Page 53 of An Enchanted Spring

Reilly scrutinized him for a full minute. “You’re not going to ask me to come along?”

Every time Aidan thought Reilly might be headed back in time, he asked to go. Every time, Reilly turned him down, and every time, Aidan grew a bit more resentful.

But not this time.

Aidan shook his head. “Nay. I’m needed here.”

It was really dark.

That was Emma’s first thought as she opened her eyes and the jet taxied into the hangar. She glanced at the large clock hanging on the silver hangar wall, illuminated with fluorescent lights outside her tiny window.

Eight thirty.

The jet slowed to a stop, and Les cut the engine. Amanda opened the door as two men wheeled a staircase across the floor to meet it, and a moment later, Reilly went out to greet them.

Emma sighed softly and closed her eyes again. After years of wishing, hoping, and dreaming, she was finally in Ireland.

“Wake up, Emma. We’re here,” Aidan called.

She scowled. The man couldn’t give her a moment’s peace. He’d scoffed when she flipped on the latestThorfilm and made derogatory comments about the superhero. She’d merely turned the volume up and tuned him out.

“Coffee for the road, miss?” Amanda asked, holding a steaming to-go cup. Emma accepted it gratefully, then closed her eyes again, exhausted. The aroma of the brew reminded her of her last almost-cup of coffee, when she stood in Colin’s kitchen and tried to work his machine. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Emma, I’m going to bring your bags to the car.” Aidan towered above her, resting his forearm on the back of her seat. “We’ll clear customs before leaving the hangar, then get going. Maybe grab some food. Are you hungry?”

“Is it always like this?” she asked. He frowned, so she clarified, “No time for second thoughts. Go, go, go.”

A ghost of a smile played at his lips. “Nay, Emma. It’s rarely like this. I hope it will slow down considerably once we get to our final destination.”

“Where is that, exactly?” she asked. For the last couple of hours, Aidan and Reilly had huddled together, talking in low voices and mapping out all sorts of plans. After straining tohear them, then realizing they were speaking in rapid-fire Gaelic again, she gave up and put her headphones on, deciding Thor was much better company than either of them. Of course, once Aidan realized she was watching a very beautiful man, he’d become downright belligerent, almost to the point of preventing her from enjoying the movie.

Lucky for her, she was an expert at tuning out white noise. She’d fallen asleep to the surly look on Aidan’s face.

“Tonight, we’ll stay at Reilly’s cottage outside the city.”

“They’re ready,” Reilly interrupted them, sticking his head inside the door. He caught sight of Cian, who was still green from the trip. “Cian, you head out first. Careful.”

Cian managed a nod, then slowly exited the plane.

Emma watched him go. “I feel awful for him. Is he like that every time you fly?”

“Aye,” Aidan said. “You’d think he’d get used to it, but he still claims it’s unnatural to ride about in the air. He’d much rather a beast under him than nothing at all.”

“You mean, like a horse?”

“Aye. Have you ever ridden before?”

Emma grimaced. “Yes.”

Amused, he asked, “Did you enjoy it?”

“Absolutely not. It was a nasty thing, kept trying to bite me. I don’t like horses.”

“How big was it?” he asked.

“Well, I was thirteen at the time, and it came up to my shoulder. So, pretty huge,” she replied seriously.

He laughed. “Oh, Emma. That was a pony. Not a horse.”

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