The Perfect Gift

by Emma Hannigan

  ‘He rarely sees them as it is,’ Róisín said. ‘If you let him see them when he comes home, what difference will it make in the long run?’

  ‘It’s not quite as simple as that,’ Liv said, biting her lip.

  ‘I know that. It’ll take a lot of working out and all that …’

  ‘His girlfriend is pregnant.’

  The words hung in the air as Róisín tried to fathom it all. ‘But I thought he said they were finished?’ she finally said.

  ‘They are. He’s had enough of her and doesn’t want the new baby thing again.’

  ‘He should’ve thought of that a bit sooner,’ Róisín fumed.

  As they chatted about the options, Róisín was relieved to see that Liv was actually being very level-headed about the whole situation. She didn’t want Martin back. She didn’t want to deny the children access to him and she had faith in the theory that she’d meet someone else some day.

  ‘I’m aiming for less nerdy than sweet Colm and much less of an arrogant dick than Martin. Do you think he exists?’

  ‘God, I hope so,’ she said hugging her sister tightly. ‘I hope there are two of them looking for nice women.’

  ‘Will you come with me to tell Mum and Dad?’ Liv asked. ‘I can’t bear to see the disappointment in their eyes. The only thing I did right has failed. They’ll be devastated, won’t they?’

  ‘Have a little faith,’ Róisín said. ‘I know all they want is to see us both happy.’

  The girls finished their chat and could hear the children downstairs in the shop with Mouse.

  ‘I’d better go,’ Liv said. ‘Will you come with me later to talk to our folks?’

  ‘Of course,’ she assured her. ‘Actually, there’s something difficult I need to tell Mum, so there might be strength in numbers all round. I won’t go into it now, but it’s going to upset her.’

  Liv nodded. ‘What a day,’ she said sadly. ‘But one thing I want to say to you, Ro, is that I won’t be staggering about any longer. I can’t bear the hangovers and I won’t allow Martin to drive me to drink any more.’

  ‘Are you giving it up totally?’

  ‘For a while,’ Liv said. ‘It’s not doing me any favours. I need to concentrate on building a new life. It certainly won’t happen if I’m half-cut.’

  ‘Good for you,’ Róisín said. ‘I’m proud of you, Liv.’

  Liv left the shop looking brighter than she had for a long time. It was going to be a long road, but Róisín was glad she had at least taken the first step along it.

  A while later, Róisín was dealing with a customer when she felt eyes boring into her. Looking across the counter, she saw a very attractive man standing there, just looking at her.

  ‘Hi, can I help you?’ she said. Not wanting to crane her neck and get caught staring she asked who was next.

  ‘Do you have any ready meals?’ the lady asked.

  ‘Yes, we have a selection to take away and we also have a service where we can fill your freezer. I have a wonderful selection of pâtés, cured meats, smoked fish and cheeses. We bake hand-made breads every morning and there’s always a special dish of the day. Today it’s summer fish pie.’

  By the time they were finished, Róisín had a substantial first order of drinks with food and breads which she brought in to the kitchen but as she turned to go back into the main part of the shop, the attractive man was lurking.

  ‘Hi,’ he said, looking shy.

  ‘Oh my God! Rob, it’s you!’ Her hands shot to her mouth as she felt the heat rise from her toes. She genuinely feared there could be sparks shooting out the top of her head.

  ‘I decided to clean up my image,’ he said.

  ‘Wow, you certainly did,’ she said swallowing. ‘You look … you look good.’

  ‘I cut all my hair off, spend a fortune on clothes and get my face defuzzed and all I get is good?’ He smiled and his eyes lit up.

  Róisín actually felt vaguely unstable. He looked utterly divine.

  ‘OK then,’ she said, trying to sound nonchalant. ‘You look stunning. Amazing. Fabulous.’

  ‘That’s better,’ he said with a wide smile.

  ‘I can’t believe you were hiding under all that hair and stuff.’

  ‘Jeez, you make it sound as if I’ve been resurrected from a cave and taught how to walk on two legs rather than four!’

  She giggled. ‘What’s brought on the big change?’

  ‘Ah, I thought it was high time I started behaving like a grown-up. So, would it be possible to have a quick chat?’

