Declan turns his head toward me with a wry smile and a twinkle in his eye.
I keep my attention on the road. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”
“I’m not thinking about anything.”
“You’re a damn liar,” I accuse.
He laughs. “I’m just trying to figure out when two cold-blooded killers became such softies. Our past selves would be appalled.”
“Speak for yourself,” I scoff. “I’m not soft. Or sweet. Or kind. Or any other synonym that goes along those lines.”
Declan doesn’t seem to buy what I’m selling. “I think your friend March would have a difference of opinion.”
“March doesn’t know what he’s talking about half the time.”
“If you say so.” He shrugs, not at all convinced.
“I do.”
“Fine.” He always has to have the last damn word. The car becomes silent, and although I would normally like that, something is different today. The silence is bothering me instead of keeping me company.
“Do you miss Ireland?” I ask Declan.
He makes a pouty-lip face. “Sometimes. Not often.”
“What do you miss most?”
“That’s easy. The people, and my mother’s corned beef.”
“Ew, corned beef.”
“Not a fan? You’d love me Ma’s. People would come from all over when they heard she was cookin’ it.”
“Boiled brisket? Can’t say you can sell me.”
“Ah, that’s the secret. You don't just boil it. You slather it with spicy mustard and brown sugar and bake it off in the oven.” He winks. “Family secret.”
That sounds a tad more appetizing. “I’d have to try it to give you my honest opinion.”
“If we make it to St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a date.”
I glance over at him with an arched eyebrow.
“What? Is date an unacceptable term?”
“No, it just sounds weird. I haven’t ‘dated’ in a very long time.”
“Well, that makes two of us. We’re breaking all the stereotypes.” He looks back to check on Aisling. She passed out in her car seat strangling both her stuffed animals. “That’s for damn sure.”
The airport is just outside of Albany. So we come up on it quickly, just as the sun begins to rise. The closer we get, the more my anxiety begins to take on a life of its own. This needs to go off without a hitch. Board the plane, get in the air, and get the fuck out of the country. Distance is our only ally right now.
Pulling up to the designated hangar, my heartbeat accelerates like someone just hit the gas in a Maserati, and my stomach rolls like I’ve been poisoned.
I breathe as steadily as I can, not wanting to tip Declan off to my affliction.
When I park the car, I'm suddenly free falling.Keep it together.
“I’ll grab Aisling.” I unbuckle my seat belt, and Declan smiles. It’s a warm, loving, trustworthy smile. He trusts me. He has put all his trust inme.Bile rises in my throat as I unhook the sleeping little girl from her seat. I hug her tightly, shielding her from the unforgiving wind.
