I didn’t like to say there was something far more important than the fucking breeze calling me to Clifden, but Declan didn’t need to know all the details. Not yet at least.
“Feck me, aye. Let’s do it. When ya—”
“Today.” I interrupted. “Let’s get the feck outta here. Gettin’ meself packed up right now, like.”
Declan turned on his heel. “Crackin’. I’ll go tell Tess. Catch up wi’ ya in a few, like?”
“Aye, no bother!” I shouted as he jogged back to his caravan.
Excitement and happiness exploded inside me and fist punched the air, running back to my own place. What a stroke of luck – though it occurred to me that I was well overdue for some. I had to be the unluckiest Irish fella who ever lived, but it looked like the tide was finally turning and that was all thanks to Ronan.
It took me less time than I’d expected to pack up all my shite and get the caravan ready for transport. Soon enough, I was sitting in my van, hitched up and ready to go. I drummed my fingers on my steering wheel as I waited impatiently for Declan. His new lease on life didn’t appear to have made him any timelier, but it was a small price to pay to have him with me on this journey.
I was the one leading them, following the pin Ronan had given me for his location. I’d had a look on Maps and the place looked perfect. It was small, with space for maybe ten caravans at a push and a short walk from the shore. I couldn’t wait. My sat nav told me it was going to take me nine and a half hours, including a wee ferry trip and our estimated arrival time was in the wee hours of the morning. That was fine by me, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway.
Finally, Declan was ready and he cast me a thumbs up before jumping into his van. Tess smiled at me and climbed into the passenger side. We were off. I put the van into gear and headed out, waving to the odd familiar face as we passed. I wasn’t sure when we’d be back here again and for once I didn’t much care. Appleby had been a source of such joy and quality memories, but these last few months? I wasn’t sure I wanted to see this town again for a wee while.
With each mile I put between us and Appleby was another mile closer to Ronan and I couldn’t fucking wait. I wondered what was going through his mind. Would he be waiting for me when I arrived? It was going to be the middle of the night, but I knew I’d have waited up for him if our positions had been reversed. It didn’t matter. All I cared about was finally being reunited with the fella I loved.
Chapter Fourteen
Ronan
The second I’d hung up with John-Francis, I’d been straight into researching how long the trip from Appleby to Clifden would take. Nine and a half hours, maybe ten if they hit delays. That was one hell of a journey to make in one go, but I knew John-Francis would do it without complaint because I would do the exact same thing to be with him.
I kept my mouth shut, not breathing a word to Ma or Darragh. It somehow felt like if I allowed myself to get too excited, that something would go wrong to keep me and John-Francis apart. I didn’t want to tempt fate, and though my family cottoned on that there was something up, I didn’t let them coax anything from me.
The day passed agonisingly slowly. After that hot as all hell video call with John-Francis, I should have been chilled out but I was anything but. I couldn’t shake the tension as I waited impatiently to see if my fella was going to keep his word.My fella…I supposed that was what he was, and though it still seemed so foreign to me, it was in the best way.
The day gave way to nightfall and by the time midnight had struck, I knew sleep was going to be an impossibility for me. Ma and Darragh eventually sloped off to their beds, leaving me behind under the pretence of finishing my beer. It was cold and picking to rain, but I’d be damned if I was going inside. No, I was going to sit here and wait. I’d stay out here all night if I had to.
The hours ticked by and soon enough, the rain that had been threatening to fall finally made good on its promise. I hastily snatched a large golf umbrella of my ma’s, holding onto it for dear life as the wind whipped at it. It may have been summer, but as the rain steadily soaked me, I grew colder. I hated to admit defeat,but when three AM hit and there was still no sign of John-Francis, doubts began to creep in. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I’d be able to take…
That was when I heard it. The unmistakable sound of a high-sided vehicle squeezing its way through the narrow country lanes that lead to the campsite. I sat up in my chair, straining to hear over the hiss of the rain. Yeah, there was no doubt about it. Something big was on its way down the lane – could have been a van, a tractor trailer… Headlights swung around, illuminating the camp. Or a caravan.
I was up on my feet in an instant, watching as an all too familiar van inched its way through the gates. He’d come for me. John-Francis had kept his promise.
He was alone, but I didn’t give the absence of Declan a second thought. Uncaring about the rain now, I closed down the umbrella and turfed it away, jogging through the wet and dark to where John-Francis was cautiously parking up. The site was pretty neat, not at all like the spacious one we’d been staying at in Appleby. It was going to be a squeeze to get John-Francis in here, never mind a second caravan if Declan was joining him, but those were all concerns for another time.
The van’s engine fell silent and I waited, suddenly nervous. John-Francis jumped down from his van, shooting me a wide, handsome grin that I felt myself physically respond to.Fuck.
I was moving before I’d even had time to comprehend it. I barrelled into John-Francis’s, knocking the wind from him as I embraced him tightly. He wrapped me up in his arms, squeezing the life out of me and I felt tears spring to my eyes. I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to let myself get emotional, but I couldn’t have fought it even if I’d tried. When I sniffed, I felt John-Francis chuckle.
“C’mere, y’wee feckin’ softie,” he murmured, pulling away just far enough to take my face in his hands and kiss me. I hadn’t realised just how much I hadreallymissed him until he was here, back within my arms. I’d been kidding myself when I’d thought being apart would be okay.
Neither of us gave a shite about kissing one another out in the open at that moment. It was the wee hours, dark as hell, with the wind and rain whipping about us. We were safe to enjoy this rare moment of public affection.
“God,”John-Francis growled between kisses, sending a shiver up my spine. “I’ve feckin’ missed ya. So feckin’ much I can’t even—”
I hummed in agreement, delving my tongue into his mouth. We kissed for a little while longer, neither of us wanting to be parted so soon after reuniting, but eventually the need to catch our breaths grew too strong to ignore.
“Is it just yourself here, like?” I asked, my heart leaping into my throat. “Did Declan–?”
“Dropped him a pin an’ left him f’dust a wee while back,” John-Francis laughed. “Wanted t’ get here first an’ have y’to meself f’a bit. I knew I wouldn’t o’ been able t’ stop meself once I’d laid eyes on ya, like.”
I smiled and kissed him softly. “So he an’ Tess are comin’ wi’ ya, then? They not gonna get a wee bit suspicious that we’d be crossin’ paths again, like?”
“I’ll sort it. Promise ya I will.” He sucked in a breath. “I’d not be sure ‘bout how Declan’d be takin’ the news an’ that scares the livin’ shite outta me.”
