Chapter 15
Mary changed into black jeans and a cashmere jumper in a soft purple shade, then threw on some make-up and earrings for their trip to the pub. When she went downstairs, Evan was waiting for her in the living room.
‘I didn’t bring anything very smart,’ he said, holding out his arms. ‘Mainly just cat burglar stuff. I didn’t think I’d be socialising.’ He was wearing black jeans and a black and red check flannel shirt over a black T-shirt.
‘The pub’s very casual, and you look great.’ He also smelled great, she noticed, as they moved to the hall and pulled on coats before heading out the door.
They chatted companionably as they walked the short distance to the pub.
Mary sensed Evan’s nerves and noticed his slight hesitation before they stepped inside.
The cosy, warmly lit interior was a welcome contrast to the cold and darkness outside.
A log fire blazed in the big fireplace, a tall Christmas tree stood in one corner, and the ceiling and bar were strung with hundreds of twinkling fairy lights, bathing everything in a warm glow.
The chink of glasses and the low murmur of conversation filled the air.
Mary waved at Patrick, the landlord, standing behind the bar as they entered.
She quickly spotted Aifric waving her over from a sofa in front of the fire, where she was sitting with Owen and his girlfriend Katie.
As she led Evan over to join them, she was stopped several times by friends and neighbours greeting her with hugs and welcoming her home.
‘Wow, I needn’t have worried,’ Evan whispered in her ear. ‘You’re more famous here than I am.’
‘Mary! Great to see you.’ Owen stood as they reached her friends and wrapped her in a warm embrace. When she’d said hi to everyone, she introduced Evan to them all and they greeted him warmly.
‘What’ll you have?’ she asked him, unbuttoning her coat.
‘Sit, I’ll get it,’ Owen said, standing. ‘It’s my shout.’
Evan earned an approving look from Owen when he asked for a pint of Guinness.
‘I’ll have a glass of red, please,’ Mary said, as they sat on the sofa opposite.
‘I’m on red too.’ Aifric nodded to a bottle open on the table. ‘We can share. Just get her a glass,’ she said to Owen.
‘So, Aifric – am I saying that right?’ Evan asked.
‘Yes, that’s right – like Africa, just without the last A.’
‘But I’m guessing it’s not spelt how it sounds?’
‘Actually, it’s not too convoluted as Irish names go. It’s A-I-F-R-I-C.’
‘So close! But if I’d seen it written down first, I’d probably have called you Ay-fric.’
‘Yeah, that’s what most of our American customers go for.’
‘I hear you two are coming for the swim tomorrow,’ Owen said, returning with the drinks and placing them on the table. He put a noxious-looking multicoloured cocktail in front of Katie.
‘Yes,’ Mary said, pouring herself a glass of wine. ‘I thought I’d get to duck out this year without Abbie browbeating me into it. But when it came down to it, I realised I actually want to.’
‘Besides which, I’d snitch on you to Abbie,’ Aifric said.
‘Well, there’s that too.’
‘I, uh… need something to wear,’ Evan said to Owen. ‘Believe it or not, I didn’t think to pack any swimwear for Christmas in Ireland.’
‘No problem.’ Owen gave him a quick once-over. ‘I’ll get you kitted out. I’ll bring some stuff over to Mary’s later and you can take your pick.’
‘Pity you didn’t bring it with you,’ Katie said to Owen. ‘He could have tried it on here and given us all a fashion show.’ She gave Evan a playful smile and he shifted uncomfortably.
She should have known she couldn’t trust Katie to play it cool. She was such a jerk, flirting with Evan right in front of her boyfriend. She’d always been like that with Ryan too, blatantly coming on to him even when he and Abbie were together. What on earth did Owen see in her?
‘It’s a pity we won’t have Abbie with us this year,’ Owen said.
‘Yeah, she’ll be sorry to miss it.’
‘It won’t be the same without her,’ Owen said wistfully, his eyes softening. Mary’s heart went out to him. It was common knowledge – to everyone except Abbie, who seemed oblivious – that Owen had held a torch for her since they were teens.
‘I’m sure she’ll be gutted,’ Katie said sarcastically. ‘Living it up in New York when she could be freezing her arse off in the Atlantic.’
‘You know Abbie,’ Aifric said. ‘She’s not a big-city girl. She actually would rather be diving into the Atlantic than shopping in Macy’s.’
‘Yeah. Weirdo,’ Katie said under her breath. ‘No offence, Mary!’ she added with a tinkling laugh. ‘But what a waste of excitement! I’d kill to go to New York for Christmas. You must be missing it yourself – all the buzz and the bright lights.’
‘Not at all,’ Mary protested. ‘I love Christmas here. At Christmas, you kind of want everything to be like it was when you were a kid, don’t you?’
She glanced at Evan, who shrugged, and she wished she could take the words back. Evan was an orphan. He could never have another Christmas like he’d had when he was a child.
