“Are you alright there, Sammy? Maybe a little too much kick?” She patted my back. “If you can’t handle the water, I’m not sure you should sample the liquor.”
“Mm, too much lemon.” I struggled to get my cough under control.
“Sorry, that’s my fault. Nick is used to making my creative drinks. When I say lemon water, it usually means a detox version with pure lemon and a spot of honey.”
“Detox?” I grabbed a napkin and wiped my mouth.
“Yes. I’ve tried a few fads. As much as I love my body, I have hopes of slimming down one day. I’m not sure the detox drink was very effective for me, though.” She laughed.
“They can be quite dangerous to your health too.”
“I see you are proving that.” Fiona grinned. “Nick, I meant regular lemon water.”
“Sure you did.” Nick pointed at her. “You never mean regular anything, Fiona.”
“That’s true. It’s my belief that anything can be better with a bit of a kick.
“Anyway, I don’t want to hold you up. I’ve e-mailed you the dates and places, and of course all of my numbers in case you need to reach me.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to confirm with you.”
“What are you and your husband going to do with your time in Dublin?”
“I think we’re going to check out a dinner theater tonight.”
“Oh?” She shrugged. “That sounds nice. I can tell you though, there’s a great place that you should go. I’ll text you the address.”
“What is it?” I smiled.
“Let it be a surprise—trust me. It’s a local place that no tourists know about.”
“Should I be going then? I wouldn’t want to offend anyone.”
“You’re not a tourist, you’re an official guest. If I invited you, then you belong there.” She clapped my shoulder with a thick hand. “You’ll both have a great time—unless hurling is more your speed? I can get you in on some great private groups.”
“Hurling?” I blinked as images of drinking far too much filled my mind.
“You know—the sport.” She pulled her hand back by her shoulder then thrust it hard up through the air.
“Oh!” I laughed and shook my head. “No, I’m not sure I’m fit enough for that yet.”
“It takes a certain kind of strength.” Fiona nodded. “It’s not for everyone. My mother said I was born to be a hurler. Not professionally of course, but I do enjoy it now and then.”
“I’d love to see you do it sometime.”
“Really?” She grinned. “I can make that happen. But for now, enjoy your time in Dublin.”
She picked up the concoction she’d ordered and chugged down the entire glass—olives, grapes, and all.
Chapter 4
Not to be outdone, I picked up my glass of lemon water with the intention of chugging it. As soon as the water hit my tongue I choked again—this time more than the last. I grabbed a napkin but before I could get it to my mouth some of the lemon water sprayed out. Fiona ducked out of the way just in time, as the water sprayed across the bar stool and landed on the wall.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry, let me get that. I didn’t get you, Fiona, did I?” I jumped up with the napkin to wipe up the wall as I was treated to Fiona and Nick’s laughter.
“Yes, you’re going to need to toughen up a bit.” Fiona gave me a playful punch to the shoulder.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ll get it,” Nick said. “It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.” He pointed to a small poster of a target. “Why do you think that’s there?”
I tried to laugh with them, but I was embarrassed. My first day in Dublin was not off to the best start. But instead of letting myself spiral down into the idea that the entire trip was going to be rough, I took a deep breath and accepted a glass of what I hoped was plain water from Nick. I took a long swallow and was relieved to find no lemon taste on my tongue.
“Sorry again, guys.”
“Don’t be. I admire a competitive spirit. Welcome to Ireland, Sammy.” Fiona gave me a quick hug.
I laughed as I pulled away. Despite my mistake, Fiona still made me feel at home.
As I headed back to the hotel, my mind churned with thoughts about what was to come. Maybe I could talk Max into some Irish dancing.
I was halfway to the hotel when I noticed a slight shift in the air around me. I glanced up at the heavy sky just in time to get smacked in the face by a big fat raindrop. I groaned as I realized that I’d forgotten to bring an umbrella. Even though Max had warned me that it was going to rain, I hadn’t taken the time to bring the one thing that would keep me dry.
That one raindrop was followed by a downpour. It only took a few moments for my clothes to become soaked. All around me the sidewalks emptied.
A young man ran across the street toward me with an umbrella in hand.
“Here, miss, can I walk you somewhere?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just pick one up in this shop. Thank you, though.” I smiled at him. Already I had the impression that Ireland could be a very friendly place.
I pulled the door to the shop open and stepped inside. An old man sat on a stool behind a small counter. He smiled and revealed teeth in dire need of dental care.
“Caught in the wet, are you?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. Do you have any umbrellas?”
“Ah yes, big business around here. There’s some in the corner over there.”
I walked over to the assortment of umbrellas and selected what I hoped would be the largest. As I lugged it over to the counter I still kicked myself for being so foolish. I set the umbrella on the counter and dug through my bag to find my wallet. I had so many things inside that it was hard to get to.
“American, are you?” He smiled.
“Yes.” I offered a small smile. “Can you tell?”
“The accent gives it away.”
I grinned at the thought that I had an accent when his lilt was so melodic to my ears. “Just a moment, it’s in here somewhere.”
