Page 27 of Since We're Here
“Mam? Can we ask him about my doll?” the younger girl chimes in.
“Yes, Niamh, when Uncle Patrick comes out of the office, we’ll ask him if you left it at his cottage.”
So many interesting bits of information here.
Saoirse turns to me. “And while her name sounds like Neev, it’s spelled N-I-A-M-H.”
“Good lord.”
Saoirse chuckles. “We came to see you and also to hunt down Niamh’s doll. She must’ve left it at Patrick’s last weekend.”
I give her an inquisitive look. “Last weekend?”
I remember last Friday night. Yup. Sure do.
“Last Saturday, when they slept at his cottage. My brother keeps the girls for a night most weekends, to give me a bit of a break. He’s been a godsend, especially since their dad and I divorced. Actually...” She leans forward and lowers her voice. “He’s been amazing since he came back to Dingle five years ago. After he and Cara split.”
“We can hear you, Ma,” Erin says with an eye roll in her voice.
“Has he told you about her?” Saoirse ignores her daughter. “They were engaged. She was the worst.”
Something moves in my chest. Cara. A key to understanding who he is. Not that I care, obviously.
I shake my head. “We haven’t been having many heart-to-hearts, you know?”
Saoirse chuckles. “I’m not surprised. He’d be pissed I shared anything about her with you.” She glances back over her shoulder at the girls.
“I won’t tell.” I make a zipping motion on my lips.
“He’s so good with them. And he always makes it to biweekly family dinners with our parents. Not that he has anything else going on. No girlfriend or anything.”
“Uncle Patrickneverbrings girls around,” Niamh moans, not looking up from her iPad.
I stifle a giggle.
“Hush, dears. Want some crisps?”
“Yes!” both girls yell.
“Will you hand me two?” Patrick’s sister nods her head to the bin of chips behind the bar. “You’re American?”
“Yup.” I nod, handing her the bags.
“Are you single?”
I practically choke on my own spit. “Yeah.”
“Excellent. And what are you doing here working at this pub? In the winter? Not the best time for a vacation in Dingle.”
“Yeah, I noticed. But I’m here to plan a bachelorette-slash-bachelor party road trip for my sister and her fiancé.”
She raises her eyebrows and I explain Reese and Oliver’s role in all this.
“Lovely. I know Oliver from when he spent time here in Dingle.”
“Oh, I keep forgetting he lived here for a bit. We’re not telling him I’m in Ireland, though.”
“Sure, okay.” Saoirse gives me a funny look. “Spring’s a wonderful time of year for a road trip. There are many tourists, but less than in the summer. Loads of them come from the US. Patrick has a thing for American accents.” She winks.
