A black helicopter hovers. It disappears over the top of the shop.
“Show’s over,” I say.
Five minutes later, there’s shouting outside.
Mam and her friends, who have been chattering for the last hour, run to the window. Out of sheer boredom, I follow.
The street is full of people. There would be nothing unusual about that if this were New York. But for a Tuesday afternoon in my sleepy village, this is a rare phenomenon. And it’s drizzling outside.
“Some gobshite just landed a fucking helicopter,” a man in wellies who looks severely pissed off shouts to another guy. “The animals are going nuts.”
More people gather. At the far end of the street, I see the helicopter right in the middle of the green. The propellers slow to a halt.
“Who is it?” I ask no one in particular. A trickle of fear runs through me.
And hope.
Killian?
Of course it’s not Killian, I huff to myself. Stop dreaming. Hope is a dangerous emotion. Why would he be here? It’s morning in New York, and Killian is having breakfast made by his new nanny maid. Or worse, but I can’t bear to think about it.
“Is it the army?” someone asks behind me.
My pulse quickens as the propellers come to a complete standstill. The side door cracks open, and a tall figure wearing aviators steps out.
My heart jumps into my fucking throat. My pulse goes from resting to racing in a nanosecond.
He’s too far away to see his face clearly, but it’s him. I know it’s him. Even if he were a hundred miles away, I’d know it was him.
The other side opens, and Teagan steps out, wrapping her coat around her.
“Who the hell is that?” one of Mam’s friends asks. Her voice sounds like she’s far away, but she’s standing beside me.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
My heartbeat is in my ears, like a drumstick bashing against my brain. That’s all I can hear.
Mam shrugs. “The president?”
“Don’t be silly. It has to be Michael Tierney, the owner of the golf resort.”
I watch as Killian stretches his legs outside the helicopter and talks to the pilot. It’s like watching a movie. This can’t be real. A few people approach him, and he says something to them.
My heart is hammering so badly that I’m going to have a heart attack. What are they doing here?
The guy with Killian points down the street. This way… he’s pointing this way.
Oh my fucking God.
This is the part of the movie when someone screams,run!
I quickly glance at my dungarees and apron covered in dust and varnish. I imagined this moment so many times in my head. Longed for it.Prayedfor it.
But now that it’s happening, I want to vanish.
He hasn’t spotted me yet; I’m hidden behind two farmers. His expression gives nothing away. Not from this far away, anyway.
Teagan pops her gum as they walk down the street and points excitedly to the arts and crafts store.