by Mary Malone
Kieran had instantly jumped in with a more-than-generous offer. “I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.”
Overcome with emotion, Beth had been unable to respond.
“Unless you’re still planning to disinherit me!” he added.
His sister had the grace to look ashamed. “I’m sorry, Kieran. I’ve been so selfish and greedy. I wouldn’t blame you if you never spoke to me again.”
“Don’t be silly. Financial pressure brings the worst out in people.”
Some of the pent up tension left her face. “If you would lend me some money to help get my plans for Goleen up and running, I promise I’ll pay you back with interest as soon as ever I can.”
“We’ll agree some terms and conditions, I’m sure,” he’d said.
She looked at her husband now, butterflies in her stomach as she contemplated managing a business alone.
“Are you going to settle in Spain?”
“I’ve no idea but I’ll keep you posted. Isn’t it great there’s a collector interested in Ed’s pieces?”
“Looks like he’s still looking after you,” she smiled.
Carl got to his feet as his flight was announced over the tannoy. “When his life assurance is sorted and his company debts are in order, I’ll stretch the proceeds as far as I can to straighten out some of the French debt and hopefully ease some of the burden here too.”
“You’d better go,” she said, fresh tears pouring down her face as he kissed her on the lips and hugged her tightly to him. “Don’t drop your brother!”
“I promised Ed I’d take charge. I won’t let you down,” he promised. “He’ll be floating over the Seine shortly.”
She smiled in return, knowing that he meant every word. His intentions were good but whether he’d manage to realise them or not would remain to be seen. In the meantime, she’d take one day at a time and see what life as a single businesswoman had in store.
New Beginnings
“Jess and Greg are at the door for you, Kieran!” Charlotte called up the stairs from the hallway. She smiled at the visitors and ushered them inside. “Come on into the kitchen.”
“You’re heading back to Toronto in a few days, I hear?” Jess said. “How do you feel about that?”
Charlotte smiled. “Far less scared than I was last time I flew there.”
“Do you plan on settling there?”
“For another while at least. Perhaps when the banking sector improves over here again, I’ll try for work. But in the meantime it makes more sense to return. I’ve a good job and they couldn’t have been kinder when Dad was ill.” Charlotte watched Greg fiddling with the cuckoo clock, his expression a mirror image of one of Kieran’s.
“I wouldn’t like being so far away from my mammy,” Greg said, looking around. “Will you mind?”
Greg’s question startled Charlotte. The few times she’d met her nephew he’d been shy, saying very little.
“But she’ll be back for Dad’s birthday in a few months, won’t you, sis?” Kieran appeared beside them.
“I sure will,” Charlotte responded. “Try keeping me away! I can’t believe the Dulhooly family are actually risking a weekend break in a hotel together.”
“If we’re still speaking to each other by then,” Kieran commented before turning his attention to Jess. “Are we still okay for dinner tonight? I booked a taxi earlier, thought we’d make a night of it.”
Jess nodded eagerly. “I’m looking forward to the evening. And so is Greg, aren’t you, pet?”
He stopped fiddling with the clock and spun around, delight visible in his face. “Henry’s taking me to the cinema. And we’re going for chips after. And then he’s having a sleepover in my house and Mum’s having a sleepover with Kieran. Aren’t you, Mum?”
The adults in the room sniggered at the child’s innocence, Jess blushing with embarrassment, Charlotte not knowing where to look and Kieran throwing his eyes heavenward.
“Henry said we can go to the park tomorrow,” Greg added, oblivious to the unspoken innuendo around him.
“Is your sister-in-law staying over too?” Charlotte asked.
“Not a hope. Doubt she’ll ever speak to me again!” Jess replied with a hearty laugh. “Not that I’m bothered once Henry’s standing up to her and spending time with Greg, despite her disapproval.”
“Families,” Charlotte said. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
“Bet you’ll miss us all the same!” Kieran said.
Charlotte nodded her agreement. She had enjoyed her time in West Cork, but had deliberately avoided being anywhere near her old place of employment. Counselling sessions were on her agenda when she returned to Toronto but coming home had been the best form of therapy in itself, the fear of standing on the same soil as Philip Lord no longer as choking as it once had been. Instead she’d given Beth a huge amount of practical support, helping her with a lot of the administration and legalities for the activity centre.
“I’m heading off, Kieran. Are you still coming to Mum’s for dinner tomorrow?”
Kieran nodded. “Wouldn’t miss your Last Supper,” he laughed.
Kieran’s announcement had come as a huge shock to at least some members of the family – a shock of the nicest type however.
“I still can’t believe it myself,” Kieran had repeated when he’d broken the news to his unsurprised parents and shocked sisters. “I wake up every morning and imagine I’ve dreamt it!” But in his heart he knew it was the truth, would never forget the moment Jess had blurted it out, without preamble or lengthy explanation.
