The Plan (36 page)

His hand, which was still holding the crutch, nudged her to the right.

“I see more steps,” Claire said. “We don't need to go any further. I can see all the cliffs from here.”

“No, you can't,” Callum said. “Trust me. Besides, these steps aren't so steep and there aren't as many.”

They walked slowly, Claire taking in the view as she moved. She'd never seen anything as spectacular. Not even the Grand Canyon had left her so astounded.

“I feel like I've now seen Ireland,” Claire said, gently holding onto Callum's forearm.

•  •  •

“Okay,” Callum said. “Now for the best part.” He pointed to a dirt path, off to their right. A large sign stood in the center of it.

Claire walked closer to it and read the words carefully.

The Burren Way: Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walking Trail

There was a paragraph that explained exactly where the trail would take you and how it linked the villages of Liscannor and Doolin, stating you would be able to view one of the most outstanding landscapes of Ireland.

The words that caught Claire's attention, though, were the ones that said, in bold letters,
Caution! Exposed Cliff Edges.

“Ready?” Callum asked eagerly.

“Ready for what?” Claire asked.

“For our hike,” he said.

“Our hike?
Have you read the sign?”

“I certainly have, love. We should get started before it gets too windy.”

“Callum,” Claire said, her eyes jumping between Callum and the sign. “You're already exhausted from the stairs.”

“Oh, stop worrying. We won't be walking that far. Certainly not all the way to the next village. I just want to go a ways down.”

Claire looked back at the sign.

•  •  •

Trail features include an exposed cliff-top path, steep ascents and descents, and narrow, steep flagstone steps. The trail may be rough and uneven in places with loose gravel and stone. This walking trail requires an ability to adapt to sudden and possibly extreme changes in weather and a level of physical ability to undertake a demanding length of walk in adverse conditions.

“You're out of your mind,” she said, upon reading it.

“It'll be fine. I promise.”

“Callum, it says,
‘Always wear strong footwear with a good grip and strong ankle support.'
You don't even have ankles!”

“You're such a worrier,” Callum said, resting on his crutch. “As I said, we won't be walking far down the path. Just a little ways.”

“Have you done this before?”

“I've been down this path before,” Callum said, nodding.

Claire paused and looked him up and down, then back at the sign, then out at the trail.

“Okay,” she finally said. “But just a little ways. And you walk in the inner part of the trail. I walk on the side closest to the edge.”

“Aye. Except, of course, that the trail is so narrow, we'll have to walk one-by-one.”

Claire opened her mouth to object, once again, but Callum put his lips to hers and silenced her.

•  •  •

Claire let him lead the way, mostly because she wanted to see him at all times, in case she needed to grab him before he fell off the cliff.

The path was narrow. The people who'd written the sign hadn't
been joking there. But there were sections that were far enough away from the edge that Claire could relax for bits of the journey. In a few sections, if they climbed up a small embankment, they could actually walk away from the path and walk, instead, next to open livestock fields.

They walked in silence a bit, Claire mesmerized by the views of the cliff. She was so busy enjoying the view she didn't notice the small dip and, without warning, lost her footing.

In a fast attempt to steady herself, she reached out for the wire fence next to her and grabbed hold.

“Ouch!” Claire shrieked, yanking her hand away.

Callum whirled around. “What happened? Did you twist your ankle?”

“No. Yes. I mean, I tripped, but it's not my ankle that hurts. It's my hand,” she said, shaking it. “I just got the weirdest feeling through my arm.”

Callum looked at Claire's hand and then the fence next to them.

“Did you touch the fence, love?” Callum said slowly.

“Yes! I was falling.”

“So you grabbed hold of an electric fence to stop your fall?” His eyes lit with humor.

Claire looked at the fence and couldn't help but smile. The tingle she'd felt through her hand and arm was subsiding.

“Oh, no!” Claire said, laughing. “I got shocked.”

“I bring you to Ireland and you try to electrocute yourself? Seriously, Claire. And you were going on and on about how the trail was too dangerous for me? It seems it's you we have to worry about. I can't take you
anywhere.”
His eyes were bright and Claire could tell he was enjoying teasing her.

Claire slugged him, playfully, on the arm.

“Okay,” Callum said. “I think we've gone far enough. Let's go sit over there.” He pointed to a sloped patch of grass, close to the edge of the cliff, but not so close it made Claire nervous.

The two of them walked over to it and Callum asked Claire to help him get onto the ground. Slowly, the two of them sat and caught their breath.

“It's amazing,” Claire said, casting her eyes out to sea. “No. Amazing doesn't cover it. Spectacular. Marvelous. Magnificent. I can see why you wanted to bring me here.”

“And put up with all your moaning?”

“Hey!” Claire said. “I had reason to moan.”

“And I have a reason, now that we're comfortably seated here, in the most beautiful place on earth, to say, ‘I told you so.' ”

“Thanks for bringing me here. I've never been somewhere so lovely.”

“With someone so handsome. Don't forget the someone-so-handsome part.”

“With someone so handsome,” Claire said. “So, is this where you take all the ladies?”

“Only the ones I like,” Callum said, a grin spreading across his face.

“I figured…since you said you've walked this path before,” Claire said, sitting up on her elbows to draw in the remarkable view.

“I said I've been down this path before. I never actually said I've walked it.”

Claire looked down at him in confusion.

“I came with my parents as a young boy. My dad carried me.”

Claire shook her head. “If you had told me that, I would've never agreed to this walk. I thought you'd done it before!”

“I know you did. And, I knew you wouldn't agree to go if I said I hadn't.”

Claire took a deep breath, a huff intended for Callum.

“And, now that we're here, aren't you glad I didn't tell you? Look at all you would have missed out on.”