  ‘Yeah, come on upstairs. We’ll be able to talk in the office.’ She called over to Brigid and said where she’d be. Brigid gave her a wink that spoke a thousand words and Róisín couldn’t help giggling.

  As soon as they climbed the stairs and Rob was sitting in such close proximity, Róisín thought she was going to pass out. He was astonishingly attractive. She felt sixteen again, a dizzy schoolgirl. Her palms were sweating and she could barely concentrate on what was being said. She was so conscious of every move he made. His hand brushed off her leg as he settled himself in a chair. She jumped and blushed.

  She was so disappointed, she felt as if she might cry. He’d clearly done all this for his proposal to Theresa. He was probably here to tell her they were engaged.

  ‘So I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching,’ he said. ‘I knew things were hurtling out of control with my life. I was trying to please my father, my friends and most of all Theresa. But it wasn’t sitting right with me.’

  She swallowed and nodded. The voice in her head was telling her to stay calm.

  ‘So I’ve made some changes,’ he said. ‘I’ve broken up with Theresa.’

  ‘What?’ She thought she was going to leap to the roof with delight. ‘Eh, really?’

  ‘She wasn’t the right girl for me, Róisín.’

  ‘Wasn’t she?’

  ‘I knew it all along … but it didn’t really resonate with me until I met someone else.’

  ‘Oh.’ Her hope sank to her shoes as she tried to look pleased for him.

  ‘I met this girl, quite by chance. They say that happens sometimes. You know, when you’re really not planning it?’

  ‘So they say,’ she said.

  ‘I need your advice, though. That’s why I’m here.’

  ‘OK. I’ll help you if I can.’

  ‘I don’t want to wreck the friendship I have with this girl. She’s really amazing and a part of me is terrified to say anything in case she tells me to sling my hook.’

  ‘Do you think she feels the same way?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ Rob said. ‘All I can say is that she gets me. She understands the way I think and I can always be myself around her. She makes me laugh and on top of all that, she’s drop-dead gorgeous.’

  ‘She sounds fantastic,’ Róisín said. She stood up. She couldn’t listen to another minute of this. If he didn’t leave in the next few seconds, Róisín feared she might start blubbing.

  ‘I’d better get back to the shop,’ she said. ‘I think I heard Brigid calling me. I’ve a lot of work to do. Good luck with it all. I hope it all works out for you.’ She grabbed a pile of pages from her desk, in the hope it would make her escape seem convincing. She was so flustered, though, they fluttered from her hands. Dropping to her hunkers, she gathered them up, trying to stop her hands from shaking. Suddenly, Rob was there in front of her, crouching too. He reached over and lifted her chin. As he stared at her, a tell-tale tear escaped.

  ‘Hey,’ he said with obvious concern.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m being totally stupid.’ As she attempted to stand, he caught her and pulled her up. Before she could say another word, he pulled her closer and kissed her.

  Róisín felt like she was having an out-of-body experience.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ she said moments later.

  ‘It’s you, Róisín. Don’t you see? You’ve changed everything for me. I was having an uphill battle t
he entire time I was with Theresa. We weren’t suited. When I’m with you, I can be the real me … Every time I leave Ballyshore, I try to think of ways of coming back.’

  ‘But my life is such a mess … I told you about France and how I could’ve lost my business … and you still want to be with me?’ This time the tears that fell were accompanied by the widest smile imaginable.

  ‘I want to be with you no matter what. We have no idea what the future holds. But whatever pans out with your business, we’ll muddle through. Once I have you and you have me, nothing else is important. What matters is finding that person, the one.’

  ‘Oh wow,’ she said.

  ‘Remember the dream I told you about? The one where I find the right person to be with me so I can have the family I’ve always yearned for?’ he asked. She nodded. ‘You’re my one and if you’ll have me, I’d like to take this one step at a time and see if dreams come true.’

  She kissed him. It was as if she’d been waiting for this moment her entire life. Even though she’d gone through the IVF with Jacques, she’d never felt as close to a person as she did with this gorgeous man in front of her.

  ‘You took my breath away when I saw you earlier,’ she admitted. ‘You’re a dark horse,’ she said with a smile.

