The irish blessing, p.8
The Irish Blessing, page 8
“Thank you for booking with us. I hope you enjoyed the tour,” Captain Frank said when I reached the front of the boat.
“Thank you. I did.” I handed him a tip and then climbed down the ladder, Ryan assisting me when I reached the sand. I walked up the beach and waited for Mel next to the wooden beach hut where we had checked in for the tour.
Mel joined me, and she wasn’t alone. Greg and Brandon were following her like a pair of puppies.
“These guys want to have a drink at the bar before we head to our room to clean up,” Mel said.
“You go ahead without me. I’m tired and not in the best mood. I’ll see you back at our room.”
Mel eyed me suspiciously. “What’s going on? I thought you had fun on our tour. Anna didn’t tell you to stay away from Shane again, did she? I saw the two of them arguing.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that. I’ll have to explain later.” I’d forgotten that Mel hadn’t been with me when I’d found out that Shane and Anna were no longer a couple.
Brandon took a step forward from his place next to Mel. “Come on. Have a drink with us. It’ll cheer you up. Besides, I’d like to get to know you, and I’m good company. I promise.”
Caitlin walked by us at that moment and asked Patrick to stop. “We’re heading back to our room. Liz, you might as well walk with us since Mel’s going to the bar.” She gave me a little wink when no one was watching.
“Thank you.” I turned to Mel. “I’m going to head back with Caitlin and Patrick. I’ll see you later.” I left Mel and her two friends standing on the beach, Brandon’s eyes on me when I turned to walk away.
“What are you and Mel doing this evening?” Caitlin reached over and touched my arm as I walked beside her toward our hotel. “If you don’t have plans, we’d love for you to join us for dinner. We have a reservation in the hotel’s restaurant at seven o’clock.”
“Thank you, but I’m not sure what Mel’s plans are for this evening. And, frankly, I’m not sure what’s going on with Shane either. I thought we might be getting together, but now I’m not sure. Something is going on between him and Anna, so maybe I should discreetly back away.”
“That’s nonsense. This afternoon was a hiccup, that’s all. Shane made the mistake of dating Anna once. He won’t do it twice. Besides, you’re the one that has captured his heart. I see the way he looks at you.”
Patrick spoke up from his spot on the other side of Caitlin. “If you can’t make it for dinner, you’re welcome to join us afterward at the bar next door. There’s a jazz entertainer performing tonight, and Caitlin is forcing us all to watch. I’d rather listen to an old Irish sea shanty and wouldn’t mind your company.” Patrick flinched and then let out a loud, booming laugh when Caitlin smacked his arm. “Woman, watch that hand of yours.”
“I will when it hits you one more time. Keep it up, Patrick Burke.” Caitlin turned toward me and flashed a sweet smile. “Now, where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Oh, yes. This evening. We’re leaving tomorrow. Patrick and I are flying to Washington, D.C., with Shane. We’re spending a couple of days with him before flying back to Ireland. So you’ll have to stop in this evening to say goodbye. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“I’ll try, but no promises. Mel and I are flying out tomorrow too.” I paused for a moment, unsure whether to broach the subject of Shane again. Then again, I had nothing to lose. “If Shane asks about me, could you tell him I’m in room four ten? He’s welcome to come and find me.” I pulled a pen and an old receipt out of my purse, writing my cell phone number on the back of the slip of paper. “If you could give him my phone number too, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll tell him and give him your number.” Caitlin led us up a short concrete staircase and down a walkway leading to the guest complexes at our hotel. She stopped a short distance from the stairs where the walkway split, one segment continuing straight ahead while the other branched off to the left. “Patrick and I are in the complex ahead of us. Which building are you in?”
“I’m in the first building on the left, so I need to head the other way. Thank you for letting me and Mel join you this past week. I had fun and enjoyed meeting all of you.”
“It was our pleasure. But, before you go, I want to give you one of our business cards.” Caitlin held out her hand toward Patrick. “Can you give me one of the cards from your wallet?”
