Page 62 of The Secret Bookshop in Ireland

‘Not exactly,’ Ronan started. ‘But I’ve met people through my work who have made me feel I want different things than before. A different life, maybe.’

‘You’ve met someone,’ Angela said, frowning. ‘I can tell by that faraway look in your eyes.’ She sighed and pulled at the scarf around her neck. ‘Well, I suppose absence didn’t make yourheart any fonder. I had hoped that one day we’d get back what we had. Not that I’ve been pining for you at all, actually. I’ve been out there seeing other men, and I nearly got engaged once. But it didn’t work out in the end. Nice guy with good career prospects. But he moved to Liverpool. He asked me to go with him, but I said no, so that was the end of that.’

‘Why did you say no?’ Ronan couldn’t help asking.

‘Honestly, Ronan,’ Angela said and rolled her eyes. ‘Can you see me in Liverpool?’

‘What’s wrong with Liverpool?’ Ronan tried his best not to laugh. ‘They have shops there too, you know.’

‘You find this funny,’ Angela said, looking at him for a moment. ‘You have really changed.’

‘And you haven’t,’ Ronan stated.

‘Maybe that’s the problem?’ Angela asked, getting up. ‘We’re not compatible any more.’

‘Could be.’ Ronan rose. ‘Are you leaving?’

‘Yes. Thanks for the drink.’

‘You’re welcome, Angela. It was good to see you. And before you go, I just want to say again that I never thought the accident was your fault. Not for a second.’

‘Of course it wasn’t,’ Angela said. ‘I’ve never worried about it at all.’

‘That’s good,’ Ronan told her. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cool cheek. ‘Bye, Angela. It was nice to see you.’

She stepped back. ‘Was it? I had a feeling you just wanted to close the chapter – our chapter, I mean. But I suppose it was a good thing to do. Bye, Ronan. Good luck with the rest of your life.’

‘And I wish you the very best with yours,’ Ronan said warmly. ‘I really do.’

Angela nodded. ‘Thank you, Ronan.’ And with that, she walked out of the pub and his life.

He watched the door close behind her, feeling a part of his life was now over and he could move on. His mother’s announcement had shaken him, and he wasn’t sure he trusted her to stick to her words. But right now, he was determined to enjoy the freedom to come and go as he pleased. He couldn’t wait to see Ciara and talk to her about what he would do with the rest of his life. But first he had to drive to Cherrywood and help her find her dog. He knew how much she loved that beautiful creature. How would she cope if the dog was missing for good – or worse?

THIRTY

It had started to rain as they walked back through the woods, calling Brian and whistling, but there had been no sign of the dog. ‘Oh, Ma. I’m hoarse from shouting his name,’ Ciara complained. ‘And I’m so tired and cold. We have to go home and see if he’s come back and get something to eat. I’m starving.’

‘Of course we should,’ Maureen agreed as they hurried back to the van. ‘And we’re getting wet and it’s freezing. Let’s go back and make some kind of plan.’

They climbed into the van and drove back down the bumpy lane, the rain smattering against the windscreen. Ciara felt a sense of hopelessness as she stared into the dark, wet night, wondering where her beloved dog might be. ‘Tired and muddy and hungry, poor pet,’ she mumbled to herself. ‘Oh Brian Boru, where are you?’

‘He’ll come back,’ Maureen soothed. ‘If he has run off because he was chasing a rabbit, he’ll turn around as soon as he starts getting hungry.’

‘He might be stuck somewhere,’ Ciara argued. ‘I shouldn’t have left his collar on. If he’s hurt, it’s all my fault.’

‘You couldn’t have known he was going to run away,’ Maureen protested. ‘Please don’t blame yourself. What gooddoes that do? I think we should call the guards and report him missing. After all, he’s a purebred wolfhound and might be valuable.’

‘Good idea,’ Ciara said as they arrived outside the shop. ‘He’s microchipped and easy to identify should they find him.’ She pulled up and was about to turn off the engine as a car drove towards them and stopped in front of the van. Ciara stared at the figure illuminated by her headlights. Was she seeing things or was that really… ‘Ronan?’ she said, confused. ‘What’s he doing here?’

‘He’s come to help you look for Brian,’ Maureen said. ‘I called him earlier when I got a signal beside the tower. It’s better there for some reason.’

‘You called him?’ Ciara turned off the engine and got out of the car. ‘Hi,’ she said to Ronan. ‘I didn’t know Ma had called you. It must have been a bit of a pain to drive all the way here for a dog.’

‘Of course not,’ Ronan assured her. ‘I wasn’t doing anything important anyway and Aino is staying with Elaine tonight. In fact,’ he added, ‘I think Aino will be the carer we’re looking for. She and Elaine have become very close through the years. So fingers crossed that it will work out.’

‘So it’s really true?’ Ciara asked, noticing the new light in his eyes as they met hers. ‘That your mother has finally made you see what you’ve been doing to yourself?’

Ronan nodded and pushed at his glasses. ‘Yes, It’s true. I’ve realised that I’ve been punishing myself too much. I meant to talk to you about – a lot of things,’ he ended. ‘But that can wait. We have to find Brian first. That’s the most important issue right now. You won’t be able to deal with anything else until you have him back.’