Straight Up

by Deirdre Martin

  She'd spent most of Sunday alone, riding her bike far into the country when her first round of chores were done. Liam rang in the early evening, asking if it was all right if he stopped by today. Of course it was, she told him. Their conversation was short and sweet; Aislinn had never been one for chatting on the phone. She preferred talking face-to-face.

  Her flock where it should be, the wind in her hair, the sun on her face, a tentative but improving relationship with her sister, a man who she was falling in love with - life was perfect. Her only sadness was that her parents weren't here to witness her happiness. But then again, perhaps they were: for all Padraig's talk of ghosts, Aislinn had never been able to decide whether she believed in life beyond the grave. But maybe there was something to it.

  Donald had left early that morning to go back to London. He and Nora had spent Sunday morning in Cork and the afternoon exploring more of the property. It annoyed Aislinn just to witness it. It was her land. Her home. Nora had wanted nothing to do with it for years. Aislinn took a deep breath. Maybe Nora wasn't planning to build a second home for her and Donald here. She hoped so.

  Deenie returned to her side, calmly leaning against her the way she always did. From her vantage point high on the hill, Aislinn could see

  Liam cycling up the road from town. The sight of him made her all fuzzy inside. Oh. you're a sad one. she told herself, acting like a moony schoolgirl.

  She watched as Liam walked the bike up the rutted drive, resting it against the wall of the small shed. Padraig came out to greet him, then pointed up to the pasture where Aislinn was. Liam looked up at her, smiling and waving. She waved back, waiting for him to join her.

  He was huffing and puffing by the time he reached her, his face slightly red. “Jesus,” he panted, leaning in for a kiss. “I'm in worse shape than I thought.”

  “I thought you were big on jogging.”

  “I've been lazy about it lately. Obviously I need to get back into it. I thought my heart was going to explode on some of those hills.”

  “Whose bike is that?”

  “My cousin Brian's.”

  “Good thing you didn't take Jack's car, or I'd be towing you out of a ditch right about now.”

  “Sadly, I think you're right.” Liam crouched down so he was eye level with Deenie. “Hey, girl. How's your workday going?”

  “She's perfect, as always. My dad trained her well.”

  “Man's best friend.”

  “You have a dog back in America?”

  “Nah. My folks didn't want one, living in the city. It was bad enough when we were kids, with the six of us crammed into the apartment above the pub.” Liam grinned. “I had some goldfish once. They died within a couple of days. We gave them a funeral at sea.” Aislinn looked at him questioningly.

  Flushed em.

  “Ah.”

  Liam rose.

  "Nice job at the pub Saturday night, acting like you couldn't care less about me. Very convincing.

  Aislinn took a small bow. “Thank you.”

  Liam looked perturbed. “How much longer are we going to keep this up? I don't like it.”

  “Just a little while longer. Please.” She brushed the back of her hand across his cheek. “It's so lovely having you all to myself.”

  Liam's shoulders sank a little. “All right. But since you told Nora, I think I should be able to tell one other person, too.”

  “And who would that be?”

  “My brother, Quinn.”

  “The journo?”

  “Yeah.” Liam's face lit up. “He's going to be in Dublin next weekend, working on a piece about Irish illegal immigrants in New York. I'm going to go up and meet him.”

  “That's great!”

  “I want you to come with me.”

  Aislinn blinked. “What?”

  “I want him to meet you,” Liam repeated firmly.

  “Why isn't he coming here?”

  “He'll only be in for a long weekend, so he doesn't have time. As it is, he'll probably only have time to meet us for dinner.”

  “Liam, I can't just run off and leave the running of the farm to Padraig! He can't manage alone. Besides,” she mumbled, “I'm not big on cities. I visited Nora in London once, and it wasn't my cup of tea.”

  “Have you ever been to Dublin?”

  Aislinn squirmed. “Well no, but -”

  “Then how do you know you won't like it?”

