Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
“I like him,” Mam said. “He seems quite nice. Quiet, but nice.”
Rory nodded. “He doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would get left at the altar.”
“I wish I could remember where I’ve seen him before,” Aunty Aine said. “I’m sure it’ll come to me, probably at two in the morning.”
The car ride back was cosy, Aisling having decided to let Rory and Aidan have some quality time together, which meant she’d hopped in the back of Aine’s sportscar, while Mam sat in the front.
“Do you think Fiona will still be here?” she asked.
“Ah, I wish I knew what that girl wanted,” Mam confessed. “She’s always so busy, then when she’s here, it’s like she wants to return, like she doesn’t really know what she wants.”
Amen, Aisling thought.
“I’m worried about her.”
Had Mam meant to say that aloud? “I tried to speak to Declan but he wasn’t admitting anything.”
Mam peered back at Aisling. “Do you think he has something to admit?”
“I don’t know.” She told them about Fiona’s tears last night, and while it felt a little disloyal to admit as much, she also felt it only fair.
Mam and Aunty Aine both prayed for them all, and it was only right that those who prayed had the correct information.
Besides, it wasn’t like Fiona didn’t need all the help she could get.
Her phone buzzed with a notification. Fiona had sent a message. Gone back to Dublin.
“Fiona has left,” she announced.
Her mother exhaled. “We’ll have to keep praying for her, then.”
Aisling nodded. Lord, be with Fiona. Heal her heart and make her whole.
By the time the car turned into the gravel carpark of the family’s private area, her heart was twisting back to Andy.
What had he and Aidan been talking about so earnestly?
She refused to think it was only sport. She’d tried to listen, but the café was noisy, and the conversation about the wedding was something she had to contribute to as well.
And now, she was here and feeling a little lonely.
Aidan and Rory had gone off gallivanting.
Fiona had gone back to Dublin. And Colin and Kara were off doing—la la la!
She stuck her hands over her ears and forced herself not to think about that.
Everyone had someone. Even Mam and Aunty Aine were thick as thieves, enjoying time together.
Which left her, feeling alone, and ever so slightly dissatisfied.
She sighed. “Well, you can feel sorry for yourself, or you can go and do something productive. So what’s it gonna be, Ash?”
She went upstairs and changed into clothes more suitable for work, then went outside to help Rebecca and some of the others who were packing down the wedding detritus.
Sure, this wasn’t her job per se, but it felt good to use her muscles again.
Was this how Andy felt? He obviously worked out, or at least must exercise a lot in order to keep that trim figure.
She glanced down at her less-than svelte figure, cushioned with extra curves thanks to all the emergency chocolates and crisps she’d been eating while studying for her exams. Colin and her sisters had all managed to pass their exams without putting on weight like she had.
But she obviously took more after their long-dead grandmother in body shape, rather than the bean-like figures her siblings shared.
Her nose wrinkled. It was good to know what to expect.
But even given her genetic lottery, she probably could afford to work out more.
Dad’s death from a heart attack meant she should be careful to stave off heart disease, if not by diet, then by exercise.
And while she was here she did have access to the well-equipped gym for free.
And the pool. She could swim laps, and go for walks, and ride her bikes, and so many things!
She pushed her shoulders back, and refocused, looking at each box shifted as a mini workout opportunity.
“Are you okay with that one?” Rebecca asked.
She hefted it upright. “Yep. I’m good.”
Well, she would be good. This was hard work, and already she could feel her back protesting.
Still, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a woman couldn’t get fit unless she changed things and did at least a little bit of exercise each day.
Besides, Rebecca worked so hard to provide for her son Thomas, so it was nice to think that by helping now Rebecca would be released to go home to him a little earlier.
She swiped at the sweat lining her brow and glanced up. Was it really only this time yesterday she’d seen Andy for the first time? It felt like so much had happened since.
Like the fact she felt like she’d been touched by Cupid’s arrow and now knew something of the yearn of Rory who had missed Aidan so much these past months.
How could she stand being parted from him as she had?
Sure, going to visit must’ve helped, but it would’ve only increased the angst when they’d parted again.
