Page 22 of An Irish Kiss
She bit her lip, glanced down.
“Hey, I’m just teasing.”
She forked another scampi in, then peeked up.“Look, I’m really happy you discovered that I can make good suggestions.”
His lips pulled out then up.“Oh, it’s like that, is it?”
Her chest fluttered.His smile seemed to have that effect.“I’m afraid so.”
His gaze held hers for a long moment, then fell to her plate.
“Want one?”
“Could I?”
She carefully transferred a plump prawn to his plate, beside the gravy-meat of his pie.
“Thanks.”He ate it, smiled.“Yum.”
Was it silly of her to admit she found his use of words like “Yum” a wee bit adorable?The men she knew—apart from Colin, of course—seemed a lot more free with certain words that Mam had always frowned upon.A man who appreciated fairy gardens and such things was a rarity.
He nudged her shoulder.“Want some of my pie?”
“It’s okay.I’ve had that before.Hence why I knew it was good.”
“Hence, huh?”
“Come on.You should be familiar with that word.Especially now I know that you’re a solicitor.”She sipped her cider.“Do you do much work in courtrooms?”
He shook his head, and part of her relaxed.She didn’t want to find a man appealing who argued for a living.She was so prone to foot-in-mouth that there was no way she could ever get the best of him.
“I do more contractual law and casework assistance.I haven’t gone for my bar exams, so I’m not in courtrooms often, except to advise.”
She nodded, and when he was asked a question by Niamh, she concentrated on eating her food, yet still thinking, thinking, thinking.
Why did this new facet of his life concern her?Was it the way others kept glancing at her, glancing at him, then Mary, as if there was a big secret she wasn’t aware of?
Her phone vibrated with a message, and she picked it up.Aisling:I don’t know anything.
Taut heartstrings eased.Okay then.Maybe all was well.
She finished her meal, placed her cutlery on the plate and pushed it away, ready to be cleared.
Aidan had done the same, and as most of the others had finished, it seemed time to continue the evening’s discussion.
Mary cleared her throat, then gestured to the books in the middle of the table.“So when I met Aidan earlier today and he mentioned the Quinn family, I thought I’d do a little bit of research.Aidan, you’ll find in that top book there some bookmarks that show pictures of where the Quinn family used to live.”
“Really?”He leaned across and picked up the book, flipping pages until he found what he was looking for.
Rory smothered a smile.He seemed as eager as a puppy finding food.
She leaned across, saw the page had opened to a photograph of a small thatched stone cottage, with a woodland at the back.Pretty.
“That first picture is believed to date back to the mid 1600s, and yes, before you ask, it’s still standing,” Mary said.
“Wow.It’s nothing like the places at home.”
She recognised it now.“Is that the one on the road to Killarney?”
