by Iris Blobel
****
“So how did it go? “ Davo asked when Hollie found him at the beach late that morning.
She kneeled down, picked up a little pebble and threw it into the sea. “She’s just…wow…she’s just…”
“Sweetly nice?” Davo said with a grin.
“I can’t believe how much she’s wrapped you around her finger. She’s one of the most…” Hollie waved her arms in the air and then dropped them down by her side. “I have no idea what she is. She’s like hot and cold. Hot with you and cold with me. For goodness sake, Davo, we sat down, and her auntie asked me straight out to tell her about my dreams. What was I supposed to say? I dream when your niece’s husband can’t control his testosterone…you know…and has sex with her without her participation.”
“How about you tell me from the start?”
Davo leaned his surfboard against the foreshore wall and sat down on the towel. Hollie sat right next to him and told him about her lunch with Sam and Aileen.
“That was it?” Davo asked.
“That was it!”
“Nothing else?”
She played with the sand in her hands. “Nothing else. We finished our lunch, said our goodbyes, and then Sam dropped me off here. Apparently, she’s joining us in a few minutes to take you up on your offer.”
She rolled her eyes, unable to face his mocking smile. “What is it between you two?”
He shrugged. “Why?”
“Can’t put it into words.”
Davo had a smirk on his face. “Jealous?”
“Yeah, right.”
He scratched his head. “I like her. What’s wrong with that?”
“I’m not sure. I just don’t want her to hurt you. She somehow scares me. She’s got so many different sides to her. Snappy with me, flirty with you, secretive with her auntie, and…well…victim with her husband.”
“She is a woman of many talents, isn’t she?” Davo chuckled, but Hollie just slapped him on his arm.
Moving a bit closer, he placed his arm around her. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m big and old enough—literally—to take care of myself.”
“Hi!”
Davo and Hollie were startled by the sound of Sam’s voice.
“Oh, hi.” Davo stood. “How did your lunch go?”
“Didn’t Hollie tell you about it, yet?”
Hollie stood as well. “Yes, I did.”
“I have a feeling the short version, though,” Davo explained.
“Auntie Aileen’s convinced Padraic is not good for me.” With her gaze dropping down to the ground, Sam said quietly, “I just wanted to know what she thinks of you. I’m sorry I put you in an awkward position.”
“Did I pass the test?” Hollie asked with cynicism in her voice.
“It wasn’t a test. I value my auntie’s opinion. And, yes, she sensed honesty and kind of a new beginning with you.”
“Great!” Hollie said sarcastically. “Does that mean you finally believe me?”
Sam took a deep breath. “Look, Hollie, you have to admit it does sound a bit strange, doesn’t it?”
“I give her that point,” Davo threw into the conversation, but Hollie shot him a glare.
Hollie gazed past both of them out to the sea. “Does that mean you might do something about your marriage? I just want to get on with my life.”
“It’s not that easy,” Sam said with a pained expression.
“It should be, though,” Davo said. “Every woman deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.”
Sam slid her hands through her hair. “Grand, how much did she tell you?”
“Not sure. Enough, I guess. Though not all, I suppose.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sam hesitated, but then answered the phone. “Hello?”
“It’s me. Where are you?”
Sensing her husband’s displeasure, she tried to stay calm. “Didn’t you get my message?”
“Message? Of course I got the stupid message. ‘Am in Cork with Auntie Aileen for a little break.’ What kind of message is that?”
“I thought a straightforward one. You were gone, I was alone, so Auntie Aileen invited me. Most of the ads for the next month are done, so I took some days off.”
“Took some days off? Sam, that doesn’t sound like you at all.”
“Padraic, I’m just having a good time here with Auntie Aileen.” A lie—again! That was so not like her. “I’ll be home on the weekend.”
“How about I come down? I could take some days off also.”
“No, I need this time for myself. Please, don’t make a big deal out of it. It’ll be just a few days.”
And she needed these few days on her own. She missed him. Of course she did! In some way, anyhow. But why wouldn’t he understand she wanted some time on her own? Especially considering his current behaviour towards her when it came to sex. Yet, all she really wanted was to find out more about Hollie and her dreams.
Why did this strange woman dream about her? And the fact was she must have, because Hollie had told her things nobody else knew. Having Padraic around would only cause stress for Sam, and that was the last thing she needed.
She listened only half-heartedly to the rest of his words and finally said, “I’ve got to go. See you Sunday.”
“Hey, honey. I love you and miss you terribly.”
Her throat all of a sudden tightened up. “I…I’ll see you when I get home,” she said quietly.
****
Sam didn’t like that she’d placed Hollie in an awkward situation to confront her with Auntie Aileen, but she knew she had to get her auntie’s opinion. She was impressed and somewhat surprised that Hollie was able to tell her about her dreams and the reasons for her stay in Ireland without actually saying Padraic was a bit rough with Sam here and there.
She sighed.
A bit rough? Sam, admit it, that’s the understatement of the year. Sam loved Padraic. At least she thought so, but all of a sudden her whole way of viewing the world was turned upside down. There was this strange woman travelling around the globe, telling her in plain words that Padraic was treating her like dirt when it came to their sex life.
