Page 29 of A Merry Irish Christmas
‘In the morning?’
‘You know, for the Christmas swim.’
‘Oh. That.’
‘Now you’re home, I assume we’ll be seeing you there.’
Mary had thought she’d skip it – it would be one advantage ofher family not being around that she wouldn’t have to join all the other maniacs charging into the freezing Atlantic on Christmas morning. Her sister Abbie – far too outdoorsy for Mary’s liking – was usually the ringleader in their family, signing them up first thing in December and rounding them all up on the day.
‘I haven’t got any sponsorship, though.’ The Christmas swim was done for charity, and everyone spent the run-up to it fundraising. Mary had often tried to wriggle out of it by offering to make a donation instead of taking part, but Abbie insisted that wasn’t in the spirit of the thing. To be fair, Mary did always enjoy herself when it came to it, despite the icy water and whipping winds. It was fun, squealing and whooping with their friends and neighbours as they all charged into the waves in swimsuits and Santa hats.
‘Don’t worry about that,’ Aifric said. ‘Come for the craic and you can bung us a few quid on the day. What do you say?’
‘Yeah, I’ll come. What else would I be doing at noon on Christmas Day?’ She thought longingly of a lazy lie-in, snuggled under the warm duvet for an extra hour or two.
‘And you’ll bring Evan Prentice? Though I suppose he’s just Evan to you now.’
‘I don’t think so. I haven’t even persuaded him to come to the O’Sullivans’ for dinner yet.’ It would be one thing convincing Evan he could attend a family dinner without anyone alerting the media. A crowded beach full of overexcited children and teens would be another matter. And he wouldn’t be able to wear his home invader ensemble in the water. He’d be totally exposed. She dismissed the distracting thought of Evan in swim trunks. ‘Besides, I’m sure he didn’t bring his swimming trunks for a stay in Kerry in December.’
‘That’s no problem. I can get Owen to kit him out withanything he needs.’ Owen ran a surf school at Inch and had a hire shop on the beach. He worked closely with Abbie and Aifric, who booked surf lessons and adventure activities with him for their customers.
‘Well, I can ask him, but I’m not guaranteeing anything.’
‘Great. I’ll see you in the pub tonight anyway?’
‘Definitely. See you then.’
When she went into the kitchen later, showered and dressed, she found Evan at the sink, scrubbing a pot. She could probably get good money for a photo of that.
‘So I was talking to my mum,’ she said, launching in without preamble, glad he had his back to her, ‘and it looks like we’re going to the O’Sullivans for dinner tomorrow.’ She’d decided it would be best to present it to him as a fait accompli. That approach always seemed to work for her mother.
‘We?’ He turned from the sink, screwing up his face.
‘You and me,’ she clarified, waving her hand between them.
‘Well, I don’t know whatyou’redoing, but I’m not going anywhere.’ He grabbed a towel and dried his hands. She couldn’t help noticing his strong, tanned forearms. She was a sucker for a good forearm.
‘I told my mum I’d take you. She’s booked us in. They’re expecting both of us.’
‘The O’Sullivans?’ He frowned, cocking his head to the side.
‘They’re our nearest neighbours. Carmel and?—’
‘They’re the folks you were trying to persuade me to burglarise instead of you when you thought I was carrying out a home invasion. Very neighbourly of you, I must say.’
‘I didn’t want you torobthem. I was just trying to defuse the situation and get rid of you. I was giving you a chance to walk away.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘That’s actually not a bad idea.’
‘I saw it onOprah, I think. I’d have called the police as soon as you’d left.’ She took a notebook where she’d scribbled down Carmel’s queries from the back pocket of her jeans. ‘So, I just have a few questions from Carmel,’ she said, flipping it open. ‘First, do you have any food allergies?’
‘No.’
‘Great. Do you eat turkey?’
‘Yes, but I don’t see what that’s?—’
‘How do you feel about Brussels sprouts?’ she asked, ticking turkey off on her list.