  “I'm not saying I won't like it,” she backpedaled. “I'm just saying, I'll feel like a fish out of water. And the Padraig issue -”

  “Aislinn, come on. Who worked the farm the day of your parents' funeral?”

  Aislinn felt trapped. “Ehm ... two brothers I know from the farmers' market. Jake and Alec Fry.”

  “Couldn't they work it again? Just for a weekend?”

  “I suppose.” Aislinn licked her lips nervously. “I don't know about this, Liam. Truly. They'd be working with Padraig. He might be insulted. I'm sure in his mind he thinks he can do it alone.”

  “But he can't. And besides, you're full of it. Padraig is just an excuse.”

  “For what?”

  “You're afraid to go away with tile.”

  “That's not it at all,” Aislinn insisted fiercely.

  “Then what?”

  “Meeting family means things truly are -”

  “Serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you telling me they're not?”

  “Are you telling me they are?” Aislinn shot back. You haven't told me you loved me yet, she thought.

  “I told you the night we made love that we're a couple now.”

  “True.” She rubbed her temples. “I'm having a hard time thinking straight here.”

  “All you need to think about is hiring those two guys to help Padraig run the farm. I'll take care of the rest.”

  “Everyone will know we've gone away together,” she murmured more to herself than him. “They'll figure it out.”

  “So? It'll be great! Tongues will wag like crazy while we're away, and when we come back, we'll come into the Oak together, and that will be that.”

  “They'll all think you've lost your mind!”

  “I don't care what they think.” He wrapped his arms around her. “All I care about is you.”

  She leaned her forehead against his. “What makes you so sure Jack is going to give you the time off?”

  “It's my brother, Aislinn. He can have his son Neil come up from Cork for the weekend to help him out.”

  “Right. Neil.” Aislinn had forgotten about him. He'd been at school with her, a timid thing, as different from his blowhard of a father as chalk and cheese. He'd worked at the Royal Oak during summer holidays, and sometimes, when he was back in town for Christmas and the like, he helped his father out, even though he had no talent for the small talk needed at the bar. All she knew about him was that he was an accountant.

  “Won't your family be offended Quinn won't be seeing them?” she asked suddenly.

  “They'll understand. Look, like I said, he'll barely have time for us. But I really, really want him to meet you, even if it's just for a little while.”

  Aislinn envied Liam's excitement. She couldn't remember ever being that enthused about seeing Nora.

  “C'mon,” Liam teased, playfully nipping the tip of her nose. “You know you want to.”

  “Only if I can get Jake and Alec for the weekend. Otherwise, no.” She pulled back a bit. “And while we're at it,” she said, giving Liam a small poke in the chest, if I'm to meet your brother, then once we're out, it would be nice if you'd take me round so your relatives here could meet me properly. I'm sure they all think of me as the mad McCafferty, up here on the sheep farm with no one but crazy oul Padraig to call a friend.

  “I'm sure they don't.”

  “Well, be that as it may, it would be nice to have a meal with them sometime. I remember your cousin Erin from school, and she was lovely.”

  Still is.”

 
“I'm sure.” “So we're all set,” Liam said definitively.

  “Did you not hear what I said? We're set if I can get Jake and Alec here. Otherwise, you're toddling up to Dub on your own.”

  "They'll be here if I have to wave fistfuls of euros in their faces myself.

  Aislinn bristled. “Leave farm business to me. You sort things out with Jack.” She shook her head affectionately. “Dublin. With you, yet.”

  Liam feigned offense. “What's that supposed to mean? I've been there three times. I know my way around pretty well.”

  “Yes, I'm sure you know all the best watering holes,” Aislinn teased.

  “Well, yeah - but I know all the good tourist spots as well.”

  “I've no interest in the sites, really, apart from Saint Stephen's Green and having a cup of coffee at Bewley's on Grafton Street.” Her aunt Charlene had gone up to Dublin frequently over the years and always raved about the famous Bewley's Oriental Café, and how gorgeous their coffee tasted. Aislinn wanted to find out for herself if it were true.

