Authors: Sally Clements
****
By the time Annie
arrived in Durna the following morning the sun was up. When she’d started out,
black clouds had hung threateningly in the air, but now a stiff wind was
blowing them away. The golden glow of the sun warmed her face through the
windscreen. She pushed open the door and went in, relief flooding her at seeing
her mother sitting at the table with a large mug of tea.
“Hi, Mum.”
“You’re
early!” Maeve got to her feet, immediately enveloping her in a hug. “We weren’t
expecting you till this afternoon!”
She glanced
behind Annie. Looking for Jack.
“Jack has to
go back to America. Some work emergency.” She sat down on her favorite chair.
“How’s things?”
Maeve asked quietly. She pushed a cup of tea toward Annie and waited. Silence
stretched between them. Was Jack right? Did everyone think she was still pining
over Steve and Eileen’s betrayal, even two years later?
“We had a
fight, I don’t know if we can fix it.”
Maeve drank,
waiting for her to continue.
“Tell me about
Steve and Eileen, Mum.”
“Well, you
know they got married, and she’s had a baby.” Maeve eyed her curiously.
“They’re living in Galway. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to open up
old wounds…”
“It’s a long
time ago, I’m over it.” When Steve had walked away she’d thought she’d felt
pain. It was a hangnail compared to the amputation of Jack’s desertion.
“Having to
tell everyone at the church it was over was so traumatic for you. It wasn’t
fair. Everybody blamed them. They still do.” Maeve’s mouth twisted. She’d
always guarded her only child like a lioness protecting her young.
“I guess
everyone’s thought of me as a victim.” The truth reflected in her mother’s eyes
stung. “I should have stayed, instead of running off to Dublin.”
“Everyone has
their problems, Darling,” Maeve reached out to pat her hand. “But it makes it
easier if you talk about them, otherwise…”
“Otherwise
people don’t know you’ve worked through it. And you’ve moved on.” She finished
Maeve’s sentence.
“Yes,” Maeve
nodded. “We haven’t discussed it, or Steve, since the wedding.” She gathered
her daughter into a hug.
“Things have
moved on now. You have Jack.”
Tears
threatened.
Not any longer.
She should have called him. Tried to make
him see it wasn’t fair to relocate his grandmother. Tried to work it out.
Instead, he’d got on the plane alone.
Things had
changed since the festival, since Jack had announced he was her boyfriend.
People were friendlier, more open. They were able to talk to her about their
own problems in love because there was no possibility of brushing up against a
sensitive subject and opening old wounds.
Jack was
right, damn him.
I’ve been
so caught up with what people think about me, I haven’t taken the time to see
what’s going on in their lives.
After the festival was over things were
going to be different. She was going to act differently.
The kitchen
door opened.
“Ah, Annie,
you’re here!” her father made his way to the table. “So, you got it.” Bull
nodded his approval. “We knew you would, your mother and me. We knew there
wasn’t anyone on the island who could make chocolates better than you.”
“Anyone
anywhere.” Maeve doctored a cup of tea with just the right amount of milk and
handed it over to her husband.
“There’s a
presentation on Friday, I hope you can come down for it, I’ll drive you down.”
“There’s a lot
more than a carful of us going, when I told them in the pub yesterday Niall
started talking about getting a bus load together.”
“Really?” She
couldn’t believe it. A large smile spread across her face.
“For sure,”
Maeve said, “They were cheering in the pub, and it turned into a real hooley.
It was just a shame you weren’t here. Everyone’s delighted for you, Love.”
Annie rubbed
her eyes, surreptitiously wiping away the trace of tears.
“That’s
lovely.” She stared into her cup, willing the tears away. “So tell us, how did
the matchmaking go? Can I have a look at the book?”
“Of course you
can, there ‘tis.” He pushed it close.
She pulled the
book to her and flicked through the pages, stopping at Jack’s handwriting. The
bold strokes of the letters flowed over the page, so different from the small,
tight writing preceding it. A picture of Noel was pasted in at the top left corner.
She started to read the entries, beginning with her own.
