Yes, that was him, he thought grimly, too bloody nice for his own good. Brian would have an absolute field day with this. He knew his friend would have no compunction about telling it straight on the phone, given the circumstances.
But Rachel was such a sweet person and sounded so deliriously happy about her supposed fairy-tale engagement just then that he just couldn’t bring himself to break the poor girl’s heart by coming clean.
Though come next weekend, Ethan decided grimly, it remained to be seen how nice he would be when Gary Knowles’s thieving mug was in front of him.
Chapter 24
“Who was that?” Terri inquired when Rachel hung up the phone. They were in the kitchen prepping for the bistro’s evening sitting, and she was up to her elbows in chopped peppers and red onions. “Did I hear you say something about cookie dough? I checked earlier. We’ve still got loads for today.”
Rachel was rolling out pasta. “No, it’s fine. I was going to send some to Ethan Greene’s daughter, but there’s no need.”
“Who?” Terri asked. The name sounded familiar, but she didn’t know why.
“The nice Englishman who helped Gary after the accident in New York. Remember I told you about him?”
“Of course.” Terri had forgotten about this Good Samaritan until Rachel mentioned him again when she’d passed on the New Year’s Eve phone message. “Didn’t Gary phone him back afterward?”
Her friend colored a little. “Seems not. It was a bit embarrassing actually. I thought he would’ve gotten in touch to thank him in the meantime, considering. Still, I suppose he’s been so busy with work and everything.”
Some stranger saves Gary’s life, and he doesn’t have the courtesy to pick up the phone and thank him?Terri thought uncharitably. Even worse since the do-gooder was clearly eager to hear about his condition and make sure he was okay. Not only that, but poor Rachel was being saddled as go-between. Romantic proposal aside, this sounded very much like the Gary of old.
“You shouldn’t feel bad. It’s not your fault that Gary hasn’t bothered to call him back.”
“I’m sure it just slipped his mind. Anyway, turns out he might be here on business this weekend, so hopefully the two of them will get a chance to have a good catch-up chat then.”
“Wait. Who might be here this weekend?”
“Didn’t you hear me on the phone just now? Ethan Greene, of course.”
Terri frowned. Hadn’t Rachel told her before that this guy was a professor or something? If so, what kind of business would he have here, and over the weekend too?
“Wonder what a university lecturer could be doing in Dublin?” she queried dubiously.
Rachel shrugged, her body language indicating that she, on the other hand, was completely uncurious about it. “Who knows? And besides, what does it matter? If it weren’t for him, Gary could have died or been robbed even. I’m happy to get the opportunity to thank Ethan again in person.”
“And he said he’s coming here to the bistro—to see Gary?”
It seemed strange and not entirely coincidental to Terri that this Ethan Greene, whom Gary had met in New York but who lived in London and had been so persistent on the phone, was now about to appear in Dublin.
“Yes, if he has the time.” Rachel paused and looked at her. “Why all the questions?”
Terri stopped what she was doing and put one hand on her hip. “Well, it just seems a bit strange, doesn’t it? This guy seems very interested in Gary’s condition for someone who doesn’t even know him. You said yourself he called the hospital in New York, and he’s been phoning here too.”
Rachel laughed lightly. “I don’t see how someone being interested in Gary’s well-being is such a big deal. You weren’t there. You didn’t see how banged up he was.”
“I know, but if Greene is a stranger, why would he care?”
“Of course he’s a stranger. What else would he be? Actually, he’s a lovely guy. You should have seen all the nurses mooning over him,” Rachel said.
Terri cocked an interested eyebrow. “Oh, so he’s good-looking too?”
“I’ll say.” Rachel winked at her. “Actually, if he does appear this weekend, maybe I should introduce you,” she joked knowingly. “He has a daughter, but for some reason, I get the impression that he’s single.”
“Cripes, just because you’re Miss Loved-up Bride-to-Be, stop trying to foist me onto every man in sight. I’m grand as I am, thanks very much.”
“Okay, okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Rachel laughed. “But honestly, he’s lovely—very English, all manners. He even offered congratulations on our engagement just now, which I thought was nice of him.”
Terri looked again at her friend, who’d continued calmly rolling out pasta, and couldn’t believe she wasn’t more curious about this apparent stranger’s impromptu visit.
