Page 118 of The Rebound
He ignores her. “Abby, please take your sister out of here and away from my impressionable wife.”
“No problem.” I tow Louise by the arm farther into the crowd, ignoring her scowl. “I really think you should hire someone else to do your fundraising,” I tell her. “And shouldn’t you be resting?” She started getting heartburn in the last few days, which according to our mother meant the baby would have a “thick head of hair.”
“I’m pregnant, Abby. Not invalid. Are you in or out tonight?”
“Out, I think. Rory’s invited me to Pete’s.”
“Good. Tomasz and I are having sex.”
“But you’re already—”
She turns to me, ready for a fight. “Are you actually about to say ‘but you’re already pregnant’?”
I hesitate. “No?”
Thankfully before I can get myself into even more trouble, Andrew strides past us, directing another group of tourists toward the front.
“Ladies,” he greets, a wide, fake smile on his face. “Are we having a good time?”
“I think you’ve got a rogue mead operator,” I tell him.
“What?” He looks, distracted, at Louise. “What are those?”
“Raffle tickets. It’s for charity,” she adds when he starts to protest.
“Anyone selling anything needs to have a permit. Charity or not. You need to give five euro to Maggie at the desk.” He points a stern finger toward the back where Maggie sits, drinking her own cup of mead. “Now, young lady,” he says when Louise doesn’t move.
“Fine,” she says. “But I’m increasing your monthly donation.”
“And what are you up to?” he asks me when she’s gone.
“Nothing! I’m with you, I hate charity.”
“That’s not what I—”
“Excuse me?”
We both turn as a man in brown slacks and a blue button-down shirt approaches, smiling pleasantly at us.
“Are you in charge?” he asks. “I’m looking for an Andrew O’Donoghue.”
Andrew is instantly suspicious. “And you are?”
“Cormac Whelan.” He smiles. “I’m performing the ceremony for today.”
“You’rethe Druid?”
“We’ve got a Druid?” I ask, excited.
“To plant the oak tree,” Andrew says.
“I didn’t know that was a solstice thing.”
He ignores me. “I thought you’d have a robe.”
“We have no formal uniform,” Cormac explains. “In fact, we encourage all our members to wear what they feel is—”
“Yes, yes, fine,” he interrupts, clearly disappointed. “I’ll need to sign you in. Health and safety. Do you have a… staff?”