He pushed his hand against the ground and sat up, alongside Claire. He bent his body closer to her, nudging her with his shoulder.

She frowned at him and then looked back at the cliffs.

“Would it make you feel better if I told you that, on that day with my parents, I knew if I was ever blessed enough to meet the love of my life, I'd bring her here and, on these cliffs, declare my love for her?”

Claire said nothing for a moment. She wanted to continue to sulk, but she couldn't. Staying mad or annoyed with Callum for more than a few moments was an exercise in futility.

“Well, it does make me feel a little bit better, since I'm the one you brought here.”

“You are the one I brought here,” Callum said. “And, do you know why that is?”

“Because you want to declare your love for me?” Claire said, a giggle escaping her lips.

“Because I want to declare my love for you. On the most majestic cliffs in all of Ireland, the land I love most, I want to declare that never have I loved anyone more. And never will I again.”

He kissed her then and Claire breathed in his essence. She didn't love him more than Jack. The thought of that would make her feel too guilty. She loved Callum in a different way. A way that was all his own, but every bit as strong as the love she'd had for Jack.

And she knew, just as Callum did, even if she lived to be a hundred and ten, she'd never love anyone more than she loved Callum at this very moment.

Not even close.

Patrick was sitting under a tree in the front of the house, smoking his pipe, when Callum and Claire got home later that evening.

“Did Callum show you a good time today?” he asked Claire, as she and Callum got out of the car.

“It was incredible,” she said, her face still flushed with the excitement of the day. “I've never before been anywhere more beautiful.”

“I'm exhausted and want to get these legs off,” Callum said to Claire. “Are you coming in?”

She glanced at Callum's dad and the empty chair next to him. “If your dad doesn't mind, I think I'll stay outside with him a bit.”

“I'm not a man who can turn down the company of a lovely woman,” Patrick said.

“Okay, have fun,” Callum said, heading into the house. “Try not to scare her away; okay, Dad?”

“I'll do my best, son.”

Claire sat down next to Patrick and stretched out her legs.

“I'm exhausted, too. I can see why Callum wants to get those legs off. Mine are stiff from being cramped in that small car all day.”

“You wish you could take yours off, too?” He grinned.

“For a bit,” she said, smiling.

“How are you enjoying Ireland?”

“I'm having a wonderful time. I've never been overseas before and I couldn't imagine a better first international trip than this one. You and your family have made me feel very welcome.”

Patrick smiled. “I'm glad you feel that way. We've loved having you here. We were all very happy when Callum told us he'd met you and fallen in love. As a father, you hope and pray your child will find happiness in life. Unfortunately, we weren't always sure that'd be possible for Callum.”

Claire remained silent. There was no need to ask Patrick to clarify his statement.

“I hope you'll allow me to speak my mind,” he said.

“Of course.”

“As I'm sure you're aware, Callum told us all about your family before we met you. I haven't mentioned it to you before now, though Nora did tell me she and you had a talk about it.”

Claire nodded.

“Having a son born like Callum certainly wasn't easy. We had no idea. No warning.”

Claire nodded again. She knew about their unwelcome surprise. Callum always mentioned it during his speeches.

“So, I gather Nora told you we understand a little bit about your loss, because we experienced a loss of sorts when Callum was born.”

Patrick took a puff at his pipe. Claire wasn't sure if he expected her to say something or not.

“I had a little brother,” Patrick continued. “He was ten years younger than me. A surprise to my parents. They thought they were done having children. I already had four older brothers.”

“That's a lot of boys.”

Patrick smiled. “Indeed it was. His name was Tomas and, from the moment he was born, he was my favorite person in all the world. My older brothers were gone, by then, with lives of their own, and my mam and dad, they were pretty tired of raising kids by that point. They didn't neglect Tomas, in any way. He was loved and well taken care of, but they no longer had it in them to entertain and play with a small child.

“Tomas was my little shadow. He followed me everywhere and,
despite being a pre-teenage boy, I didn't mind it one bit. He could always make me laugh. Also bring a smile to my face. My friends were all used to him always tagging along. Dare I say it, he was the light of all our lives.”

Claire smiled at Patrick's memory of such a sweet child.

“When I was fifteen years old, I went away for a month to an apprentice program. I think in the States, you'd say I was working as a page in the senate. You know, where young people work on the senate floor, delivering legislative materials and correspondence in the governmental complex. It was a great opportunity for me, especially since I was already showing an interest in the law. My parents were so proud when I was selected.

“Tomas, though, was heartbroken. He couldn't bear the thought of me going away for so long. He was only five and to him, four weeks seemed like an eternity. I held him on my lap and promised him I'd be back before he knew it. And, if he was a very good boy, I'd bring him some special treat from my travels.”

Claire didn't know where this story was going, but she suddenly had a feeling the ending wasn't going to be a happy one.

“One night, while I was sleeping in my dorm, I had a terrible dream. More disturbing than any one I'd ever had before. It seemed so real. I'd dreamt that Tomas was missing and no one could find him, but I could hear him. He was screaming my name. Over and over again. I heard him call to me, but no matter where I looked, or how fast I ran towards the sound, I couldn't find him. It bothered me so much that the next day, I called home and asked my mam to put him on the telephone. She said he was playing out in the barn with some of our young cousins and to call back later that night.

“I went back to work, but couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness. As soon as we broke for tea, I ran to the phone and called my house again. There was no answer. It rang and rang and the knot in my stomach grew. I knew something was wrong.

“It took me forever to fall asleep that night, but not long after I did, I was awakened by our house mother. The police were with her. There'd been a fire at my parents' home. The barn had burned down. We later learned Tomas and our little cousins had been playing with matches. All three of them perished, along with many of our animals.”

Claire gasped and put her hand to her mouth.