by Sophie Love
“You ready?” Shane asked Keira, strolling over and picking up a piece of discarded toast from her plate.
Keira nodded.
“Keira was just attempting to lift my spirits,” Orin explained.
“Oh?” Shane asked. “Why do you need your spirits lifted?”
“Because I’m a lonely old fool,” he said.
Keira felt a pang of guilt then. She should never have used Orin like that, trying to make him feel bad about his situation and lack of luck in love just for her own gains. This article was toxic for her. The whole job was. She felt like more of a fraud than ever.
She got off the stool and leaned forward, kissing Orin right in the middle of his forehead. He looked bemused.
“What was that for?” he said, blushing.
“You’re not an old fool,” she said. “You’re a lovely, gentle man. There’s someone out there for you. Just keep your mind and eyes open. You’ll find her soon enough.”
Orin smiled. Then Keira looped her arm through Shane’s and they left the pub together.
*
“You have got to be kidding me,” Keira said, laughing. She was looking at the flank of an enormous chocolate-colored horse that Shane had just informed her she was about to ride through the countryside of Dingle.
“Why not?” Shane said. “Never ridden a horse before? I thought America was home of the cowboy! Cowgirl, in your case.”
Keira gave him a withering look. “I’m not from the Midwest. I’m from New York City. We’re very cultured there, I’ll have you know.”
Shane folded his arms. “Look, if you’re going to be a wimp…”
“I’m no coward!” Keira protested, rising to his bait immediately. “I can ride a horse as well as anyone. Probably.”
Shane grinned to himself. “Then let me give you a leg up.”
Keira exhaled, shaking her head. How did she get herself into these situations? Shane knelt down and cupped his hands over his knees for her to step into. Keira placed her foot in his makeshift stirrup and rested her hands on the horse’s back.
“Ready?” he said. “On three. One, two, three.”
Keira felt herself being flung up in the air. She threw her leg around, twisting until she was on the horse’s back. She let out a cry of delight.
“I did it!” she exclaimed.
“Very good,” Shane replied. He walked over to his own horse, a dappled gray, and quickly mounted her.
“You’re a natural,” Keira said.
“Of course I am,” Shane replied. “I grew up on a farm. I’ve been riding horses my whole life.”
Keira smiled, adding the talent to the list of others than Shane possessed. She found his company so exhilarating because he’d lived such a different life from her. His life had been filled with adventure, with nature. Hers had been busy streets and high-rise buildings. Not that she’d want to swap them—she’d never have survived growing up in a place like this—but she was glad their past experiences were so different. It meant they brought such different things to the table.
“Right, you follow my lead,” Shane said.
He kicked his legs into the horse’s flank and she began to trot forward. Keira did the same, copying him.
They took it slowly, the horses treading delicately through the fields, along paths that had been made purely by hoof. Trees stretched up either side of them, making dappled shadows skitter across the ground.
“It’s really beautiful here,” Keira said, breaking the silence for the first time.
“Peaceful, right?” Shane agreed. “There’s nothing like a horse ride through the countryside to clear your mind.”
“You need to clear your mind?” Keira asked, picking up on a hint of sadness in his tone. She wondered whether he was homesick again. Or whether he was thinking of Deidre and John.
“I meant you,” Shane said, laughing.
Keira frowned, puzzled. “What makes you think I need to clear my mind?”
Shane barked out a laugh. “You’re joking, right? You walk around with your head in the clouds these days. I can tell Ireland’s got under your skin.”
Keira felt herself blush. It was more than just Ireland that had got under her skin.
“I mean, what happened to the stressed NYC princess I met two weeks ago?” Shane continued. “You’re supposed to be writing an article but you’re acting like you’re on vacation! No, not quite that. You’re acting like one of those hippie types who spends all day meditating and doesn’t need a job because they grow all their own vegetables in the garden.”
Keira tutted with mock disapproval. “Hardly.”
“You don’t believe me?” Shane mocked. “Look in a mirror next time you’re near one. You won’t recognize yourself.”
Keira didn’t say anything. Shane was probably far closer to the truth than he realized.
They reached a small creek and the horses clopped through, splashing water as they went. Keira felt her shoes become sodden. They were an expensive pair of leather brogues but remarkably, Keira didn’t care in the slightest. Soggy shoes was a small price to pay for such a magical experience, and even if the leather was ruined and stained with muck, it would remind her of this moment forever.
“So when are you going to get the guts up to ask William to match you?” Shane asked Keira.
She furrowed her brow. “You think he should?”
His question had confused her. She thought they were getting close. Had she just been seeing what she wanted to see?
“For inspiration for your article,” Shane clarified. “Isn’t that the whole point of being here? To see whether it works?”
“Oh,” Keira said, trying not to let her relief show too much.
She considered Shane’s suggestion. Maybe that was the way to go. If William matched her with someone it would inevitably be disastrous, because it was Shane she wanted. Maybe a bad date would give her enough material to put into her article. But at the same time, the thought of dating anyone made her feel odd for some reason. It would feel a bit like she was cheating on Shane, even though they weren’t a couple.
