“You look so beautiful without any makeup on,” Keith marveled passionately before commenting in a lighter tone, “I can see those freckles more clearly.”
Self-consciously, Melanie touched a hand to her freckled nose as Keith tilted his head in open appreciation. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
Unexpectedly, he drew her into his arms and kissed her more passionately than he had dared so far. She stood on her toes to reach his enticing mouth as the thick fabric of their robes created a barrier between their bodies. Keith plundered her mouth hungrily, momentarily forgetting all notions of being a perfect gentleman. Her natural beauty was too potent for him to resist.
Breaking off the kiss, she shocked both of them as she untied the sash on her robe and let the garment fall off her shoulders. Droplets of water from the shower still beaded her skin as Keith drank in his fill of the bewitching sight. Eagerly, he shed his own bathrobe so they were both fully nude and facing each other. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the round bed and lay her down gently.
*****
Not quite resurfaced from ecstasy, Keith and Melanie nestled in each other’s arms underneath the sheets. Her cheek rested on his still palpitating heart as his fingers weaved through her flaxen mane. With his eyes closed, he managed to say, “I guess I’m not going to be sleeping in the guest room tonight.”
“That’s right! You’re staying right here with me in the master suite,” Melanie said passionately, curling closer to him.
“Well, if you insist,” Keith flirted.
Melanie didn’t feel like talking or joking after the intense union they had shared. She hovered between waking and slumber as the sweet moments replayed in her mind. It had been so long since she had been intimate with a man. But she couldn’t recall it ever feeling so perfectly right…and intimate. Was it because they had met as children that she felt so close to Keith? Or was it something deeper than that? All Melanie was sure of was that their split decision to come to Ireland had been right.
“Are you awake?” Keith murmured against her ear.
“Sort of. But I feel so sleepy. Now the jet lag is setting in.”
“That’s not jet lag, Melanie. That’s blissful afterglow. Sleep if you want. We can grab a late dinner. Just like we did on our first date.”
“Okay,” she agreed happily, turning on her side so he was spooning her.
From this position, he molded his body to hers and kept his arms wrapped around her. They slept for countless hours as a chilly Irish breeze wafted through the room.
A plump moon had risen by the time they stirred in the bed. Stretching like a kitten, Melanie woke up without any concept of time or place. Vaguely, she knew that Keith was next to her, breathing softly. Then, she remembered that they were in Dublin. She shook her head as each experience since he had stolen her away from the house in Isle of Palms seemed to be more surreal than the last. Perhaps the most bizarre thing of all was that Keith had made no effort to move away in his sleep. He had held her tightly since they made love and was still holding her now.
“Keith,” she ventured in a sleepy whisper. Gently, she nudged him as he stirred awake.
“Oh wow, what time is it?” He mumbled, glancing over at the clock.
“No idea,” she sighed contentedly.
“It’s 9 pm,” he said, grinning. “We better go get some dinner.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Melanie declared, flipping over so she was facing him. “Let’s order room service. I’m starving. We can get a huge Irish dinner. Corn beef and cabbage. Beer. Soda bread. The works,” she suggested, smacking her lips.
“Glad to see we share the same taste in food,” Keith enthused. “I do love a woman who eats.”
Melanie winced at the word ‘love.’ It seemed inappropriate to carelessly toss the word around after what they had shared. With increasing unease, she wondered if the lovemaking hadn’t meant as much to him. By baring her body, she had also exposed her soul. But for him, the experience might have been much more casual.
“Are you okay?” He asked perceptively, noticing the tense expression her features had assumed.
“I’m fine. Just hungry,” she lied.
“Well then let me call room service right now,” Keith perked up, reaching onto the nightstand for a menu.
The Irish feast was delivered swiftly, and the couple shared the meal on the terrace. The rain had subsided, breathing into a mild and still night. In semi-awkward silence, they devoured the food, making occasional comments about how delicious the corn beef was, but not saying much else. Inside the suite, Keith’s phone beeped for the umpteenth time, and Melanie shot him an indignant look.
