Page 12 of Christmas Magic at Inishbeg Cove

‘Really?’ she gasped.

He nodded. ‘Thought she was the one until she left me two weeks before the wedding.’

‘Why did she do that?’

‘She did me a favour. I can see that now. She never would have liked being a farmer’s wife. She liked city life, the convenience of having shops and cafés in walking distance. I hated that, it made me feel claustrophobic.’

‘But surely if you loved one another, you would have compromised?’ Faye probed.

‘Exactly. That’s how I knew it wasn’t the real deal. She wasn’t willing to give up her lifestyle and I wasn’t going to leave the farm. We parted amicably, we’re still friends. She married a good guy and they have two children. She seems happy.’

‘How long ago was that?’

‘Five years ago now.’ He shrugged. ‘Times flies.’

‘And you haven’t met anyone since?’

He shook his head. ‘It’s not easy to meet someone here in the village. I’m so busy on the farm that it doesn’t leave much time for socialising.’

‘So that’s why your gran was making all those digs about you being single?’

He nodded. ‘She’s said far too many novenas for me. They think I’m a lost cause at this stage.’

They both laughed. ‘Well, maybe you just haven’t met the right person,’ she suggested.

He shrugged. ‘Maybe…’

‘What about you?’

‘Well, I’ve been perpetually single. It’s the same old story every time. I’ve been in a few relationships but they never really go anywhere. I’ve a habit of putting work first…’ She grinned at him.

‘I can see that. Well, I would argue that it means that we both haven’t found the right person yet. Maybe I’m naïve, but I always think whenever I do meet the ‘one’ I’d be willing to give up anything, I’d go anywhere, do everything to make it work.’

She looked at him, suddenly seeing him in a new light. ‘Me too…’ she trailed off.

They had more in common than she realised. He was clearly a workaholic just like her but he also believed that once he found the right person, that he would love just as hard as he worked.

He moved closer to her so that his face was mere inches from hers and his breath was hot on her face. Suddenly his mouth covered hers and she kissed him back with the same ferocity. For the first time in her life, this felt right. This felt exactly like where she was meant to be in this remote village, stranded in a freezing cold cottage with no electricity or Wi-Fi connection and knee-deep snow outside. She had opened up to someone and he hadn’t run away. In fact he had listened to her story and been tender in his reaction. He hadn’t flinched as she bared her soul. Just a few days ago she never could have believed she would feel this way about anyone but there was no denying the connection between them. It was so strong it felt as though she could physically grip onto it and she never wanted to let it go.

7

Faye woke with a start the next morning when she heard somebody pounding on the door outside. She looked beside her and saw Conor was still asleep. They had stayed up late talking and then had fallen asleep in front of the dying embers of the fire. She quickly tried to fix herself as she hurried over to the door. She opened it and was startled to find Úna standing outside.

‘Is Conor there, love? He never came back last night and we’ve been ringing his phone but can’t get hold of him. I saw his tractor outside so thought he might be here. It’s his gran, something has happened–’

‘Come in,’ Faye ushered, as she self-consciously tried to tidy her hair. Úna’s eyes scanned the room and landed on Conor who had begun to stir under the blanket on the sofa. She saw Úna looking at the two wine glasses and empty bottle on the coffee table and back to Faye again who was still dressed in the same clothes as she had been wearing the day before. As Úna began to put two and two together, Faye wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

‘Mum?’ Conor asked rubbing his eyes. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘It’s your gran. She’s had a fall. They’ve taken her to the hospital.’

‘Shit,’ he said jumping up and buttoning up his shirt and pulling his sweater on over it. ‘What happened?’

‘We’re not sure. I walked her home last night and made sure she was alright and that the house was warm for her but she must have gone back outside for some reason. Your dad found her lying on the path outside when he went to check on her this morning. She seems to have slipped on ice.’

‘Was she conscious when Dad found her?’

Úna shook her head. ‘We don’t know how long she was there, but she was blue when your dad found her. Toby was standing over her whining, he wouldn’t leave her side. She has been airlifted to hospital because the ambulance couldn’t get through the snow. Your dad went with her and Margo is on her way from Dublin and will meet them at the hospital.’