Wild Irish Dreamer (The Mystic Cove Series Book 8)

by Tricia O'Malley

  “Nobody lives here. You can dress in the hallway.”

  “Fi… talk to me.” Liam stood by the door, his eyes warm and measuring on hers.

  “I have nothing to say. Just go, please,” Fi said.

  “I don’t like leaving you like this.”

  “We’re mates. I’m not mad. But I do need you to leave. I don’t feel well.” Fi stepped back as concern filled Liam’s eyes and he moved forward.

  “Can I do anything?”

  “No, it’s… I had a curry for lunch. Stomach issues. Best you leave,” Fi said as mortification stained her face pink.

  “Ah, I’ve been there. I’ll go. But we need to talk about this,” Liam said, stepping out in the hallway.

  “Maybe, maybe not. It’s really not much of a thing at all. Truly. Okay, off with you then. Safe home,” Fi said, closing the door and bolting it before racing to a bedroom and throwing herself on the bed face down. Embarrassment flooded her, along with something else she couldn’t quite put a finger on – shame, perhaps? She’d all but thrown herself at the man, then tossed him from her flat. Not that he hadn’t been pushing her buttons, Fi reminded herself as she flipped over to stare at the ceiling. What with him prowling around almost naked and being all… Liam in her face. He had to know the effect he had on her.

  Or did he? She hadn’t really told him, had she?

  This was why she didn’t do relationships, Fi reminded herself. Dating and flirting were not her strong areas. She always ended up being unable to shield her gift from the person she was close to, and she had been treated to some very uncomfortable revelations. Like the time she’d accidently discovered her lover was working her around to bringing another woman into their bedroom. And maybe something about golden showers? She’d left that one behind as fast as she could. There were some things best left undiscovered, and some fantasies best left unsaid.

  Fi’s gift often put her in an awkward spot, much like this moment, where she’d tried to take control of a situation and had it backfire in her face.

  “I had to tell the man I’d had a curry…” Fi groaned and covered her face. “Now that’s all he’ll think about when he sees me.”

  Chapter 13

  “Are you sure you’re wanting to get married then?” Liam asked Dylan, causing the other man to stop writing in his notebook and glance over at him from across the table. Liam had crashed the ship’s galley once again – it served as their temporary office, and was close enough to Fi’s apartment that he hadn’t soaked up too much more rain.

  “Aye, I’m sure,” Dylan said, leaning back to study Liam.

  “Women are mental,” Liam said, stretching his legs out in the sweatpants he’d found stashed in one of the rooms.

  “They are at that,” Dylan agreed. Reading his friend’s mood right, he reached behind himself to open a small cupboard door and pull out a bottle of whiskey.

  “A wee dram then?”

  “Why not?” Liam shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest as his mind whirled with what had just happened. They’d gone from teasing and playful to almost angry in mere moments. There was something else going on there, but Liam hadn’t been given the chance to dig deeper. He didn’t like puzzles – well, he liked finishing puzzles. It was more that he didn’t like unanswered questions, and Liam had a lot of them for Fi.

  “Why not, indeed? The weather certainly calls for it,” Dylan said, his tone placid as he poured them both a small measure of whiskey. “Slainté.”

  “Pissing down out there,” Liam commented.

  “Indeed. Are you here to talk about the weather or talk me out of marriage?”

  “Neither. I just wanted to know why you’re tying yourself to a woman forever, is all.”

  “You’ve met Grace. You love Grace.”

  “Aye, that I do. She’s a powerhouse, and she saved me life. I’m forever indebted to her. I’d marry her if you didn’t.”

  “And yet he questions marriage.” Dylan looked up to the ceiling and shook his head.

  “I’m just trying to understand women.”

  “It’ll take more than an afternoon and a bottle of whiskey for that particular endeavor,” Dylan said, a smile flitting across his face.

  “You don’t think you’ll get sick of Grace?”

