Page 46 of Just Say Yes
‘Mm-hmm.’
‘Would you rather I stayed?’
I shook my head but the word ‘Yes’ somehow fell out of my lips. ‘It’s nice to have company for dinner.’
‘I can bring my food up here, if you like.’
I nodded before letting my gaze, which also felt heavier than usual, reach up to meet his. ‘That would be nice.’
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘It would. I have Bod here. You OK for me to bring him too?’
‘Yes. I so love Bod. He’s wonderful. You’re very lucky. Although I think he is too. It’s clearly a love match.’ I grinned and Lorcan gave a half-smile.
‘It is that.’
‘I’ve always wanted a dog. It’s just so hard with my job so I love getting to spend time with Bod when I see you.’ I started giggling. ‘Bod is a funny name. I like it.’
Lorcan watched me for a moment, the smile still there. ‘I’m glad to hear it. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Eat your dinner.’ With that, he took a couple of long strides across the room, ducked out of the door and closed it behind him. The pub was still quiet and the silence settled around me as I waited for his return.
* * *
‘I’ve eaten too much!’ I said, flopping down on the bed as Lorcan removed the tray along with an empty bowl that had once held an enormous portion of sticky toffee pudding with thick home-made custard. ‘I’m going to burst.’
‘I’d rather you didn’t. These jeans are new and it’d be a hell of a job for Brighid to clean up.’
‘It’d be your fault.’
‘That seems to be a pattern when it comes to you.’
‘True. It was delicious though. Will you thank her for me?’
‘I will. How’s the leg?’
‘Not so bad, actually.’ I lifted it and stared.
Lorcan gently wrapped one large hand around my ankle and lowered it. ‘That’s good but probably best not to be flinging it around just yet.’ He sat on the end of the bed, his hand resting on my feet. ‘Pills are doing their job, then. That’s good.’
‘I guess. Or maybe the pain’s just going off?’
He straightened a bed sock that was creeping off my foot, the toe hanging over the end. ‘Maybe, but I’m putting my money on the pills for the moment.’
‘Do you think?’
‘Pretty sure.’
‘Are you going now?’ I looked at his empty plates, and then down at Bod, who had made himself a little nest in the duvet in the vicinity of my lap.
‘Do you want me to?’
‘Not really.’
‘Then I’ll stay. What would you like to do?’
‘Well, apparently I’m not allowed to drive heavy machinery so I guess that’s out.’
His laugh was rich and deep and wrapped itself around me, warming me from inside. But maybe that was the pills too.
‘I guess we’ll have to think of something else, then,’ he said, giving me a wink.
