Page 38 of An Irish Hope

“Work was good enough to give me some time now, but man, it’ll be hard.” Aidan sighed. “But at least I know we’ll be together one day.”

Andy nodded, as his stomach twisted disconcertingly. He pushed it down. Just because he’d once thought something similar didn’t mean it couldn’t happen with Rory and Aidan. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Thanks.”

“When’s the big day?”

“We’re still deciding. Maybe Christmas, if we can get ourselves organised that quickly.”

Aidan glanced at Rory who seemed to be eye-balling him. Andy recognised that look. Greta used to do it to him too when she’d wanted him to fire her bullets.

“So, how about you, huh?” Aidan asked.

He stiffened. “How about me?” This wasn’t a subtle way of asking whether he had someone in his life, was it?

“You’re here for a little while longer.”

He exhaled. Okay. “Until Sunday.”

Rory smiled, curling into Aidan’s side. “Have you got any plans?”

“Not particularly. I feel like I’ve seen most of the places I want to. So it’s nice to just relax a little and do some of those things I don’t get the chance to when I’m at home.”

“You mean like wild sea bathing?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Yeah, not that. I’m a little too thin-blooded for that particular activity.”

“Aw, come on,” Aidan teased. “I’m an Aussie and I gave it a go last year. You won’t die, but you may feel like you will.” He winked.

Another rumble of amusement rippled from his chest. These two were fun, even if he felt a little like he was walking on ice as far as Rory’s sister was concerned.

“Hey, if you’re looking for something to do tomorrow maybe you should join us for a game of tennis,” Aidan continued. “We’ve booked the courts in the morning when it should be fine.”

Tennis would make a nice change to yet another run, especially now he had completed all the resort’s trails. “That could be fun. When exactly?”

They made a time, and the restaurant doors opened so he went and ate his meal. Later, he found Aidan and Rory in the billiards room and joined them for a game of pool. Again he was struck by their easy offer of friendship, their jokes and tease like they’d been friends with him for years. And again he wondered about Rory’s sister, and what she was doing, and whether she was lonely or asleep.

No. Stop thinking about her. He lined up the red ball, then slid his stick and hit it, sinking the yellow ball.

“That’s me out. Well done you.” Aidan clapped him on the shoulder.

If he’d been playing with Grady the game would involve a lot more alcohol and jeers. But the ease between the three of them didn’t require such things. Sure there was tease, but it seemed like a much healthier dynamic than what he shared with Grady. He wondered what they’d say about Grady’s edict that Andy had to kiss a few girls to get over the past.

He pursed his lips. He bet Rory wouldn’t be a fan. Especially seeing as the woman in question was her sister.

“What’s that face for?” Aidan asked.

No way could he admit to what he’d been thinking. “I’m just thinking.”

“You know when someone says something like that it’s an invitation for others to ask what you’re thinking about, right?” Rory teased.

He chuckled. “That sounds like something your sister might say.”

“I’m pretty sure it is something my sister has said.” Her eyes gleamed. “The question is why do you know what my sister might say?”

His cheeks warmed, as he realised he couldn’t answer that easily. For all his interactions with Aisling, it wasn’t like they’d spent too much time in each other’s company.

“Don’t embarrass the man, honey,” Aidan said, slinging an arm around his fiancée. “Ash is hardly the kind of person to not speak her mind.” He winked at Andy. “Ask me how I know.”