“No charge. Just take it. No one around here is going to buy that one anyway.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“Just watch out for the wind. It gives a lot of coverage, but if the wind blows, you might float away like Mary Poppins.”
“Thanks for the advice and the umbrella.” I handed him a business card that I managed to fish out. “Let me know if there’s a way I can repay your kindness.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, no, sweet lass. Kindness is free.” He took the card and nodded his head toward the door. “Better get on your way before you need a boat.”
“Thanks again.” I waved to him and left the shop with a smile.
The thought of my floating anywhere kept me amused as I struggled to get the umbrella open. I held tight to it and continued down the sidewalk toward the hotel.
Chapter 5
What I expected to be an easy walk, turned out to be a rather harsh one. As the shop owner had predicted, the winds had picked up quite a bit. I tried to keep my grip on the umbrella but the wooden handle slipped through my wet hands. It was hard to see what was in front of me, and I began to wonder if I’d already walked past the hotel without realizing it. Was I going to end up lost in Dublin on my first day?
I let go of the umbrella with one hand in an attempt to get my phone out of my purse. At that moment, a burst of wind blew under the umbrella and ripped it right up out of my hands. I lunged to grab it, but it skidded down a flooded alley. I could have gone after it, but I didn’t want to soak my feet in whatever swirled around in the water. Now, even the kindness that I’d been given had been taken away. I had no idea what I’d done so wrong to get myself into such a predicament, until I remembered—I’d forgotten to bring an umbrella.
I ducked my head into the rain and continued forward. A few minutes later I spotted an umbrella ahead of me. It was held by someone standing in front of the hotel. As I walked toward the hotel the rain let
up enough that I could see clearly through it.
“Max!”
“There you are! I’ve been calling.” He walked up to me and did his best to shield me with the umbrella.
“Oh, thanks, but there’s not much point now. I’m sopping wet. I’m sorry. My phone must be in the bottom of my bag and I didn’t hear it ring. I can’t believe I forgot an umbrella, even after you warned me it would rain.”
He smiled so wide that I caught a glimmer of his teeth.
“Max, there’s no need to rub it in. I know I was foolish.”
He shook his head. “That’s not why I’m smiling.”
“Then why?” I stared at him with wide eyes. “What about this situation could make you smile?”
“You look so beautiful.” He trailed a fingertip through a tendril of my rain-soaked hair. “I can’t help it.”
I couldn’t help but smile in return. “Thank you. The rain isn’t so bad, really. It’s kind of nice.”
He folded up his umbrella and gazed into my eyes. “Then maybe we should both enjoy it.”
“Max! You’ll be soaked!”
He held my eyes. “I don’t care.” His arms slid around me and the rain pelted down on us.
When he kissed me, with streams of water trailing along both our faces, I experienced a sensation that I hadn’t had in a long time. I felt young and playful again. I felt in love and excited again.
He held me close as he deepened the kiss.
I thought about how annoyed I’d been for not remembering my umbrella—and then how remarkable it was to suddenly be enjoying such a spectacular moment with Max.
When he finally broke the kiss he rested his forehead against mine. “This isn’t the first time we’ve kissed the rain.”
“And it won’t be the last.” I kissed him again. “I guess we’ll need a shower and a change before we start exploring.”
“We might need a bit more than that.” He kissed me again.
By the time we actually left our hotel room again, it was mid-afternoon. I didn’t mind at all. Our time together had been amazing. As I walked hand in hand with Max toward the museums, the sidewalk could have been made from clouds. Despite a rough start to the morning, I was in full fantasyland and couldn’t have been happier.
We breezed through a few of the museums and shared a late lunch.
“You never did tell me about your meeting with Fiona.”
“Let’s just say it was invigorating.” I laughed. “I think she’s a very interesting woman. She’s definitely enthusiastic.”
“Well, that’s a good thing, right?”
“I think so. She told me about a great place to go tonight.”
“What is it?” He met my eyes across the table.
“I’m not really sure. She didn’t tell me much about it. She just said it was a place I had to go.”
“And you trust her?”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t steer me in the wrong direction. And not you, either. She’s quite fond of you.”
“Me?” He laughed. “I don’t even know her.”
“You don’t know her, but she knows you. She’s a fan of both of us.”
“Well, that’s nice to hear. I guess we should check this place out. No dinner theater, then?”
“No, I think this will be more fun. Locals always know the best places to visit.”
“Good point.” He grinned. “Alright, do you want to hit some of the shops when we’re done here?”
“Great idea! I want to go back to one in particular and thank a man for an umbrella.”
“But you didn’t have an umbrella.” He quirked a brow. “You were soaked.”
“That’s because my umbrella blew away. But I still want to thank him. He said something to me that really made an impression…Kindness is free.”
“That’s a sweet sentiment.” Max finished the last bite of his sandwich. “I wish more people believed that.”
“Have you experienced something different?” I scooped up the last forkful of my salad.
“In my experience—present company excluded, of course—people rarely give freely. They expect something in return—something more than a thank you. Don’t get me wrong, people are still helpful, but there seems to be an exchange required.”
