Page 22 of A Merry Irish Christmas
‘Poor Mum feels awful now for causing this cock-up.’
‘She shouldn’t,’ Mary said, feeling a pang of guilt. ‘It would have been great if it had worked out.’
‘If only you hadn’t had the same hare-brained idea.’
‘Yeah, it’s as much my fault as hers. But that’s DNA for you, I guess.’ She sighed. ‘Anyway, it’s happened now. We’ll just have to make the best of it. It sounds like you’re all enjoying New York?’
‘Yeah, it’s fun – and Bo is having the time of her life. I’ll missbeing in Dingle, though, meeting up with the gang down the pub on Christmas Eve.’
‘I know, but you see those people all the time.’
‘Not everyone. I don’t seeyouall the time.’
‘True. Or Ryan.’ Mary wondered if Abbie was pining because she’d miss a rare chance to meet up with her… ex-boyfriend? On-again-off-again boyfriend? Mary wasn’t even sure what he was to Abbie at this stage. They’d been together since they were teens until Ryan’s acting career had taken off and he’d decamped to LA to become a rising Hollywood star – or ‘run away with the circus’ as their mother put it. He’d wanted Abbie to go with him, but she’d refused. But he always came home for Christmas if his schedule allowed, and from what Mary heard, they still gravitated to each other whenever he was around and took up where they’d left off.
‘Yeah,’ was all Abbie said in response.
If Mary had been fishing, she obviously wasn’t going to get anywhere. ‘Well, I’ll say hi to him for you.’
‘Mum says you’re going to stay there with Evan Prentice? And you’re going to the O’Sullivans’ for Christmas dinner, so that’ll be nice.’
‘Yeah, I don’t know about that. Mum’s convinced I can persuade Evan to let me stay and make friends with him, but he’s having none of it. I can’t see me being able to drag him to Carmel’s. I mean, I’m sure Mum could pull it off, but she forgets that we don’t all have her powers of persuasion.’
‘So where will you go if he kicks you out?’
‘I don’t know! I don’t want to ask one of the neighbours, and the only hotel with rooms available is that swanky new one in Dingle. I really don’t fancy that. Besides, I’ve already blown an entire month’s rent just getting here. I can’t afford to fork out for a hotel room I don’t even want to be in on top of that.’
‘Well, I’m sure Caroline and Paddy would be glad to have you,’ Abbie said, her tone teasing. ‘And Creepy Conor would be overjoyed to see you.’
‘Yeah, right.’ Their cousin Conor had bullied Mary and her sisters when they were kids and transitioned smoothly into perving over them as teenagers.
‘Not to mention the girls. They’ll be there too, don’t forget, all decked out for Christmas.’
‘Ugh, the girls! No way am I spending Christmas Day with Creepy Conor and that pair. I’d rather take my chances with Spider-Man, thanks.’
When she went downstairs, Mary was glad to see that Evan wasn’t around and she had the house to herself, so she could enjoy a solitary breakfast in the sunroom, while still keeping her promise to stay out of his way. She needed to show him how unobtrusive she could be and that they could share the house without seeing any more of each other than was absolutely necessary.
In the kitchen she made herself a big mug of tea and was delighted to find half a loaf of brown soda bread on the counter. She cut herself a couple of slices, spread them thickly with butter and took her breakfast to the glass-walled dining room overlooking the sea. As she bit into the soft crumb, she closed her eyes and sighed. She’d missed this in New York. It was worth coming home for her mother’s soda bread alone. The winter sun streaming through the glass warmed her face as she ate gazing out to sea, and she felt herself relax, the rhythm of the waves calming her.
When she’d finished, she showered and dressed quickly andgot ready to go out, eager to be gone before Evan came back from wherever he’d gone. She didn’t want to hole up in her room for the day, but she couldn’t risk antagonising him by hanging around the house, invading his space. She pulled on her padded jacket, then grabbed her mother’s car keys from the hook by the door. She was in the mood for some company, so she decided to drive into Annascaul for a coffee and maybe meet up with Aifric, if she was free. When she stepped outside, she was surprised to see her father’s car was already gone. Evan must have decided to go further afield and explore the area a little.
She called Aifric on her way out the door.
‘Hi, Mary! Welcome home,’ Aifric said. ‘I was talking to Abbie last night and she told me you were home. Poor you, after coming all this way.’
‘Yeah, it sucks. I’m just on my way into Annascaul,’ she said, clicking the car door open while glancing at the gate, worried Evan would return before she’d made herself scarce. This was ridiculous. She felt like she was making a getaway. ‘I was wondering if you’re free to meet for a coffee?’
‘I’d love to. I’m doing a shift in the pub, but you could come over and have a coffee here, if you fancy it, and we can chat between customers?’
‘That’d be great. See you shortly.’ Mary pocketed her phone, and slid into the driver’s seat, cheered by the thought of seeing Aifric, who was the closest thing to family she had in town now.
It was a cold day, but bright and sunny, and Mary’s spirits lifted as she drove to Annascaul. The quaint little village looked pretty and inviting, the sunlight emphasising the cheery colours of the painted pubs and houses. She parked outside the little salmon-coloured cottage at the edge of town that Abbie shared with Aifric, her best friend and business partner, then walked back along the small main street to O’Connor’s pub. She bumpedinto a couple of people she knew, who stopped to chat briefly and ask after her family.
The interior was warm and cosy, a real log fire throwing welcome heat into the room. It was quiet this early on a Saturday morning, with a couple of elderly men sitting at the bar and a group of middle-aged ladies having tea on a pair of sofas grouped around the fire. The walls and rafters were festooned with fairy lights and baubles, and the bar was strung with garlands. Aifric was behind the bar and waved Mary over as she entered.
‘Hi, Mary! It’s great to see you,’ she said, setting a pint of Guinness on the bar to settle. ‘Hop up there,’ she said, nodding to the stools, ‘and I’ll be with you in a sec.’
Aifric was a cheerful, outgoing girl with a mess of dark ringlets, a friendly face covered in freckles, and a hint of mischief in her hazel eyes. She and Abbie ran a tour company in Dingle, but she sometimes helped out in her family’s pub in the off-season.