Was it better to not ever stir up these emotions than feel like it was a hopeless case?
And how could she be feeling like this at all when it was all so new anyway? Surely it had to help for the man to get the memo about attraction, and it didn’t seem like Andy knew the Fairall legacy meant he had to be an active participant too.
“You’re being ridiculous,” she muttered to herself and continued working.
And this was probably all ridiculous. She couldn’t yet be sure it wasn’t just the emotions of a big wedding weekend, so what was she doing thinking in terms of “angst” and “yearn”? If there was anything real, then that was something that time would have to reveal.
Still, if this was done quickly, she’d have another chance to see if Andy was around, and whether they could talk more, or share another meal together.
She hoped she hadn’t scared him off before, with that invitation to lunch.
At least her family seemed to like him, well, as much as they knew of him, anyway.
Which made her want to know him more. And made her wonder if one day he might possibly return her interest and give some indication that this instant attraction she felt wasn’t all one-sided.
* * *
“I don’t understand. Why do you want to leave?” Grady asked.
Andy shrugged. He barely understood it himself, except that it felt like there was a dangerous undertow of attraction that was building the longer he stayed.
And he didn’t want that. He needed to get emotionally healthy.
Not to slip back into the ways of before, which had shown just how unhealthy he was.
“Look, you’ve got all this time off, in a room you’ve already paid for. Why don’t you stay a little longer? We can’t all be so lucky as to have so much leave.”
Was it ‘lucky’ to have his fiancée cancel a wedding, one he’d already paid for? Well, maybe, considering she’d obviously had a wandering eye. But still, Grady’s words rankled a little.
He folded his arms and glanced out the window. There he could see the last of the wedding paraphernalia being taken down. He peered closer. Was that Ash? It looked like her, but dressed in jeans and a baseball cap, instead of the floral dress from before. Should he offer his help?
But no. If he did, then she’d look at him with those clear green-blue eyes, and he’d fall straight back into that feeling like before, where he was helpless to do anything but what a strong woman asked him to. He didn’t want that again.
“So, you’re still going to leave tomorrow?” he asked Grady.
“That I am. And you, my friend, are going to stay here and enjoy the hospitality a little longer.” Grady grinned. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll have karaoke again.”
He shook his head. “Fine. I’m going to go for a run.”
“Hey, maybe when you get back we could try the golf course.”
Golf had never been his thing, but for Grady he’d give it a go. Especially as the man had been so obliging. “Sure. Give me thirty minutes.”
“I’ll be here.”
He hurried down the steps, glancing at the reception desk, but no, he didn’t recognise the receptionist. So he took a left at the parking lot and followed the blue signs that marked the Sea Trail.
This first section went through the forest, lined with pink and purple fuchsias, before eventually coming out near a bridge.
This led to an island, so he took that path, pausing every so often to take a photo of the Atlantic.
After completing the loop he crossed back over the bridge, knowing he’d be pushing for time to make his rendezvous with Grady for golf.
The trail now took him down near a picnic area near a beach, and—oh.
Back to the front of the hotel, where the clean-up was still continuing.
He sped past, praying that if Ash was still there that she wouldn’t notice him.
He knew his face would be bright red, and would stay that way for half an hour.
He hurried back to the front, gripping the edge of the stone wall as he rounded the corner, hurrying up the three shallow steps as he entered the front doors and the foyer.
“Andy?” a feminine voice called.
His feet slowed, and he turned to the reception desk. Swiped the sweat from his brow. Forced his breathing to calm.
Ash smiled at him from behind the reception desk. “You look like you’re running from a ghost.”
“Just staying fit.”
Her mouth curved higher on the left, her glance up and down leaving him tingling.
He coughed. “Sorry, I need to go find Grady. We’ve booked a game of golf.” He hurried to the stairs. Why’d she have to see him looking so unkempt?
“Um, Andy?” she called, when he was halfway up the stairs.
“What?”
“He’s down here.” She pointed to the lounge area adjacent to the foyer where several sofas were. And sure enough, Grady was there talking to a pretty woman. Of course he was.
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be a few minutes.”