Snow Falls In Clover Cove: A heart-warming romance set on the beautiful west coast of Ireland

by Maggie Finn

  ‘Really?’ she laughed. ‘How did you know? Is it the accent?’

  ‘Eliza, this is Kiln County,’ he said. ‘Gossip here moves faster than satellite. We’ve all heard about the terrible crash in the square and how it has shaken the entire foundations of the community.’

  Declan lent forward, lowering his voice with a mischievous smile. ‘Mrs. Brennan does the flowers here too.’

  ‘Ah,’ nodded Eliza. ‘I was worried about that. Well, if I could formally apologize to you as well as to the rest of the community, perhaps you could put it in your sermon?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll spread the word.’ He looked up at Noah and gave him a wink as if to say, ‘I like this one.’

  Noah liked her too. He stood back and watched as Eliza chatted with Declan. She was already so much a part of the village and yet there was also an edge to his happiness: she would be leaving soon. He steered her towards the front of the church, taking a pew right behind Moira.

  ‘Didn’t expect to see you here, Moy,’ said Noah. ‘I didn’t think you were the church-going kind.’

  ‘I’m Irish, we’re all “church-going”, whether we actually go to church or not,’ scoffed Moira. ‘And anyway, I love Christmas and I love carols. There’s nothing like a Christmas sing-song, is there?’

  Suddenly Noah had a terrible thought and looked around for a hymn book.

  ‘I didn’t think,’ he said turning to Eliza. ‘Do we sing the same songs here as you do in the States?’

  ‘Oh. I’m not sure – but I’m sure I’ll pick it up.’

  He needn’t have worried – the opening hymn was ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’ and Eliza seemed to know most of the words. At the end of the first verse, she leant across to him and whispered. ‘We used to sing this one at school choir. And it’s in Home Alone.’

  ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,’ hissed Moira, before being shushed by an old man behind them. As the last note of the organ faded, the congregation sat and Declan began his sermon, telling the story of the Nativity, pointing out that the familiar story was pieced together from the Gospels: the shepherds in the field from Luke, the three wise men from Matthew. None of them seemed to have the whole story, but put together, it formed one wonderful whole that had gripped and inspired people for thousands of years.

  Noah sat back, feeling relaxed from the first time in he didn’t know how long. He loved this little church with its stone walls and high arched ceiling, and at this time of year it was especially beautiful, the scent of hundreds of flickering candles mingling with the fresh smell of the Christmas tree to one side of the entrance. But Noah knew it wasn’t just the pretty church that was easing his heart. It was the company. He glanced at Eliza and she gave him a smile. Noah felt those birds take flight in his chest again.

  At the end of the service, Father Dec stood up to make some announcements.

  ‘I’m sure no one here needs reminding that the annual Christmas procession from the church in Clover Cove up to the Chapel on the headland is not far away, commencing after the service at St. Augustine’s on Christmas Eve,’ he said and a spontaneous cheer rose up. He waited for it to die down.

  ‘Well, I’m sure I will see everyone there. I will also be present at the Cove early on Christmas morning along with Bishop Ray for the blessing. And…’ he paused, ‘The Christmas plunge.’

  This triggered another cheer and the organist struck up ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’. As people began to file out, excitedly discussing the upcoming festivities, Eliza hung back, chatting to Moira and Molly from the café and her new boyfriend Sean. Noah just stood under the stained-glass window, exchanging greetings with passing villagers. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt so happy.

  ‘Listen,’ said Eliza as they finally reached the door. ‘Father Dec said we could go back to the rec… what is it? The little house by the church?’

  ‘The rectory.’

  ‘That’s it. He said there would be mince pies. I don’t think I’ve ever had a real mince pie. Can we go?’

  ‘Sure,’ he smiled. I’d go anywhere with you, he thought. Eliza linked her arm through his as they took the path to the side of the church. The snow was already thick on the ground and they left footprints behind them.

  ‘So, the Plunge?’ she asked. ‘What’s that?’

  Noah smiled.

  ‘Some crazy tradition where folk will jump into the harbor on Christmas morning.’