  “You don't want to go to the Guinness Storehouse and get a tour of the brewery?” Liam joshed.

  “Oh, that's top of my list, surely.” Aislinn deadpanned.

  “Well, I'm definitely taking you to Burdock's Fish and Chips. It's the best chip shop in Dublin, and it hasn't been discovered yet by the vacationing hordes.”

  “Now that sounds more my speed.”

  She stroked the top of Deenie's head, her faithful girl concentrating hard as she kept watch on the herd across the pasture, on the alert for any unusual movement or worse, predators.

  Taking her cue from Deenie, she turned to Liam. “I should really get back to work,” she said reluctantly. She wished she had the kind of job where you could call in sick every once in awhile and take a mental health day - or in her case, a “spend time with your man” day.

  “Want company?”

  “No.” Aislinn looked at him with amusement. “Don't you have anything better to do with yourself than hang about a sheep farm?”

  “I suppose I should go back into town and help Jack balance the books. He hasn't done it in five years!”

  “I thought Neil was an accountant.”

  “Neil wants nothing to do with it,” Liam said grimly. “Apparently whenever he tries to help Jack, they come close to fisticuffs.”

  “I could see that. The sad part is, Jack could beat his own son with both hands tied behind his back.”

  “True. Well, here's hoping I don't wind up with a black eye myself.” He gathered her up in his arms again, for a slow, sweet, sumptuous kiss.

  “You're quite good at that, you know,” Aislinn noted wryly.

  “I've had a lot of practice.”

  “I must confess. I'm glad I'm the beneficiary of it.” Reluctant though she was, she broke the embrace. “I'll ring you when I know what's going on with the Fry brothers.”

  Liam laughed. “God, don't look so nervous! We're going on an adventure, Aislinn! It'll be fun!” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Are you coming in tonight?”

  “Depends.”

  “Well, we'll talk soon then.”

  He winked at her and was off down the hill. Aislinn watched him cycle away until he was nothing but a speck in the distance that eventually disappeared altogether. Dublin. With Liam O'Brien. An adventure indeed.

  Straight Up

  Chapter Fifteen

  ************************************************************************************************

  Padraig's memory might be going, but his eyes were as sharp as ever. He pierced Aislinn with a good glare when, two nights after her discussion with Nora, she came down to his place to tell him shed be going to Dublin, and the Fry brothers would be helping him.

  “I can manage on my own,” he insisted stubbornly, brewing them some tea.

  “You most certainly cannot, and you know it,” said Aislinn, tossing a chunk of peat onto the fire, thinking about how Nora hated the smell. “Don't you remember they took over for us the day of Mum and Da's funeral? And they did a fine job.”

  “We needed them then because I wasn't available.”

  “We needed them then because it takes at least two people to run this place.”

  “Many is the time I managed here on my own when your da had errands to run and whatnot.”

  “He was never away for a whole weekend, Padraig. Admit it.”

  The old man muttered something under his breath as he stood by the stove, watching the kettle. "Don't think I don't know what's going on here.

  Aislinn sighed heavily. 'What's that?"

  “You and your sister, plotting to get me out.”

  “What?”

  “You think I didn't see Nora and that toff husband of hers sniffing around my home?”

  “I had nothing to do with that. I swear on my parents' graves.”

  “She hates me, that one. Always has.”

  “She thinks you hate her.”

  “Hate that she's always thought she was too good for this place. Miss High and Mighty, with her books and computer and all, writing about God knows what. She'll not have my house. She'll not.” U . . .

  Aislinn went to him, patting his shoulder. I would never let that happen," she assured him. The defiance in his voice was tinged with fear, and it broke her heart. He also sounded paranoid, which wasn't good. Aislinn had done research on her computer and learned that paranoia could be one of the symptoms of dementia. She was definitely going to make an appointment for him with a doctor as soon as she got back from Dublin. She'd lie if she had to, telling him she was going for a physical herself and it might not be a bad idea if he had one as well.