Noel is 29
and works in farming. He’d like to meet someone who is interested in cinema and
walking. He’s quiet.
Then Jacks
more flamboyant hand took over,
Noel loves Yeats, and has a great sense of
humor. He’s not ambitious, just happy to make enough to see him comfortably
through life. The thing he’d like to do more than anything is go around the
world, so he can immerse himself in new cultures, and see new things. He’s been
in love before, and knows that when love goes wrong, it hurts. But he’s ready
to take a chance on love again. He wants to meet a new lady who he could walk
over the hills with while they explore the interests they have in common, and
the ones they don’t.
She smiled.
He’d described Noel exactly. It had taken Jack’s probing to reveal the truth
about the quiet man she’d known all her life. The details of his date with
Annabel were written in, together with a postscript written in Bull’s
distinctive print.
Matched
.
She looked up
at Bull. “Is he really?”
“He is for
now,” said Bull. “These days,
for now
is all I can predict.”
“Relationships
are difficult.” Maeve nodded. “You can’t just take a relationship for granted.
You have to work at it.”
“Unless you’re
married to me,” Bull added. Maeve raised her eyebrows, staring him down until
he started to quake with laughter.
Noel gazed
from the photograph with open honesty.
He’s been in love before, and knows
that when love goes wrong, it hurts.
She re-read Jack’s words. Her father,
with years of experience could only say a couple were matched ‘for now’. If he
couldn’t tell, there was no one in the world who could say if love would last
forever. She ran a finger over Jack’s handwriting, loving its sweeps and dips.
He’d booked a
ticket without consulting her, and told her some home truths she needed hearing
years ago, if truth be told.
You can’t
just take a relationship for granted; you have to work at it.
Her mother’s words
resounded in her head. Jack was an alpha male who needed to stop controlling
everything and everyone. He was also a man who wanted to take their
relationship to another level. He’d booked her a ticket to New York so she
could experience his life, like he’d experienced hers. She already knew she
loved him. Was she truly ready to throw away their relationship without
trying?”
Chapter Fourteen
Annie hefted
the cardboard box full of bunting to decorate the dance floor out of the trunk
and onto her hip and staggered toward the village hall. Noel saw her coming and
hurried to help.
“We’ll put
these up.” He took the box out of her arms and carried it to where Annabel
waited next to a ladder in the corner. The hall swarmed with busy people, and
her ears filled with the buzz of sound, amplified by the hard wooden floor.
Jack was right. She wasn’t needed after all. Every job that needed doing was
being done. Enthusiastically. Annie bit down on her lip and pushed open the
door to the quiet outside. As she walked over the grass, the buzz of voices
faded into the distance. She prodded a dry patch of grass with her foot, and
then sank down on it, gripping her knees tightly to her.
The sea was
calm. Light flickered off the water, and seagulls shrieked and dove overhead.
She plucked a long strand of grass from the ground next to her, stripping off
the sheath, picking at it with her fingers. The exposed inside was milky green.
She brought it to her lips and sucked it, the soft sweet taste bringing her
right back to childhood.
A little white
yacht bobbed on the waves. As she breathed in the fresh sea air a feeling of
rightness settled in her heart. It wasn’t too late; it wouldn’t be too late
until the little boat set sail, without her.
She jumped as
her mobile rang, and pulled it out of her pocket. It was Jack. He must be
calling from the airport.
“Hello, Jack.”
Her heart turned over.
“Hi, Annie.”
The wind was picking up. Surfers were running into the water to catch the foam
topped waves.
“I need to
talk to you. The way we left things…”
“It wasn’t
right.” Without his face in front of her, it was easier to lay her feelings
bare. He’d already left, she had nothing to lose.
“No. It
wasn’t. I acted like a child. I should have stayed and talked it out. There’s a
lot you didn’t understand. A lot I didn’t tell you.” A blond surfer climbed up
on his board, riding the wave towards the shore. “I’m sorry I left. I won’t do
it again.”
Warmth bloomed
in her chest. There were problems between them, but if he was willing to talk
them through, she was too. It was just unfortunate that they’d have to wait
until he got back from New York.