Slamming her fork on the table, she demanded, “Keith, who is that? Is there something I should know about you?”
Immediately, she regretted the accusing tone of her voice as he glanced up from his food in surprise. “I told you it’s nothing to worry about. Someone just doesn’t get the picture that I don’t want to talk to them anymore.”
“Them or her?” Melanie persisted.
It sounded suspiciously like an ex-girlfriend was trying to contact Keith. If this was how he treated his exes, she didn’t want to get any deeper involved with him, although it was a little late to turn back. She had already traveled across the world with the man and slept with him on what was technically their second date. Feelings were already taking shape in her heart, and she couldn’t control where those feelings would lead.
“Melanie, could we not talk about this?” Keith clipped in a stern tone.
“I know it’s none of my business. But these messages have been coming through all day. It just seems a little odd,” she said, looking down at her plate and stabbing a leaf of cabbage.
“Yes, well, the person calling me is odd. In fact, she’s a psycho. That’s why I don’t want to talk to her,” Keith revealed, taking a long drink of his beer.
“Psycho? What are you talking about? Keith, you can’t just leave off like that and not tell me the whole story. If this person really is a psycho, I think I have a right to know,” Melanie said sharply.
“Why? She doesn’t know who you are. She won’t come after you,” he argued before sighing and pushing his plate away. “Listen, I’ll tell you the story. But after I tell you, promise me we’ll just go back to enjoying our evening together, okay? I’ll only tell you under that condition.”
Melanie balked at his restriction. “I don’t think that’s fair. Tell me the story, and let me decide my own reaction.”
“You’re stubborn,” he observed, drawn into her unintentional charm.
“I prefer ‘strong-willed.’ But call it whatever you like. Now tell me. I’m listening.”
Keith curled his lips into a thin line, as he was reluctant to plunge into the topic. Perceiving the mild impatience on Melanie’s face, he yielded and explained, “I got out of a relationship last year. It wasn’t a long relationship. Only lasted about 3 months. But apparently, the girl thought it was much more serious. We had different ideas of where the relationship was going. So I broke it off with her in a nice way. Or at least I thought it was nice.”
“How did you break it off?” She questioned.
“In person. I didn’t want to go the cowardly route like all my friends and break up over the phone or through text,” Keith said as Melanie nodded with appreciation.
“If I’m a first class lady, then you are a first class gentleman, Mr. McBrennan. A face to face break up is what every woman needs for closure.”
“Well that’s what I thought too! But she was outraged. She punched me in the chest and threw her cell phone at me. She just wouldn’t accept what I was telling her. Ever since then, she’s been calling and texting on and off,” Keith sighed with disgust.
“Can I ask why you haven’t had your phone number changed? Doesn’t that seem like the logical thing to do?” Melanie baited gently.
“Well, I thought the calls and texts would eventually stop. And they did, for a while.
But just the past couple of days they started up again. Actually, when we flew out of Charleston is when the texts started polluting my phone again. I guess she has radar that I might actually be happy, and she wants to mess it up.” Keith clenched his fists in marginally restrained anger.
“Radar? Keith, I think you’re giving her too much credit. She may be a psycho, but she’s not psychic! Maybe somehow she knows that you went away with another woman and that’s why she got back in touch,” Melanie reasoned, suddenly shivering as the night air cooled.
“No, she and I don’t have any mutual friends. I don’t see how she would have found out that I’m away with you. It’s just a coincidence. Just an ugly coincidence,” he seethed.
“I don’t believe in coincidences, Keith,” Melanie retorted, unconvinced.
“Alright, now I told you the story. Could we go back to enjoying this evening? Better yet, could we go back to enjoying that luxurious bedroom?” He winked, rising from the table and extending his hand.
With just a glimmer of hesitation, she accepted his hand and let him lead her back to the unmade bed.
Chapter 7
Another rain shower greeted the new lovers the next morning as they rose from bed and dressed for a day of sightseeing. “Hope you brought some rain gear,” Keith called from the bathroom where he was brushing his teeth.
