Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
S ara took her phone out to the front porch where Lani sat reading a manuscript. Their parents were at the building site with Angie so they could discuss cabin design and placement.
Sara wasn’t about to go with them when she had the possibility of listening to the phone call. Lani didn’t go because she was in mourning for the family home in Trenton and was pretending the cabin project was a mirage.
When the text came from Desiree, Sara leaped up. “He said yes! I get to listen in.”
“Wish I could. This manuscript is deadly dull.”
“I could ask Kieran if you?—”
“No, don’t. It’s not a performance. That’s Lucky’s truck coming around the bend, so you’d better get in there.”
“I’ll wait for him. I want to explain why I’m going in.”
“Yeah, otherwise he might think you’re doing the big reveal.”
“That would be a mistake.”
“I think so, too. You — oh, dear God. Rance is with him.”
“What’s so bad about that?”
“He asked if I wanted to go riding this morning before he had to go in to work and I told him I was too busy.”
“You are busy. You’re reading a manuscript.”
“And wasting my time. We won’t be buying it.”
“Then go riding.”
“But if I do, he’ll think… oh, what the hell does it matter what he thinks? I’m going.” She handed the manuscript to Sara. “Would you please take this in for me?”
“You bet.” She pressed her lips together to keep from smirking. Would Lani ever admit she had a crush on Rance? Then again, nothing could come of it, so maybe her sister was smart to resist.
While Lani hurried to catch up with Rance as he headed for the barn, Lucky turned toward the porch steps, his long legs making quick work of the distance. “Hey, Sara.”
“Hey, Lucky. I’m going in as a silent observer today.”
“Oh?” He climbed the steps.
“Kieran said I could and I’m dying to see the meeting of Desiree and Granny.
“He won’t mention you’re there?”
“Nope. I’m just eavesdropping.”
“I won’t be saying much, either. This is Mom’s turn.” Crossing the porch, he held the door for her.
“When does Oksana get her turn?”
“Tomorrow. We’ve got somebody covering the shop so we can both be on the call. We don’t want to overload Granny’s circuits and she and Mom will have a lot to say to each other.” He gestured toward the kitchen. “Let’s take the shortcut.”
She made a quick right and he followed. “By the way, why didn’t Rance ride over with Kieran since they’re in the same cabin?”
“He wasn’t ready when Kieran had to leave, so he called me. I just happened to be running late or he would’ve been SOL.”
“Why didn’t you park by the back door of Rowdy Roost like before?”
“I was gonna. Then Rance saw Lani sitting on the porch and asked me to park where she could see him get out.”
Sara gave a hoot of laughter. “It worked. She decided to go riding, after all.”
“Saw that.” He chuckled.
“I’m worried she’ll break his heart.”
“He’s a big boy. He knows she’s set on living back East. He’ll either change her mind or learn the hard way that she’s not the one. What’s that you’re taking in with you? Did someone write up a script for this call?”
“It’s a boring manuscript. Lani’s catching up on submissions. By the way, she was really bummed her company didn’t get Oksana’s book.”
“They had no chance once it turned into a bidding war.”
“Yeah, they have a limited budget. But she loves working there.” She pushed open the swinging bar doors and Kieran turned away from the bar and started toward them.
His sheepish grin said it all. Desiree had told him she knew everything. He glanced at her. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
Then he turned to Lucky. “Well, bro, we didn’t fool your mom, after all. She knew Rance was making up that story.”
“I might’ve a few years ago,” Desiree called from her seat at the bar. “But not after you two had it out back in February.”
“So here’s the question.” Lucky’s gaze moved from Kieran to Sara. “Do we tell Rance that’s she’s known all along? Because he’s so proud of this scheme that I kinda hate to burst his bubble.”
“If you don’t want to tell him, I’ll keep my mouth shut,” Desiree said from her perch on a bar stool, “but let’s table that until later, okay? Time’s a-wasting.”
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry I’m a little late.” Lucky hurried over toward the bar, which looked to be operation central. He took a stool one away from Desiree, clearly leaving the middle one for Kieran, who hadn’t followed him over.
Sara made a shooing motion. “Go on ahead. I’ll find a place to sit.”
“I’m glad you’re here. I should have thought of it.”
“Never mind. Just?—”
“Come sit by me, Sara.” Desiree turned and patted the bar stool beside her. “It’s not like we’re on video. You’ll be fine.”
“Okay, thanks.” She gave Kieran a quick smile and made for her designated spot.
“Want anything?” he called after her. “Water, soda?—”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“He’s besotted,” Desiree murmured.
“Mm-hm.” So was she.
Pulling a red bandana from her back pocket, Desiree laid it on the bar. “Just in case I get weepy.”
“Oh.” Sara checked her pockets. No tissues.
