Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Aisling yawned, and stretched, but the persistent bleep of the phone alarm continued. “Fine.” She slapped her hand in the direction of her phone and finally switched it off.
Sleep had been a little too hard following the revelations of yesterday.
First, that moment of connection with Andy, which had only felt solidified when they sang together in one of the most surreal yet high points of her life.
But all of that had felt upended when Fiona came in, her emotions plain to see for once, and they’d needed to hurry her away.
Fiona and Declan had been a thing? It seemed impossible.
Hadn’t Fiona always looked down on people like him?
Which wasn’t perhaps very nice of Aisling to acknowledge, but was still true.
Fiona’s tears had quickly dried, replaced by anger that only seemed to dig deeper the longer time went on.
She’d flat out refused to attend church this morning, which was also not completely unexpected, seeing as she hadn’t exactly been showing that Jesus was her Lord for several years now. But still…
“Church!” Oops. She glanced at the time. Winced some more. Then slid from bed and got changed, and was downstairs in record time.
Rory laughed. “Well, looks like someone hasn’t had time to brush her hair.”
Double oops. She dragged her fingers through it, then hunted through her handbag and found a hair-tie and slid it on.
A ponytail would have to do. Lucky for her she had enough makeup supplies in her handbag to do that in the car on the way.
Provided someone else was driving. “Can I cadge a ride from someone?”
“You can come with us,” Rory said.
She hopped in the backseat of Rory’s red hatchback and fussed with her face, applying the products that would make her freckles disappear. She wasn’t vain, but she much preferred her skin to look smooth than blotchy or kissed too enthusiastically by the sun.
By the time they’d arrived at the church she was looking and feeling more herself. “Do you think Fiona will join us for brunch?”
“I don’t know.” Rory sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she heads back to Dublin today.”
“What?”
“She was pretty upset last night.”
“I feel a little clueless because I still don’t know what that was about,” Aidan said.
“None of us do,” Rory said, patting his arm.
“That’s right,” Aisling piped up from the backseat. “We’ve known Fiona all our lives, and we still can’t figure her out.”
They arrived and saw Mam and Aunty Aine and a few of the others who had attended the wedding.
The first few minutes before the service began was spent sharing some of what happened. Some, not all, of course. In the course of that, she happened to notice a few visitors sitting in the back row. Her heart thudded. He was here?
“Who are you looking at?” Aine asked.
“Oh, nobody.” She took her seat, and soon fell into the comforting routine of the service.
Sometimes she might not feel like she was a very good Christian, but Reverend McGuigan seemed to understand people’s imperfections, his messages full of encouragement, rather than condemnation.
Which made it a shame that Fiona wasn’t here to hear that.
They worshipped, and prayed, and read, and listened, and her heart was moved towards God. She closed her eyes. God, who loved her. God, who was here. God, who held her in the palm of His hands.
The service concluded with a blessing, and they were released. She followed her family members from the pew, itchy to see if Andy was still here. But by the time she got out he was gone. She frowned. Where was he?
“Why are you looking upset?” Aunty Aine asked.
She faked a yawn. “I’m not. It was a late night last night.”
“I still don’t understand why you wanted to go out,” Mam said.
“We were in a celebratory mood.” Speaking of… She glanced around. There was Declan. “Excuse me for a minute.”
“Don’t forget, we’re having brunch at the Bridge Café,” Mam called.
She nodded, and tried to get Rory’s attention, but she was busy talking with some of the elderly ladies. Never mind. Perhaps this was a way to find out if Declan knew why Fiona had been upset last night.
“Declan?” she called, hurrying behind him. “You’ve got some questions to answer.”
His feet paused. “Ah, and good morning to you too, Ash.”
“Oh. Yes. Good morning. So, anyway, last night. What happened with you and Fiona?”
His lips pressed together, his eyes shadowing. “She said nothing?”
“She was upset, but refused to talk about it.”
He glanced at his scuffed boots.
“So?”
“So what?” He peered up at her.
“Look, she’s my sister, and despite the fact she’s hard work sometimes, I still love her. So if someone has made her upset I want to know why.”
He shrugged, his genial gaze hard for once. “That’s her business.”
“But—”
“Look, I appreciate the fact you care, but it’s her story to tell, and she’ll do so when she’s ready. Not before. Okay?”
