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“And overnight camping? Is that still the plan.”
“Yep. I have my tent ready to go and the boot of the car filled with beer and bog roll.”
“Nice.” He chuckled. “Listen, I might be late. The Academy called. I’ve a meeting with the heads before lunch. They want my da with me to sign extension contracts, so he’ll drop me off at the beach afterward.”
“Contracts?” My brows shot up. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s just protocol,” my best friend replied breezily. “Nothing to worry about, Gibs. I’ll be back with you at Tommen next Thursday. No worries.”
I felt my body physically sag in relief. The thought of my best friend being snatched away by the pros was a much bigger fear these days since they were quite literally banging on his back door with contracts and offers galore. Johnny would be leaving Ballylaggin, but we got to keep him for one more school year.
“You promise?”
“Yeah, Gibs, I promise, lad.”
“Good,” I said, momentarily appeased that he wasn’t leaving again. “So, how’s life at the manor?”
“Bleeding manic.” He chuckled, and then he paused before asking, “You okay, Gibs?”
Fucked in the head and getting progressively worse by the day. “You know me, Johnny lad, I’m always grand,” I replied, leaning against the windowsill as I spoke. “Why’d you ask?”
“Don’t know,” he replied, and I didn’t have to be with him to know that he was scratching his jaw. It was a trait of his that I had grown accustomed to. “Just felt like I should.”
“So, how’s little Shannon?” Balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder, I rummaged in the top drawer of my nightstand for a packet of chewing gum I knew I put there last week. “Are you feeling suffocated yet?”
“Suffocated?”
“Having so many people in your house.”
“Gibs, I’d let my ma adopt the whole bleeding school if it meant that I got to keep that girl.”
“Little Shannon, huh?” I grinned. “What a number she did on your heart, lad.”
“Tell me about it.”
“She really came into her own this summer.”
“I know, lad,” he agreed, tone far more enthusiastic now that we were talking about his favorite topic of conversation. “You know the way Claire’s been giving her lessons at the public pool all summer? Well, Ma took her and the boys to the pool yesterday.” I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “And she did three full lengths of the pool.”
“She did?”
“Without stopping,” he added. “I’m so bleeding proud of her, Gibs.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, feeling equally proud. “According to Claire, she’s a natural.”
“Shan’s a natural at everything.”
“Did she tell you that McGarry was sniffing around the pool during their sessions when you were away on tour?” I asked, delighted when I found the packet of chewing gum. Score. “Circling the girls like a fucking great white.”
“No,” Johnny bit out. “And you didn’t tell me, either.”
“Because I didn’t want to be responsible for distracting you and ruining your future prospects.”
“Well, I’m home now and my prospects are bright,” Johnny replied, tone hard. “I’ll deal with him at school next week.”
“No need.” Unwrapping half a dozen sticks of gum, I popped them all into my mouth. “I handled it ages ago.”
“You did? At the pool?” Surprise filled his tone. “You went in the water?”
