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“Do you want me to give her a message when she gets home?”
I shake my head no. “Do you happen to know which resort they’re staying at in Florida?”
She frowns. “Well, I’ve probably already said too much. I shouldn’t tell you that.”
“I’m Shawn O’Callaghan. And I’m in love with Lexi, ma’am. I’m trying to find her so I can talk to her and tell her how much I love her.”
“You’re the young man she spent time with in Washington.”
I nod eagerly. “That’s right. I’ll go get on a plane to Orlando right now, if you’ll just tell me where I can find her.”
She seems to think it over and then sighs. “I hope I’m doing the right thing. Lexi and her mom are staying at the Grand Floridian. Lexi went all out on the trip, wanting to make it extra special for her mama.”
“Thank you.” I’m so excited, I pull her in for a hug, and she laughs. “You’re wonderful.”
“Good luck to you, young man.”
I wave and jog back toward the elevator and call Maggie.
“I need you to book me on the next flight to Orlando.”* * *“I can’t tell you that, Mr. O’Callaghan.”
I sigh and stare at the woman named Starr behind the counter at the Grand Floridian. I’ve just checked into a room and asked her if she could tell me which room Lexi is in.
“Listen, I’ve come a long way to surprise her.”
“I’m sure you have, but we take the safety and privacy of our guests very seriously. I can’t tell you where she is, or if she’s still here.”
I tilt my head at the tone of her voice. “She’s not here?”
“I can’t confirm or deny that.”
“She came for the marathon race tomorrow.”
“The marathon was yesterday,” she replies and offers me a small smile. But she doesn’t elaborate.
“So, she ran yesterday and already checked out.”
She just shrugs a shoulder, not actually confirming or denying the statement, as she said.
But that’s what happened.
Damn it.
“I may not need that room, after all. I just need to make a phone call.”
“I can cancel it without penalty after you make your call,” she says.
I turn away and pull my phone out of my pocket, frowning when I see texts from Maeve.
Maeve: Call me.
I dial her number and listen to the ring. She finally answers. “I’ve been trying to reach you for like an hour.”
“I was checking into a hotel in Florida, and trying to find out what room Lexi’s in. But I think she already left. So, I need you or Maggie to book me another flight to Minneapolis.”
“Would you stop talking for three seconds and listen?” Maeve asks. “I just got off the phone with Da. Lexi and her mother are in Ireland, Shawn.”
Ireland? What in the bloody hell are they doing in Ireland?
“Shawn?”
“Looks like I’m moving my flight to Galway up from next week to right now. Can you help me?”
“Already on it. Just get yourself to the airport. Also? This is incredibly romantic.”
“Only if it works, Maeve. If not, I’m just a stalker.”
“A romantic stalker.”Chapter 19~Lexi~“I’m so proud of you,” Mom says as she hugs me after the race. “You did amazing.”
“It felt great,” I reply as I catch my breath. I look down at the medal I got at the finish line. “And Jasmine is my favorite princess.”
“This is a heavy medal,” Mom says in surprise as she hefts it in the palm of her hand. “How do you feel?”
“Tired. But energized. Also, I have a surprise for you.” We’re walking through the park to the shuttle area so we can catch a ride back to our resort.
“What?” she asks.
“We’re leaving tomorrow for Ireland.”
Mom’s jaw drops as she stares at me. “What?”
“You heard me. I’m taking you to Ireland for Christmas. We’re going to spend two weeks there as tourists. Shawn O’Callaghan’s family owns an inn there, and that’s where we’re staying. You’ll get to meet some of his immediate family, as well. I know you’ve always wanted to see the country, and it’s time you do.”
“But you hate to fly.”
I shrug. “It’s not my favorite thing, but I have a meditation app and a pill to make me sleepy. I just ran a marathon for goodness sake, I can certainly endure a nine-hour flight.”
Just saying the words aloud makes me feel a little queasy. The truth is, I’m scared out of my mind to take a flight over the ocean, but a trip abroad is on my list of things to do, and I’m going to do it.
With my mom. For Christmas.
“Oh my gosh, Ireland!” Mom presses her hands to her cheeks as she grins like a kid on Christmas morning. “But I didn’t pack enough to be gone that long.”
“We have twenty-four hours to do some serious shopping,” I reply as the shuttle pulls up in front of us. “So, we’d better go shower and change and get a move on.”