‘And it’s nice to get a break from all the hustle and bustle,’ she continued. ‘Manhattan can be pretty manic in the run-up to the holidays.’
‘What about you?’ Katie asked Evan. ‘Are you from New York?’
‘No, but I’ve been living there since I was eighteen.’
‘Lucky you! If I lived in Manhattan, I don’t think I’d ever leave. What on earth brought you to this backwater?’
Owen scowled at her.
‘I felt like a change of pace. Like Mary said, sometimes it’s good to get a break from the city and all the crowds.’
‘I’d give anything for a bit of hustle and bustle.’ Katie sighed. ‘Though I suppose you must get sick of people hassling you, reporters chasing you around and all that – especially after your break-up with—’
‘So are you coming for the swim tomorrow, Katie?’ Mary broke in, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. She was aware of Evan giving her a grateful smile in her peripheral vision.
‘God, no!’ Katie shuddered, stretching one hand out to examine her long, painted nails. ‘You won’t catch me getting into the sea at this time of year.’
‘Or any other time of year,’ Aifric murmured.
‘But I’ll be there to dish out coffee and hot chocolate, and cheer my man on.’ She threw Owen a coy glance from under her long false lashes.
Mary and Aifric exchanged a furtive eye-roll.
‘I would have doled out mulled wine too,’ Katie continued. ‘But Owen won’t let me. He’s banned alcohol from the beach.’
‘It’s not safe. Alcohol and cold water aren’t a good combination,’ Owen explained.
‘Oh, here’s Ryan,’ Aifric said, looking to the door. ‘Ryan!’ She waved to him. ‘Over here.’
He strode over to join them, beaming as he greeted everyone. ‘Mary!’ His eyes widened as they lit on her. ‘What are you doing here?’ He pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek. ‘I thought they were all going over to New York to surprise you.’
‘Yeah, we got our wires crossed. Unfortunately, great minds think alike. I had exactly the same idea and came here to surprise them.’
He gave a hoot of laughter.
She introduced him to Evan – they hadn’t met before, but made complimentary noises about each other’s work – and scooched along on the sofa so Ryan could sit on her other side. ‘You’ve been talking to Abbie, then?’ she asked him.
‘Yeah. Just texting, you know.’ His eyes drifted away shiftily.
Mary wondered how her sister felt about that.
Abbie was so guarded and defensive about her relationship with Ryan.
She was never clear as to whether they’d officially split up or were doing the long-distance thing.
Sometimes Mary wondered if it was because Abbie didn’t want to admit that she wasn’t sure herself.
‘Are you coming for the swim in the morning?’ she asked Ryan.
He grinned, revealing his dazzling white, perfectly even Hollywood teeth. ‘I thought I might sit this one out – now that I won’t have Abbie goading me into doing it.’
‘Wuss!’ Owen said, overhearing. His teasing smile and tone didn’t match the flintiness in his eyes.
‘We can’t all be Bear Grylls’ evil twin,’ Ryan said.
‘Evan’s doing it,’ Owen told him.
‘Fair play!’ Ryan raised his pint to Evan in salute.
‘So am I,’ Mary said. ‘And Aifric. We’re not chickening out just because Abbie’s not here.’
‘Come on,’ Aifric said. ‘It’ll be great publicity for the cause. And you don’t want to deprive all your little fans of the chance to see you in your Speedos after looking forward to it all year.’
‘All right, all right. I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
Mary suspected his capitulation had less to do with Aifric’s powers of persuasion than the fear of being outdone in the macho stakes by Owen and Evan. Ryan was fiercely competitive.
‘It’s a shame Abbie’s not here, though,’ he said to Mary. ‘It would have been good to see her.’
‘Yeah, I’d have liked to see her too.’
‘She seems to be enjoying New York anyway,’ Ryan said, a slight question in his voice.
Was he still hoping Abbie would change her mind about moving to LA to be with him? Did he still want that? ‘They’re having a great time,’ Mary said. ‘But you know her heart really lies here, in Dingle,’ she added gently. She thought it’d be kinder not to let him get his hopes up.
‘Yeah, I know. How’s business, Aifric?’ he asked, turning his attention to her.
‘Great! Our Star Wars tours are still really popular. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.’
‘So how’s life treating you in LA, Ryan?’ Katie asked, leaning forward to talk to him across the table. ‘If you’ve got room in your suitcase going back…’ She wiggled her eyebrows.
The girl was incorrigible! As Ryan’s attention was pulled away by Katie, Mary tuned in to the conversation Owen and Evan were having.
‘Cold water swimming at this time of year can be a shock to the system,’ Owen was saying, ‘especially when you’re not used to it. You don’t want to drink too much tonight.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I wouldn’t have any more, if I were you.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Evan put his glass down on the table.