Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
H is question woke her several times during the night.
He wanted to be friends? For a second she’d wanted to smile, thinking how much like a Justin Bieber song he’d sounded, before realising that he actually seemed serious about wanting a relationship with her.
Which didn’t make sense. And seemed awfully sudden.
So sudden, that when she had admitted to Aisling what had happened that her sister had immediately scoffed.
“He’s trying to play you, get you on his side.”
And yes, she had thought that too. But there had been something in his eyes that suggested sincerity.
Or maybe that was just her hopeful heart, hoping that the sense of connection she’d first experienced on meeting him had been what he had referred to as well.
Could the Fairall legacy of instant love have touched her too?
But she couldn’t get carried away. Wouldn’t get carried away. Not when there was so much unresolved.
Yesterday’s adventure had meant an early night, and now it was morning and she needed a walk. To blow off the cobwebs and pray and seek God’s wisdom about this.
She shrugged into her warm jacket, and spied her jacket on the back of the chair, where it had been since Aidan had given it to her yesterday evening. She picked it up, and maybe it was silly of her, but she inhaled his scent. Oh, she liked his scent.
She wrapped a scarf around her neck, as it was still cool in the mornings, then stole down the family’s stairs to the family entrance.
In the laundry area she clicked for Rover to join her, and they set off.
She had a day off today, no bookshop, no hotel management, and it was nice to think she could just be.
Instead of the walk that led to the golf course, she turned the other way, closer to the boardwalk which was near where she’d first met Aidan.
But there was no getting stuck under a tree today.
She glanced up at the hotel, counting the windows to see which was his.
The curtains were open, but she hoped that didn’t mean he was in there looking out.
The conversation last night still confused her. Did he really mean to suggest he wanted to explore the possibility of a future with her, or had she misunderstood? And if he had meant it, then how on earth could that work?
“Lord, I don’t know what’s going on. But I know that You see everything and You know everything.
So please guide me in the way You want me to go.
I don’t want to get carried away with silly emotion if it’s not going to be for my best. Thank You that Your plans for me are good, and that I can trust You in everything. ”
Her words wisped white on the morning air. Autumn was coming, and she needed to make the most of this before the weather turned cool and wet. “Come on, boy.”
She picked up a stick and threw it, and Rover bounded after it, barking happily.
Oh, if only life could be so simple as to enjoy chasing a stick.
She soon reached the end of the boardwalk, where a natural beach was named in honour of her great, great, great grandmother.
There might’ve been a few more greats, but that would suffice.
Dorothea had been the wife of the archdeacon, and used to love sitting here on a rock ledge that had been named Dorothy’s Chair.
She sat there now, ignoring the dampness and cold that seeped through her jeans, as she watched Rover playing in the water.
He loved the sea. She did too, although the wild swimming that the resort offered was not something she’d ever choose to do. She’d done it once, and once was enough.
Then she noticed the towel on the beach. Then the figure out in the deep.
Oh no. Would he have thought she’d come here to watch him, like some groupie?
Ugh. “Rover! Come on. We need to go.”
She whistled and clicked, but it didn’t seem to matter what she did, Rover wasn’t playing. Or rather, Rover was playing, and refused to come.
“Oh my gosh,” she mumbled under her breath. She glanced out at the sea, and saw a figure treading water, watching her.
“Um, hi.” She waved.
He nodded, then started swimming strongly back.
Nope. She was not going to sit here like one of James Bond’s hapless girlfriends while he strode out of the water, glistening. She slid from her perch, and desperately called Rover to come. Still the silly dog refused to obey.
Very well then. She’d leave him to the attentions of Aidan, seeing as Rover clearly preferred him to herself.
“You’re not leaving, are you?” Aidan called.
Surely the man had eyes. “Sure am,” she called, averting her gaze as he exited the water. “Come on , Rover.”
“I don’t think your dog wants to go.”
“Oh well.” She turned. “I do.”
“Hey, please wait.”
Would it be rude to run away? Probably. And probably running away was not in the spirit of friendship like she’d tentatively agreed to last night. Aisling’s hot chocolate had a lot to answer for.
So she waited, and a few seconds later he drew close, now dressed in the dark green jumper from last night, with a thick towel wrapped around him. Just as well.
“Good morning.” He smiled.
Her heart cramped. Oh, why did he have to have such a nice smile? Wasn’t it enough that he used his blue eyes like a weapon?
