by Liz Gavin
They talked about trivial stuff as Keira finished her meal.
Only when she returned to her room, did Keira remember she hadn’t turned her phone back on since the night Declan called, two nights before. She hurriedly turned it on again to find out there were many missed calls. Two from her parents, one from her sister, and seven from Declan. She rolled her eyes and played the voice messages.
“Hey, honey. How are you doing? We haven’t heard from you since you told us the concert had been canceled. Are you feeling any better? How is the road trip going? Call us when you have a chance. Your father and I worry about you, Keira. Drive safely! Bye, sweetie.”
She smiled as she listened to her mother’s voice. She considered calling home, but remembered it was too early to call her family in Boston. Ireland was five hours ahead so she decided she would call them when she got to Waterford.
The next message was from her sister, “Hey, Keira. I called just to check up on you but I guess you must be sleeping. It’s late in Ireland. You should be out having fun and getting hammered with a couple of new friends. That was the plan, remember? Having a blast?” her sister laughed before adding. “Anyway, call me! Tell me you’ve met a handsome Irishman who’s swept you off your feet. Or just call me because I miss you, little brat. Bye.”
She smiled at her sister’s good mood. She had always wished to be more like her in that aspect, Who am I kidding? I’ve always wanted to be more like her – end of story.
Keira loved her sister deeply, but she had always felt a little intimidated by Megan’s beauty and independency. Now, she wished Megan were there to help her, listen to her and give some advice. She was great at all that.
There were no more voice messages. She frowned, then, found out Declan had sent her a text message, instead. Reading it, Keira felt that familiar feeling as her stomach summersaulted inside her. She could be stubborn but she had always taken great pride in her ability to be fair, I have to agree with him I didn’t give him a chance to explain himself.
Her inner self returned, with a vengeance, telling her she didn’t let him explain anything because she was afraid he’d convince her to change her mind. Judging from your recent dreams, you can’t trust yourself where Declan is concerned. If you let him talk you into forgiving him, you’ll open up yourself to more pain.
Keira hesitated and almost gave in to that annoying version of Jiminy Cricket inside her head. Checking her watch, she knew it was around two in the morning in Boston. She decided to call Megan because her sister rarely went to sleep early. She picked up before the third ring.
“Hey, little sis. What’s up?”
“Not much, big sis. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“At two in the morning? Yeah, right! What’s wrong?”
“Oh, there’s nothing wrong, Megan,” she heard her sister sighing loudly.
“Keira, you know I hate it when you do that. It is obvious there’s something bothering you, otherwise you wouldn’t call me at this time of night. So, spill it out!”
She took a deep breath and told her older sister all about Declan – how they had met, how they had hooked up in her room in Dublin, what she had seen the next morning, their last phone call, his text messages and the sensual dreams - everything.
“How do you feel about him, Keira?”
“I don’t know, Megan.”
“Bullshit! Listen, you’ve got be honest with yourself, at least. Think about it. If he were just another guy, would you be that annoyed? Would you feel so sad because of a potential betrayal? Would you have let him under your skin like that?”
“Potential betrayal? How do you mean?”
“Honey, you saw what you saw, but you have no idea who the woman is or what kind of relationship they have – if they have any.”
“Oh, so people now go kissing and hugging total strangers in public. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Don’t twist my words, little brat. And don’t lash out at me. You’ve asked my opinion, I’ve given you that. I’m sorry if you don’t like what you hear. You can’t be sure of anything until he tells you what happened in that coffee shop.”
“You’re right, sis. I’m sorry. How can I be sure he’s going to tell me the truth, though?” she asked her sister, unable to hide a hint of panic in her voice.
“You can’t, Keira. Until you know him better, you can’t be sure of anything. That’s true for any new relationship – friends or lovers. You’re not that naïve, are you?”
“I hate to admit it, but you know me better than myself,” she muttered.
“Don’t whine and pout, little one. I’ve known you longer than you’ve known yourself, that’s all,” Megan laughed before adding in a very serious tone. “Keira, I do know you and that’s why I trust your instincts and good sense. But, when the heart is in charge, things can get very complicated. We can make very stupid decisions. Promise me you’ll be safe.”
“I will, Megan, don’t worry.”
“Call me if you need anything, all right?”
“Will do. Go to sleep, now. It’s late. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
Keira checked the time and thought about calling Declan before she left Wicklow; but, she decided she’d better get going, if she wanted to spend some time driving around Wexford and seeing the sights, before continuing to Waterford. She’d call Declan when she got to there. That would give her time to mull things over, including her sister’s advice.
The trip from Wicklow to Wexford was quite an easy one. She did a little sightseeing around town before finding a nice pub to have lunch. Her grandfather used to talk about Wexford all the time because her great-grandmother was born somewhere near it, in a small village called Kilmore. Keira found the little town and drove around its narrow streets, trying to picture what it looked like over a hundred years ago.
Leaving Kilmore, she headed towards Waterford. The trip shouldn’t have taken much more than one hour; but, the car broke down. She was barely able to pull over, by the side of the road, before the car stopped moving. Calling the rental company was impossible because there was no cell phone service. There were no houses or stores nearby, either.