  “No. There’s times where I want to throttle her, and her me, so we step outside and take some space. But it only needs a bit to calm down before you remember why you love each other. Plus, she’s magick. In all the ways. My life with her will never be dull and for that, I’m eternally grateful.”

  “I suppose that’s a blessing. You’re right – it’s going to be a fascinating dance the two of you lead in the upcoming years.”

  “And I welcome every dip and twirl of it. So, tell me, Liam – is it Fi?”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Just an inkling,” Dylan said with a shrug.

  Liam groaned, running his palm over his face before downing his whiskey in one gulp. The heat trailed down his throat, warming his belly, and making him wish that something else was warming him.

  “It’s been something like four hours since I’ve seen her. How could the gossips possibly be spreading the news already?”

  “I only need one gossip,” Dylan reminded him, reaching over and pouring another dram for Liam.

  “Of course – Gracie. She would know. What did she say?” Liam demanded.

  Both of Dylan’s eyebrows rose. “Well, color me surprised, my good lad. I had no idea we’d be sitting down talking about ‘he said, she said’ this afternoon. You’re never one for gossip.”

  “That isn’t entirely true, as you well know. I like to keep my ear to the ground.”

  “Sure you do, on projects and feeling the pulse of the villager’s responses to things. But you’ve never been one to settle in for women’s gossip.”

  “Also untrue. I love women. I let them gossip around me all the time.”

  “And pay them barely a lick of attention when they do. Go on then, tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “Ach, man, you’re doing me head in. Yes, it’s Fi. We have a history,” Liam said.

  “Ah, the plot thickens.”

  “Aye, it does. A night in Croatia. Nothing too serious, but she was there for me to help me past my breakup. I like her. She’s whip-smart and unsure of herself at the same time. There’s something about her that… I don’t know. She’s a puzzle for me to figure out.”

  “She intrigues you.”

  “She does. And I don’t know why. She’s not my typical type.”

  “A lovely lass though. You could do far worse. I owe her a great debt.”

  “Why’s that?” Liam cocked his head at Dylan.

  “She was instrumental in making sure I got to Gracie. Remember when I went and tracked her down at a friend’s place in Italy? Fi was the friend. She reached out to me. Smart woman.”

  “She is smart. And funny, and one of the lads, and yet not.”

  “You like her.”

  “I told you I did, didn’t I?”

  “Calm down, I’m just trying to clarify things. What’s got you in a snit then?”

  “She threw me out of her apartment. One moment we were flirting” – Liam decided to leave out the part where Fi had offered him a quick shag – “and the next she was tossing me out. I can’t understand it. And she wouldn’t talk to me or tell me why.” He also decided to leave out the bit about Fi’s upset stomach. It wouldn’t do to embarrass the lass further.

  “Hmmm,” Dylan said, and turned to pull a packet of crisps out of the cupboard. They both reached for a handful, quietly crunching as they considered the situation. “What do you want?”

  “I want to know why she bothers me so much.”

  “I hope you didn’t say that to her like that.”

  Liam paused, then said, “I don’t think I did.”

  “So, maybe you romance her? You know women, despite your protestations that you do not. Just do your thing and she’ll
be dating you in no time. But if you hurt her, I’ll have to kill you.”

  “See? This is exactly why I don’t want to date her. You can’t date someone in this town without everyone having a say in it. Christ, we even had a bet going on about when you and Gracie would end up together.”

  “And I’m guessing you thought that was fun?” Dylan smiled, and plucked another crisp from the bag.

  “When it’s not me, it’s grand fun.”

  “My suggestion is, if you’re confused at the moment, then don’t start something you can’t finish. I know, I know” – Dylan held up his hands at Liam’s look – “that sounds ridiculous. There’s no way of knowing what your end game with Fi could be. I just mean, treat her carefully. If you don’t think you could see yourself with her for a longer haul than your usual stints, then keep her as a friend. No reason not to be nice to her.”

  “I don’t know what I see for us. Nothing, really, seeing as she just chucked me from her apartment.”