“No, it’s not okay.”
“Well, too bad. It’s the way it is.” He turned and started walking away.
“Has she gone back to Dublin?” she called.
He pivoted. “She’s left?”
“I’m not here asking for my own amusement. I’m worried about her.”
He scratched his chin. “I’m sure she’ll contact you when she’s ready.”
“But—”
“Goodbye, Ash.” He walked away again.
“Will you let us know if you hear from her?” she called.
He lifted a hand, but whether it was in agreement or farewell she didn’t know.
She studied him, the slump in his shoulders that suggested whatever had happened between him and Fiona was not of his liking. And given what she knew about her headstrong sister, probably not of his doing.
She bit her lip. She could be a little like Fiona in some ways, inclined to take up others’ offences and get upset on their behalf.
Passionate, Mam called it. Hot-headed was Colin’s term of choice.
And while she liked to feel she was someone who tackled a problem head on, perhaps there were times when certain situations could benefit from a little more discretion.
Rory was better at that. Colin could be too.
And seeing how she’d just wrecked her chance at finding what Declan’s issue was, perhaps she’d do better to be wiser with lessening her strong-arm tactics with men too.
Like she had with a certain someone yesterday.
She turned, then almost collided with that certain someone, forcing her into a two-step. “Oh!”
“We really should stop meeting like this.” Andy’s lips half-curved, and at once her heart took flight.
“Uh, hi.” Okay, there was not wanting to appear fierce, but she didn’t need to swing so far the other way that she sounded breathless! “Hello.” She winced. Now she sounded too firm. “I mean, greetings.” Ugh. Why not add a “howdy, partner” or a ‘Top o’ the mornin’ to ya” as well?
He stared at her, as if fascinated. Then made a noise that might be a low chuckle. “I understood the first time.”
“Good. Um…”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked kindly.
“No. I mean, yes, of course. I’m just a bit flustered.”
“Last night was late.”
“Yes! But it was fun, right? And you were really good. And we were really good.”
“We were.” His head tilted, his dark eyes searching her until tiny goose-bumps lifted from her skin. “About that—”
“Ash, we’re going in!” Rory called, pointing at the café.
“Oh.”
“Sounds like you’re wanted.”
“But I want you too.”
His eyes widened, and she felt heat that always presaged a flush on her skin. Oh, she hoped the makeup job in the car earlier was doing its job.
His mouth curved higher, and she suddenly realised what she’d said. Oh, why did this man make her feel so nervous? “Um, where is your friend?”
“Grady likes to sleep in on Sundays.”
“He doesn’t go to church?”
“Not because I don’t ask him to come with me.”
“You’re a Christian?” she tested. Some might call her frivolous, but faith in a potential boyfriend was important to her.
“Yes. I’ve been following Jesus since I was a boy. You?”
“Yes.” Mmm. She liked a man who was unashamed to declare himself a believer. She corrected herself. “Obviously not from when I was a boy, but from when I was a girl.”
Okay, that definitely was a chuckle. Was it a good chuckle, or was he laughing at her?
“I think your family is waiting for you.” He pointed to the café across the road from the church, where Rory and Aidan stood.
“Oh.” But she was so enjoying this conversation with him. Even if it felt like half the town was watching. “Um, are you doing anything for lunch?”
“I hadn’t made plans, but Grady might be wondering where I am.”
“Doesn’t he know you’re at church?”
He nodded.
“So he might not be expecting you for a while, anyway. So in that case, would you like to join us?”
“Join your family?”
“It doesn’t have to be for long. But I thought after the way I treated you yesterday that it would be nice to show that I’m not all bad.
” And if she could correct that first impression and see if this twinkling feeling she had in his presence was something worth pursuing, then that would be good too.
And to do so with some of the people who knew and loved her best so they could offer their opinion, also?
She was totally okay with that, too. “Please?”
He studied her a moment longer then dipped his chin. “Okay then.”
She beamed. “Excellent!”
* * *
He wasn’t exactly sure how excellent this would be.
Meeting a girl’s family he barely knew probably didn’t fall into the ‘stay away from women and the risk of potential relationships for five years’ plan that he’d decided yesterday.
Yesterday? How could so much feel like it had changed since yesterday? And yet it had.