“Will you call
me when you’re coming back?”
“I’m coming
back now. I’ll be with you in five minutes.” The line went dead. He must think
she was still in the flat. She’d gotten up before daybreak to head home.
Driving through the dark beat lying in her lonely bed fretting over things
hands down.
She flipped
the phone open to call him back, then her fingers stilled on its buttons at the
familiar purr of a large engine. Her heart leapt into her mouth as she turned
from the sea.
Jack climbed
out of the BMW and strode towards her. His eyes blazed with fire as he halted
before her.
“How did you
know I was here?” Her heart was beating so fast her head swam with the power of
it. Jack. No longer a disembodied voice, but here, in the flesh.
“You told me
about the ceili.”
She nodded.
She’d forgotten.
“I thought you
had a flight to catch.”
“I changed
it.” He stepped closer. “I’ve rescheduled it for tonight. From Galway.” Her
head tilted up to meet his gaze. “For one.”
“Let’s walk.”
She grasped his hand and tripped down the little path meandering over the cliff
top, joy that he was with her lightening her steps. Soft, springy purple
heather brushed at their ankles. At a secluded spot, sheltered from the wind,
they settled down on a spot of grass. Her heart expanded with happiness when
Jack draped an arm over her shoulders.
“I told you I
wanted my grandmother to come and live with me.”
Annie held her
breath. This was where their conversation had taken such a desperate turn the
night before. She was determined not to interrupt this time.
“And I told
you what her doctor suggested, and how disappointed I was. What I didn’t tell
you was that I accepted his decision. It wouldn’t be fair to make Mary move.
This is the only home she’s ever known. I told the doctor I’d have to think of
something else.”
And she’d
accused him of not caring about his grandmother. Of thinking only of himself. No
wonder he’d been so angry. She’d misjudged him.
“I got it
wrong,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“No. You were
right. I did want Mary to move. And I was damned angry when the doctor told me
I couldn’t have my way. It took the long drive to your house to convince me I
had to put her needs before mine.”
He stroked the
side of her face, running his thumb over her bottom lip. Passion flared and set
her body alight.
“I’m
considering relocating to Ireland.”
“But what
about your work? The company needs you, that’s why you’re going back after all,
isn’t it?”
Hope danced in
her chest, lit her eyes with its magical glow. Perhaps they did have a future
together.
“Our clientele
has just become international. Now I’ve clinched the Bateau Rouge deal. I want
to reorganize things, take a business partner. I’ve been thinking about
spending more time here.”
Her hair blew
across her face and he smoothed it back. The warmth of his hand caressed the
back of her neck as he propelled her face towards his. Their kiss was
everything she’d known it would be.
“I want to be
here with you. To give our relationship a chance.” They hadn’t mentioned love
yet, but it was just a matter of time. He’d loved his parents and they’d died.
If they spent more time together she felt sure he’d realize the emotion which
drew them together had a name, and its name was love.
“I do too.”
She kissed him right back.
****
“Have you time
for a dance before you have to get your plane?” She led him by the hand back to
the hall. A circle of daisies crowned her hair; the little flowers a perfect
complement to her natural beauty. Her dimple winked. The prospect of a dance
was enticing. It would be a chance to hold her close, move his body against
hers. They had so little time he hadn’t managed to sneak her away for a quiet
session in the dunes.
“You know I
do. A slow dance anyway.” He nuzzled her neck. Kissed the vanilla scented skin.
If he were creating a chocolate in homage to her, he’d use dark chocolate
streaked with gold leaf to mimic the colors woven through her thick swathe of
hair. It would be flavored with the finest Madagascan vanilla, to match the
rest of her. He made a mental note to tell her sometime. She could call it the ‘Venus.’
“Most dances
in the ceili are slow ones during the festival.” She wriggled, laughed at the
feel of his chin on her delicate skin. “The dance of love.”
“Ah. The dance
of love.” The smile faded from his face, replaced by raw desperation to have
her body tight against his in the twilight darkness.