  “Then you’ve received your marching orders. Respect that. Be her friend and ease off a bit. She’ll let you know if she’s interested.”

  “Play the waiting game?”

  “Why not? We’re here for a while anyway. Now, tell me, what apartment was Fi in? Does she have a place here now?”

  Despite his protestations about gossiping, Liam settled in to tell Dylan the news while the boat rocked gently beneath them and the rain buffeted the hull. Moments like this always reminded him of the bonds made with his mates at sea, for there was no finer companionship than riding through storms with friends.

  Chapter 14

  She was in the cove, that much Fi knew immediately, sitting cross-legged in the sand and staring out at the water. A pack of tarot cards lay at her feet, and she seemed to be giving herself a reading. Shuffling, Fi stared out at the water and considered her question.

  “Show me the future,” Fi said, and laid out a card.

  If this had been real, and not a dream, Fi would have been able to say that tarot cards weren’t meant to be used for such open-ended questions. But, seeing as how she was dragged deep into her subconscious for this particular storyline, all she could do was watch from afar and see how it played out.

  The first card indicated indecision and a splitting of paths. Fi wanted to break through the dream and point out that, of course, that was how the future worked. People had choices. The next card indicated travel and exploration. Fi flashed to an image of herself, ten years from now, sipping a glass of wine on a balcony in Ecuador, admiring the bustling streets below her. Fi studied herself, looking for clues of what would come, and what she saw in her face made her… sad, she realized. From the outside, this Fi looked content. World-traveled, well-dressed, confident, and successful. But the lines around her eyes and the tension in her mouth indicated sadness. She was lonely, Fi realized. The scene switched, pulling her back to the beach where she flipped another card, indicating another path.

  This one held Liam. Of course it did, Fi thought in annoyance; he was all she’d thought about all day before finally tumbling into sleep. But the scene didn’t change this time. Instead, she glanced up from her spot, nestled in the sand, to see him strolling across the beach toward her, a smile on his face. The wind tousled his hair, and Fi jumped up, joy racing across her face as she held out her hands to him. When a flash of blue light shimmered in the cove, Fi forced herself to pull out of the dream – all the way out, until she lay blinking at the ceiling of her new apartment, her heart racing, her brow damp with sweat.

  “That’s not fair,” Fi said out loud, looking up at the crown molding that cornered the room. She’d fallen asleep with the small light on the bedside table still on, and now she pulled herself up to sit, leaning back against the headboard and drawing deep breaths to calm herself down.

  It wasn’t often that she had these dreams, for she’d done her best to train herself out of them. That training – and a sleeping pill on occasion – helped to blanket her from these moments.

  They’d started when she was quite young, and had been quite a surprise to everyone. At the tender age of three, Fi had woken to tell Cait that Mr. O’Sullivan’s barn was on fire. Luckily, Cait had accepted the mysteries of Grace’s Cove enough at this point to suspend disbelief and ring over to Mr. O’Sullivan’s house, waking a very annoyed household. Their annoyance had turned to gratitude when they’d been able to discover the fire and stop it before it did much damage or hurt their livestock. Since that day, Cait had paid close attention to her daughter’s dreams, and Fi had tried to suppress them as best she could. It wasn’t a formally known trait of hers around the village, yet whispers followed her. It had singled her out for being different at a young age, and combined with her ability to read thoughts, she was well aware of what people weren’t saying to her face.

  Having Grace as an ally had proven to be the best thing for her; they were not only family, but genuinely liked each other. Where Grace embraced her magick and ran roughshod over her family, Fi had quietly tried to suppress hers and lead a normal life. Irrespective of their different approaches to their gifts, the girls had always been thick as thieves, and that had helped to combat any loneliness that would otherwise have occurred when the other children shied away from them. It helped, too, that Grace was startlingly beautiful and dynamic – a force to be reckoned with. She was born to be popular, and pulled Fi along in her wake.