“Sure.” Patrick pulled his wallet from his shorts pocket and dug a card from it. He handed it to Caitlin.
“We own a hotel in Kilkenny, Ireland. If you ever come to visit, I want you to look us up. We’re in a wonderful location right off the Medieval Mile, so we’re close to the main tourist area.” Caitlin handed me the business card.
“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. Who knows, Mel and I might make a trip there one of these days. I’ve always wanted to see it.”
“I hope so. Now, give me a hug before you take off on me.” Caitlin reached over and hugged me. Then she stepped back so Patrick could say goodbye.
“We’ve had a grand time and enjoyed your company. But don’t forget—I expect to see you for jazz night. The first whiskey is on me since I’ll need a few of them.”
“Oh, you.” Caitlin slapped Patrick’s arm. “The music isn’t going to kill you.”
“If it doesn’t, you will with the way you keep slapping me.”
“Okay, I better go. Thank you for everything.” I gave them a quick wave and turned away, hurrying up the walkway toward my building.
Reaching my room, I showered and dressed, putting on a short floral skirt and a plum-colored sleeveless blouse. I sat out on the balcony and waited for Mel. I assumed we were going to dinner, but the later it got, the more unlikely it sounded. After retrieving a box of water crackers and a tray of salami and cheese from the kitchen, I returned to the balcony to have my makeshift dinner. It was the best I could hope for at this point. Finally, spotting Mel come through the door, I went into the living room and sat on the couch.
“Sorry, I was having fun at the bar. Greg and Brandon completely sidetracked me. They’re coming over here in an hour,” Mel said.
“Seriously? Did you have to invite them over here?”
“Geez, don’t get your panties in a bunch. They’re coming over to hang out. If it turns into something else, so be it—no harm in that. I’m not forcing Brandon on you, either. You don’t have to talk to him or stay.”
“I have no desire to hang out with Brandon. He’s a braggart and a kid. Besides, I was hoping to see Shane.”
“I thought you were avoiding Shane. What changed?”
“He and Anna aren’t together. They used to date but broke up about a month ago. They’re here platonically since they split up after having already booked this vacation.”
“Geez. Are you serious? Well, that changes things. He’s available, and you finally figured out he’s the guy for you. Wait a minute. That must mean you’ve fallen for the guy. I knew it. I swear, I could tell something was up with the way you looked at him. Dang. I’ve been waiting for the day you’re finally interested in another guy.” Mel suddenly cocked her head and peered suspiciously at me. “Hold on. Why weren’t you with him on our snorkeling tour if they broke up? You sat with Caitlin or stayed by yourself most of the time.”
“Anna’s already displaying enough animosity toward me. I didn’t want to hang out with Shane and blatantly throw it in her face. That would only make it worse, although my concern for her feelings may have backfired on me. She’s trying her darnedest to reclaim him.”
“Well, you’re a lot nicer about it than I would be.”
“Too nice, and that will change if Anna doesn’t back off.”
“Good. Like I said days ago, you and Shane are cute together.”
“Thanks. I hope it works out. Anyway, I’ll leave before Greg and Brandon arrive and go to the bar or something. I plan to join Caitlin and Patrick later this evening to listen to some jazz, and I’m hoping Shane and I can continue our conversation from this afternoon while I’m there. That is unless Anna somehow changed things. I have no idea what was going on between them earlier.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Well, I better go clean up. You’ll have to give me an update later.” Mel turned on her heels and went to her room.
I waited forty-five minutes and then went downstairs. Caitlin and the others would be finishing dinner about now, so I went to the pool. I wanted to wait a little while before I met them for the after-dinner jazz. Since it was dark, everyone had deserted the area. I leaned back in one of the lounge chairs and listened to the sounds carrying across the pool deck. There was laughter coming from the bar and clinking dinnerware, along with a mingling of voices from the outside dining venue.
