coming from you.'
Celine smiled. Her father and Marina had been trying to set her up with a man for years. Kevin Gilligan wasn't quite what they had in mind though. 'Seriously, Daddy.'
He put down his knife and fork. 'Seriously? I got some offers and there were times when I was tempted. Like you say it can be very lonely. But I'm afraid the woman hasn't been born who can take the place of your mother.'
Celine smiled. 'She was pretty special, wasn't she? So many of my memories of her are funny ones.'
'She could always make people laugh,' Frank agreed, 'even at the end.'
'I miss her so much. Even after all this time.'
Frank cleared his throat. 'Time makes it easier but it doesn't make you forget. And I wouldn't want to.'
'No.' Celine shook her head. 'Me neither.'
'So was Gilligan a replacement for Dermot?' Frank ventured.
'No! God, no!'
Frank grunted. 'You're better off without him, Celine. I wouldn't trust Gilligan as far as I'd throw him.'
Celine kept her head down and said nothing. Her dad had never had much time for smooth operators like Kevin and she knew now that he felt his suspicions were entirely justified.
'You know what they say about every cloud has a silver lining? I think that's true. And I bet that you'll be happy here in Hopefield. Maybe you'll even meet someone special.'
Celine felt sick. She hated lying to her father and the nicer he was to her, the lousier she felt. 'Maybe you're right, Daddy,' she said, forcing a smile. 'Who knows?'
Chapter 13
Fergus finished unpacking the newspapers, opened all the shutters and switched on the lights. Within minutes, the early commuters were arriving, en route to the train station and the bus stop. This was the one time of day when Dominic's customers were loyal — the book store didn't open until nine. It was nearly eight before Fergus got a chance to grab something to eat. He'd just slipped two slices of bread into the toaster when he heard someone in the shop. He went back into the shop to find Richard scanning the headlines on that morning's Irish Times.
'Hi, Fergus, how's it going?'
'Okay. Did you want anything else?'
'A bottle of milk please and a quick word if you have a minute.'
'Sure.'
Richard handed over the money. 'It's about a job that's going across town. I wondered if you'd be interested.'
Fergus brightened as he handed Richard his change. 'Go on.'
'A friend of mine, Vincent Bourke, has just opened a new leisure centre and he's looking for people.'
'I'm fairly fit but I'm not trained—'
Richard laughed. 'Oh, sorry, no, he doesn't want you to work as an instructor. He wants you to run the snack bar. Well, obviously he'd want to interview you first.'
Fergus stared at him. 'Are you serious?'
'Yeah. He'd be looking for references but that's not a problem. I'll give you one and I'm sure Dominic will too.'
'Cheers. What kind of hours are we talking about? Do you know how much money he's paying?'
Richard held up a hand. 'Haven't a clue, you need to ask him all that yourself. So you're interested?'
Fergus nodded. 'Absolutely. This is great, Richard, I really appreciate it. Where exactly is this health club?'
'Sandhill.'
Fergus froze.
'Here's his phone number. He's expecting to hear from you today.'
Fergus looked at the card in Richard's hand. 'Yeah, well I'll ring him if I get a chance.'
'What?' Richard shook his head. 'A minute ago you thought it was a great idea!'
Fergus shrugged. 'Maybe I've had enough of standing behind a counter.'
Richard slammed the card down in front of him. 'I don't know what the hell is going on in your head, Fergus, but you'd better sort yourself out for your mother's sake.'
Fergus frowned. 'What's Ma got to do with it?'
'If you're going to be around on a regular basis, Celine will leave and that means your mother will be without a manager. So do everyone a favour, Fergus, phone Vincent.' Richard left, banging the door after him.
Fergus picked up the card and looked at the address. The sports centre
Celine smiled. Her father and Marina had been trying to set her up with a man for years. Kevin Gilligan wasn't quite what they had in mind though. 'Seriously, Daddy.'
He put down his knife and fork. 'Seriously? I got some offers and there were times when I was tempted. Like you say it can be very lonely. But I'm afraid the woman hasn't been born who can take the place of your mother.'
Celine smiled. 'She was pretty special, wasn't she? So many of my memories of her are funny ones.'
'She could always make people laugh,' Frank agreed, 'even at the end.'
'I miss her so much. Even after all this time.'
Frank cleared his throat. 'Time makes it easier but it doesn't make you forget. And I wouldn't want to.'
'No.' Celine shook her head. 'Me neither.'
'So was Gilligan a replacement for Dermot?' Frank ventured.
'No! God, no!'
Frank grunted. 'You're better off without him, Celine. I wouldn't trust Gilligan as far as I'd throw him.'
Celine kept her head down and said nothing. Her dad had never had much time for smooth operators like Kevin and she knew now that he felt his suspicions were entirely justified.
'You know what they say about every cloud has a silver lining? I think that's true. And I bet that you'll be happy here in Hopefield. Maybe you'll even meet someone special.'
Celine felt sick. She hated lying to her father and the nicer he was to her, the lousier she felt. 'Maybe you're right, Daddy,' she said, forcing a smile. 'Who knows?'
Chapter 13
Fergus finished unpacking the newspapers, opened all the shutters and switched on the lights. Within minutes, the early commuters were arriving, en route to the train station and the bus stop. This was the one time of day when Dominic's customers were loyal — the book store didn't open until nine. It was nearly eight before Fergus got a chance to grab something to eat. He'd just slipped two slices of bread into the toaster when he heard someone in the shop. He went back into the shop to find Richard scanning the headlines on that morning's Irish Times.
'Hi, Fergus, how's it going?'
'Okay. Did you want anything else?'
'A bottle of milk please and a quick word if you have a minute.'
'Sure.'
Richard handed over the money. 'It's about a job that's going across town. I wondered if you'd be interested.'
Fergus brightened as he handed Richard his change. 'Go on.'
'A friend of mine, Vincent Bourke, has just opened a new leisure centre and he's looking for people.'
'I'm fairly fit but I'm not trained—'
Richard laughed. 'Oh, sorry, no, he doesn't want you to work as an instructor. He wants you to run the snack bar. Well, obviously he'd want to interview you first.'
Fergus stared at him. 'Are you serious?'
'Yeah. He'd be looking for references but that's not a problem. I'll give you one and I'm sure Dominic will too.'
'Cheers. What kind of hours are we talking about? Do you know how much money he's paying?'
Richard held up a hand. 'Haven't a clue, you need to ask him all that yourself. So you're interested?'
Fergus nodded. 'Absolutely. This is great, Richard, I really appreciate it. Where exactly is this health club?'
'Sandhill.'
Fergus froze.
'Here's his phone number. He's expecting to hear from you today.'
Fergus looked at the card in Richard's hand. 'Yeah, well I'll ring him if I get a chance.'
'What?' Richard shook his head. 'A minute ago you thought it was a great idea!'
Fergus shrugged. 'Maybe I've had enough of standing behind a counter.'
Richard slammed the card down in front of him. 'I don't know what the hell is going on in your head, Fergus, but you'd better sort yourself out for your mother's sake.'
Fergus frowned. 'What's Ma got to do with it?'
'If you're going to be around on a regular basis, Celine will leave and that means your mother will be without a manager. So do everyone a favour, Fergus, phone Vincent.' Richard left, banging the door after him.
Fergus picked up the card and looked at the address. The sports centre
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