“Why don’t you go first?” she said, diverting attention from herself and her confusing feelings. “Go on a matchmaker date and let me take notes.”
Shane just laughed. “That would be weird. And anyway, I’m not looking to date at the moment.”
“You’re not?” Keira asked, feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Not looking for another Tessa?”
“Who?” Shane asked.
The swooping sensation of disappointment in Keira’s gut grew. She remembered how Bryn had told her Shane was a player and how she’d immediately decided to ignore her advice and get close to him anyway. But he so clearly was; he couldn’t even remember the names of his conquests!
“Never mind,” Keira said.
They carried trotting on in silence.
“Oh crap,” Shane said, suddenly.
“What?”
Shane pointed up. Keira looked to the sky. It was gray and there were clouds rolling quickly toward them.
“It’s going to rain,” Shane said. “Want to head back? We might need to canter.”
“I can’t canter!” Keira cried. “Are you crazy?”
“Either that or get wet,” Shane replied.
Keira sighed. “Then I’ll just have to get wet.”
They turned the horses around and headed back the way they’d come, at an equally slow pace as the one they’d headed out with. In a matter of moments, the sky split open and a downpour began to drench them.
“How are you feeling about cantering now?” Shane shouted over the sound of the rain cascading off tree leaves.
Keira glared at him. She began to shiver, already soaked to the bone. The horses began tossing their manes, showering them even more. Their hooves kicked wet, sloppy mud onto their clothes.
When they reached the creek they’d passed before they found that it was now more of a river, at least a foot deep
whereas before it had been merely a few inches. The water moved rapidly.
“The horses won’t want to cross this,” Shane shouted over the downpour.
“What do you mean?” Keira cried. She shoved tendrils of wet hair off her face.
“It’s too fast. They’ll bolt and then we’ll be stuck.”
“What are we supposed to do then?” Keira shouted over the sound of heavy rain.
“We’ll just have to wait it out,” Shane said.
Keira was less than impressed. Her mood worsened when she saw where Shane was directing; toward a large dilapidated barn made of rotting wood. The roof was caving in in places, letting water seep through. Only the middle part of the structure would provide them with anything even remotely resembling shelter. Warmth was definitely out of the question.
Shane helped Keira down from the horse. She landed in a muddy puddle. Then he tethered the horses up.
“Isn’t that a bit cruel?” Keira asked. “Leaving them out in the rain like that?”
“They can’t exactly stand there with us,” Shane replied, pointing at the narrow section of roof and the dry patch beneath it. It was barely even a foot across. The horses would only be semi-covered anyway. “They have waterproof coats,” he added. “It’s us we should be worrying about.”
He gestured for her to go inside. Keira shivered as she stepped over branches and mulch and debris from the caved in roof. This didn’t seem particularly sensible, like the building could easily fall down if the wind picked up.
She stood in the dry patch, keeping her arms tightly into her body so they were out of the downpour cascading down either side of her. Now out of the rain, she became aware of how every last inch of her was wet, right down to the underwear.
“I’m never going to get my article written stuck here,” she moaned.
At least she was in a bad mood again, the sort of mood Joshua needed her in for the article. If she could cling onto this feeling until she got home, maybe she’d stand a chance of writing something halfway decent. A page of whining to get him off her back.
But Keira found her mood didn’t last that long at all. Because Shane was looking at her with a sparkle in his eyes.
“What?” she said. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was just thinking,” Shane began, “how this would be the exact moment in a romance film when the two leads kissed for the first time. The rain. The shivering damsel.”
Keira felt like she’d been knocked sideways by his words, by the burning look in his eyes.
“Well, this isn’t a movie,” Keira said. “This is real life.”
Shane took a step closer to her. “You know what they say, though, don’t you?” His voice seemed to have dropped in volume.
Keira swallowed. Shane was close enough for her to see the raindrops rolling down his skin. Feel the warmth radiating from him. She looked up into his eyes.
“What do they say?” she asked, hearing her own voice sounding as husky as his.
Shane took the final step needed to close the space between them. He was now right next to her, so close their skin touched. He reached out and cupped his hand beneath her chin, tipping her head up.
“They say,” he said, “That life imitates art.”
Then he bent his head closer to her and pressed his lips against hers. Keira felt her whole body begin to burn in response. No longer was she shivering from cold. Now she was shivering from passion, from desire. It was a sensation like none she’d ever felt before.
So much for clinging onto her bad mood. Keira felt exhilarated, carefree. Happier than ever before.
CHAPTER TWELVE
There was no denying it anymore. Keira had fallen for Shane, hook, line, and sinker. Back in her room at the B&B that night, she could still feel his lips against hers. The memory of their kiss lingered on her skin, tingled in her mind. All her concerns about Shane being a player seemed to disappear entirely. What did Bryn know? She hadn’t been there, she hadn’t felt what Keira had felt. The emotion in that kiss was mind-blowing.