It wasn’t long before Shane was back on my mind. I had hoped he’d call or stop by my room, but I had heard nothing from him. With my hopes starting to disintegrate, I questioned whether I should go to the bar for jazz night. If Shane showed up with Anna, it would be more than I could take right now. But if I let the night slip by without talking to him, I wouldn’t know where things stood between us. I sat up and swung my feet to the ground, suddenly catching my breath. Brandon was walking toward me. I jumped up and hurried to the bar, slipping onto the nearest chair. I froze a moment later, sensing someone standing behind me.
“There you are. I was looking for you.” Shane whispered his words into my ear. Then he pulled a barstool close to mine and sat down.
“Well, you found me.” Elated he had come looking for me, I was also nervous, hoping we could pick up where we’d left off.
“Caitlin gave me your room number. I went there, but no one answered. I hoped you’d be here. Fortunately for me, I was right.”
“Mel was going to have company, so I left. I assume she was a little busy when you showed up.”
“Well, that makes sense why no one answered your door.” As Shane finished talking, a boisterous group of people across the bar broke out laughing and carrying on. “Would you like to go for a walk? We could go down to the beach. It’ll be quieter than here.”
There was a flutter in the pit of my stomach. Yes, I wanted to do that, but I didn’t want to sound too eager. I gave Shane a coy smile. “I’d like that.” Then I took his arm and walked with him out of the bar.
“I owe you an apology for this afternoon. Things got a little messy with Anna. I don’t know if Caitlin mentioned anything to you, but Anna and I split up a while back and agreed to come here as friends since we’d already booked the vacation. She was trying to plead her case for the two of us to get back together. When she failed to sway me, it got a little ugly.”
“Caitlin explained the situation, and I’m glad to hear your abandonment of me wasn’t done on purpose.” My voice sounded like I was teasing, but in a way, I wasn’t. I had a deep-seated fear of people leaving me, the emotion cultivated over years of heartache. Snapping out of my melancholy thought, I peered up at Shane. “I want to thank you for helping me with the barracuda today. I got worried when I couldn’t get it to go away.”
“That was pretty insane. I’ve seen barracuda before, but never one so persistent. I’m glad I swam over to you when I did. I originally came to check on you since you’d gone out so far.”
“I’m glad you did too.”
We strolled arm in arm along a dimly lit walkway framed by palm trees and tropical plants. It was quiet out, most guests either out on the town or at one of the hotel’s venues for the evening. I leaned toward Shane, enjoying the heady scent of his cologne as it filled my nose. Finally reaching the beach, we walked toward the water. No one but us was there, the only sound coming from the waves as they lapped at the shore. A balmy breeze blew lightly across the water, the night sky lit with the glow of a full moon.
I slipped off my shoes, the grains of sand working their way between my toes. Then I waded into the water, letting it come up to my knees. A wave came, and I dashed toward the beach, trying to keep my skirt dry. When the water receded, I did it again, laughing as I played in the surf.
Shane stood on the beach, watching me.
Another wave came, this one larger, and I misjudged it. I squealed as it hit me, my skirt becoming soaked.
The sound of Shane’s laughter drifted toward me.
“Okay, smarty. Show me how you’d do it.” I stood there in the water, goading Shane to join me.
“Ahh, you want the expert to show you.” Shane took off his shoes and rolled up his pant legs, joining me as a wave was coming. Rather than run, he grabbed my waist and held me back.
I shrieked, breaking free from his grasp. But, it was too late. The wave drenched me.
Shane doubled over with laughter. Catching his breath, he stood up and faced me. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist since you taunted me.”
“That wasn’t fair.” Cupping the water with my hands, I flung it at him. Hoping to wipe the grin off his face, I did it again.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Shane grabbed my hands and held them at my side as he stood in front of me. He was still chuckling. “You’ll have me wet from head to toe if you don’t stop. Come on. Let’s go sit on the sand.” Maintaining his hold on my left hand, he pulled me from the water and onto the beach.
We sat quietly for a minute or two, listening to the waves caress the shore, the moonlight reflecting off the water. Shane reached for my hand, holding it in his.
