Page 66 of A Taste of Paradise

‘Stop it! I’m here with Greg. I have a boyfriend remember?’

‘It’s kind of hard to, since he’s only come out with us for dinner a couple of nights since we’ve got here. What’s going on, Naomi? He can’t possibly be planning to work this entire holiday?’

She fiddled with the stem of her wineglass. ‘I’m actually not sure,’ she admitted, despondent. ‘When he said he’d still need to keep up with stuff from the office, I suppose I imagined he might need to check in with them now and again. But he’s treating it almost the same as any working week.’ Naomi looked out over the beach. ‘I guess he meant it when he said this trip was for me and my family and you, of course. Though I hoped he’d join in more himself.’

‘Maybe he’s trying to get all the work stuff squared away in time for your birthday,’ Sam suggested. ‘That’s the real purpose of this trip after all, isn’t it?’

That was a good point actually, Naomi mused, heartened. Maybe Greg had already decided but failed to fill her in on the idea that he’d work as normal for the first week or so, and then join them properly for the real celebration.

So instead of worrying about it, she really should concentrate on soaking up her time here and hold out that little bit longer for her prize.

Chapter 45

Lily was in the kitchen, but she could hear her mother’s laughter from the living room where she’d left her talking with Shay. It was the loveliest sound and she hadn’t heard it in a very long time. She even stopped washing the dishes to listen to it. It seemed like a lifetime since she’d heard Barbara laugh like that.

The evening had a tense enough start when they arrived at Sea Shells cottage. Her mother scrutinised Shay with such a wary eye that Lily was certain it was obvious, even to him. He’d handled it well, his laid-back Irish charm beginning to break the ice almost immediately. And, as the evening continued, he chiselled away more and more until Lily could find no trace of hesitation whatsoever in Barbara’s eyes.

She’d questioned him on everything from his age to where he was born, and whether he owned his own home. Lily was sure even the FBI wasn’t as thorough at interrogation. By the time dinner was over she doubted there was anything left about Shay that her mother hadn’t prised out of him.

And Lily herself had learned a thing or two throughout the process.

Shay had been born in Galway where his mother still lived, but had moved to Paris for a while after university. Things hadn’t worked in his favour in the beginning. Ireland at the time was feeling the repercussions of the worldwide economic recession, thus architect jobs were apparently few and far between. He’d ended up as a pub barman for a couple of years, and then with the money he’d inherited after his dad’s death, decided to open up his own architectural practice.

He shared some of his ideas for the future of the business and from what she’d heard, Lily had a clearer sense of who he was and where he was going. And she was definitely beginning to understand why he’d been so detailed in his plans for his and Sarah’s wedding. He was a man who knew what he wanted, where he needed to be to get there, and ensured a clear path to succeed.

Now, when the kitchen door opened, Lily resumed cleaning the dishes as if nothing was going on and she wasn’t earwigging. Her mother came in with Shay on her heels.

‘It was so lovely to meet you, Shay,’ Barbara gushed, an old familiar twinkle in her eye.

‘The pleasure was all mine, Mrs—’

‘Please call me Barbara,’ she insisted, giving Lily the eye as she put her empty dessert plate in among the others in the sink.

‘Well, that’s me done,’ she said, yawning elaborately.

‘You going somewhere?’ Lily asked, curious.

‘I’ve had a lovely evening but it’s time women my age got to bed,’ her mother replied as she laid a hand on Lily’s shoulder and squeezed gently. She flashed her daughter a curious look that Lily couldn’t quite interpret. ‘But don’t let my turning in bring your evening to an end,’ her mother continued in a weird manner that made her truly suspicious. Especially since these days her mother rarely went to bed until the early hours. What was she up to?

‘It’s a lovely clear sky out,’ Barbara continued as she peered out the window overlooking the ocean. ‘You two should take a stroll on the beach to work off all that food. It’s the perfect night for it too,’ she added.

But this time Lily didn’t miss the meaningful look her mother flashed as her gaze flickered between herself and Shay.

She flashed her a vexed stare in return, which her mother promptly ignored.

‘Shay, would you mind ensuring that my daughter stops fussing over the dishes? She’s always doing things for others and hardly ever enjoying things for herself,’ her mother added, giving him a gentle pat on the arm.

‘Of course Mrs … I mean, Barbara,’ he corrected quickly.

Shay didn’t move and neither did Lily.

‘Well, go on,’ her mother urged.

‘Oh, you mean now? OK,’ he chuckled, a little nervously, Lily thought, as he reached for her sudsy hands. ‘Seems we’re going for a walk,’ he informed her, raising an amused eyebrow.

‘Have fun,’ Barbara sang as they stepped out the back door onto the rear deck.

Lily glanced back and found her mother still watching from the kitchen window as she and Shay crossed the threshold of the property and stepped onto the soft powdery sand. The night was brightened by a luscious full moon that cast the white sand in an ethereal pale-blue glow. And light enough to see the amusement on his face as they ambled side by side along the beach.