date, and I’m a bit tired.”
“All right. Next time, then.” Cole took a step forward and leaned in to kiss me.
I turned my face to give him my cheek, but his lips were on mine instead. The kiss started innocent enough but quickly changed. Arms pulled me against him, a tongue forcing its way into my mouth. Shocked, I pulled away.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have been so forward.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” my voice snapped as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I’m going to call it a night. Thank you for dinner.” Shaken, I opened my door and stepped inside.
“Look, I apologized. Let’s start over. One drink, and then I’ll leave.” Cole stepped across the threshold as I started to shut the door, his body blocking it from closing.
Immensely uncomfortable and feeling threatened, I wasn’t sure what to do. Did I push Cole out the door? Did I try to talk him into acting like a gentleman and leaving? Would he back down or become even more forceful if he was used to getting his way? I didn’t know what his personality was like, so I couldn’t gauge how he’d react. Catching a movement to my left, I turned, spotting Maggie creeping toward Cole.
A low growl filled the air.
“Shit. You have a dog, and it looks like it’s stalking me. It’s showing its teeth and growling. You need to control that thing.”
“Maggie’s quite sweet unless I forget to feed her dinner, which I must have done tonight. She’s also well trained. I taught her to attack when commanded. Would you like a demonstration?”
“You know. I believe you’re right. We should call it a night.” Cole nervously backed out of my house, hastily closing my front door when he was on the porch.
The sound of his car starting pierced the silence a minute later.
Relieved, I dropped to my knees in front of Maggie and hugged her, my hands petting her coat. “You are such a good girl, Maggie. You take care of momma, don’t you.” I kissed her head and scratched her chest. “Okay, girl. Let’s get ready for bed. Come on.”
Maggie followed me into my bedroom and lay down next to my bed. She was my security blanket and protector. I’d never needed her help like that before, and I hoped I never did again.
CHAPTER 8
CONFESSIONS
I sat in bed, staring at the stone fireplace across from me, a stack of plumped-up pillows wedged between my back and the headboard. I’d tossed and turned throughout the night, and now sunlight was starting to stream through the row of windows above my bed. I’d been unable to sleep, the incident with Cole still bothering me. I’d never had anyone treat me so aggressively, although my experience in the relationship department was minimal other than with Alex.
I shook my head at the irony of it all. Cole had wanted me, and I’d felt utterly disinterested. Yet I’d fallen head over heels for Shane, and he’d walked away, our argument on the beach that night like a painful wound that I couldn’t heal. It was a recurring theme, the people I loved leaving me. My maternal grandparents had died when I was a toddler, and friction between my father and his parents had caused them to ignore me. Now that my paternal grandparents were gone, my existence felt as if it meant nothing to them. My mother had died when I was twelve, and my father had abandoned me in his grief. He’d died eight years ago, our relationship a mere shell of what it could have been. Then I’d lost Alex, and that was the deepest wound of all. He was everything to me, lighting up the darkness in my life. When I’d thought there could be no more pain, Shane had left me.
Saddened by my thoughts, I lay back down, pulling the bedcovers up to my neck. I was tired and needed to sleep. Just as I started to relax, my cell phone rang. Frustrated, I grabbed it from the nightstand and stared at the screen. I didn’t recognize the number. Curious who would be calling me this early on a Saturday morning, I answered it. “Hello.”
“Liz, it’s Shane. I’m sure you want to, but please don’t hang up on me.”
I could feel my heart beating in my chest as soon as I heard his voice, his Irish accent warming me like a cozy fire on a chilly day. Taken entirely by surprise, I wasn’t sure what to say. After a long pause, I managed to whisper, “I wasn’t going to.”
“Thank you. I’ve wanted to call you so many times, and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to talk to you. The way we ended our last night together was horrible, and I’m sorry. I was angry and hurt, and I confronted you, never giving you a real chance to explain. It wasn’t right. You said that night that believing Anna wasn’t a smart move on my part, and I’ve never been able to get your words out of my head. Of course, it didn’t help when Caitlin called me a bloody eejit to believe her and a fool to let you go.” There was a pause, and then Shane sighed on the other end of the phone. “What I need to say is that I fell in love with you when we were in Providenciales, and I still feel that way about you. So, I have to know. Are you married to a man by the name of Alexander Whalen?”
“Yes, I married Alex, so part of what Anna told you was true. What she didn’t tell you is I’m a widow. Alex died in an accident three years ago.” My voice sounded strained as I talked, our conversation becoming painfully emotional. It would be difficult to discuss, but now was the time to explain it to Shane.
“Liz, I’m so sorry.” Shane’s voice was full of agony. “I…I can’t even put into words how horrible I feel. Nothing I could say right now would ever make up for what I did. Please forgive me.”
“I forgive you,” I whispered, my eyes becoming moist. “I have to because Anna played us both, and I was just as angry and upset as you were. My pride wouldn’t let me explain it to you, especially since I didn’t think you deserved to hear it. But I want to clear the air because I fell in love with you too.” I gave a halfhearted laugh as I smiled ever so slightly into the phone. “Although I tried my damnedest not to.”
“Christ, I can’t tell you how much it means to me to hear you say that. And I agree. Anna played us. She tried to drive a wedge between us, and it worked. At least until now. Liz, if you don’t mind, may I ask what happened to your husband?”