“Plenty of it! My mom used to tell me all kinds of stories about how rainy it is here in Ireland. She said that’s why everything is so green!” Melanie hollered back, slipping into a rain slicker.
“So what should it be today? A tour of the city or country?” Keith asked amiably, meeting her by the door.
“You mean you’re letting me choose again?”
“Yes, I aim to please,” he said huskily.
“I know. And you certainly did last night,” she cooed as he chuckled. “So hmmm, let’s see. We could traipse around Dublin in the rain. Or?”
“Or we could take a taxi to the Irish countryside. Maybe visit a family farm. Get some ice cream mixed from fresh milk.”
“Oh, well if there’s ice cream involved, I’d have to say let’s go to the countryside,” she replied sweetly as they took the elevator to the lobby to get a cab.
The ride out of Dublin brimmed with old world charm and sights of endless pubs and cathedrals. Reaching the countryside, the landscape transformed into a panorama of pure jade magic. Even though it was still drizzling, Melanie rolled down the window to inhale the refreshing air. Keith kept his eyes fastened on her face, savoring her delighted reactions more than any tourist landmark or natural wonder.
By noon, they arrived at a renovated farmhouse set on sprawling acres of land. Cows and goats roamed freely on the property, and the smell of manure was pungent. “So much for the fresh country air,” she laughed, pinching her nostrils.
“Tell me about it,” he rolled his eyes, trying not to inhale.
Keith generously tipped the taxi driver in advance and asked that he wait while they explored the farm. The old Irishman agreed pleasantly and turned the radio on to a Gaelic station. Plodding through the mud, Keith and Melanie held hands and tried not to breathe as the animals surrounded them.
“They’d be so adorable if they didn’t stink so much!” Melanie joked, petting a friendly goat.
“Let’s go over that way.” Keith indicated a café in the distance where several couples were having lunch.
As they walked towards the café, the intrusive sound of a cell phone ring tone interrupted the moment. Keith glanced down sheepishly at his pocket, then realized that the source of the ringing wasn’t his phone. “I think that’s your phone, Melanie,” he said on a note of relief.
“Really? Oh you’re right. Let me see who’s calling me.” She dug the cell phone out of her purse, unsettled to see her father’s mobile phone number on the screen. Instantly, she felt that something was amiss. “Hello? Dad?”
Through waves of static, her father’s voice reverberated eerily. “Melanie, oh sweetheart, I have some awful news!”
Stopping dead in her tracks in the mud, Melanie asked shakily, “What is it, Dad? Please tell me what happened!”
Keith stopped alongside Melanie and listened to her end of the conversation with concern. Mr. Bradley’s voice cracked with emotion as he struggled to convey the news. “I can’t believe I have to tell you this, Melanie. It’s killing me to say the words out loud. Oh, I don’t even know how to say it!”
Heart beating wildly, Melanie pleaded, “Dad, please calm down and just say it. Whatever it is, I can handle it.”
“Your ice cream parlor burned to the ground!” He burst out. “I arrived early this morning to clean up the place a bit, but when I got here, there was nothing but soot and ashes! I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he cried remorsefully.
Melanie clenched her eyes shut and tried to process the horrific information. Mr. Bradley’s outburst had been loud enough for Keith to hear every word. Placing a sturdy arm around her shoulders, he stayed respectfully silent as tears streamed down her face.
“Melanie, are you there?” Her father asked sadly.
“I’m here, Dad,” she whispered.
“The investigators are already here on the scene. I don’t understand how this could have happened. I know I turned off all the lights last night and didn’t leave any of the machines on.”
“I’m sure it’s not your fault, Dad,” Melanie said, still unable to fathom that her ice cream parlor was gone.
“The strange thing is that none of the other buildings on this block were affected. Only Hot Fudge Fancy. An electrical fire would have likely destroyed the whole row of buildings or at least damaged them a little,” Mr. Bradley pointed out.
