Chapter 46
“How’s your butt?” Therese asked over breakfast the next morning. “Your face looks okay. Can’t hardly see the scrape.”
“Thanks for asking. One half of my butt is totally black and blue,” Maeve said. “How’s your arm?”
“Already scabbed over. But I’m still pissed about the rip in my cashmere sweater.”
“Take it home to Savannah. Maybe Bernie can fix it for you. Okay, look. It’s our last full day in Ireland,” Maeve said. “What do you want to do? Dingle Peninsula? Ring of Kerry? A walk on the beach?”
Therese was wrapping scones in a paper napkin and tucking them into the pocket of her jacket. When she finished that, she chewed some bacon and sipped her coffee.
“You really want to go sightseeing?”
“Don’t you? Come on. We can’t go back to Savannah and tell people we went to Ireland and didn’t see some of the most spectacular scenery in the country,” Maeve coaxed.
“Okay. Ring of Dingle.”
“That’s not a thing.”
“It should be. It sounds … provocative.
“I’m down with that,” Therese said. She pointed to the platter of thick bacon slices in front of her sister. “Wrap those up. Free lunch.”
“Stop the car!” Therese yelled. They were on their way back from driving the Dingle Peninsula. She pointed to a turnoff where an elderly man was seated on the back of a homemade camper with a handwritten cardboard sign: SEE BABY SHEEP, 5 EUROS.
As they climbed out of the rental car the wind was whipping off the towering cliffs that edged the sea, and gray clouds scudded overhead.
Therese dug in her pocket for her money and approached the old man. “Have you never held a little lamb before?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t,” she said.
The baby in question, white body, black face, was cradled in his arms, but he handed her over to Therese.
The creature looked up at her, solemn-faced, bleated, and both sisters’ hearts melted.
She stroked the lamb’s head and Maeve snapped photos with her phone before taking her turn holding the lamb.
“What’s its name?” Therese asked.
“That one’s called Meggie. She’s a prize, isn’t she?”
Therese handed him a five-euro note and a toothless smile creased his face.
“You do realize that’s your beer money for tonight, right?” But Maeve’s smile was as wide as her sister’s.
They were almost back at the inn when Therese made her ask. “Will you do something for me?”
Maeve was instantly suspicious. “Depends on what it is.”
“Whatever happened to unconditional, unquestioning love?”
“Just spit it out.”
“Call Liam.”
“No.”
“Look. I don’t pull the big-sister card very often, but this is one of those times you’ve absolutely got to believe that I know what I’m talking about. Just call him.”
“And say what?”
“That you don’t want to leave the country without saying goodbye. All I’m saying is, leave the door open.”
Maeve shook her head stubbornly. “There’s no point in it. And I’ll feel like an idiot.”
“Because you are being an idiot. Please do this one thing for me. Please?”
Maeve sighed heavily. “One call. If he doesn’t pick up, or blows me off, we’re done.”
“That’s all I ask.”