“It was a motorcycle accident.” I shut my eyes as I reflected on that horrifying day. “We were on a getaway with friends. I drove my car that weekend rather than ride the motorcycle with Alex since I had brought all the beer and food. On the way home, we stopped for one last beer at a roadside bar.” I paused for a minute, placing my palm over my eyes as I lay there in my bed, trying desperately not to cry.
Shane stayed silent on the other end of the phone as he waited for me to continue.
“I…umm…I left the place first. Alex and one of our friends rode out a few minutes later and passed me up a couple of miles down the highway. Alex rounded a blind curve on the winding two-lane country road and came upon a truck and trailer stopped in front of him. The driver was waiting for an oncoming car to pass before turning left onto a dirt trail. Alex saw the truck and trailer, hit his brakes, and managed to stop. His friend came around the curve and couldn’t stop in time. He slammed into the back of Alex, catapulting him off the motorcycle and into the path of the oncoming car. He died instantly.” I tried to brush away the tears streaming down my cheeks and held my breath, doing my best to suppress a sob. Laying my phone on my chest, I covered my face with my hands. Getting my emotions under a semblance of control, I put my phone back to my ear. “I’m sorry. I…umm…I reached the scene right after it happened and saw Alex lying on the road. I don’t remember much after that.”
“I don’t even know what to say.” Shane’s voice was soft and comforting. “God, I wish I was there to hold you.”
“I wish you were too.” I sniffled as my tears continued to fall.
“I want to see you. I’m going out of town for a while in a couple of weeks, so I can’t take any additional time off work until I get back. If it works out for you, can I fly out there for a couple of days at the end of May?”
“I’d like that.”
“Thank you. I want to hold you and pick up where we left off before the interruption. I know it’s still early in California, and I have an appointment in an hour, so do you mind if I call you again this afternoon? That way, we can talk some more and work out the details of my visit.”
“That would be nice. I’ll be here.”
“Wonderful. I’ll call you this afternoon.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you then. Bye.” I hung up my phone and stared at the ceiling, trying to put myself back together. As uncomfortable as our conversation had been, an enormous sense of relief filled me. The weight of the last two months lifted from my chest. As I lay there, I reflected on what Shane had said. Caitlin had not only given me the benefit of the doubt and defended me, but she’d also nudged Shane into contacting me. I needed to thank her and let her know we had worked it out. I retrieved the business card Caitlin had given me from my nightstand drawer and dialed the number on it. The time in Ireland was ahead by eight hours, so I assumed she’d be there.
“Burke House Hotel. This is Fiona. How may I assist you?”
“Hi, I was trying to reach Caitlin Burke.”
“May I ask who is calling?”
“Yes. My name is Liz Whalen. I met Caitlin in Turks and Caicos a few months ago and hoped to speak with her.”
“One moment, please. I’ll see if she’s available.”
“Thank you.” I was only on hold for a few seconds when someone came on the line.
“Liz? Is that really you?”
“Caitlin? Yes, it’s me. It’s Liz.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. I’m glad to hear from you. Did Shane call you?”
“Yes, we just got off the phone. That’s why I’m calling. I wanted to thank you. It sounds like you gave Shane that extra little push to contact me.”
“I did. It was obvious how the two of you felt about each other, and I knew what happened had to be a misunderstanding.”
“It was, and we were able to work it out. Anna gave him part of the story, but not all of it. I was married, but my husband died three years ago. I’m a widow.”
“Oh, Liz. I’m sorry to hear that. But I knew you weren’t the type of person to play games and have an affair. That’s not your personality. I have to say, I’m thrilled you and Shane worked it out. You’re good for him, and I know he loves you.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. “Caitlin, are you still there?”
“Can you come to Ireland? Shane will be here for his birthday in three weeks. You could surprise him. I know it’s short notice and sounds a wee bit on the crazy side, but is there any chance you can be here? It would be the best birthday he’s ever had, and we’d love to see you.”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. So, when is Shane’s birthday?”
“It’s May ninth. Please try to come. I think surprising him would be worth the trip. I’m sorry. I have a problem at the front desk that I have to take care of right now, so I can’t stay on the phone. Call me back when you get a chance and let me know if you’re able to come.”
“I promise I’ll get back to you.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
I hung up my phone and lay there in bed. It was turning out to be an unexpectedly eventful and crazy morning. I thought about Caitlin’s request. It sounded like it would be fun, and I did have vacation time on the books at work. I made my decision. I was going to fly to Ireland. It was still too early to call Mel, so I sent her a text message instead, asking if she wanted to go to Ireland with me. My phone started ringing as soon as I set it down on the nightstand. I picked it back up and looked at the screen, surprised when I saw it was Mel. “Good morning. Why are you up so early?”
“I just got home.”
“Excuse me? From where?”
“I went out last night.” Mel sounded tired. She paused for a moment to let out a huge yawn. “Oops. Sorry about that. I went home with a guy I met at a club. His name was Blake or Jake. I’m not sure which one it was.”
“Whoa. You don’t even know the guy’s name?” I did a face-plant into my palm. I’d known Mel most of my life, and she still managed to surprise me.
“I knew his name last night. I forgot it, but it doesn’t matter. He was a jerk, so I don’t care. I got what I wanted, and I don’t plan to see him again.” Mel let out another yawn, this one more pronounced than the last. “Sorry. I’m a little tired. Anyway, I got your message. When are you planning to go to Ireland? I assume it has something to do with Shane, although you did part on bad terms.”