Touching a hand to her suddenly throbbing head, Melanie replied, “You’re right. This sounds like arson to me. I’ll be on the next plane back to Charleston.”
“But I don’t want to ruin your vacation! You just got to Ireland. Oh, I shouldn’t have called you!” Mr. Bradley choked up as Sunny barked in distress in the background.
“Of course you should have! This is my livelihood we’re talking about. Please just see if the fire department can launch a complete investigation right away. Because I’m sure that this fire was the result of malicious intent,” Melanie said darkly as Keith bit his lip nervously.
“Alright, darlin’. I’ll do whatever I can to work with the fire department. But if someone set your little ice cream parlor on fire, they’ll have me to contend with! And I want you stayin’ with me at home while this investigation is under way. Thank God no one was here during the fire,” he rambled on, feeling a sickening cocktail of emotions as he contemplated the horror of losing his only child in a blaze.
“Okay Dad. We’ll talk when I’m back in Charleston. Keith and I are going to pick up our luggage from the hotel and then we’ll be on our way to the airport,” Melanie said, gathering strength as she spoke. She had endured an infinitely worse tragedy in her life; this newest crisis would have to be dealt with in a detached, business-like manner. Melanie clicked the phone off as the tears dried on her cheeks.
Unsure of what to say, Keith locked his arm more tightly around her and merely whispered, “Let’s go.”
Mechanically, Melanie trudged through the thick layers of mud back to the waiting taxi. The driver glanced up in surprise to see the couple back so soon. Solemnly, Keith directed him to drive them back to the hotel.
“Who would do this?” Melanie asked glumly. “Why would someone want to set my business on fire? People love my ice cream shop. It brings a smile to everyone’s face. I just don’t understand.”
“I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that this was arson. The fire department hasn’t even scratched the surface of an investigation yet. There could have been a problem with a live wire or some other technical issue. Either way, you’ll get a good insurance pay out.”
Infuriated, Melanie shouted, “Insurance pay out?! I don’t care about insurance money!” The cab driver stared at her throug
h the rearview mirror as she lowered her voice to a more appropriate tone. But inside she was fuming. “I don’t want some consolation prize of insurance money. I want to work for a living. Just like my father taught me to do. That’s why I opened Hot Fudge Fancy. To merge my career with my dreams. And now it’s all gone.”
Awkwardly, Keith patted her hand as she pulled away. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing,” he offered.
“Money might make you feel better, but it’s no comfort to me,” Melanie said bitingly.
“Now I resent that, Melanie. I said I was sorry. There’s no need to attack my character. I’ve worked for all the money I have. Nothing has been handed to me either,” he defended as her expression softened.
“Sorry. That was unfair of me to say. Maybe we just shouldn’t talk right now. I can’t even think clearly, let alone carry on a conversation,” she said, circling her fingers around her aching temples.
“I understand,” Keith said quietly.
It was close to dinner hour when the cab finally pulled up to the hotel. Despite the fact that she hadn’t eaten a morsel for lunch, Melanie had no appetite at all. Feeling like a zombie, she walked next to Keith to the elevator and then to the glorious suite that they had barely enjoyed.
“If you blink, you might miss this vacation,” Melanie muttered, tossing her clothes carelessly into a suitcase.
Keith shuffled over to the bed and snatched his cell phone from his pocket. Packing with one hand and dialing with the other, he informed, “I’m calling the airline. There’s no sense rushing to the airport if we can’t get a flight right away.”
“Tell them it’s an emergency!” Melanie urged as he nodded curtly.
She scrambled to the bathroom to collect her personal effects before firmly zipping up her suitcase. Meandering onto the terrace, she stared out at the foggy streets of Dublin as Keith tried to get them a flight. The trip had begun and ended on a shrieking note of disaster. But as she breathed in the minty air and gazed upon the city that looked numinous from the penthouse suite, she couldn’t ignore the gut feeling that her time in Ireland was incomplete. She was destined to come back to Ireland; she had to be.
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