Page 38 of Beside Golden Irish Fields
The spryest of them made it to the doorway, only to get shot with more water in the backside. Gavin rubbed his butt and disappeared from view, and the remaining naked backsides disappeared quickly from sight.
Laughter crescendoed downstairs as more people called out to the streakers.
The Lucky Charms, headed by Bets, ran after them. Angie went to the open windows and watched with the remaining bystanders and students as Bets, Nicola, Brigid, and Siobhan shot them with the water guns until they reached their car doors.
“You’ll get my Mercedes wet, Bets,” the well-endowed man called as he fumbled with the door.
“Like you don’t deserve it for this stunt,” Bets said, running at him, “talking the men into it.”
“It wasn’t too hard,” he said before slamming and locking the door.
“Oh, what a day!” The old man with the bow tie ducked as water was shot his way, and then he waved and let himself into the passenger seat of the Mercedes.
Angie watched as Brigid chased down Seamus, who opened the side of a blue Berlingo and yelled, “Come on, men. Run for your lives.”
The remaining men rushed across the yard to the van and climbed in, buck naked, as the Lucky Charms pelted them with the remaining water in their guns, right out of a scene fromGhostbusters.
“Drive! Drive!” someone inside the van yelled, and then they were navigating their way back down the driveway as people rushed after them. Class was obviously dismissed, since eighty percent of her students were downstairs, so Angie went down to join them. Women were talking animatedly. Cormac was looking into his book and handing out money as people leaned in to speak with him. Mary Kincaid and her friend’s dour faces were visible when she looked over, but they were the only ones with that expression, thank God.
The Lucky Charms were talking to a group clustered around them. Bets raised her orange water gun in the air and the crowd cheered. People Angie didn’t know patted her again on the back, shook her hand, and told her she’d beenbrilliant.
Her first class here in Ireland had ended in absolute and complete mayhem, and without a single paint stroke, but she realized she was smiling, happy even, maybe as happy as that day Ollie had mentioned at the state fair all those years ago.
And nothing had gone as planned. She hadn’t handled the situation the way a “professional” would, or at least that’s what Randall would have said, but no one seemed to mind. In fact, they were treating her like she was one of them.
Liam appeared beside her. “Pretty memorable day, eh, cousin? Even Aunt Mary can’t complain. You did great from what I heard. Ten euros! That was brilliant.”
Brilliant.She’d done nothing but talk smart to a bunch of streakers, yet she was being treated like a hero. “I’m really starting to like Caisleán.”
“You need to come to the pub for a drink, cousin,” Liam said, putting his arm around her. “The whole village will want to buy you a pint.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, stepping away and tearing down the last of her ramshackle bun.
She shook her hair out and then shrugged out of her jacket. Forget the dumpy clothes. They’d liked her even though she’d utilized none of her usual professional techniques. She was going to ride this train for as long as she could.
“I might even get a little pissed.” Forget Megan and her opinions. “And I want to change. Liam, it’s about time I let my hair down. Past time, in fact.”
He waggled his brow. “I’ll be your wingman. Mum’s going to be apeshit all night from the looks of it. I was afraid this was going to happen.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. “I thought you said your aunt couldn’t complain.”
“That’s not the reason,” he said with a sigh. “Seeing someone naked changes things. Although I agree with my brothers. She’s going to fight it like hell.”
“Fight what? What are you talking about?”
“Well, if you must know—”
“Liam O’Hanlon!” Bets shouted, charging over. “Next time I need a bigger gun. Did you see that odious man bring his very own father to make a spectacle of himself? In front of the whole the village, no less. And he talked Nicola, Siobhan, and Brigid’s husbands into coming today to interrupt my first class. Sorry, Angie.Ourfirst class.”
“Yes, Mum,” Liam said, keeping a straight face.
“It’s outrageous, and I plan to tell him so when next I see him. I have a mind to drive to his house right now.”
“You do that,” Liam said. “I’m taking Angie to the pub.”
“I’m going to have a stiff drink,” Angie said, miming the action of taking a shot.
“Everyone is headed there,” Bets said with a flick of her hand, gesturing to the cars leaving while other people carried their chairs off toward the driveway. “I’ll see you shortly. Angie, you did wonderful, all things considered. Ten euros! When I’m not so hyped up, I’ll probably laugh until my belly hurts.”