Once he’d told her the good news about him being able to stay on in Pier Road, she’d burst into tears, shocking both of them when she’d buried her head in his chest and came out with words he knew he’d never forget for the rest of his life: “Greg is yours, Kieran. He’s your son.” At first he’d thought he’d misheard but then she had wiped her face with the sleeve of her cardigan and looked up at him, her eyes holding his as she repeated the words slowly and distinctly: “He’s yours, Kieran. He’s your son. I should have told you, but you were away and I didn’t know if –”
“Greg is my son? You’re sure? But we were only together once . . .”
“That’s all it takes,” Jess said in a very meek voice, eyeing him warily, fear visible in her eyes. “Don’t you want him to be yours?” She stepped back, increasing the distance between them.
Kieran had been speechless. “I’m in shock, Jess. Hurt you felt you couldn’t tell me before now. And feeling many more emotions I can neither name nor fathom right now. But not wanting Greg isn’t one of them. Get that thought out of your head.”
Marian had hugged him when he’d confirmed her suspicions, Frank clapping him on the back, both insisting he bring Greg and Jess to Ballydehob so they could be properly introduced.
“I’ve had the heart attack, and I’m in recuperation,” he said, “so I reckon I fit the perfect pipe-and-slippers type of granddad.”
“In time, Dad. But Jess hasn’t told Greg yet – not until we’ve had more time to discuss the best way to go about it. And then I sincerely hope you’ll remember your perfect granddad role when he’s nagging you with millions of questions about golf and anything else he can think of!”
“I’ll have to get a silver rinse in my hair and look the part of the granddad’s wife,” Marian added with a laugh, placing a hand on her husband’s shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Kieran noticed Beth and Charlotte exchanging a look. Their mother’s gesture hadn’t gone unnoticed and neither had the relaxed atmosphere in their parents’ home. It made a refreshing change, however long it lasted.
Their father’s health scare, despite the initial fear it had instilled in his wife and children, had catapulted the family into a zone they hadn’t experienced in many years – a semblance of normality.
Kieran came back into the kitchen after showing Charlotte out.
“I can’t wait to tell Greg,�
�� he whispered in Jess’s ear, resisting the urge to kiss her.
“We agreed, remember?” she warned, her twinkling eyes belying her stern tone.
They’d agreed to give Greg time to get used to Jess having a boyfriend before launching into the news that his friend next door had not only become his mum’s boyfriend but also his daddy.
Kieran laughed, tossing Greg’s hair instead and punching him playfully on the arm. “Yes, bossy boots! Isn’t your mammy a right old boss, Greg? What do you say to a game of ball and we’ll leave her here?”
“Suits me perfectly,” she returned. “I’ve a hot date to prepare for anyway!”
“Well, don’t let us stop you. I’m sure the effort will be appreciated! Come on, Greg, let’s go before she changes her mind!”
Jess laughed. “Hang on a sec. I have a bit of good news! Beth came to see me yesterday. Did she tell you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “No, she didn’t. What did she have to say?”
“She asked me to do a tourist-friendly archaeological write-up on her property! I’m so excited, you’ve no idea!”
Kieran smiled. “I’m glad, Ms Indiana Jones. Finally you’re getting some practice in. You might make an honest living yet!”
“So might you! Putting your marine engineering to some use at last!”
Kieran laughed. “I’ll never forget Dad’s face when I told him! I really thought he would get a relapse. Well, it’s only for a few months and will be a shock to the system no doubt. God forbid I’d commit to anything more long term! But it’ll be great to get back to boats again.”
Buying the boat in Mizen and putting it right had given Kieran a taste for engines again. And now he’d decided to stay in one place, he’d figured he’d have to be occupied or risk getting into all sorts of trouble. He’d noticed a few jobs on websites and was lucky enough to be offered a trial period with one company.
“Greg!” Jess reached Greg in the nick of time, right before he dropped what looked to be an ancient china plate on the floor.
“Leave him, Jess, he’s fine.”
“Are you going to be working in the sea? Catching fish?” Greg’s face was animated.
“Fixing engines on boats, buddy.”
“You might see my daddy!”
Kieran and Jess exchanged a look.
He dropped to his knees and looked the little boy in the eye. “I’ll be sure to tell him he should be proud of the job you’re doing looking after your mum.”
“And that I’m a good footballer?”
“The best,” Kieran laughed. “And speaking of football, let’s go!”
He swung the small boy onto his shoulders as soon as they’d parted from Jess outside, tapping the football ahead of him and listening to his son’s chatter as they made their way to the park.
“Can we go on your boat again soon?” a delighted Greg bounced up and down on Kieran’s shoulders, his fingers messing with his father’s gelled hair.
Reminded of John Kilmichael’s unexpected visit a few days previously, Kieran glanced back at Number 5, the little model boat on his bedroom window sill just about visible from the road but in any case something that would be forever etched in his memory.