  ‘Sounds chilly. I had a pool out in LA, but it was heated, even when it was ninety degrees outside.’

  ‘Ach, it’s nothing to worry about,’ he said. ‘And it’s not compulsory. In fact, you only ever get about a dozen people brave – or foolish – enough to jump in.’

  ‘They actually plunge into the harbor? But isn’t it too cold?’

  ‘I’d have to agree with you. But as Raff the fisherman always reminds them, if the water was actually freezing, it would be solid. Mind you, there was a time when my da was a lad when the harbor did freeze. They had to cut a hole with axes.’

  Eliza shivered. ‘I’m not sure you’re encouraging me.’

  ‘As I say, it’s more of a social thing. There’s usually a roast chestnut stall and someone brings out the tea. And then the bishop blesses the harbor to give the fleet safe passage. Not that there’s actually a fleet any more, but it’s a nice little ceremony. Brings everyone together.’

  Eliza nodded. ‘I like that, bringing people together. And I like this place.’

  Noah stopped and turned to face her. Without giving himself time to think about it, he bent and kissed her. Her lips were warm and pillow-soft and for a moment, Noah felt entirely at peace. Then Eliza pulled back.

  ‘Noah,’ she said, her face pale.

  ‘What is it?’

  And that was when his father stepped out onto the path.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Eliza hadn’t liked lying to Noah, but she hadn’t seen any other way to get him on his own. And it wasn’t a complete lie: Father Dec had offered his sitting room as a meeting point and said he would pass on the message to Niall. But Noah looked as if someone had sucker-punched him, which she supposed they had – and what with that kiss, she knew the timing couldn’t have been worse.

  ‘Noah,’ she said, ‘I didn’t mean to trick you, but I really thought you and your dad should meet.’ Eliza stepped towards him, wanting more than anything to hold him, to make it better, but Noah dodged away from her, stepping across to his father, eyes sparking with fury.

  ‘Did you know about this?’ He growled. ‘No, of course you did. This is typical of you, isn’t it? Going behind my back.’

  ‘Noah, I understand your anger, I really do,’ said Niall evenly, ‘But Eliza’s right. We need to talk about this.’

  ‘You need to talk about this, you mean,’ said Noah. ‘You need to clear your conscience so you can run off and play happy families with… with her.’

  ‘Is that what this is all about?’ said Niall. ‘You think you’re being cut out of the family? Noah, that’s just not true. Both Linda and I, we’d love you to…’

  Noah threw up both hands, clutching at the side of his head, like he was trying to shut it all out.

  ‘I don’t care what you want, Da!’ he cried. ‘Don’t you get that? This isn’t just about you. There are other people involved. And one of them is up the road in the churchyard.’

  Eliza could see anger flare up in Niall’s eyes – which was of course Noah’s intention. He was trying to escalate the situation, to turn it into yelling and name-calling, so he wouldn’t have to deal with the hurt he felt. Eliza knew she needed to act fast.

  ‘Noah, listen to me,’ she said firmly. ‘You’re a good man and I know you don’t want to hurt your Dad.’

  Noah flashed her a look that said that was exactly what he would like to do right now, but Eliza refused to be deflected.

  ‘Didn’t you hear what Declan was saying in there?’ she said. ‘He said Christmas is so special because it makes us all put
our squabbles to one side and come together. Christmas allows us to sit down and share food and gifts and just be together. Can’t you just…’

  But Noah was already shaking his head.

  ‘I don’t want to be with him, Eliza!’ he said. ‘And I certainly don’t want to be with her. Not at Christmas, not ever.’

  ‘Son, your mother…’ Began Niall, but Noah turned on his father.

  ‘Don’t talk about her,’ he snapped. ‘You have no right!’

  ‘I have every right, Noah. I loved that woman, I loved the very bones of her, Lord knows I still miss her every day. But Christmas meant an awful lot to her – you know that. And if she was here, she would say…’

  ‘What would she say, Da? That she was happy you were running around with her best friend? Is that what you think?’

  ‘No, of course not.’

  ‘Then what do you think?’

  Niall paused for a moment.

