18
Lou shut the door behind Aidan, then rested her head against it, grinning to herself. Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she squealed, punching the air and doing a happy dance around the hall.
‘Yes, yes, yes!’ She couldn’t wait for Jack to get home so she could tell him. She was bursting to share her news with someone who’d be excited and happy for her. Karen was on night shifts this week, so she didn’t want to call her in case she was asleep, and she knew Orla next door was at work. She suddenly felt her lack of friends here keenly. She was going to have to do something about that. She knew she hadn’t made much of an effort with the other school mums, and she needed to become part of the community for Jack’s sake. But she wanted it for herself too. Now that she was going to be a cook, she felt more settled here already, more invested in putting down roots in Dingle, and she wanted to get involved in the life of the town and get to know people.
Filled with a burst of optimism, she picked up a copy of the local free paper that had been delivered yesterday, scanning the pages for the various social groups and activities on offer.There was a book club at the library – that could be interesting, though she didn’t have a lot of downtime for reading, between work and looking after Jack. Still, weren’t most book clubs just a front for a bunch of women bonding over wine and gossip? She could check it out at least, and she could always quit if it wasn’t for her. There was a knitting group, but she wasn’t crafty and didn’t have the patience for knitting. She decided she’d go to the library tomorrow and see what information they had about local activities.
Too restless to sit still, she decided to take a walk. Jack wasn’t due back for another half hour or so. She pulled on her coat and headed down their private path to the seafront. When she reached the harbour, she sat on a low wall, shielding her eyes from the sun to watch the boats come and go and follow the arc of the seagulls that soared overhead.
When she turned around to face the town, she spotted Aidan’s sister Abbie outside her little kiosk across the road. Owen came out behind her and they were loading surf boards into his van, the side emblazoned with the logo of his surf school. Now that looked like fun – something she could get on board with. She giggled to herself at the unintended pun. Maybe she could learn to surf while she was here. She was instantly exhilarated by the idea.
Abbie spotted her and waved, then crossed the road to her. ‘Hi, Lou! Nice to see you again.’ She sat next to her on the wall.
‘Yeah, you too.’
‘I’m glad I ran into you,’ Abbie said, pulling her phone from her pocket. ‘I was going to get your number from Aidan. A friend of Owen’s is selling a car and I thought it could be what you’re looking for.’ She pulled up a picture of a small blue Toyota on her phone and passed it to Lou. ‘It’s fourteen years old but seems to be in good nick and only has seven thousand miles on the clock, which is below average.’
‘What does he want for it?’
‘Three and a half grand.’
‘That’s a good deal.’ It was just about within Lou’s budget.
‘Yeah. He was going to put it up on DoneDeal, but he wanted to ask around first. He’d rather sell it to a friend.’
‘I’m not a friend, though.’
‘Well, a friend of a friend.’ Abbie shrugged. ‘Close enough. He’s in Castlegregory. I could drive you over and take a look with you, if you’re interested?’
‘That would be brilliant. Thanks.’
‘Okay, I’ll set it up and let you know. Well, I’d better head off,’ she said, standing.
‘You’re going surfing?’ Lou nodded at the van where Owen was waiting. He looked over and waved at her.
‘Yeah. It’s quiet this afternoon, so I’ve left Aifric manning the fort.’
‘Looks like fun.’
‘It’s the best feeling in the world. And great for ironing out the kinks after a day cooped up in that place.’ She tilted her head towards the shop. ‘Have you ever done it?’
‘No, but I’d love to try sometime.’
‘You should. Owen could teach you. He has classes on the beach at Inch.’
‘I know. I met him there the other day with Aidan. Is that where you’re going now?’
‘Yeah. Why don’t you come with us?’
‘Thanks. I’d love to, but Jack will be back soon, so I’d better head home.’
‘Well, some other time?’
‘Definitely.’ They said goodbye and Lou watched Abbie walk away and climb into the van beside Owen. They waved to her as they drove off and Abbie felt a warm glow. She didn’t mind that she couldn’t join them right now. She was just pleased tohave been invited. She felt like she’d made a start on connecting with people here, and that was enough. She walked back to the cottage with a spring in her step, mulling over what she’d cook for dinner, deciding to make something special to celebrate her new job.