  ‘I had some help,’ he said with a grin. ‘I walked into a shop and told the assistant I needed to try to win the heart of an amazing woman.’

  ‘You did that? Really?’ she said, taken aback.

  ‘I honestly didn’t dare to hope I’d even stand a chance with you,’ he said. ‘If you’ll agree to give us a chance, I’ll do anything in my power to make you happy, Róisín.’

  ‘I can’t think of anything I’d love more,’ she said with a smile.

  Their conversation was cut short as her mobile phone rang. She ignored it, wanting nothing to interrupt their moment. When it rang a second, then third time, she sighed and fished it out of her bag.

  ‘Mum!’ she said. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m not great, love. Can you talk for a moment?’

  ‘Eh, I’m with someone, but you can go ahead.’

  ‘Oh, if you have someone there, I’ll leave it … it’s a sensitive subject …’

  ‘Is everything OK, Mum?’

  ‘Not really. I need to talk to you about my friend Claus.’

  ‘Claus?’ Róisín said. ‘You haven’t given him any money, have you?’

  ‘No, why?’

  ‘Mum,’ Róisín hesitated. ‘I’ve to tell you something. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about tonight. I think it might shock you. So I’ll talk to you later about it, OK?’

  ‘No, it’s not OK, Róisín. Don’t treat me like a sensitive little thing, tell me what it is.’

  Róisín explained as gently as she could what Rob had discovered about Claus.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ Keeley said in disbelief. She sounded winded. ‘I can’t believe it,’ she said. ‘Are you absolutely certain, Róisín?’

  ‘I’m afraid so. It gets worse,’ she said. ‘Ida was in on it with him. She’s not dead, Mum. She shares the proceeds when they con a woman out of money. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘My God,’ Keeley whispered.

  ‘And on top of all that, it turns out he is the mystery investor who was attempting to buy the building where Nourriture is now.’

  Róisín could hear Keeley choking back tears and her heart broke for her. She had been so affected by the news of Ida’s death.

  ‘I’m so very sorry, Mum, but this man isn’t anyone’s friend. Hey, don’t be upset. No harm done, right?’

  ‘No harm done, love,’ her mother said.

  ‘Tell her to have nothing more to do with him,’ Rob said urgently. ‘His real name is Wolfgang Bauer and he’s committed more frauds than you’ve had hot dinners. Seriously, Róisín, tell your mum to stay the hell away from him. He’s a crook.’

  ‘Did you hear that, Mum?’

  ‘I did,’ Keeley said weakly. ‘I understand.’

  Róisín promised she’d see Keeley later and then they hung up. She wondered briefly if she should ask Liv to give it a day or two before breaking the news about Martin – there was only so much bad news her parents could take.

  ‘You OK?’ Rob said quietly.

  She smiled weakly at him. ‘Tough times.’

  He moved to take her in his arms, where she felt like she never wanted to leave.

  Chapter 42

  Róisín and Rob’s romantic moment was literally just that – the phone on the desk rang loudly and Brigid told her there were deliveries to be checked through and a busload of tourists on the way.

  ‘I got a call from the Irish Tours rep and she said she’d swing by if we can cope? Fifty people in total.’

  ‘OK Brigid, I’ll be down in a minute. Put Mouse behind the sandwich bar and ask Steve to do the crepes, he’s super quick at those.’

  ‘Will I stay and give you a hand and maybe we can have dinner tonight?’ Rob asked. ‘As in, a proper dinner date?’

  ‘I’d love that. Once I’ve had a chance to chat to Mum,’ she said.

  As he smiled at her, Róisín knew her luck was changing. No matter what happened, if she had an amazing ally like Rob on her side, things could only get better. She and her family would get through this dark spell and find the light again, just as her mother’s cards had always promised her. She knew it.

  They both ran down to the shop. Rob went into the off licence and set up a tasting station. Róisín sprang into action and showed Mouse how to make that day’s special, which was a goat’s cheese and locally smoked ham open sandwich.

  ‘It goes with the watercress soup and if we have them ready and looking appealing, it’s easy to steer people towards them.’

  Mouse nodded and watched intently as Róisín made one.