And there was something else. She wasn’t able to put her finger on it, but there was something about Dave she couldn't resist. His love for life and his enthusiasm at everything he did.
He’s a big teddy bear, indeed. She smiled, though, when she thought about the first evening, after they’d dropped off Hollie at the cabin and then gone to the local pub.
She’d noticed how Dave had studied her. She had worn her denim skirt and the light blue shirt with “I’m an Irish gem” printed on the front.
He winked at her. “Like to dance?”
“Sorry, I’m good at many things, but dancing is not one of them,” Sam had replied.
“Do you like dancing?”
“I just said, I can’t—”
“I didn’t ask whether you can dance. I asked whether you liked it. Check out the dance floor. It’s dark. Nobody will see you. It’s about having fun, not being the best.”
And without any further questions, he’d taken her hand and led her to the dance floor.
She giggled. Yes, she’d enjoyed the dance with him that evening. It seemed Dave was quite good at leading, and in no time she hadn’t been able to stop smiling.
Then there was the afternoon she had spent with Dave and Hollie at the beach. He had arranged for them both to have wet suits, and though she initially declined to follow him into the water, she somehow trusted him and did. She saw Hollie was chasing every wave she was able to surf on—not very ladylike, but according to her screams of laughter, it seemed a lot of fun. Sam had hesitantly followed Dave into the water. She wasn’t sure how this was going to work, but when Dave said, “Trust me,” she did.
Dave paddled them into the sea, and before she knew it he kneeled on the board. For a moment the water underneath splashed against her skin, making her scream in excitement, just as
she had heard Hollie doing. Then, water gushing over her, she panicked, tumbling around in the water until Dave pulled her close to him and above water.
He smiled. “Are you all right?”
Sam tried to catch a breath and wiped the water off her face. With her arm around his shoulder, she nodded. “If you let me go, you will be in trouble. Never, ever do that again.”
“C’mon on. That was great.” Dave awkwardly tried to reach the surfboard and helped Sam to get onto it. “How about another try?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Hollie strolled along the beach. She’d rung Alex earlier in the morning. She missed her friend dearly, and Alex missed her as well. Hollie didn’t ask much about Murray. She was terribly homesick already, and talking about him would’ve only made her ache more. It seemed Jeremy hadn’t visited him for a while, and he was suffering a bit all on his own. Tears rolled down Hollie’s face.
She’d sent a message to Jeremy: Sorry about the other day…miss u. She hadn’t heard back from him.
“I do miss you both, Alex,” Hollie had said.
“I miss you too, Hollie. I’ve taken a day off so I can be at the airport when you arrive next week.”
“You’re a star! Make sure Dad will be there.”
“Of course he will. I’m sure he wouldn’t admit it, but I have a feeling he secretly counts the days. Hey, have you talked to Jeremy, yet?”
Hollie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “No. I sent him a text and apologised, but I feel too emotionally exhausted to actually talk to him. I need to approach one problem after the other. Davo and I are fine. Sam is opening up, too, which is good. She sort of is quite nice. A hard nut to crack, but once opened, quite nice.” They shared a laugh at the comment.
“A tough nut, eh?”
“Yes. And you wouldn’t believe it—she works in advertising! She’s given me a few hints and ideas, which are quite useful.”
“Sounds all good then.”
“She’s all spick-and-span about looks and what you are. All that stuff is important to her, and out of all people, Davo is able to charm her like a little—I don’t know what. These two are inseparable. I think she enjoys Davo’s company and his approach to see what the day brings.”
There was a brief silence, and Hollie spoke with some concern. “What’s wrong?”
Alex hesitated. “Nothing. I thought, hopefully he doesn’t get hurt with all that. There’s a soft centre beneath Davo’s big skin.”
Hollie kicked one of the little rocks back onto the beach. “Strange you’re saying that. I’ve noticed quite a few things about Davo the last few weeks. But don’t worry; I’ll make sure he’ll be fine! I promise. I suppose it’s my turn to look after him now.”
Alex laughed. “Oh dear. I’m not sure what’s worse, you taking care of Davo or him getting hurt by the woman of your dreams.”
Hollie protested. “Eh, easy, easy! I’ll remember that and get you back for it next week.” She sighed. “I miss you. Can’t wait to come home!”
“Miss you, too, sis. I better go. Otherwise, I won’t have just one day off, but quite a few. Give Davo a hug from all of us. And Hollie…don’t make the hug too big, okay? Keep your distance!”
Hollie gazed towards the horizon. “Will do.”
****
Hollie had enjoyed the conversation with Alex. There was a mutual feeling of understanding each other without having to say each word. An understanding of each other’s feelings. She took a deep breath, sat down on the bench near the foreshore, and watched the ocean, still rough after the wild weather the previous night.
Sam had invited them to join her to go into Cork. Davo was a bit undecided whether to go. He would have preferred to enjoy the last day at the beach again with his newfound friends, but did join after Sam’s persistence. Hollie was grateful for a change. She had spent almost three weeks in Ireland, and all she had seen was Dublin and the beaches around Cork. She was looking forward to the trip.