“Use a napkin from the holder if you need it.” Desiree gestured toward a black metal dispenser not far away.
“Got it.”
“I’m dialing.” Kieran picked up his phone and tapped the screen.
After only one ring, a woman’s voice boomed out. “Kieran, my boy! Saints alive, so many pictures you sent me!”
“Too many, Granny?”
Sara melted at the gentle teasing note in his voice.
“ Never . Keep ’em comin’, laddie! Such a beautiful place. And ya made it to the cemetery, you and Lucky. And ya took flowers, didn’t ya now?”
“We did.”
“It’s a grand stone my Freya has.” Her voice trembled a little. “And one of you on either side of it, lookin’ so fine. Anyone can see you’re brothers.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“Loved it, I did. Showed it all around. Must’ve been three of you there, since I saw three bouquets. Was the third one takin’ the picture?”
Sara’s breath hitched as she made googly eyes at Kieran and Lucky. Busted!
“I was.” Desiree said.
Whew. Problem solved.
“Is that Desiree talkin’?”
“Yes, it is, Mrs. Haggerty. I don’t feel right calling you granny.”
“Didn’t that boy tell you my Christian name?”
“I might have missed it.”
“’Tis Bridget. You can call me that. Everyone does, apart from him. Oh, Desiree, luv, I can’t tell you how much it means, what you did.”
“I was supposed to be there.”
“Of course you were. It was God’s will that you were there with my Freya. Can you tell me… if you can remember….” Her voice faltered.
“Like it was yesterday. We shared a room.”
“Truly? Side by side? She wasn’t alone then?”
“No. We talked.”
“About her home? About County Kildare? Was she missin’….” There was a soft gulp on the other end.
“I’m sure she was.” Desiree wadded up the bandana in her hand, crushing it in her fist. “She had big plans.”
“She always did, that one.” Sorrow laced every syllable.
“They were good plans, Bridget. For her and the baby.” Desiree’s voice grew husky. “I’ve been where she was. Alone, with a baby. I would’ve helped her.”
“I know ya would, luv.” Her voice trembled. “Friends, you’da been. Grand friends. She was….”
“Amazing.”
No words came through, just the sound of a tissue being ripped from the box and soft sobs.
Sara peeked over at Desiree. Her cheeks were wet but the bandana remained clenched in her fist. She stared straight ahead at an image only she could see.
Then she took a deep breath. “We have to remember the living, Bridget.” She swiped at her face with the wad of red cloth. “We have Lucky.”
Bridget blew her nose. “Praise God we have that boy.” She sounded much stronger. “Lucky, are you there?”
“I’m here, Granny.” His voice was a little ragged around the edges, too.
“You’re a gift to Desiree and she’s a gift to you. Don’t you ever forget it.”
“I won’t, Granny.”
“And you have another gift, another great blessing. Oksana, your wife. Is she there?”
“No. We decided?—”
“Why isn’t she there?”
“We didn’t want to have too many people at once.”
“Why?”
“Well, we thought?—”
“Ah. Ya thought your oul granny couldn’t take it.”
Lucky exchanged a look with Kieran.
“There’s another reason,” Kieran said. “They have that bookshop in town and Oksana needed to be down there today to keep things in order.”
“Nice try, boyo. Next time ya call, bring as many as will come. Send me a list of names and pictures so I can learn who’s who. I taught school, ya know. I’m good with names and faces.”
“You taught school?”
“Quit when your mum left for America. Knew in my bones she wasn’t comin’ back.”
“You never told me.”
“What’s the use? Doesn’t matter.”
“I’d like to hear about it.”
“Maybe sometime. Can I talk to Desiree some more? I have somethin’ ta ask her.”
Kieran turned the phone in her direction.
“I’m here, Bridget.”
“Has Kieran met any nice girls since he’s been there? Because he might not tell me if he has.”
Desiree sat back on her stool. “Um, well…” She glanced at Kieran and then over her shoulder at Sara. “I?—”
“I’m askin’ because that boyo is thirty-two and it’s time for him to settle down. None of the village girls are for him and he wouldn’t be happy with a city girl. I was hopin’ he’d meet someone over there.”
Kieran turned the phone back in his direction. “Maybe we should talk about this another time.”
“I’m talkin’ about it now because I’ve been havin’ crazy dreams that you found someone. I thought she might be the one who brought the other flowers, the one that took the picture. But Desiree says she did it.”
“Well, she?—”
“Did she take the others, too, then? The ones in the bookshop?”
“I’m not sure who?—”
“There’s one where you’re looking in the camera and whoever’s taking the picture is someone you care about.”
“Granny, it’s getting late, and we should probably?—”
“You’re hiding somethin’, boyo. You can’t fool your oul granny. You’ve found someone. And I want ta know all about her.”