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I mean, it keeps the balance, right? Giving and receiving? Otherwise people can start to feel taken advantage of, don’t you think?”
“I think that may be true in some ways. But it’s not quite kindness if you expect something in return, is it? I think to be kind, you have to do something from your heart, without expectation of anything in return. But I haven’t exactly fulfilled that myself. Not very often, anyway.”
“You do for me all the time.” I smiled. “Like making me breakfast and waiting for me with the umbrella. You didn’t have to do any of those things.”
“No, I didn’t, but I’m still receiving something in return—a beautiful woman who knows how loved and appreciated she is. That’s a lot to me.”
“I do know that, Max.” I blushed as I pushed my dish away. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, let’s get to shopping. We’ve worked hard all this time; I’m ready to splurge. Are you?”
“Maybe just a little bit.” I grinned.
Chapter 6
Max and I spent the afternoon visiting many shops, but one thing I noticed about them was that they were all pretty pricey. That was to be expected, since we were in Dublin and many of the shops we were going into seemed to be tourist traps.
When we’d made it back to the shop where I’d been given the umbrella, I opened the door eager to greet the owner. Instead, there was a young woman behind the counter. While Max browsed, I decided to find out what I could about the man that had been so kind to me.
I walked up to the counter. The woman barely looked up at me.
“Hi. I was in here earlier this morning and there was a very nice gentleman working. The owner?”
“I don’t think so. I’m the owner. I had an employee here this morning.”
“Oh.” I tried to cover my surprise. She seemed quite young to own her own business. It reminded me that women of all ages could accomplish their dreams. “I have to say he’s a wonderful employee. He treated me with such kindness.”
The woman sighed and tipped her stool back some as she looked across the counter at me. “Let me guess, you’re the one he gave a free umbrella to?”
“Well, yes. I came back to pay for it, though.”
“Wonderful. Perhaps you can pay for all the damage that it caused as well?”
“Damage?” I raised an eyebrow. “It blew away in the storm.”
“I know it blew away. It blew into someone’s window, and then it blew into someone who was for some unknown reason riding a bicycle in that terrible weather, and it even blew into a newspaper stand. So, that free umbrella—since it had our store’s name on it—cost us quite a bit. That’s why he’s not here this afternoon. He knows better than to sell those big umbrellas. They are notorious for wreaking havoc in bad weather.”
“It wasn’t his fault.” I shook my head. “I picked it out. He warned me to be careful. It was completely my fault. I can write a check for the damage.”
The woman eyed me for a moment. “Really?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t worry about it. The insurance will cover it. But that was quite kind of you to offer. Most people have that ‘not my problem’ mentality.”
“Not me. He did something kind for me, and I’d hate for him to suffer any consequences because of my mistake.”
“Alright, I’ll take it easy on the old man.”
Max walked up to the register with an assortment of items to purchase. “I’ve got a few things for people back home. Did you find anything?”
“I haven’t really looked yet.”
“Okay, we have plenty of time. Go ahead and look around.”
“No, that’s okay. I think I’m done shopp
ing for today. I’m really curious about the address that Fiona gave me.”
“Alright, let’s head out.” He handed the woman some money for the items and she bagged them up.
“Do you still need an umbrella?” She glanced at me.
“No thank you. My husband and I have one to share.”
“Okay, have a nice visit.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at her and slipped my arm through Max’s as we walked out the door. As disappointed as I was that my umbrella had caused a disaster, I was relieved that I’d stopped back in to the shop. Maybe the man who gave the umbrella to me wouldn’t be in as much trouble.
The sun seemed to be setting rather fast, perhaps because of the cloudy sky. Streetlights struggled to illuminate the dimly lit streets.
“Do we need a taxi?” Max started to raise his hand to hail one.
“No, it’s not far—just a few blocks this way.” I gave his hand a tug. “Let’s hurry before we get caught in more rain.”
He laughed and quickened his pace. “I don’t mind the rain.”
“I bet you don’t. But I don’t want to wear wet clothes all night.”
“No one says you have to.” He grinned.
“I’m not sure nudism is customary in Ireland.”
“Hm, maybe not.”
After we walked for about fifteen minutes Max paused and tried to peer at my phone. “Where exactly are we going?”
“Don’t worry about that, Max. I know just how to get there.” I continued forward with a confident smile.
“Sammy, we’re in the middle of a city we don’t know, in the middle of a country we’ve never been to before. I’m not sure if I want to trust your sense of direction.”
“Really?” I stopped and turned to look at him. “You’re doubting me?”
He laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Not you, darling—your sense of direction. Need I remind you of the places it’s led us?”
“No, please don’t.” I laughed. “It is quite a long list. But just this once it would be nice if you could have a little faith in me.”
He tightened his grip around me and stared into my eyes. “I will never ever lose faith in you, Sammy.” He sighed and kissed my forehead. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 7
Warmed by Max’s words, I led him toward the address on my phone. The closer we got to it, however, the less faith I had in myself—or perhaps, more accurately, in Fiona. When we ended up in a dim fragrant alley, I tightened my hand around his.
Sammy in Ireland (Single Wide Female Travels #5) Page 2