Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“It was a draw. When the table you insisted on using collapsed under the weight of the two of you stomping on it like you were cast members of Riverdance, we called it,” Anna said, her eyes twinkling.
“I’m sure we were excellent,” I protested.
Mum snorted. “More arm-flinging and kicking like donkeys than dancing, really.”
I sputtered into my tea, choosing to ignore her even as they all laughed.
“And why is Finn on the floor?”
“Anna managed to get you to bed, and Finn came in to tell you something. He just sort of dumped himself there, and we decided to leave him when he started snoring,” Una informed me. “What a racket. I had no idea.”
“Too late,” Finn’s rough voice spoke from the door. “You married me. You’re stuck with me.”
He looked as awful as I felt. He sat next to Una, placing his head on her shoulder. “Oh, you reek,” she laughed. “Whiskey, cigars, and regret.”
“Help me,” he pleaded.
Mum stood. “Right. A good breakfast will sort you out. We have a lot to do today. You leave tomorrow, and I’ll not have you off with a hangover.”
I met Finn’s bloodshot eyes. He narrowed his and mouthed the words “I won.”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Rematch,” he muttered, then paused and rubbed his legs. “Never mind.”
We all started to laugh. I glanced at Sully, who nodded, letting me know all was set. Finn and Una were off to London for a week. I was taking Anna to Sully’s cottage. A week of peace, quiet, and privacy. I hadn’t told her, wanting it to be a surprise.
I only hoped I was recovered enough by tomorrow to enjoy it.
Thanks to Mum’s hearty breakfast and an early night—this time sleeping with Anna—I felt fine the next day. We made our way to Dublin, kissing Mum goodbye with plans for her to meet us in seven days at the airport. Once we arrived, we dropped Finn and Una off at his favorite hotel for a couple of days, then headed to the airport. The jet flew Anna and me to Edinburgh. The pilot would return to Dublin and take Finn and Una to London in a couple of days. We caught a train to the small village, Anna still in the dark about where we were going. We strolled through the quaint town, taking in the quiet streets and friendly people. Using the directions Sully had given me, I guided Anna to the shore’s edge, and we stared out at the expanse of water before us. Then I turned her, pointing to the small stone cottage. “There, mo mhuirnín. That’s our place for the next while.”
She clasped her hands in delight and raced up the shore to the path. Laughing, I followed, holding on to the small case we’d brought. I opened the door for her with a flourish. “Ta-da!”
Inside, we looked around. The living area walls were whitewashed, the old floorboards gleaming in the afternoon sun that streamed in from the expansive windows. Hand-braided rugs felt cozy under our feet. The fireplace was stone like the outside, the hearth a huge piece of timber. Two large wingback chairs were by the fireplace, and a small sofa sat in front of it. Sully had told me he added the wing chairs so he had somewhere to sit. The sofa was too small for him. I assumed he would change that eventually.
The cottage had a center hall—to one side, a kitchen, and the other, a bathroom and the only bedroom. That room held a queen-sized bed, a small wardrobe, and a nightstand. The quilt on the bed was handmade and faded, but the room was welcoming, done in cream and green.
“Sully has applied for planning permission to add to the back of the cottage and make this bigger,” I told Anna. “He needs a king-sized bed. And he wants a closet.”
Off the kitchen was a small conservatory where a table and a couple of chairs were set up. “He’ll add to this as well, he tells me.”
“It’s so perfect,” Anna murmured. “Cozy and warm. I can’t wait to see the sunrises from that porch.”
“I can’t wait to make love to you in front of that fireplace,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “On that bed. Maybe the counter. By the water.”
“Planning ahead, are we?”
I laughed. “No one around to hear us. No Mum downstairs, no Finn next door trying to figure out the same thing—how to shag our women without making a sound.”
“You were pretty inventive.”
“Not often enough,” I growled, picking her up. “We have lots of time to make up for. And we’re starting now.”
She cupped my face. “Okay, Mr. Black. Do your worst.”
I woke up, already knowing the bed would be empty. Every day, Anna got up and watched the sunrise, a cup of tea in her hand, a smile on her face. She loved it here. The peace and quiet. The people. The privacy. She went for walks by herself often—strolling into the village to pick up something sweet for dessert or to say hello to the group of old women she’d made friends with. I’d followed her the first time, stealthy and unseen.