She got out of the car, trying to see further up or down the road, to find out there wasn’t much around her for miles. She worried when she couldn’t remember when she had last seen any sign of civilization along the way. She didn’t know if she would find help walking back and she had no idea what lay ahead. A couple of cars passed by, but she was afraid of hailing one. She had watched too many scary films to trust strangers driving on semi-remote roads.
For lack of a better alternative, she decided to walk up the road, try to find a spot where her phone would have service, and call the rental car company’s emergency number. After walking for over ten minutes, her phone was still dead and the sun hid behind heavy clouds. Afternoon was slowly turning into evening. In no time, thin tendrils of fog appeared around her, enveloping her and hiding the landscape behind white curtains. She felt the first signs of panic kicking in, when a car pulled over behind her.
When the driver turned it off, she glanced over her shoulder and saw a couple inside a dark pickup truck. She stopped walking and turned around when the door opened. The woman, in her mid-fifties, climbed out from the passenger seat and stopped beside the car, as if she were afraid of Keira, as well.
That should be a good sign. If they meant to hurt me, she would be more forward. Right?
“Is the white car back there yours, child? Do you need a lift somewhere?”
“It broke down, but it’s a rental. I meant to call the company’s emergency number,” she pointed to her cell phone. “But I can’t get service. I was walking up the road trying to find a better spot to make the call.”
The woman smiled and her features relaxed, “I’m afraid you won’t get cell service for the next ten miles or so. I’m Mary Wilkinson, by the way. That’s Ted, my husband. We can give you a ride to our farm, if you’d like. It isn’t far. You can use
the landline there to call the rental company.”
Keira hesitated thinking that it might not be a good idea to get inside a stranger’s car in the middle of nowhere when evening was coming down fast. On the other hand, walking aimlessly in the dark seemed a much worse option.
“Thank you, Mrs. Wilkinson,” she sighed in relief, and walked towards the truck.
She climbed inside it after the woman. In less than five minutes, they arrived at the farm. She was impressed by the big stone building that seemed to have endured centuries of bad weather. It was a very beautiful house and she finally relaxed when she saw the place was in good shape and there were other people working there.
They entered the house through the backdoor, which opened to the kitchen, and Mary took her to a small den. A roaring fire blazed in the fireplace and an old-fashioned telephone sat on a side table, by a large window, overlooking a beautifully designed rose garden.
“You have a wonderful home, Mrs. Wilkinson.”
“Thank you. There’s the phone, Keira. I’ll give me some privacy,” she turned away and went out leaving the door ajar.
Not wanting to abuse the Wilkinsons’ hospitality, Keira phoned the rental company, told them what had happened, and gave them the address to farm. They promised to send a tow truck to pick the car in under thirty minutes.
“The tow truck driver will take you to your final destination, miss. Where were you heading?”
“Waterford.”
“Are you staying at a hotel there?”
“Yes, St. Joseph’s B&B.”
“Very well, miss. Tomorrow morning you can get a new car at our office in Waterford.”
“Thank you. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Actually, the truck arrived in a little over forty minutes, but her car was already in tow. The driver pulled over in front of the Wilkinsons’ house and the driver climbed off to greet her. He looked young, not much older than Keira, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable.
“You must be the damsel in distress. I’m your knight in shining armor, milady, but you can call me Paul O’Hallon,” he walked towards her with a big smile on his face and his hand out to shake hers.
Keira didn’t know why she felt an impulse to ignore it but she wouldn’t be so rude to a stranger.
“Hello, Paul. I’m Keira Ashe,” she shook his hand briefly and stepped back when he came to stand too close to her. “Can you drop me off at St. Joseph’s B&B in Waterford?”
Even though Keira had already arranged that with the car rental company, for some reason, she wanted the Wilkinsons to know where he was taking her.
“My pleasure, milady,” he answered, bowing and winking at her.
He opened the passenger door for her and Keira turned to the Wilkinsons, “Thank you, again for helping me.”
“Don’t mention it, Keira.”
“Have a safe trip,” Mrs. Wilkinson added.
“Goodbye,” she walked to the tow truck and tried to climb on.
The cabin was a little high for her, but she didn’t wait for help. Putting a foot on the running board, she started to boost herself up, when a pair of strong hands seized her tiny waist from behind, lifting her in the air and settling her down on the passenger seat. Paul let his hands linger on her a second or two more than necessary. Keira frowned at him but he gave her a wide, apologetic grin and bowed his head.
“A lady shouldn’t have to do this by herself. I’m here to help you.”
He closed the door, with yet another wink, and climbed behind the wheel. In no time, they returned to the road, heading for Waterford.
“So, is this your first time in Ireland, Keira?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And are you traveling alone?”
“Actually, I’m meeting some friends in Waterford.”
