Page 46 of Beneath Pearly Irish Skies
“Well, we stopped his dirty work this time,” Eoghan said with a nod. “I didn’t like Donal having to resign like he did.”
Megan hadn’t realized how personal this was for Eoghan. Donal seemed so capable, but this man was his father.
“Well, we’d best be off,” Eoghan said with another look at the butcher counter. “No steak for this old man?”
“If you have the coin, always, you old codger,” Seamus said with a grin.
“I’ll donate one your way as a reward for recent events,” Declan said, packaging up one and handing it to him. “Have a fine day, Megan.”
“Thanks, Declan,” she said. “See you later, Seamus.”
When they left the store, Eoghan extended his free arm to her. “You did right fine, Megan. We have three hundred euros and some free steaks, and we’ve only just begun. I knew the village would do their part. Let’s see what else we might raise.”
They went into store after store, and it followed a similar pattern. People asked about each other’s families—something she loved about the Irish—and then there was a bit of teasing. Some talked about the coup that had secured the permit. Others brought up the weather. Still others mentioned Keegan’s cattle. The village was up in arms about the words he’d used, although Megan had found a few messages helpful. She hadn’t gotten to know Keegan well yet, but she hoped to change that in her class.
Eoghan was a clever sort. When the townspeople started reminiscing about Carrick’s sheep and how much they missed the poetic words of Sorcha Fitzgerald, he’d remind people about the arts center being named after her, and sure enough, they always made a strong donation.
The biggest surprise came when they reached the bookshop, One More Chapter, owned by Kade’s mother. Shannon, his sister, embraced her and then proceeded to ask Eoghan whether women could enter the horse race, something that hadn’t been established.
He scratched the thin wisps of silver hair covering his head, clearly flummoxed, and Nicola covered her hand to disguise a smile. Megan couldn’t imagine why a woman couldn’t race, so she kept quiet.
“Usually the horse racing is for the men only.” Shannon anchored her hands on her hips, glaring at the older man. “But aren’t we part of the village too?”
“Is this some kind of independence stand?” Eoghan asked. “Girl, I’m all for you racing. I’d let my own granddaughters do it if they weren’t in Dublin.”
“So it’s open to women?”
Eoghan nudged her. “What do you think, Megan?”
“I don’t see why gender should matter.”
“Good, then it’s decided.” Shannon shook back her long brown hair. “Megan, you should know that this town and Ireland herself has a long way to go when it comes to treating women fairly. Hence why I had to ask.”
Eoghan uttered a squeak, making Nicola laugh outright this time.
Waving her off, he turned to Shannon. “Ah, you should talk to your old schoolmates, Riona and Ceila, when they come visit me and their father. Now, we must be going, but before we do, we’d be wondering about your interest in making a donation.”
Nicola took some bills out of her purple skirt and extended them. “I saw you making the rounds and was ready for you.”
“I hear we have you to thank for Killian agreeing to hold the event on your land,” Megan said.
“We have a good race course and some nice sheds you’ll be needing given the weather that time of year.” Nicola put her hand on Megan’s arm and gave her a soft smile. “We need to keep our Yanks happy.”
She stared at the elegant woman with the short white-blond hair. Happy? They wanted them both to be happy? The sweetness of the comment enveloped her.
“With me helping, their path will be lined with unicorns, fairies, and rainbows,” Eoghan said in that charming way she was coming to love.
“Thank you for the donation and the help,” Megan said, awkwardly reaching out and touching the woman’s arm in return.
This was Kade’s mother, and while she didn’t know her well, the same thread of kindness ran through mother and son. Looking at Nicola, she could also see where Kade’s cheekbones and brown eyes had come from. When the older woman took her hand and smiled, Megan found herself smiling in return.
“Megan, come up to the house for tea after you finish a late pony ride,” Nicola said. “I’m usually home around five. Please bring Ollie if you’d like, although I’ve heard he loves to play around the farm.”
“Thank you, Nicola. I will.”
Shannon shot her a knowing smile. Did she know about what was developing between her and Kade? They hadn’t gone out in public yet, but she was his sister. Megan sent the young woman a smile as Eoghan took her elbow.
“We’ll be off since everything is sorted,” Eoghan said with a crisp bow of his head. “Good luck.”