Keira felt like she was walking on air as she got herself ready for the night’s festivities. She dried her hair and styled it curlier than usual. She painted her lips red, rimmed her eyes with kohl, and slicked mascara onto her lashes. It was more effort than she’d put into her appearance since she’d gotten here, and she realized with surprise that she was dressing up for Shane. She wanted to impress him, dazzle him with her beauty. She wanted to throw herself into this thing, whatever it was, and see where it led her.
She spritzed herself with perfume and skipped out of her room. When Orin saw her emerge into the pub his eyes widened.
“Have you got a date?” he asked.
Keira shrugged coyly. “Might have.” She giggled.
Just then Shane came into the pub. Keira felt her whole body erupt with tingling, like electricity was flowing through her veins.
Shane walked right up to her confidently, slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. He planted a deep, sumptuous kiss onto her lips. Keira felt herself melt into him, the whole world disappearing around her as her entire focus was narrowed down to the sensation of Shane’s lips.
When they pulled apart Orin looked surprised. His cheeks were a little pink. But he didn’t say anything, instead busying himself with pouring pints, trying to make it look as if he hadn’t seen a thing.
“You look gorgeous,” Shane whispered into Keira’s ear, his breath tickling her skin.
“So do you,” she replied with a sultry voice.
Shane kept his arm around her waist, protectively holding her close to him. Then he led her through the pub, opened the door at the end for her, and gestured her through. Keira thoroughly enjoyed the courteous gentleman routine. She loved a bit of flirty chivalry.
Out on the street, the party was already in full flow. Noisy crowds of drunken revelers wobbled past them, singing loudly, arms tangled around each other’s shoulders. But Keira could hardly see them. She was completely absorbed in her own world, a world that contained nothing more than Shane and his burning gaze that made her feel naked.
They went to one of the stalls and Shane bought bottle of wine. He poured two glasses and handed one to Keira.
“I thought Irish lads didn’t drink wine,” Keira teased.
“Irish lads will drink anything if it will impress a beautiful lady,” Shane replied.
Keira’s heart fluttered at the compliment. They settled down at a table and shuffled closer, heads bowed together.
Just then, Keira became aware that the vacant seat next to Shane had become occupied. She silently chastised the inconsiderate person who’d sat right next to a couple so clearly in the throes of lust. They must be so drunk they didn’t even realize they were intruding.
But then the person in the seat said something that made Keira straighten up with surprise.
“Shane?”
It was a woman’s voice. Keira looked up at its owner, taking in the sight of her thick wavy blond hair, her tanned face covered in freckles, the clumpy mascara on her eyelashes. Shane glanced over his shoulder. Keira noted the way his body tensed as he identified the woman in his mind.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” the woman added, looking at Keira with an unimpressed expression.
Keira’s mind instantly went to a bad place, a paranoid place. Was this another Tessa? Another one of Shane’s conquests?
“What are you doing here?” Shane said, ignoring her request to be introduced to Keira, the fact of which made Keira feel worse. Could he not remember this woman’s name either? Or worse, was he choosing not to introduce Keira in order not to ruin any possible future liaison with this woman?
“I came here hoping to see you again,” the woman said.
Shane folded his arms. He looked tense and uncomfortable, like two worlds that should never collide had. Keira felt herself growing hot with panic.
She stood.
“I should get back to my r
oom,” she said. “Get on with writing.”
“Don’t go,” Shane said.
“No,” Keira refused. “I need to.”
She hurried off, leaving Shane with the smirking woman who looked triumphant at her success in scaring Keira away.
Feeling like a fool, Keira hurried through the cobbled streets back to the B&B. She burst through the door into the crowded pub, shoving her way past people in her haste to get upstairs.
As soon as there was no one around to see her, Keira let her tears fall. She hurried up the stairs feeling like a complete idiot for trusting Shane, for ignoring her gut instinct, for crying over another goddamn man!
She ran into her room and slammed the door, tugging off her stupid shoes, wriggling out of her slinky dress. She chucked them on the floor and stood there, panting, tears falling from her eyes, furious with herself and furious with Shane.
She wrapped herself up in her dressing gown and paced back and forth across the room. Then suddenly, for the first time in weeks, Keira felt a real spark of inspiration. She sat down at her desk, grabbed her laptop, and began to type. She directed all her hurt and rage into her fingertips. Angry, snarky words flowed out of her and onto the open document before her.
What happens in the town of love when you’re a veteran? Did the matchmaker ever stop to consider the awkward encounters that may come about when old flames meet new, or when his services are used not by the lovelorn lonely but by players searching for simultaneous dating experiences? Virtual dating apps aside, there is surely no better place to procure a stream of gullible, vulnerable prey than at the matchmaker’s meat market.
Keira kept on typing until her fingers were almost numb, battering the keys like a pianist playing a passionate concerto.
Then she was interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door.
“I’m busy, Orin!” she called out.
“It’s Shane,” came the voice on the other side.
Keira stopped typing. But only for a moment. She wasn’t going to let Shane sweet talk her out of this place she’d finally found. To think she’d almost ruined her career for that stupid man! The last thing she was prepared to do now was let him in. She typed again, her fingers bashing against the keys with increased fury.
