Vanessa stretched her arms over her head as she woke up after a surprisingly restful night of sleep. It wasn’t often she slept so well while traveling. She attributed it to the previously wonderful night with Samuel. She hadn’t expected to fall for him so fast, or let her heart get wrapped up into whatever was going on with them. He seemed sincere when he told her that he wanted to pursue a real relationship with her, but she’d been hurt by him and other men who had said the same thing but didn’t follow through. Not to mention, Samuel had a reputation of being a party-animal playboy, and part of her was still skeptical whether he could reform his ways.
She climbed out of her bed and turned on the water to take a shower. Before she could climb in, there was a knock at her door. Was Samuel early? She slipped on her robe and padded over to the front of her cabin.
“You’re early, Samuel. I thought we agreed on ten a.m. I guess you couldn’t wait to see me again,” she teased as she pulled the door open, her smile fading when she found her sister standing on the other side with a disapproving look on her face.
“We need to talk,” she demanded as she marched into the room and past Vanessa without an invitation.
“Can it wait? I need to get ready.”
“No, I heard all about your day with Samuel Butler yesterday from several of my friends. What were you thinking, acting that way with him?”
“What are you talking about?” Vanessa asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest as she took a seat in one of the chairs.
“You were flirting with him the whole time, and someone even saw you kiss in the garden. What’s gotten into you? You’ve always been the practical sister.”
“You mean safe. What’s wrong with me wanting to live in the moment for once?”
“What’s wrong is who you’re doing it with. Samuel Butler isn’t the settling down type. You’ve been away for the past several years, but I socialize in the same circles as he does. You don’t do casual, and that’s all he does. If you get any further involved with him, he’s going to break your heart.”
Vanessa tried to swallow the lump in her throat that had formed while she listened to her sister explain how her choice to get involved with Samuel was a mistake. Was she being foolish? Was he only leading her on, to ditch her once they returned to New York? They talked about their plans once they got home, but maybe that was just part of his game. If he was the player everyone said he was, he knew exactly what buttons to push to get what he wanted from her. Did he look at her as just another conquest?
“I know the two of you have a history, that you spent New Year’s Eve with him two years ago. I know you were smitten, but just remember how that turned out. He got so drunk, he forgot all about you. Leopards don’t change their spots. They just get better at camouflaging themselves.”
Was that what was going on? Was Samuel pretending to be something he wasn’t so she’d give him a second chance? Was it only a matter of time before he went back to his old ways? She could feel the walls building back up around her heart, the fear of being hurt too much to keep them down.
“I appreciate you coming by and talking with me, Heather. I’ll be careful where Samuel is concerned.”
After her sister left the room, Vanessa sat down at the writing desk in her cabin, her shoulders slumped forward like a deflated balloon. Was she being naïve to hope Samuel might really care about her? She debated about canceling on him and staying in her cabin, but then she reminded herself, she didn’t have to make this decision on her own. Silently, she sent up a prayer, asking for guidance on what to do. By the time she finished praying, her spirits were lifted, and she felt a peace. She felt like she should continue to spend time with Samuel.
She made quick work of getting ready for the day. Samuel told her to wear comfortable clothing, including a pair of pants. She slipped on her black Valentino mid-rise skinny jeans and a cream cashmere blouse. Rather than heels, she opted for a pair of Alexander McQueen leather knee-high boots. She grabbed her jacket and purse just as she heard a knock at her cabin door.
“Are you ready for our next adventure?” Samuel asked from the other side of the door.
She opened the door with eagerness. His smiling face greeted her, causing the butterflies to return. “Let’s get out of here.”
“We’re going to grab breakfast in town. I know a great little restaurant on the outskirts of Galway I want to take you to.”
Outside the train depot, they climbed into the back of a waiting taxi.
“Sorry about the ride accommodations. Apparently, the few limousines they have in town are booked up for the day.”
Amused, Vanessa laughed as she shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. My family may be from old money, but I’ve had to take a taxi a time or two while attending Yale.”
“That’s refreshing. The women I’ve spent time with in the past would snub their noses at taking public transit.”
“Sounds like you were hanging out with the wrong women,” she pointed out.
“That’s becoming clearer every moment I spend with you.”
The somberness of his statement made Vanessa’s breath catch in her chest. The way he was staring at her, she could swear he could see right into the center of her. When he reached over and took her hand, she couldn’t help but lean into him and revel in how he made her pulse race with joy.
After a half hour ride, they arrived at a quaint stone cottage with a thatched roof. The sign above the door read, “The Woodlet.” For being so far away from the main part of the city and tucked away in a corner of a field, the restaurant was surprisingly busy.
Samuel opened the door for her, and as they entered the room, a man rushed up to them, a giant grin on his face. “Welcome, Mr. Butler; it’s so good to see you again.”
“What did I tell you about calling me that, Niall? Please, call me Samuel.”
“Sorry, but you know I can’t do that, Mr. Butler,” the older man with salt-and-pepper black hair apologized as his cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. “I have your special table ready in our private backroom.”
They made their way into a room that was decorated with pictures of the local countryside and Celtic crosses. There were sconces on the wall as well as on the table that gave a warm glow to the friendly place.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’d like sparkling water, please,” Vanessa requested.
“I’ll have the same.”
“You can order a glass of wine,” Vanessa offered. “Don’t refrain on my account.”
“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t always have to have a drink in my hand. Sparkling water sounds refreshing.”
Immediately, Vanessa chastised herself for assuming he would need to have a drink. She’d actually noticed that other than the wine-pairing for the meal, he hadn’t had a drink all day yesterday. “I can see that.”
“I’ll get your drinks and take your order when I return.”
“Oh, I can take care of that right now, if Vanessa doesn’t mind me ordering for the both of us,” he asked, looking at her for the go-ahead. When she nodded, he continued. “We’ll take two of the coddle and mutton.”