“Welcome to O’Malley’s.” The woman gestured to a handwritten menu on the board behind her. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Do you have iced tea?”
“We most assuredly do. Today’s brew is black tea with a wee bit of lavender and fresh mint. ’Tis my favorite blend.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Aye, ’tis lovely.”
Riva considered the woman’s strong accent. “Are you Irish?”
“You’re right about that. I’m Fiona Harris. My brother Ryan O’Malley and his wife Mae own this bistro.” Her smile was bright, and her youthful face didn’t seem to match the silver hair. “I try to help. You know, it’s a bit rough getting set in a new restaurant in a new town.”
“So, you and your family are new to Greenwood?”
“Aye. Ryan and Mae tried to make a go of it in Boston, but they didn’t like city living so they bought this place last winter. It took them a bit to get it up and running, but it was a good time for me to come over to help some. I’ve been here since March.”
“Well, I hope you like our little town. Welcome.” She smiled. “My name’s Riva Owen. I’ve lived here all my life.”
“Greenwood seems a nice place. Not too big. Not too small.”
“This is my first time here. What do you recommend?”
“’Tis all good. Today’s soup is lamb stew and it’s lovely. But our quiche is quite nice too.” As she poured iced tea, she described their quiche options, and Riva went with the seafood one.
“And if you’re still hungry, we have some bread pudding that’s perfectly heavenly.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Riva paid and thanked her.
“’Twas a pleasure to meet you, Riva.” Fiona turned to greet the young couple just coming in. “I’ll bring your order out to you when it’s ready.”
Riva sat at a table by the front window, slowly sipping her tea, which was delicious, and watching Fiona wait on customers. Such a friendly person. Riva would’ve liked to ask her more about Ireland, wondering if she’d left her homeland for good or just for an extended visit. Riva had wanted to get Paul to go to Ireland with her, and had even put it on their bucket list ... and then it was too late. But it still appealed to her. Not that she could afford it now. And even if she could, would she want to go alone? Probably not. As much as she longed for independence, doing things alone was never as simple and easy as she thought it should be. And it usually made her miss Paul more than ever.
Chapter6
From the bistro window Riva watched cars moving up and down Main Street. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry this afternoon. Everyone but her. She still had several hours to kill before going home. Hopefully she could drag out her stay here at O’Malley’s before going to the grocery store. She should’ve told Fiona to take her time, but here she was coming with Riva’s order.
“Here you go.” Fiona set it down. “Would you like water?”
“No thanks.” Riva took in the generous piece of quiche, a pretty fruit salad, and a crusty piece of bread. “That looks wonderful. Thank you.”
“Do you enjoy music?”
“Music? What sort?”
“Live music, I should say. Specifically, Celtic folk.”
“As a matter of fact, I love Celtic music.” Riva mentioned some of her favorite groups.
Fiona’s blue eyes twinkled. “I had a feeling.” She produced a flyer with a photo of several smiling musicians. “This is my band.” She pointed to the people. “Ryan and Mae and, of course, that’d be me there with the fiddle. We sometimes play here on the weekend. And some other venues as well. Our upcominggigs are listed there. We’ve got a show here tonight. I hope you’ll come listen ... sometime.”
“I’d love to. Thank you.”
“And since you’ve lived here a long time, I thought I’d ask if you have recommendations for housing? Nothing too costly. I’ve been staying with Ryan and Mae, but their apartment is too small for three. I’ve got to find something else.”
“Well, there’s a real shortage of affordable housing here.” Riva stared at Fiona for a long moment. She suspected the woman was older than she’d first assumed. Maybe early fifties, but it was hard to tell. “I, uh, I don’t really know you. I mean, we just met. But I do have a very large home, and I have a couple rooms that I’m considering renting out.” She explained how Windy and Laurel were moving in with her. “Right now, in fact. I’m trying to stay out of their way until they’re done.”
“My word! It was pure luck to meet you.” Fiona’s eyes lit up. “Would you consider renting to me? I can provide references from Bangor. Ireland, not Maine. And certainly Ryan and Mae will recommend me. I’m basically a quiet tenant, except for my music, of course. I do need to practice my fiddle and mandolin. But not loudly and never late at night.”
