Page 110 of Beside Golden Irish Fields
That made her laugh. “So she and I have the same taste in men? God, who would have imagined it? Oh, hell. It’s like Caisleán’s PG-13 version ofFatal Attraction.”
“God, I hope not! I like bunnies and hares.”
He elbowed her, and they both started to laugh. “It’s only a rose competition, and we’ll be watching her, won’t we? Your GoPro is our secret. Not even Liam knows.”
“You’ll win next year,” he said, “and I’ll hoist you onto my shoulders with your trophy in front of the whole town.”
She could see that image all too clearly in her mind. “The important thing is that Angie is home and doing great according to the doctors.”
“You’re right about Carrick,” Donal said with a frown. “After I left you at the hospital last night, I passed by his place as I usually do.”
“Seeing how you live on the same road…”
“The lights in his house and shed were on. He was working at three in the morning. I don’t think he’d been to bed.”
Just as she’d thought. “He must have been thinking about Sorcha. Not the ghost.”
“Right.” Donal plucked another weed. “Be hard not to. Even I had a bad moment when Angie fell. It could have gone another way, Bets.”
She stood and brushed the dirt off on her pants. “I know it. The Lucky Charms and I agreed to never dance on the bar again. We’ll dance on the floor and be happy for it. I thought about blaming myself—her sister isn’t too pleased with me, mind you—but accidents happen. We get up. We can’t live our lives carrying that kind of guilt around. At least I don’t want to.”
“Sound advice,” he said, looking over as a blue Berlingo drove up. “That’s Tom MacKenna. Why are my balls twitching all of the sudden?”
She rose. “Probably because of Mary Kincaid and all the time she’d been spending with Tom’s wife, Orla, behind closed doors. It’s an odd time to be paying a call after a relation was released from the hospital.”
Donal took her hand as Tom exited the car, and she understood he was telling Tom he was on her side. “Hi, Tom. Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
He was a short, thin man with a receding hairline, and he didn’t do anything but nod. “Bets, I’m sorry to do this after what happened last night, but some felt an urgency. Donal, we didn’t call you for the meeting as you had a clear conflict given your relationship with Bets here.”
Holy freaking hell.
Donal leveled him a glance. “You decided to exclude me without talking to me straight to my face?”
“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?” Tom’s eyes fired. “The county council passed a cease and desist for your art classes, Bets.”
“What?” She felt Donal tighten his hold on her.“Why?”
“Yes, why, Tom? The village is behind this arts center one hundred percent. Didn’t you see every business in the village proudly displaying the Bets’ flyer about art classes? And it’s not like she needs planning permission. She’s registered for taxes and is only using a shed on her property, which is allowed.”
“For agricultural use only,” Tom said, his narrow eyes unrelenting. “Don’t make me quote the rule book for you.”
She had to bite her lip.The same rule book the rose judges used? Oh, Mary, you have reached a new level of bitchy.
“There’s a rule book?” Donal’s muffled laughter echoed through the yard.
Tom rubbed the sunburn on his head. “We can’t abide nudes being taught here. It’s indecent. Donal, we were willing to look the other way when you and the guys had a little craic with the streaking, and what with you on the city council—”
“If this is how you plan to have things go, I’m resigning.”
“Donal,” Bets said, turning to look at him.
“As you like,” Tom said, “but some are starting to wonder what’s going on here in these so-called art classes.”
“Painting nudes is a common practice in art,” Bets said. “Can you tell me who’s behind the complaint, Tom?”
He shifted on his feet, not making eye contact. “It’s public record, so I’ll tell you that it was Mary Kincaid. I know it’s tough news, but that’s the way of it.”
“And your wife being Mary’s closest friend didn’t disqualifyyoufrom the vote?” Donal asked, his voice soft and a little dangerous.