  As the years went by, Fi stopped talking about the dreams unless they were something that absolutely needing attending to. If anyone was in grave danger – like when David had fallen from a cliff and broken his leg with nobody about to see – then Fi made sure to help. But other things? Less subtle dreams? She left well enough alone regarding those. It wouldn’t do for her to tell Mr. Flanagan that his wife might be enjoying the company of the local doctor. Or to announce that Susan at school had a crush on the new boy from Derry. As far as Fi was concerned, that was meddling. One thing she did believe was that no one could know the ramifications of intervening in situations like that, and Fi didn’t feel the need to have the weight of that on her head.

  Now, with tonight’s dream, she found herself deeply annoyed. Did she ask what her future looked like? No, she hadn’t. Fi didn’t need or want those answers. What she wanted was to have a good night’s rest, enjoy her friend’s hen party, and catch up with her family. Liam was not in her plans.

  For a moment, because it was almost three in the morning, according to a quick check of her phone, she let herself think about Liam walking across the sand to her. Her dream self had looked happy – truly happy – and that was something she hadn’t ever really felt, Fi realized. Was that the missing piece of her puzzle? Love? A man?

  Shaking her head in frustration, Fi took another deep breath and studied her manicure. It wasn’t fair to think she couldn’t be happy on her own. She loved her life, genuinely enjoyed her work, and was fascinated by traveling. She refused to believe that a man would be the final key to her happiness. There had to be something else bothering her, Fi mused, and then groaned out loud when it came to her.

  “Is this one of those life lessons where I need to accept all aspects of myself in order to be happy?” Fi asked the crown molding. When it didn’t respond –because, duh, it was an inanimate object – Fi glared at it.

  “So you’re saying I’ll be happy with Liam, but not happy following my path – a path I dearly love?”

  Still no response.

  “I hate these dreams,” Fi decided. Rolling over, she flicked off the light, pulling a pillow over her head for good measure.

  Chapter 15

  “Oh, this is going to be fun.” Keelin, Grace’s mum, clapped her hands when she entered Gallagher’s Pub, followed by the rest of their inner sanctum of friends and family. For the first time in ages, Gallagher’s Pub had closed to the public to become the unofficial ‘Hen Party Headquarters’ for the day and night. Keelin and Flynn’s farmstead had been commandeered by the men for a day of Highland-sty
le games and copious amounts of whiskey. With strict assurances that they would stay put, the women had felt comfortable taking over the village for their party.

  Fi called out a welcome from where she was helping the team of makeup and hair stylists arrange their tools on two long tables she’d pulled out from the back room. Cait had found an old dressing rack from some dusty storage closet and Fi had hung all the dresses she’d selected on it. Maybe she’d gone overboard, Fi thought, eyeing the rack that exploded with tulle and satin, but better to have too many options than not enough.

  She wasn’t particularly looking forward to one part of the night: Grace had requested they do something to honor all their extra-special gifts. Knowing Grace, she was probably thinking something along the lines of calling upon the goddesses while they danced naked through a stone circle. If that was what she wanted, she should have picked a different maid of honor, Fi thought as she smiled at the women who poured in after Keelin. Each one was equally as luminous as the next, and they all had a special place in Fi’s heart. For a moment, she paused and studied them all as they chattered and hugged each other just inside the door, talking a mile a minute over each other, acting as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

  She missed them, Fi realized. As much as she traveled, Grace’s Cove and the people in it were still her home and her heart. Making a mental note to schedule more trips home, she moved forward to greet the group.

  “Aislinn, I’ve missed you,” Fi said. She was enveloped in a cloud of rose-scented body oil as Aislinn hugged her close, the bracelets dripping from her wrists tinkling softly together. Pulling back, Aislinn shook back her wild mane of hair, now threaded with grey, and studied Fi’s eyes.

  “You’ve sorrow to you. What’s going on?” Aislinn demanded.

  “Would you hush? Today is about Grace,” Fi hissed, pushing her away and shooting her a warning look as Keelin squealed and threw her arms around Fi.