“The same model Polly’s husband left the shore on – a story she told repeatedly,” John had explained as he’d handed Kieran the boat. “Pity the kit hadn’t arrived sooner. I’d have liked her to have seen the finished result.” He’d explained how she’s got him to source and order an identical model, intending that he would assemble it for her at her house on his next visit, a task which he’d now attended to painstakingly as a memento of a kind friend.
“I’ve a feeling she knows,” Kieran had said, accepting the boat from John. And for a moment he’d been sorely tempted to go upstairs and bring down the heartfelt letter Polly had addressed to her son. Later, watching John walk away from Polly’s house, he’d had a strong feeling that the time would come when he would do just that.
“Mum said you’re going to give the boat a name,” Greg said, wriggling to get Kieran’s attention.
“I’m going to name it Aunt Polly!”
“That’s a funny name for a boat,” the small boy argued.
“Funny or not, that’s what it will be,” he said, breaking into a run. “What better way to remember an amazing woman than have her bobbing in the water nearby, still keeping a close eye on us all?”
Kieran’s final words were little more than a whisper, his face breaking into a smile as an unexpected burst of sunshine broke through the clouds and the sound of a ship’s horn could be heard in the distance. And somehow he knew she was okay, content in the knowledge that where there’s a will, there’s a way . . .
If you enjoyed Where There’s A Will
by Mary Malone, why not try
Love is the Reason also published by Poolbeg?
Here’s a sneak preview of chapters one and two.
Love
is the
Reason
Mary Malone
Chapter 1
In a studio apartment in New York City, Matt Ardle stretched his full six feet five inches on the double bed, one muscular, tanned arm behind his head, the other loosely around Heidi’s shoulders.
“Happy?” he asked, flipping on to his side to face her.
Her response was prefaced with a breathtaking kiss. “Ecstatic! I can’t believe we’re actually living in The Big Apple, a ten-minute walk from Times Square! It’s everything I imagined it would be.”
Jumping from the bed, she ran to the window, pushed up the lower sash with all her might and stuck her head out into the chilly New York air. Allowing the noise from nearby 57th Street to filter into their modest 7th Avenue studio apartment, she stretched as far as she could, excitement fizzing inside as she looked to her left toward Central Park and then at the opera lovers queuing for tickets outside Carnegie Hall on the opposite side of the street – the Box Office opened mid-morning.
“Have you called home yet?” Matt asked tentatively, getting up and crossing the floor to join her.
She shook her head, her long mane of auburn hair shielding her face and masking her expression. A silent response that spoke multitudes.
“Don’t leave it too long, Heid. You don’t want your parents putting out an SOS for you.” He held his breath, watching for a signal to indicate she’d heard him. And hoping more than anything that she would heed his words.
Calm before a storm. The whispered words arrived uninvited in Matt’s head, forcing him to contemplate the inevitable, pouring cold water on his short-lived escape from reality. He hated being the responsible one, ironic as it seemed under their circumstances. But Matt wasn’t one to shirk doing the right thing. Probably down to his mum’s ability to instil a conscience in her sons, he thought, a warm feeling flooding through him as his mother’s sound words of advice rang loudly in his ears. His pulse quickened as an unexpected rush of heat surged along his neck and into his cheeks. Secrets – he hated secrets, hated not being able to share this important event with his parents. Or anybody else for that matter. Instantly, he qualified his latest actions by convincing himself he was saving his family from worry and what they didn’t know couldn’t harm them. His pulse slowed in pace but his nagging conscience refused to be placated.
He leaned his shoulder against the wall, tracing the old-fashioned floral wallpaper-pattern with his index finger, reminded of the time he’d scribbled on the walls of his grandmother’s hallway. Gloria had scolded him at the time, yet many years later he’d heard her bragging that she’d been the first to discover his artistic talents. Comical really, seeing as his graffiti efforts on the wall of the basketball court got him a severe reprimand from the local gardaí at the time. His granny, of course, found a positive amidst the shame of having the gardaí ringing on the doorbell. She had pointed out the quality of his drawing to anyone prepared to ignore the fact that he’d been defacing public property!
Would Heidi’s parents be so forgiving
when they discovered she’d absconded to New York without saying a word, he wondered. With him? Matt didn’t think so and in the absence of any response from Heidi on the matter, he tried again to get her to rethink her decision and at least let her family know she was safe.
“It’ll only take a moment to make contact, Heidi. Tell them you have a new number. Even a one-line email to put their minds at ease. You won’t have to disclose where you are unless you want to. What if they’ve been trying to call your mobile? Or they need to get in touch with you urgently?”
Not for the first time, he fretted about the consequences of Heidi’s decision to follow him, fearful of the determined lengths she was capable of going to (and not only in geographical distance), hating the distasteful fact that he too was party to her deceit.
Packing his things with his mum, he’d been really careful to continue the charade that he was setting out on a big adventure alone. Well, the big adventure part was true. But alone? He’d barely spent a moment alone since he’d met Heidi at JFK airport.