  Padraig poured their tea and put out his usual array of stale tea biscuits on the plate. 'You've got to branch out,“ Aislinn teased him. ”You've been buying the same biscuits for as long as I can remember."

  “Why would I want to change things up now? They're fine.”

  Aislinn bit into a biscuit. “The Frys will be here after breakfast Friday morning.”

  "How much are you paying them?

  Aislinn named the price, and Padraig's eyes practically popped from his wizened face. "Jaysus, woman, they'll be able to dine out on that for years.

  "They're helping me out on very short notice, Padraig. They deserve it.

  He looked defiant. “I hope they don't think they're gonna be the boss of me.”

  “Of course not. You're going to be the boss of them,” said Aislinn, feeling guilty. She'd asked Alec and Jake to keep an eye on him so they could let her know if he bollixed anything up.

  “And Nora?” he continued.

  “What about her?”

  “Is she going to be hanging about'?”

  “She'll be up at the house working as usual. I already told her you and the Frys have free rein of the kitchen to eat whatever you want whenever you want.”

  Padraig snorted. “Oh, she must be loving that.”

  “She doesn't have a choice.” Aislinn paused. “You could eat dinner with her, if you wanted. You know she's a good cook. She'd probably welcome the company.”

  “Pull the other one,” Padraig scoffed.

  “Well, the option is there,” Padraig harrumphed, his expression suspicious. “The Frys - are they going to be sleeping here at the farm Friday and Saturday night?”

  “No. They prefer to go home to their own place.”

  “Well, thank God for small miracles,” he said, clearly relieved.

  His mood improved, and a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. “Going away with the Yank to Dublin for the weekend, eh?”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I'm not an eejit, you know.”

  “I know.” There was no way the whole town wouldn't know now. Padraig would tell everyone in the pub; Jack's bland son Neil would be filling in for Liam - so much for keeping their romance a delicious secret,

  “So, the Yank -?”

  To her surprise, Aislinn found herse
lf blushing. “Yes, we're off to Dublin. His brother is in from New York.”

  “The journo?”

  “Liam wants me to meet hint”

  “And he's bypassing Ballycraig?” Padraig looked mildly offended. “His people are here.”

  “He doesn't have time. He's on assignment.”

  “You think you'll wind up marrying him or what?” Padraig asked bluntly.

  “Padraig!”

  “Well, you're going away with him!”

  “So?”

  “Only cheap girls would do such a thing casually,” Padraig announced.

  Aislinn patted his hand reassuringly. “It's not a casual fling.”

  “I figured. You're not that kind of girl.”

  “Thank you. As for marriage, let's not put the cart before the horse.”

  “It's nice to see you smiling again. Aislinn.”

  “I don't think I've ever been this happy. Truly.”

  “I don't think so, either.” He leaned in to her. “Now, about Dublin.”

  “Yes?”

  “You've got to be very careful there,” he warned. “It's awash with pickpockets and con men who'd as soon rob you blind as look at you.”

  Aislinn raised her eyebrows. “Is it now? When were you last there?”

  Padraig squinted his eyes, thinking hard. “Sixty-two, I think. Yes, that would be it. My brother Derek, may he rest in peace, was marrying a girl from North Dub. Tough old boot, she was. She wore the pants in that house, I can tell you.”

  “I have a feeling the city might have changed a bit since then,” Aislinn said kindly. “But I'll keep your advice in mind.”

  Padraig nodded approvingly. Good girl. You've always had a sensible head on your shoulders.

  “I suppose that's a compliment, though it does make me sound a bit dull.”

  “You? Dull? Bah! Never.”

  Aislinn leaned forward, planting a kiss on the old man's grizzled cheek. “You're sweet.” She stood. “I'd best hit the hay, and you should, too.”

  “Oh! Before you go, there was one thing I've been meaning to talk to you about. Will we be entering Deenie in the sheepdog trials this year?”