Page 36

Cordelia pursed her lips. “What’s your point, Toby?”

“My point is, it’s hurting Mom’s feelings.”

“I highly doubt that,” Cordelia said. “When does she have time to have her feelings hurt? Aren’t they always going off on some adventure together?”

After Key West, they’d spent a week at Gary’s son’s villa in Tuscany. Apparently the son was a winemaker who had married an Italian, divorced her, but kept the villa. Her mother had sent photos, Louise in white linen with a glass of rosé in hand, Gary giving a thumbs up from the middle of a crystal blue swimming pool, his nose white with sunscreen. And, of course, the photos had come with a new dating app suggestion. This one was Irish-specific, called Mo Rogha. Cordelia had deleted the text immediately.

“That’s not the point,” Toby said. “Why are you holding that against her? Is Mom not allowed to have fun anymore?”

“Of course she is,” Cordelia said, but something about his words made her stomach pinch.

“Yeah, I definitely don’t believe you. Mom is happy, Cord. Isn’t that what you’re trying to do over there? Find happiness, especially after Dad?”

“Yeah, but I’m not using a man to find it,” Cordelia snapped.

“Okay, first of all, Mom isn’t using Gary. She actually likes him. Secondly, what’s wrong with finding a new purpose with a relationship? Just because it’s been decades since you’ve been in one – ”

“Oh, very funny, Toby.”

“Well? Your last boyfriend was who, Sam? That was almost three years ago.”

“So you’re pulling a Mom on me now? Want me to settle down and pop out some kids like you did?”

“Jesus, Cordelia, stop being so goddamn defensive. That’s not what I’m saying.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying can’t you stop looking at everything through your own narrow lens and see things from her side? Just because you’re unhappy doesn’t mean Mom should be too. And just because she’s found happiness in a way that you don’t like doesn’t mean it’s not valid.”

“I AM HAPPY!” Cordelia shouted into the phone. “Look, I’ll . . . reach out to Mom this week, okay? I’ll ask about Gary. Maybe we can all FaceTime when you’re on vacation.”

“Sure,” Toby said. “That would be great.”

But he didn’t sound like he really thought that. Since when was Toby on Team Gary? Cordelia hated feeling like the odd one out in her family. She wondered if Toby weren’t already married, if her mother would be pushing dating apps on him too. She doubted it. Another thing Toby just didn’t understand.

“I have to go,” Cordelia said, even though she didn’t. “Give my love to Nikki and the kids.”

“Yeah, sure,” Toby said. “Bye.”

They hung up and Cordelia walked into the cottage and slammed the door. Her stomach was beginning to rumble. She headed to the kitchen and stared into the fridge. Eggs, milk, cheese. She’d run out of pasta. There was a can of tomato soup in the cupboard. She had one slice of bread left.

You could go out to eat, a small voice whispered. O’Connor’s has good food.

It did, she had to admit. Better than any other restaurant she’d tried. Colin might be there – she could show him some of the photos she’d taken from the seisiún.

Is it really Colin you’re hoping to see?

Yes, she thought firmly even as a pair of startling blue eyes flashed across her mind. It had been nice to finally put the whole camera incident with Niall behind her. And sure, he wasn’t glowering so much anymore, which softened his features. And yeah, it turned out he kind of had a sense of humor. But the guy was recovering from possibly the worst breakup in the history of ever. Even if Cordelia was thinking about dating – which she wasn’t – she for sure would not choose a broken-hearted dude with daddy issues.

She was still staring into the empty fridge and wondering if she should just have chocolate for dinner when there was a scratching at the door. It couldn’t be Róisín. Róisín never knocked – she burst into the cottage as she pleased, without warning.

Cordelia closed the fridge and went to open the door.

“Oh,” she said. “Hello.”

Pocket was smiling up at her, tongue lolling out.

“What are you doing here?” Cordelia said. “I don’t have any food, sadly.” Pocket gave a little huff, turning her head to the road, then looking back at Cordelia. She butted her head against Cordelia’s knee.