Page 49 of Just Say Yes
‘There’s that too.’ Brighid laughed. ‘But he’s a good boy in here, so he is,’ she said, tapping her heart with her hand, ‘and that’s where it matters.’
I smiled through a mouthful of toast and she went on her way.
‘There she is,’ Lorcan said, closing the door behind him. The weather was brighter today but colder and part of me would have been happy just to sit in the cosy pub reading a book and drinking tea all day. Which was odd as that was definitely not me. I didn’t do sitting still if I could help it. And yet, here I was wanting to while away the day by disappearing into a book. As much as I loved the Ireland I had so far experienced, the sooner I got home, the better. Its laid-back charm was far too seductive and already doing its best to rub its magic off on me. Not to mention the wonderful food I was eating. Staying here much longer would lead to none of my waistbands being friends with me when I got home, and not only had I invested a good deal of money in my work wardrobe, right now I didn’t have the finances to replace anything.
‘Hi,’ I said, grabbing my bag and pushing myself up from the chair, still careful not to put much weight on the bad leg but also attempting to hide that fact from Lorcan.
‘Ready to go?’
‘I am. Where’s Bod?’
‘Being treated like God at my mam’s. Don’t worry. He’s in good hands.’
‘Oh! I didn’t mean—'
‘I know you didn’t. How you feeling?’
‘OK. A little groggy first thing but an enormous breakfast and a family-sized pot of tea seems to have sorted that out.’
‘I’m not surprised. You were high as a kite last night on those painkillers. I had to tie a string to your ankle to stop you floating out the window.’
‘I was not,’ I said, stepping through the door as he held it open for me.
‘Yeah, you were.’ He followed, laughter in his words. ‘I think I got to see the real Madeleine last night. Quite a lot of her, as it turned out. I might see the doc and see if we can get you some more of those pills.’
I gave him a steady look as I reached the car. ‘You’re hilarious. I may have been a little woozy but I do remember keeping my clothes on, so your infantile teasing isn’t going to get a rise out of me.’
‘A little woozy. Is that what you call it?’ he continued, grinning as he slid into the driver’s seat, having closed my door for me.
‘I do.’
‘Darlin’, you were a total space cadet. It was great.’
I let out a sigh and opened my planner as we pulled out onto the quiet road. ‘I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.’
‘I did, actually,’ he replied, his voice sounding carefree and honest, missing that teasing note his words were so often wrapped in. I risked a glance at him. His eyes were still on the road and his whole body had a loose, relaxed feeling to it. I turned back to the window, watching as we passed impossibly green rolling hills dotted with fluffy clouds of sheep. Old dry-stone walls divided some of the fields, the narrow road winding between them. My thoughts drifted back to last night. Hazy memories of laughter and easy conversation floated into my mind and a feeling of lightness that I wanted to attribute entirely to the drugs but had the niggling feeling there might have been more to it than that.
‘Thank you for your help and kindness yesterday. I do appreciate it. I’m sure you had much better ways to spend a rare Saturday night back home than keeping me company. In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have asked you, so I apologise for putting you on the spot.’
The shadow of a smile flitted momentarily across his handsome features. ‘Then I’m glad it wasn’t normal circumstances. We both enjoyed the craic so let’s leave it at that.’
We rode the rest of the way in silence and I took pleasure in the countryside around me, almost deserted apart from the sheep and a farmer in a tractor.
‘Most people are at church, if that’s what you’re wondering,’ Lorcan said after a while, as though reading my thoughts.
‘Oh, I see. And am I stopping you from attending?’
‘Nope. Much to the chagrin of Mammy but there we are.’
‘Do Brighid and Gerry not go either?’
‘Most people have a lie-in on a Sunday so they go to the early service. Liam hangs about if there’s any requests for an unsociably early breakfast.’
‘He’s another non-conformer like you, is he?’
Lorcan glanced towards me and gave me a patient smile before turning his eyes back to the road, following a bend before taking a small turning on the left. ‘Here we are.’
‘Oh!’
