No flings, no flings, no flings.
Okay, so she might need to put that in writing, keep it in her pocket, and pull it out to read whenever she felt tempted. She should probably have it laminated.
The meal passed quickly, with conversation and laughter flowing freely. The gathering reminded Rachel of dinners at her uncle’s house in Chicago when her five cousins were present. After her own father had died, Uncle Jack had taken on the role of surrogate father, as involved with her life as if she’d been his own daughter. That had been particularly comforting after her mother had remarried. Rachel had always felt like an interloper in her mother’s new life, but Uncle Jack had provided both stability and familiarity in a world turned suddenly upside down.
Rose brought out a sticky toffee pudding for dessert, along with tea, coffee, and an assortment of Irish whiskeys and after-dinner liqueurs. “Is there anything you’re hoping to do while you’re here, Rachel, that we can help with?” she asked, smiling across the table. “There are some lovely castle ruins not too far from here, and some caves as well.”
“I would love to do some sightseeing,” Rachel confirmed. “I don’t have a car, but I thought maybe there were some tourist agencies or local guides I could hire for the weekends when I’m not working.”
“Well, you’d need to go into Donegal town for that,” Seamus mused. “But I’m certain we can find a way for you to see the sights without the need to hire a guide. Conall, what do you think?”
“I’d be happy to show you around,” he said quickly.
“Oh, I couldn’t bother you,” Rachel protested. “You have a business of your own to run, and I’m sure you have better things to do than act as my tour guide.”
“My shops are closed on Sundays and Mondays,” Conall said. “Michael works Saturday afternoons, from noon to closing, so I have most of the weekend free. Why don’t I pick you up at half one on Saturday?”
Looking at the smiling, expectant faces around her, Rachel could think of no good reason to refuse. Surely she could spend an afternoon in his company without turning it into something it wasn’t—like a fling.
“Where would we go?”
“Wherever you’d like,” Conall said. “Although I have a few ideas about places you might find interesting.”
Rachel laughed, won over by his obvious enthusiasm. “Sure. Why not? If you’re up for it, then count me in.”
“There, that’s settled then,” Rose said, satisfied. “You’re in good hands with Conall. He knows the places the tourists don’t go to. You’ll have a wonderful time.”
“Conall, could you do me a favor? The next time you see Flynn, ask him if we could visit the farm?” Seamus asked. He looked at Rachel. “Flynn O’Rourke and his family own a working sheep farm. Before you return home, we’ll make sure you experience the entire wool process, from hoof to cuff, so to speak. What do you think, Fiona?”
Fiona paused in the act of raising her teacup. “Don’t include me in this, Dad. I’ve seen more than my share of sheep farms, the O’Rourkes’ included. Besides, they don’t raise sheep for the wool.”
“No, but Flynn does his own shearing. I think Rachel would enjoy seeing that.” He gave Rachel a conspiratorial wink. “You can’t work in a woolen mill and not visit the source of the wool. Well, not the source for our wool, but you get my meaning.”
“I’d like that,” Rachel enthused. “I’ve never visited a sheep farm, and Mrs. O’Leary said it’s lambing season right now.”
“Oh, yeah, you’re bound to see plenty of wee lambs,” Rose said.
“I’ll mention it to Flynn the next time I see him,” Conall promised. “But I can drive Rachel out there if you’ve other commitments, Uncle Seamus. I know you’re busy at the mill.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did, as long as it’s alright with Rachel,” Seamus said.
“Of course, whatever is easiest for you,” Rachel replied, but she didn’t miss the look Seamus exchanged with his wife. Surely they didn’t think Conall had volunteered to bring her himself because he was interested in her?
Did they?
“Great. It’s a date,” Conall said.
Rachel focused on her cup of tea, refusing to acknowledge the tiny spurt of alarm—and yes, pleasure—she felt, knowing she would spend more time with Conall.
No fling, she reminded herself sternly.
But as they drove back to the B&B after dinner, there was no denying the awkward tension in the small car, as if Conall realized he’d been completely transparent.
“You’ll enjoy seeing the sheep farm,” he said finally. “Flynn and I have been friends since we were lads. We’re running a marathon up north in a few weeks. Normally we’d train together, but this is a particularly busy time of year for him, so he’s been keeping close to the farm. It’ll be good to see him.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Rachel said. “I’m hoping to see as much as I can in the few months I’m here.”
He shifted in his seat and cast her a sidelong look. “I’m headed into Galway next weekend. Would you like to come along?”
Rachel stared at him in dismay. Was he really inviting her to go away with him for a weekend?
“No, no, not with just me,” he clarified, seeing her expression. “Mary-Kate and Fiona are coming along as well. Mary-Kate attends university in Galway and Fiona has a number of friends there. I need to look in on the shop, so we decided to make a weekend of it. We’ll head down on Saturday and come back Sunday afternoon.”
“Oh. I don’t know.” Rachel hesitated, tempted despite herself. “It sounds like a family thing, and I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“No, you wouldn’t be intruding. The more the merrier. Galway is great and there are loads of pubs and shops. We could listen to trad music, if you’re interested.”
“Trad music?”
“Traditional Irish music.”
That appealed to Rachel. Galway had been on her list of places to visit, and going there with a group of people who were familiar with the city sounded infinitely better than going on her own.
“Next weekend?” That was still nearly two weeks away.
“Yeah, if you’re free.”
“Where would we stay?”
“I have a friend whose family owns a small hotel in town. I’ve already reserved a couple of rooms for myself and the girls. I’m sure they won’t mind if you want to stay in their room, but I can book a third one, if you’d like. It’s where I always stay when I’m there for more than a day.”
“As long as I can pay my own way, I would love to go. I’ve heard so many great things about Galway, and it would be so much nicer to be there with other people than on my own.”
“Definitely.”
They pulled up in front of the B&B. Thrusting the small car into park, Conall jumped out and rounded the hood to open Rachel’s door.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said, smiling up at him. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”
“Yeah, I did too. I’ll see you later, then.”