  ‘I think she would want you to put down this burden you’re carrying, son,’ he said quietly. ‘Because she would see how much it’s hurting you.’

  ‘And that’s just what you’d do, isn’t it? You’d just give it up. Just like you gave up on her.’

  Eliza saw that one hit home, saw Niall square his shoulders, narrow his eyes, prepare to hit back, but Noah didn’t give him a chance. He turned and stormed off down the path and into the darkness. Eliza stared at the space he had been filling, feeling helpless and wracked with guilt. She had engineered this meeting hoping she could harness the spirit of the season, bring two wounded hearts together and heal the rift. Instead, she had made a rift into a canyon, a canyon into a valley, with Noah and his father on either side, further away than they’d ever been.

  ‘I’m so sorry Niall,’ said Eliza. ‘I really thought it would help bringing you both here. I think I’ve made things worse.’

  Niall shook his head.

  ‘Never apologize for trying to do the right thing, darling. You have a good heart and Noah? Well, he’s just in pain. He loved his ma so much and when she passed, it hit him hard, maybe even harder than it hit me.’

  He leant against the rectory wall, seemingly exhausted by the exchange.

  ‘I was there with her every step of the way, you see,’ he said. ‘Every day, every trip to the hospital, every one of those awful treatments, every climb up those stairs. And while it was a terrible heartbreaking thing to go through, I held her hand through it all because I wanted to make the most of every last second I had with her.’

  He rubbed a hand over his mouth.

  ‘Noah thinks I gave up because we decided to stop the treatment. But Linda was only doing all that for us, because she knew we wanted to help. But it wasn’t doing her any good, she just wasn’t getting any better. So I brought her home and you know what? Those were some of the best days. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But in those precious few weeks we were closer than I think we ever were.’

  Niall turned away slightly and Eliza pretended not to notice when he struck away a tear.

  ‘Noah’s a doer, a fixer,’ said the man, his voice gravelly. ‘Between him and Father Dec and Connor James up at the pub, he pretty much holds this whole county together – I can’t say how proud that boy makes me.’

  Niall took a ragged breath.

  ‘But his ma was one thing he couldn’t fix. No one could, awful though it was.’ He shook his head. ‘Ah, maybe I got it wrong. Maybe I should have kept her in the hospital. Maybe Noah’s right, maybe I was weak, I just couldn’t stand to see her suffer.’

  Eliza touched the old man’s hand.

  ‘It doesn’t sound at all weak to me, Niall. It sounds brave. Letting someone you love go? That’s something that takes a huge amount of courage.’

  ‘Maybe,’ he shook his head, then looked up at her, his green eyes twinkling. ‘But don’t you do that, darling. Don’t let him go.’

  ‘I’m not sure I…’

  Niall waved a hand.

  ‘Sorry, there I go again. I’m a romantic, I want to see everyone happy. It’s none of my business. But do me one favor, Eliza?’

  ‘Sure, if I can.’

  ‘Go to him. He needs a friend right now.’

  Eliza looked doubtfully out into the darkness. ‘But where?’

  ‘Oh, he’s down by the water,’ smiled Niall. ‘He’ll be sitting on the sea wall, just past the harbor master’s office. That’s where he always goes when he wants to be alone. Just go and check he’s okay – could you do that?’

  Eliza nodded and, following Niall’s directions, found her way to the simple stone office. Skirting around the building, she walked out onto the harbor wall. It was a bright night, a three-quarter moon shimmering off the dark sea and Eliza could see a single set of footprints in the snow. Sure enough, there was a figure hunched at the edge of the wall, snow dotting the shoulders of his dark uniform. Noah looked up as he heard Eliza’s footsteps.

  ‘He told you I’d be here, didn’t he?’

  ‘Yes. He – I just wanted to check you were okay.’

  She sat down next to him, their legs dangling off the edge. The stone was cold and below them the waves were lapping in and out off the shingle, hissing. They sat that way for a long time.

  ‘Can I tell you a secret?’ said Eliza finally.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘I don’t swim.’

  He looked up.

  ‘You don’t? But weren’t you just telling me you had a pool up there in Los Angeles?’

  Eliza nodded.

