isn’t.”
“I think what Fiona’s
saying,” Declan said, “is that it might be good to see if another
way might not work better for us. For example,” he said quickly,
“Brian doesn’t get quite as stitched up as you do over little
things,”
“It’s true you do have a famous temper,
brother dear.”
Sarah watched with
creeping outrage when Aideen put her hand on Mike’s arm—like he
belonged to her—and actually stroked him as if trying to soothe
him.
“ And Mr. Gilhooley has some
good ideas, Da,” Gavin said between mouthfuls. “If you’d give him a
chance, you’d see that.”
“Oh? And is killing a young lad in front of
the whole camp one of those good ideas?”
“Not. At. The. Table,” Fiona said.
A brief silence intervened and then Papin
stood up. “Auntie Fi, do you mind if I lie down for a tick? I don’t
feel so hot.”
“I noticed you were quiet, darling,” Fi
said, standing and putting her hand to Papin’s forehead. “You’re
not warm, but you don’t look well. Yes, go on and lie down on my
bed.”
Sarah watched her shuffle to the bedroom and
close the door. Her first thought was to wonder if there was a
window in the bedroom.
Gavin and John stood up
and asked to be excused. There was a new colt in the stable they
wanted to check out. When Taffy whined to accompany them, Aideen
was forced to go with them. “My, I guess it’ll just be the grown
ups left,” Aideen said, looking at Sarah but smiling
haughtily.
I wonder what she’d say if
I told her I rode her seatmate there last night like a
bronco-busting Amarillo cowgirl?
Sarah flushed with fury when Aideen leaned
over and kissed Mike on the cheek before taking her daughter’s hand
and sauntering out of the cabin. It was all Sarah could do not to
trip her on her way out.
***
“Sounds like it was a
rough day for you.” Sarah sat on Fiona’s porch step with Mike
sipping an after dinner cup of tea.
“You could say that,” he
said.
“Do you think we could
talk about what happened last night?”
“Are you still leaving?”
Sarah stopped and sucked in a quick breath.
“What?”
“Because unless it changed anything, I don’t
think there’s much point, do you?”
“Is that why you and Miss Big Boobs were all
over each other at dinner tonight?”
Mike gave her a surprised look. “You think
she has big boobs?”
“Fine. Play your games.
Whatever.” Sarah forced herself to take a breath. She knew he was
moody these days and she would just have to let some things go. “I
would like to ask you, though,” she said, “since we’ve never
discussed it, if you would drive us to Limerick in the carriage
after the festival.”
Mike frowned. “I might
have to ask Jimmy to do that.”
“Are you seriously not
going to take me to Limerick?” She swallowed hard and pinched her
lips together. Was he trying to hurt her? Was he really not going
to see her off?
“In case you weren’t
listening, Sarah, that tosser Gilhooley is attempting a hostile
takeover of the community. Or do you in fact think it’s all about
you?”
Sarah held onto her
temper. Was this really the same man who held her naked in his arms
just this morning, stroking her back and kissing her neck? “Right,”
she said, “well, then, if you’d arrange it with Jimmy, I’d be
grateful. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Is something bugging you,
Mike? I mean, something more than usual? Because I’m not really
used to all the monosyllabic responses from you lately and I hope
I’m not being all egocentric here to ask.” She silently cursed
herself for the sarcasm. She really was trying to be
understanding.
“What could possibly be
wrong, Sarah? I’m losing my leadership in the community and you all in
twenty-four hours. At this rate, I’m expecting to come down with
cancer any minute. No, Sarah, things are brilliant. Thanks for
asking.”
Sarah softened and reached for his arm. “I’m
sorry, Mike,” she said. “I just hate
“I think what Fiona’s
saying,” Declan said, “is that it might be good to see if another
way might not work better for us. For example,” he said quickly,
“Brian doesn’t get quite as stitched up as you do over little
things,”
“It’s true you do have a famous temper,
brother dear.”
Sarah watched with
creeping outrage when Aideen put her hand on Mike’s arm—like he
belonged to her—and actually stroked him as if trying to soothe
him.
“ And Mr. Gilhooley has some
good ideas, Da,” Gavin said between mouthfuls. “If you’d give him a
chance, you’d see that.”
“Oh? And is killing a young lad in front of
the whole camp one of those good ideas?”
“Not. At. The. Table,” Fiona said.
A brief silence intervened and then Papin
stood up. “Auntie Fi, do you mind if I lie down for a tick? I don’t
feel so hot.”
“I noticed you were quiet, darling,” Fi
said, standing and putting her hand to Papin’s forehead. “You’re
not warm, but you don’t look well. Yes, go on and lie down on my
bed.”
Sarah watched her shuffle to the bedroom and
close the door. Her first thought was to wonder if there was a
window in the bedroom.
Gavin and John stood up
and asked to be excused. There was a new colt in the stable they
wanted to check out. When Taffy whined to accompany them, Aideen
was forced to go with them. “My, I guess it’ll just be the grown
ups left,” Aideen said, looking at Sarah but smiling
haughtily.
I wonder what she’d say if
I told her I rode her seatmate there last night like a
bronco-busting Amarillo cowgirl?
Sarah flushed with fury when Aideen leaned
over and kissed Mike on the cheek before taking her daughter’s hand
and sauntering out of the cabin. It was all Sarah could do not to
trip her on her way out.
***
“Sounds like it was a
rough day for you.” Sarah sat on Fiona’s porch step with Mike
sipping an after dinner cup of tea.
“You could say that,” he
said.
“Do you think we could
talk about what happened last night?”
“Are you still leaving?”
Sarah stopped and sucked in a quick breath.
“What?”
“Because unless it changed anything, I don’t
think there’s much point, do you?”
“Is that why you and Miss Big Boobs were all
over each other at dinner tonight?”
Mike gave her a surprised look. “You think
she has big boobs?”
“Fine. Play your games.
Whatever.” Sarah forced herself to take a breath. She knew he was
moody these days and she would just have to let some things go. “I
would like to ask you, though,” she said, “since we’ve never
discussed it, if you would drive us to Limerick in the carriage
after the festival.”
Mike frowned. “I might
have to ask Jimmy to do that.”
“Are you seriously not
going to take me to Limerick?” She swallowed hard and pinched her
lips together. Was he trying to hurt her? Was he really not going
to see her off?
“In case you weren’t
listening, Sarah, that tosser Gilhooley is attempting a hostile
takeover of the community. Or do you in fact think it’s all about
you?”
Sarah held onto her
temper. Was this really the same man who held her naked in his arms
just this morning, stroking her back and kissing her neck? “Right,”
she said, “well, then, if you’d arrange it with Jimmy, I’d be
grateful. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Is something bugging you,
Mike? I mean, something more than usual? Because I’m not really
used to all the monosyllabic responses from you lately and I hope
I’m not being all egocentric here to ask.” She silently cursed
herself for the sarcasm. She really was trying to be
understanding.
“What could possibly be
wrong, Sarah? I’m losing my leadership in the community and you all in
twenty-four hours. At this rate, I’m expecting to come down with
cancer any minute. No, Sarah, things are brilliant. Thanks for
asking.”
Sarah softened and reached for his arm. “I’m
sorry, Mike,” she said. “I just hate
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