Inexplicably, she felt an impulse to lie. Even though Paul was friendly and very polite, it didn’t seem wise telling a stranger that she was traveling around the country by herself. He nodded and kept his attention on the dark, deserted road. Keira took the opportunity to study his profile. Paul O’Hallon was a good-looking young man whose job consisted of helping people out. She was the one at fault. She should be more grateful and stop acting like a frightened little mouse. He mother had told her so many times to be careful during her adventure in Ireland she was feeling over cautious. Maybe Paul was just another nice, helpful Irish trying to get her out of a bad situation. She sighed and shook her head to get rid of those gloomy fears.
“What about you, Paul? Are you from around here?”
“From Limerick, actually. I’ve moved here a few years ago,” he gripped the wheel tighter without looking at her.
The winding road made slippery by the light falling rain required his full attention and Keira was glad he kept his eyes on the road while talking to her.
“Is there anything interesting for me to see in Limerick?”
That was the right question to ask because Paul’s face lighted up, “Oh, yeah! There’s plenty to see, milady! Limerick is the best city in the world!”
Ask any Irish about their hometown, and they’ll fill your ears with stories about, Keira thought as she observed his enthusiasm.
Paul spent the rest of their ride describing the sights, the cultural events, and the places she should visit in Limerick. He also told her stories about his childhood and his huge family. When he pulled over in front of the B&B, she felt like she had known him for most of her life. She got out of the truck before he reached her side and he got her baggage from the trunk, taking it to the B&B’s lobby.
“Here you are, Keira. What time should I pick you up tomorrow?”
“Pick me up? What for?”
“To take you to our office.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll take a taxi. Thanks, though.”
“Nonsense. It’s no big deal. I live nearby and I’ll have to take the car there tomorrow, anyway.”
He made a reasonable point, and she had gotten more comfortable around him, but she didn’t want to be a burden, “Thank you so much, Paul, but there’s no need for that.”
He looked disappointed but didn’t insist, “I think it’s goodbye, then,” he grabbed her hand in both of his. “I don’t suppose you’d give me your phone number, either, would you?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she blushed, looked down at her feet, and added. “My boyfriend is a very jealous guy.”
He laughed and pretended to be scare. “Whoa! We don’t want him smashing my face up, do we? I’d better be going. Take care, Keira.”
“You, too, Paul. Good bye.”
She was so exhausted by the time she got to her room that she forgot about calling her parents or Declan. She took a shower, to wash away the weariness, and slept until almost eight in morning.
After a delicious breakfast at the B&B, she took a taxi to the car rental office. While she was signing the papers, Paul pulled the tow truck over, with the broken car still on top of it. He waved at her but didn’t approach her; and she nodded back in reply.
When the clerk gave her the keys to the new rental car, Keira looked around to say goodbye to Paul, but he wasn’t there. She shrugged, got inside the car, and drove away. She had booked a tour with a local agency, so she drove there, and spent the rest of the day visiting many interesting places, including Admore and St. Declan’s stone.
Declan checked his phone for the thousandth time that day. He wasn’t surprised to find out there were no missed calls or messages from Keira. It had been three days since they last spoke. In fact, three whole days, and three miserable nights, since she had hung up on him. He had called, sent messages but hadn’t gotten any replies. He was worried sick, he couldn’t sleep or concentrate on anything.
Irish roads could be quite dangerous. Besides, she was a young woman traveling alone. All sorts of things could go wrong in a situation like that. She could have gotten involved in an accident. After all, they drove on the wrong side of
the road in America. The car could have broken down, in the middle of nowhere. Maybe she had a flat tire, and didn’t know how to change it. She could have been mugged or worse. He ran his fingers through his already messed up hair, as those gloomy thoughts went round in his head, and he added up the bill for table ten for the third time. He got yet another number and smashed the paper in frustration.
She may have found another man. Someone better than you, his conscience poked fun at him and he felt the blood draining from his face. His hand trembled slightly as he stared at the numbers on the new slip of paper without seeing anything.
“Earth to Declan,” called Harry behind him, tapping on his shoulder.
“What’s up?” he asked pretending he was busy with the bill.
“How difficult can it be to add up two pints of Guinness and an order of chips?”
Declan’s face flushed violently and Harry just laughed louder as he yanked the paper from his coworker’s dead fingers.
“Oh, give me that, will you? You’ve been pretty useless for the last couple of days or so, you know? I mean, more useless than you normally are,” Harry’s playful tone turned to sincere concern before he asked. “What’s going on, man?”
Declan felt tempted to tell Harry about his worries but changed his mind, “There’s nothing wrong, Harry. I’m just tired. I haven’t been sleeping well, that’s all.”
“Well, I don’t buy it but I won’t push you, either. If you need to talk, you know where to find me. I’m right here behind the bar,” he laughed and handed the bill back to Declan. “There you go. Now, take it to table ten and get the hell out of here. It’s almost eight and your shift is about to finish, anyway. Go home earlier and get some rest, if that’s what you need.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Yeah, it’ll be fine. It’s a slow night and Màire will be here soon. Shoo! Go!”
Declan smiled and followed as his friend’s suggestion. When he arrived home, his phone rang, and he picked up quickly because it was Keira’s ringtone. He smiled when he saw she had started a video call. He had missed her and it would be great seeing her face again. She looked worried, though.