  ‘I’ve lived most of my life by the sea and I spent a fortune having that pool cleaned all year round, but I don’t even really like paddling in the shallows.’

  She gestured down towards the dark water. ‘Look at it. The ocean’s so deep and unfathomable. You never know what’s lurking in there, do you?’

  Noah gave a soft snort.

  ‘What, are you thinking some sort of big octopus is going to grab you?’

  ‘You’re saying that like it’s never going to happen,’ smiled Eliza. ‘It could! And then there are sharks and jellyfish.’

  They both laughed softly, then sank back into silence, the waves still lapping below them.

  ‘I’m sorry Noah,’ said Eliza after a while. ‘I really thought it would help.’

  He gave a helpless shrug.

  ‘Not your fault. Really,’ he sighed. ‘All this with my Da, it was going on way before you came here. You were just trying to fix something that can’t be fixed.’

  ‘Really? You really don’t think you can ever find a way around it?’

  Noah paused for a while before he answered.

  ‘If he had chosen someone else – anyone else, I think I could see it. My da just wants to be happy, he wants to live a normal life: sure. I’m not a monster, Eliza. I don’t want him to keep suffering forever. But Ma’s best friend…’

  Eliza shook her head sadly.

  ‘The problem is, Noah, you don’t get to choose. Love’s like that. One look, one smile and – whoosh – your heart’s gone.’

  She gave him a sideways glance and he pursed his lips. She had a strong intuition that he was thinking about that kiss. But he didn’t speak, just gently drummed his heels on the sea wall.

  ‘You know about King Canute?’ he said finally. ‘Did they teach you about that over in America?’

  ‘The guy who sat on his throne on the shore and told the waves to go back?’

  ‘That’s the fella.’

  ‘Didn’t he get drowned?’

  ‘Maybe. There are two different versions of the story,’ said Noah. ‘One is about the King being so arrogant he believes he’s so powerful he can command the waves to go back, the same way he commands his subjects. The other one is that Canute was well aware the tide wouldn’t stop for him and used it as a display of humility before God: that even a king is powerless compared to the Almighty.’

  Eliza almost laughed. She hadn’t been on the west coast long, but it hadn’t escaped her notice that the Irish were al
ways telling some long story, using a thousand words when a dozen would do.

  ‘So, which side are you on?’ she asked, ‘Which King Canute are you?’

  Noah shrugged.

  ‘Both. I think we all are. We all know that the tide’s going to keep coming in, we know the waves can’t be stopped. But that doesn’t stop us from wanting it. We want to be able to change the unchangeable.’

  ‘Like your mom?’

  ‘Sure, but in every day life too. I feel like your man Canute sometimes, going out day after day, dealing with people making the same mistakes again and again. Hoping for the best and getting slapped in the face.’

  She looked at him sharply.

  ‘Noah, when we kissed…’ began Eliza, but Noah was already getting to his feet. He held out a hand to help her up.

  ‘Eliza, it’s fine. I never should have kissed you like that, it wasn’t fair. You’re on your vacation and you’ll be gone in a few days.’

  ‘Noah, please, it’s not like that.’

  But wasn’t it? She lived in Los Angeles, all way across the ocean in front of them, then another couple of thousand miles across prairie, desert and mountains. It was hard to imagine a bigger barrier. Noah was right, she was on vacation, she’d come here to get away from men and relationships and every other complication you could think of. There was no future in any of this. And yet – when he had kissed her, nothing had ever felt more right.

  ‘Noah…’ she said, taking his hand. ‘Listen to your heart. What is it telling you?’

  She could feel her eyes were damp as she looked at him, willing him to bend, to change, to take her in his arms. When Noah didn’t move, Eliza pulled him towards her, tilting her face up. ‘Kiss me again,’ she whispered. ‘Please.’

  But Noah stepped back, one hand up. A stop sign.

  ‘Let’s just forget it happened, okay?’ he said, backing up. ‘It’s better that way.’

  Eliza looked at him, feeling as if a hand was clenching around her heart.

  ‘Sure,’ she said quietly, looking out at the dark sea, wishing it would swallow her up.