“I love that sound.” I leaned my head back and stared at the stars.
Shane moved closer, his arm encircling my waist. “Come here,” he whispered, his voice husky as he pulled me against him.
I lifted my face and looked into his eyes, the moonlight casting him in a sensual bluish glow.
Shane bent his head slightly, his lips tenderly caressing mine. They were as soft as I imagined.
I basked in the headiness of his kiss, my body beginning to ache. Oh God, how I wanted him. If he continued, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
Shane’s phone suddenly dinged, and he ignored it, his kiss deepening as his tongue explored mine. He was erotic and sensual, his body lighting mine on fire.
I could barely breathe, my pulse racing as his lips left mine, and he left a trail of kisses down my neck.
Shane’s phone dinged three more times. Whoever was trying to get a hold of him was persistent, their unwanted interruption threatening to destroy our moment of passion.
“I’m so sorry,” Shane whispered in my ear. “I have to see who this is. It doesn’t look like they’re going to stop.” He straightened up and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. His face began to tense as he read several messages. Then he abruptly got up. His body was rigid as he stood above me, his voice hard and bitter when he said, “Are you married?”
“What?” I stared at him, dumbfounded by his question.
“Are you married? Anna texted me, saying you’re married to a man named Alexander Whalen. Is this true?”
I blinked, stunned by the implication of what he had done. Then the anger set in. “Did you investigate me? My God. How dare you.”
“No, I did not. Nor do I condone it. Anna did it with the help of her brother, who’s a lawyer with my agency. Regardless of that fact, the bottom line is you’ve tried to dupe me. To what end, I don’t know. But you certainly didn’t bother to tell me you’re married, did you?”
I was so furious, I didn’t want to give him an answer. Shane didn’t deserve one, and my pride wouldn’t allow it. How dare he assume I lied and that I was deviously planning something behind his back. And how dare that witch do something like this to me. I should have expected something unsavory to happen after Anna found my driver’s license and commented about my name the night Mel got drunk. I could easily explain that I was a widow, but Shane didn’t deserve that answer.
“I’m done here. I’ll walk you back to the bar,” Shane said, his voice tight with anger.
I shook my head, my tone bitter when I replied, “You believe her? That’s not a smart move on your part. Just leave me alone. I don’t need you to walk me anywhere.”
“Give me a reason not to believe her,” Shane demanded, his eyes coldly fixed on me.
“I’ll give you nothing. Just leave.” I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I stared out at the water, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.
“Have it your way.” Shane stiffly turned and trudged away through the sand.
I laid my head on my knees and silently let the tears spill. Anger, resentment, hurt pride, and a sense of loss welled up inside me, with each emotion fighting against the others for dominance. The feeling of loss finally won, and I wondered what I had done.
CHAPTER 7
THE DATE
Ross Sullivan walked into my office and sat in one of the ruby-red-and-tan upholstered guest chairs in front of my desk. “How’s the special project going? Sorry about dropping it on you at the last minute. The annual transportation audit has Chelsea swamped, so she can’t work on it right now. You’re the only person in the office besides her that knows how to pull the data and can complete the assignment in record time. You know management. They want it done by the end of the day too. I can get an extension on the updates you were working on if you need me to.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll have the project done before I go home today and still be able to finish the updates by Monday afternoon. Just don’t throw any more last-minute assignments at me, or I’ll have to fire you as my boss. Oh, wait. I can’t do that, can I? Damn.” I feigned a look of disappointment as I leaned back in my chair. I enjoyed kidding around with Ross. We’d worked together for the last twelve years and had become good friends. Thankfully, there was no change in our relationship after he’d become my supervisor a year ago.
“You wouldn’t fire me if you had the chance. I’m the best supervisor you’ve ever had, and you know it.” Ross chuckled. Our bantering always lightened his mood. He turned slightly and scanned the whiteboard on my wall. “When are you going to update your board and remove that vacation to Turks and Caicos? Wasn’t your trip two or three months ago or something like that?”
