Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 111775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“Breast cancer,” said Dad. “Horrible illness. I miss her the same today as the first day she left us.”
A second painful pang echoed within me to be reminded of the day my mother died. She’d been the light in our family, the glue that held us together, and with her gone, it wasn’t the same. It never could be, but we forged ahead—or at least we tried to.
When my older brother, Ross, married his wife, Dawn, and they had their kids, Ryan and Shauna, things got a little better. We started to feel like a family again, but it would be so much better if Mam were still around. I knew that.
“What do you do for work?” Dad continued, and my attention returned to the conversation.
“Oh, I clean houses over in Ballsbridge,” Maggie replied, and I soaked in her response. I’d often wondered what she did for a living, and even though being a cleaner might seem mundane to a lot of people, it wasn’t mundane to me. Everything about Maggie was fascinating as far as I was concerned.
“I suppose it’s a lot of rich folks you work for, then?” Dad replied. “I bet that’s interesting.”
Maggie nodded. “Yes, my clients are wealthy, but it’s not that interesting. I’m just there to clean.” She took a sip of tea, then glanced at me, her voice soft when she continued, “What about you, Shay?”
God, I loved the sound of my name on her lips, loved her gentle, silky voice. “Shay works at the Balfe Hotel,” Dad replied for me while my eyes remained locked on her. “He’s a security guard.”
“Ah, yes, I can see that,” Maggie said, her eyes wandering over my shoulders and down my torso before she looked away and took a bite from her scone. She seemed embarrassed suddenly. Had she been … checking me out? I’d imagined it, surely.
Dad chuckled. “Shay’s always been a big lad. Those posh types staying at the hotel quit making trouble quick sharpish when they see him coming. Don’t they, son?”
I nodded, and Maggie’s gaze flicked to me once again. I wanted her to keep looking at me forever, couldn’t get enough of being seen by her. “Do they make a lot of trouble? The hotel guests?” she asked.
Sometimes, I signed, and Dad translated for her, “Sometimes they do, yes.”
“That must be stressful,” she went on, still studying me, eyes searching. She looked at me in a way that made me feel like she could read my mind, and it made me feel electrified somehow.
“Shay’s well able to handle himself. He goes to the gym twice a week with his cousin, Rhys,” Dad put in. “You should see the two of them together, like a pair of those bodyguards that follow the American president around.”
“The Secret Service?” Maggie asked, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
“That’s the one. Shay got his height from his mother’s side. A lot of big men in the Doyle family. Us Riordans are the short ones.”
“Is that so?” Maggie said, her smile growing as she took another sip of tea. I was glad my father was such a charming fellow. Women always warmed to him. But even after my mother passed away, he was never interested in anyone else. He’d said that part of his life was over, but often, I wondered if he were lonely. If he longed for companionship but avoided bringing anyone new into his life for fear of losing them like he lost Mam.
Too soon, we finished our tea, and I wished to prolong it by getting Dad to order more food, but I knew that would come across too eager. With disappointment, I watched as Maggie took the final bite of her scone, then dabbed her lips with a napkin. She buttoned up her fleece, clearly getting ready to leave.
“I better get going,” she said. “I need to catch the bus to visit my brothers and sisters. Thank you so much for inviting me for tea. I had a lovely time.” Her gaze went from me to Dad, then back to me. I smiled at her and watched her cheeks redden slightly.
“The pleasure was all ours,” Dad replied. “By the way, Maggie, if you’re not busy tomorrow you should drop over to our house for dinner. I make a roast every Sunday, and you’re more than welcome to join us.”
Maggie appeared surprised. Then she looked at me, as though trying to decipher if I condoned the invite, which of course, I did. Any excuse to spend more time with her. Some people might’ve hated the idea of having their parent invite a beautiful woman for dinner at their house right off the bat. In fact, I was certain most would prefer to get to know someone in a more public setting, like a bar or a restaurant. But I wasn’t most people. Being mute made a lot of public settings a minefield for me. So, to be able to get to know Maggie in my home, the place I was most comfortable, was far preferable to anything else. I wouldn’t have to worry about all the ways things could go wrong. I could just relax.