AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So?”
So…that didn’t work. “Maybe he’s abiding by that—what do they call it—bro code?”
Yvonne’s eyebrows shot up, and this time her smile wasn’t brief or small. She laughed loudly. “Bro code, Pop Pop?”
“Leo has become good friends with your cousins, hanging out with Lochlan, Colm and Padraig quite a bit. Do you think perhaps he isn’t asking you to the dance out of respect for their friendship?”
She seemed to consider that for a few minutes, then dismissed it. “No. It’s not that. Paddy, Lochlan and Colm don’t know I like him, so I’m sure they never warned him to stay away. And if they did know, I’d kick their ass—”
Patrick cleared his throat.
“Butts,” she quickly amended, “if they warned him away.”
Patrick tried to come up with another reason that wouldn’t hurt her feelings. In truth, he couldn’t imagine why any boy wouldn’t want to take his pretty granddaughter to a dance. Yvonne was lovely and sweet with a bubbly personality. Of course, she did mention the other girl was a cheerleader, and as long as there were girls in short skirts shaking pom-poms, there would be an abundance of young boys hovering nearby, drooling.
Finally, he sighed. “Can I just say that fifteen-year-old boys aren’t known for being very bright? I have no idea why he invited Denise to the dance over you, other than Leo is an outright fool.”
Yvonne laughed and hugged him. “Oh, Pop Pop. I love you. And I think you’re absolutely right. He is an idiot.”
He thought for a moment that solved the problem, but she sobered up too quickly. “I just…it hurts. I really like him.”
“I know, lass. There’s nothing worse than love’s cruel sting. You know, your grandma Sunday chose to go to a dance with another fella over me once when we’d just started courting. And it hurt me more than I can say.”
“Grandma Sunday turned you down for a date?”
Yvonne’s shocked tone amused him. While he and his beloved Sunday had had an idyllic life together, it was hard for their offspring—their children and now grandchildren—to ever conceive of a time when they weren’t a couple, but were instead two young people with more pride than sense and no idea how to express their feelings.
“She did. She accepted an invitation from Conall Brannagh.”
Yvonne crinkled her nose. “That’s a silly name. Who was he?”
“A rich, handsome man who had a very high opinion of himself and who strutted around Killarney like he was God’s gift to this planet.”
“Sounds like Denise,” Yvonne muttered. “So what happened with Conall?”
Patrick tried to decide how to proceed. He didn’t want his confident granddaughter to feel as though she couldn’t succeed in whatever she tried, that she couldn’t get anything she set her mind to, but these teenage years were tricky. High school was the time to learn the hard lessons because the truth was, life wasn’t always fair.
Did he encourage her to go for it, to tell this young Leo how she felt, or did he suggest that she take the safer course, the one that would save her heartache?
He sighed. These were the times when he wished Sunday was still alive. She would know the right answer, would know how to counsel their heartbroken young girl.
“Are you and Leo friends?” he asked, deciding perhaps his advice would come more easily with background information.
“Oh yeah,” she said. “We hang out a lot at school. We sit at the same lunch table in the cafeteria. Him, me, Lochlan and a b
unch of our other friends. We have a lot of fun.”
Patrick nodded slowly. “And has he ever given you any indication that he likes you as something more than just a friend?”
Yvonne took more time answering this question. When she did, he knew she was offering him the truth. “No. He treats me like he does Lochlan. Like a buddy. Another one of the guys.”
He was quiet for a moment, then he captured her gaze. “Let me ask you this, Vonnie,” he said, adopting the nickname her parents used for her. “What do you think is more valuable in life—friendship or love?”
She frowned, thinking hard. “They’re both important.”
He nodded and reached for her hand. “Exactly. There is happiness to be found in both. Love is important, don’t get me wrong, it’s one of the most amazing things in life. But…friendship is just as powerful. You’re young, my dear. The truth is, most of us don’t find love until we’re older than you are now. Because you’re still growing, figuring out who you are and what you’re meant to do and be in this life. This is the time to make friends, to cultivate them, to put all your energy in them. Through friendship, we learn how to interact, how to cherish someone, how to care.”
“You’re only fourteen, and while you may think that means you’re an adult, take it from this old man who has lived a thousand lifetimes, you are but a wee kitten. Spend your high school years learning how to be a friend. Once you’ve accomplished that, love will come easy at a time when you’re ready to embrace it.”
