Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
“I find it hard to believe she doesn’t have any Irish in her. She can talk your ear off,” Benny said as he slid a pint toward me. I laughed and picked it up before putting some money down for it. Benny had refused to take my money at first, but I told him I would stop coming in after work if he didn’t start taking it, so he’d reluctantly agreed.
“Can’t say I’m surprised to see Hollie here,” I said.
Benny chuckled. “She got along famously with me Ma. They were in the kitchen for a bit then went to the market.”
“That’s what Hollie said. She made an apple pie.”
He let out a roar of laughter that made everyone at Hollie’s table glance over. Hollie smiled from ear to ear when she saw me, and I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest. I wondered how long that feeling of losing my breath at the sight of her would last.
Hollie excused herself and made her way over to me. After kissing me on the cheek, she looked at Benny. “Thank you so much for letting me hang with you today.”
He nodded, but I could tell he was confused before he finally realized what she meant. “It was me pleasure. Stop by anytime ya want.”
When I saw the way Hollie lit up, I knew Benny had just made a terrible error.
Hollie
Over the next two days, I spent nearly all of my time at O’Brien’s getting to know Benny, his mother, and Kelley. I’d laughed so much my sides ached. I’d also learned how to make a few traditional Irish dishes and had showed Sarah and Kelley the secrets to my apple pie recipe. According to Kelley, the apple pie I’d brought over for her mother was gone within a quarter of an hour.
On my fourth day in Ireland, I opened the door to our flat, kicked off my boots, and hung up my coat. I wasn’t sure how Lucas was working in this cold weather. It was freezing and raining most of the time. Even though a majority of the dig site was covered with tents, they were under a tight deadline to discover exactly what the site was in order to determine if they’d need to build a tunnel through the area.
Flopping down onto the sofa, I let out a yawn. It didn’t seem to take much to tire me out these days. No doubt because I was making a baby. I smiled as I placed my hand on my stomach and then dropped my head back.
I replayed the conversations I’d had with the O’Brien’s over the last few days in my mind. Sarah was beyond upset at the idea that the family pub might have to close its doors. Kelley was stressed about what they were all going to do if it did. The more I got to know her, the more I realized I had pegged her totally wrong when I’d first met her. I’d thought she might have had a thing for Lucas, but it was far from the truth. I could see us becoming close friends if we stayed in Ireland for a longer length of time.
My mind drifted to a recent conversation I’d had with Benny. I could tell he was simply lost about what to do with the pub. Chewing on my lip, I picked up my phone and asked, “Hey Siri, what time is it in Boston, Massachusetts?”
When she replied that it was half past nine at night, I smiled and hit my sister Sarah’s number.
“Hey! Still loving Ireland?”
“I am! It rains every day, though. Not all day, but enough to be thankful for our weather in Salem.”
“Ugh, if you say so. It currently snowing, and I’m so cold my nipples could cut glass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“How’s the dig going for Lucas?”
“Great! They’ve found a lot of skeletons, and from his happy chatter, I’m guessing that’s a good thing. I honestly start to tune out what he talks about work because…well…it’s boring.”
Sarah laughed.
I’d been so busy settling in I had meant to call Sarah sooner to ask about a spell. “I have made a few friends, though. There’s an Irish pub right across the street from the flat we’re renting. It’s been in their family for years. The son runs it now; his name is Benny. His mother, Sarah, does most of the cooking and his sister Kelley helps.”
“I think I’m rather fond of the mother’s name.”
Giggling, I replied, “I knew you would be. Listen…Sarah…I need your help.”
There was a moment of silence before she said, “No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask you.”
“I know, trust me. You forget, Hollie, that I’m also a witch, and although I can’t read minds like you can, I already know what you’re going to ask. You want help with a spell.”