Oh, look at that. Her lips had lifted all by themselves. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“I have to admit I’m surprised to see you swimming, especially after all the comments about being so cold yesterday.”
“Obviously someone doubted my swimming ability, so I had to prove that I knew how.”
“And you just happened to know I’d be visiting this beach to check on that, did you?”
“No. But I might’ve hoped you’d see me. Just as I did the other day at the gym.”
Was he trying to impress her? No way would she tell him she’d seen him working out, and yes, been impressed by his weights. And his muscles.
“I was so tired last night that I think I went to bed a little too early, so I woke up, and maybe felt a little too warm. Which is why I had to do something to clear my head, so trying wild swimming was it.”
“To see if you could’ve swum from the kayak?”
He winced, and she instantly felt bad. “I hate to admit it, because I’m sure it’ll make me sound soft, but the water temperature is a little too cold for my liking. I don’t know how I would’ve gone trying to swim back yesterday.”
“Those currents wouldn’t have helped, either. So maybe it was just as well it worked out as it did.”
“Yeah. And thank you again.”
“Please stop thanking me.” Oh, how ungracious she sounded, as she saw his startled look. “I mean, you said thank you enough yesterday, so I know you’re thankful. And it’s all okay.”
“It is?”
“Yes. Full stop. Let’s move on.”
“Easier said than done.” His lips twisted. “I have to admit another reason for a swim was because I didn’t want to face anyone this morning. It was enough to have to deal with everyone’s sympathy last night.”
There had certainly been a lot of that.
“I felt like such a fool,” he confessed.
“Hey.” She placed her hand on his arm. “It was simply bad luck, that’s all.”
He glanced at her hand, then up at her.
She instantly moved it. What was she doing, touching him like that? She shifted, glad for the distraction of Rover who had finally decided to pay her attention, as he pushed his wet nose into her knee.
“That’s, uh, kind of you to say so.”
What was kind? Oh, the comment about his losing his paddle as bad luck. Well, it was true. She shrugged, peeked up.
He ran a hand through his hair, making some of it stick up like a rooster’s comb. She bit back her smile.
“What?”
She smoothed her own hair. “Your hair. It’s just sticking up a wee bit.”
He copied her actions, and flattened it down. “Better?”
“Much.”
Again, his smile grabbed her. So unfair.
“So what are you doing today?” he asked, as they slowly made their way along the boardwalk.
“I don’t have much planned,” she admitted.
“No work in the hotel or bookshop?”
“Nope. You?”
“Nothing planned.”
Just then she remembered he was supposed to be leaving tomorrow. The extended accommodation arrangement that Aisling had organised would run out then.
“So, how much longer have you got in Ireland?” she asked.
“I booked for two weeks’ leave. Next week I’m supposed to go to Dublin to see a friend.”
“And you didn’t have sites you wanted to see? You know, like seeing the Ring of Kerry or the Cliffs of Moher, or kissing the Blarney Stone or a tour of the Guinness factory.”
“Is that what you’d recommend?”
“They’re usually the top tourist traps.”
“So, not what you’d recommend?”
“Look, it’s fine if you want to see those places. They’re spectacular, each in their own way. And I’d certainly never tell someone to not visit a dream destination, especially when they’ve come all this way.”
“So what would you recommend?”
She shrugged. “It depends. There are a lot of lovely little villages, if you like that kind of thing.”
“Lovelier than Derryloughlin?”
She smiled. “Derryloughlin is the peak of perfection, that is true.”
He laughed. “So if we can’t beat that, then where would you take me, if you wanted to show me a side of Ireland that not many tourists would get to appreciate?”
She studied him, bit her lip. Should she? “Are you asking me to be your tour guide?”
“Miss Aurora Fairall, if you have nothing planned today, would you consider being my tour guide today?”
She’d agreed to be friends. Had already admitted she had nothing on today. What could she say, but “Yes”?
* * *
“Okay, are you ready?” Rory asked, walking down the steps to where he’d parked his car and was waiting.
He nodded, glancing behind at where Aisling stood, arms crossed, her jumper rumpled, like she’d thrown it on. “I promise to bring her home safely.”
“You better.” Aisling eyed him a moment longer, then hurried down to her sister. “Are you sure about this?” she whispered.
“It’ll be fine. I’m just showing him some sights, that’s all.”
Aisling pointed a finger at him. “No getting into boats of any kind, okay?”