  ‘Right, I’ve got it. I’ll make a load of them.’

  ‘Samantha, will you stick to the coffee machine while Ricky does soups?’ she called out. ‘Here we go, let’s work as a team and as usual, folks, no chatter until we serve the hungry horde! Listen to one another and shout out your orders, yeah? Communication is where it’s at, OK?’

  ‘Yes chef!’ they all shouted in unison.

  Mouse had the biggest grin on her face.

  ‘This is deadly,’ she said as Róisín joined her to speed up production. ‘You’re like your man Ramsay on the telly.’

  The tour bus pulled up and the tourists poured inside. Rob was playing a blinder. The American tourists were loving him.

  Róisín ran in and told him to promote his beer, saying people could have a glass of beer with soup and an open sandwich for ten euros.

  ‘You’re on,’ he said winking.

  The next hour was mayhem, but they all thoroughly enjoyed it. The sun was shining and the outdoor area was swarmed with happy customers. By the time the tourists began filing back onto the bus, Róisín felt buzzed.

  ‘That was wonderful,’ the tour guide said. ‘Can I meet with you to chat about a deal going forward? If you can do a set price for a daily lunch like today, we’ll happily add you to our stopover list.’

  ‘I’d love that,’ Róisín said.

  ‘We have fifty coaches on the road and we’d bring business your way. For a small commission fee, we could direct lots of traffic in to Nourriture. There’s ample opportunity for scenic photographs and I know today’s crowd adored the food and craft beer.’

  Róisín handed her a business card and said she’d be happy to discuss an arrangement. She whispered a thank-you to the heavens as she waved the bus off, then skipped in to see Rob. If she couldn’t buy this building, she felt certain she could make Norriture work somewhere close by. It was the boost of confidence she needed.

  ‘That was mega,’ he said. ‘I’ve sold all your stock and had to send one of your lads out to my van. If you could do this more often, I’d be a multimillionaire!’

  She explained that it seemed likely and Rob whistled.

  ‘Good job
. This place is fantastic to work in, too. I love the atmosphere. Your staff are second to none. Even though it was seriously busy, they knew to offer little tastes of cheeses and cured meats and it seemed as if they had all the time in the world. They sold a shedload of stuff as a result.’

  ‘I’m lucky with this crew,’ she said gazing around. ‘Mouse did really well too. She’s the pretty little girl at the sandwich counter. It’s her first week and she flew along. I’ll be holding on to her, I can tell you!’

  ‘First week? But why did you hire her if you thought Nourriture was on the way out, as a matter of interest?’ he asked.

  ‘She was my kick up the backside,’ Róisín answered. ‘She was the initiative I needed to keep this business going no matter where I ended up. She’s young, hungry and enthusiastic and I knew I couldn’t offer her a lifeline and snatch it away again.’

  ‘You’re a weirdo, but I think you’re amazing,’ he said pecking her on the lips.

  A French couple approached and asked Róisín a question. She answered in fluent French, letting them know she could organise food for a picnic for eight people for tomorrow. They left looking thrilled.

  ‘Is there anything you can’t do, Miss Róisín?’ Rob asked.

  More customers needed questions answered so she excused herself with a backward glance and a very bright smile.

  By six o’clock Róisín’s feet were aching. She thanked Mouse and congratulated her on being so quick off the mark.

  ‘You’re going to fit in very nicely here. Well done and I’ll see you tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll ever want to let you go.’

  The delighted squeal and happy dance that Mouse performed made Róisín laugh.

  Róisín noticed there was an older lady waiting in a small car just outside. Briefly, she wondered if she was a relation. Mouse leaned over and hugged the woman and judging by the gestures and wide smile, she was telling her what a successful day they’d had.

  Brigid needed to rush off, so Róisín and Rob were the last ones standing as she tilled up. Rob got busy sweeping out the off licence and getting it ready for the next morning.

  Róisín would have preferred to go home and freshen up, but she didn’t want to leave Rob waiting, so she did a quick fix in her office, replenishing her mascara, lipstick and perfume. She could hear the sounds of Rob’s cleaning work downstairs, so she took a quiet moment to herself. She reached up for her box of cards and went through them to find one in particular.