Chapter 9 #2
The drama of the morning seemed to have eased by the afternoon, the rain having set in so Andy was happy to read and watch TV.
Doing so during the day felt self-indulgent, but with Grady having returned home, it wasn’t like he had an abundance of people to hang out with.
He had friends, but he could also be content alone.
But here, in this fancy hotel, he couldn’t help but wish there was someone else to talk with.
Someone to laugh with. Someone to enjoy.
Just like he’d originally envisaged when they’d booked the Castle Griffin Hotel for his and Greta’s honeymoon.
For as spectacular as it was, as many activities were on offer, sometimes he still felt a little lonely.
Which was why he was now lingering around the foyer, killing time until the restaurant opened for the evening meal, pretending to read one of the books in the small library next to the lounge room off the entrance hall, while he tried not to wonder how Aisling was, and whether she really was as messy as her bedroom had suggested.
Had that knock really loosened her inhibitions so much that she truly had meant what she’d said?
Or was it simply the vulnerable spaces of his heart running away into Neverland?
Whatever it was, he felt edgy, itchy with nerves, nothing was settling. He needed to be doing something, not hanging around passively trying not to wonder about what was going on upstairs.
Footsteps and low voices drew his attention to the staircase.
Rory and Aidan. Had they just been with Aisling?
They spoke with Maeve on reception, the exchange quiet so he couldn’t hear.
Not that he wanted to hear. Except he also kind of did.
Only to check Ash was okay, of course. Rory glanced his direction and he straightened.
“Hey, it’s the hotel hero,” Rory teased.
He shook his head at the name as Aidan grinned.
“How is your sister?” Andy asked her.
“She’s taking it easy. Been resting, watching TV.”
He nodded. “She took a nasty knock so I’m glad she’s being sensible.”
“Sensible is not a word associated with my sister very often, but yes, she’s being careful.” Rory smiled. “Thank you for helping her. I know she appreciated it.”
He shrugged. “I only did what anyone else would do.”
Although whether anyone else would have received those words from her he wasn’t sure. He’d barely been able to get them out of his head. Which was why he was glad to not see her down here. How could he act normally with her knowing she’d said what she had?
He glanced at Aidan. “I understand you’re heading back to Australia soon.”
“Work was good enough to give me some time now, but man, it’ll be hard.” Aidan sighed. “But at least I know we’ll be together one day.”
Andy nodded, as his stomach twisted disconcertingly. He pushed it down. Just because he’d once thought something similar didn’t mean it couldn’t happen with Rory and Aidan. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Thanks.”
“When’s the big day?”
“We’re still deciding. Maybe Christmas, if we can get ourselves organised that quickly.”
Aidan glanced at Rory who seemed to be eye-balling him. Andy recognised that look. Greta used to do it to him too when she’d wanted him to fire her bullets.
“So, how about you, huh?” Aidan asked.
He stiffened. “How about me?” This wasn’t a subtle way of asking whether he had someone in his life, was it?
“You’re here for a little while longer.”
He exhaled. Okay. “Until Sunday.”
Rory smiled, curling into Aidan’s side. “Have you got any plans?”
“Not particularly. I feel like I’ve seen most of the places I want to. So it’s nice to just relax a little and do some of those things I don’t get the chance to when I’m at home.”
“You mean like wild sea bathing?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Yeah, not that. I’m a little too thin-blooded for that particular activity.”
“Aw, come on,” Aidan teased. “I’m an Aussie and I gave it a go last year. You won’t die, but you may feel like you will.” He winked.
Another rumble of amusement rippled from his chest. These two were fun, even if he felt a little like he was walking on ice as far as Rory’s sister was concerned.
“Hey, if you’re looking for something to do tomorrow maybe you should join us for a game of tennis,” Aidan continued. “We’ve booked the courts in the morning when it should be fine.”
Tennis would make a nice change to yet another run, especially now he had completed all the resort’s trails. “That could be fun. When exactly?”
They made a time, and the restaurant doors opened so he went and ate his meal.
Later, he found Aidan and Rory in the billiards room and joined them for a game of pool.
Again he was struck by their easy offer of friendship, their jokes and tease like they’d been friends with him for years.
And again he wondered about Rory’s sister, and what she was doing, and whether she was lonely or asleep.
No. Stop thinking about her. He lined up the red ball, then slid his stick and hit it, sinking the yellow ball.
“That’s me out. Well done you.” Aidan clapped him on the shoulder.
If he’d been playing with Grady the game would involve a lot more alcohol and jeers.
But the ease between the three of them didn’t require such things.
Sure there was tease, but it seemed like a much healthier dynamic than what he shared with Grady.
He wondered what they’d say about Grady’s edict that Andy had to kiss a few girls to get over the past.
He pursed his lips. He bet Rory wouldn’t be a fan. Especially seeing as the woman in question was her sister.
“What’s that face for?” Aidan asked.
No way could he admit to what he’d been thinking. “I’m just thinking.”
“You know when someone says something like that it’s an invitation for others to ask what you’re thinking about, right?” Rory teased.
He chuckled. “That sounds like something your sister might say.”
“I’m pretty sure it is something my sister has said.” Her eyes gleamed. “The question is why do you know what my sister might say?”
His cheeks warmed, as he realised he couldn’t answer that easily. For all his interactions with Aisling, it wasn’t like they’d spent too much time in each other’s company.
“Don’t embarrass the man, honey,” Aidan said, slinging an arm around his fiancée. “Ash is hardly the kind of person to not speak her mind.” He winked at Andy. “Ask me how I know.”
“I suspect I don’t need to.”
“See? She’s forthright. And you’ll always know where you stand with her.”
Rory grinned. “Even when she’s had a bump to the head.”
The fire in his cheeks escalated. “You know about that?”
Rory nodded. “My mother might’ve mentioned a thing or two and I overheard. But look, it’s okay. You don’t need to heed everything she says. She’s the sort of person who can say a lot but it doesn’t mean it’s all to be believed.”
Oh. His heart dipped. “Well, that’s good to know.” Even if that seemed different to what he’d thought before.
And as the yawns of the others soon propelled them to leave, he sat beside a gas-lit fire in the lounge area, watching a distant lighthouse in the rain. And wondered again just how much of what Aisling had said was really real.