Initially, Sam seemed a bit stumped about what to do and where to go, but they finally did get to see a few things in Cork: the Cork Butter Museum, the Exchange Toffee Works, a tiny family-run sweetshop, Beamish & Crawford Brewery, and a few other sights, as well as the River Lee.
They decided to have some lunch at the Farmgate Café, which was upstairs from the English Market. Hollie liked the atmosphere. Sam offered her one of the traditional Irish beers, but Hollie was content with some lemonade. She wasn’t surprised, though, that Davo didn’t decline—he was enjoying the Irish way of life through and through.
“Sam?” Hollie hesitantly said. “I know it’s none of my business, but I don’t understand what a woman like you is doing with a man like your husband.”
“A woman like me?” Sam asked as she unwrapped her cutlery from the serviette.
“You know. Good-looking, successful, and such.”
Sam smiled. “And such?”
Hollie let out a soft sigh, and one side of her mouth tilted up.
“I know what you mean, Hollie. But I sort of noticed over the last few days, there’s no and such in my life.” Sam stared down at her drink. “I always wanted the good things—the money, the high-paid job, the good-looking husband—yet on the path to get all this, I seem to have forgotten what life’s all about.”
They were both silent for a moment.
“Well, now you’ve got good-looking friends from the other side of the world as well,” Davo said suddenly, with a big grin.
Sam smiled. “I have indeed, but I think it’s time to clean up the house a bit.”
“Does that mean you’ll talk to your husband about what’s going on?” Hollie asked quietly.
Sam bit her lip before she replied. “I think it’s time to face the truth, isn’t it?”
“Thank goodness,” Hollie said—and as soon as she realised what she had said, she turned to Sam. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know. I only had this weird vision of you and Jeremy once or twice. I have no idea how it must feel to be literally plagued with someone else’s problems on a regular basis.” Her voice was soft. “I know we didn’t have the best start—”
“No wonder,” Davo interrupted, which earned him stern glares by both women. “Sorry!”
Sam continued. “I’m sorry. I’d like to keep in contact with you, if you don’t mind. Obviously there’s some odd connection, but for the moment, I’m just grateful.”
“If she doesn’t, I will,” Davo said—and again, both women stared at him. “What?”
Sam shook her head and smiled.
****
Hollie was in a daze. It seemed she had finally achieved what she had come here for. She wanted to exhale a long sigh of contentment as the burden on her shoulders just lost a little bit of weight, but held it back—she could only imagine what lay ahead of Sam.
They all strolled along the streets of Cork, when Davo disappeared into a music shop.
“Hollie, what kind of person is Davo?” Sam suddenly asked.
“Not sure what you mean.”
“I mean, is he always like this?”
“Always like this? He’s on holiday, so he’s extra like this, but basically, what you see is what you get,” Hollie replied with a gentle voice.
Sam’s eyes turned away from Hollie.
Placing her hand on Sam’s arm, Hollie said, “I suppose what you see is not what you like, but what you get is.”
Sam’s lips curved into a shy smile. “I don’t think I understand.”
Hollie met her eyes. “You said before, you always wanted the good-looking husband, and Davo doesn’t seem to fit that picture. Not as a husband, but as a man. He might not attract attention, but he certainly is a great guy, Sam.”
“Single?”
Hollie choked a smile. “Yes.”
Sam’s eyebrows lifted a fraction. “How come?”
Hollie shrugged. “I don’t know. He probably hasn’t found the right girl, yet.”
“What about you?�
�
“What about me?”
Sam shrugged. “You two seem incredibly close.”
Hollie watched an elderly couple stroll by, arm in arm. She thought of Jeremy, but then returned her gaze back to Sam. “We are close, because we’ve known each other since we started school.”
Hollie’s stare dropped to the ground. “I don’t know you, and I have no right to judge you, but you’re closing a lot of doors for yourself because of your ideal world. It’s not always that way.”
“I know,” Sam said just above a whisper, and gazed over to Davo, who just stepped out of the shop. “It’s easy, though, in many ways.”
Hollie’s voice rose in surprise. “Easy?” She didn’t get a reply, as Davo had already joined the two again.
As Sam walked along the streets of Cork with Davo and Hollie, she remembered what her dad had told her the previous week: You’re on your own path.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Hollie finally rang Murray that evening. She missed him dearly, and after hearing Alex saying he was a bit lost without Jeremy, she just had to hear his voice. She told him all about Dublin, the sights, the accent, and the different words and expressions the Irish were using. Murray took everything in and asked a fair few questions.
“I didn’t know you had such an interest in Ireland, Dad.”
“Jeremy has told me a few things,” he replied.
She closed her eyes for a moment and hoped her voice sounded steadier than she felt at that moment. “Alex told me he hasn’t been around lately.”
“He’s up in Sydney, love. He asked me to come with him, but I’m not a traveller, especially not to the big cities.”
Surprised, she asked, “He did ask you to come along?”
“Why not? He’s a lovely chap. He had the guts to tell me what you’re actually doing in Dublin.”
