To Live (2 page)

Kelsey was at a loss for words. They were completely at home in her cottage. But she had to admit she liked the company. She had been wondering how she would occupy herself for the rest of the day.

Brian picked up a serving spoon and handed it to her. "Why don't you start."

"Okay." Kelsey reached for the bowl of potatoes.

"Bread, love?" Sarah pushed the basket in Kelsey's direction.

"Thank you." The bread was warm and spongy between Kelsey's fingers, and it smelled wonderful.

"Our daughter, Maeve, is desperate to meet you. She will be arriving any moment,” Sarah said. “She just started working at the new hair salon on Darcy Street and puts in a lot of over hours. At that moment, the doorbell rang. "That must be her. I'll go and let her in."

Sarah returned a few moments later, followed by a beautiful, fresh-faced woman in her late twenties with auburn hair in a loose ponytail on top of her head. She wore a tight tank top under a black cardigan, skinny jeans, and high-heeled boots. And she was chewing gum as if it had just come into fashion.

Her green eyes twinkled when she saw Kelsey. "It's so lovely to meet you." She kissed Kelsey on both cheeks like an old friend. "You and I are going to have so much fun." She snapped her gum and moved on to her father and hugged his shoulders. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, angel." Brian patted her hand.

Taking a seat, Maeve eyed Kelsey. "You have such pretty hair. It's so healthy, but it doesn't do much for you. A nice cut would make your beautiful blue eyes come alive. The long hair hides too many of your great features."

Brian glared at his daughter. "Angel, you haven't met Kelsey for more than a minute and you're already trying to get your hands on her hair?"

"A drastic hair makeover is like magic, Daddy. She'd look even prettier with a nice layered bob." She picked up a spoon and put a potato on her plate. "Whenever you need a makeover, Kelsey, come to the salon."

"I'll do that," Kelsey said, just to be polite. She doubted she would. She had never seen anything wrong with her hair before. But she did appreciate Maeve's offer.

"So." Maeve leaned forward. "Have you met your sexy neighbor yet? He's an author. Shaun's his name. He's in town to write a novel."

Kelsey swallowed her food. "Kind of. I saw him come home a while ago."

"By the way." Brian refilled Kelsey's glass with apple cider. "We also own the cottage next door. He's a good tenant."

"Oh? Okay." Kelsey picked up her glass and sipped. "Is he from around here?"

"No," Maeve said between bites. "He's from the United States. Some town called... Serendipity, or something like that. Weird name for a town. But he's been here for six months now and the ladies around here are going crazy about him. No surprise there. I'm sure you've noticed how hot he is."

Kelsey blushed. "I... well. I guess he looks... nice."
Liar
, scoffed a voice inside her head.

"And he's quite mysterious," Brian said, refilling his plate with rice and stew. Apparently girls nowadays like that sort of thing."

"Why mysterious?" Kelsey's curiosity was peaked.

"He doesn't say much about himself. I think he's hiding something. I'm a pretty good judge of character." Sarah nodded, as if she agreed with her own statement.

"Maybe he's just not a big talker," Brian said. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Well, he does communicate... with the women who come and go out of that cottage." Sarah's lip curled in disgust. "I saw two this week. A nurse and a policewoman. What kind of man sleeps with more than one woman a week?"

Maeve shrugged. "So he likes variety. To each his own."

"I don't care much about what he does in his free time." Sarah's voice was soaked in disapproval. "But those poor women. Being used like that. It's not right. Is it, Brian?"

"What he does behind closed doors is his business,” Brian said. “At least he pays his rent on time. And he's done a lot of repairs at his own cost. And he's always polite."

"I guess you're right," Sarah relented. "More potatoes, Kelsey?"

Kelsey nodded, and Sarah served her, leaning close to whisper into her ear. "If you do get talking, do let us know what he's hiding. Due diligence, you know."

Maeve laughed. "Weren't you supposed to do that before renting out the place?"

"We were desperate,” Sarah admitted. “The place had been empty for months. He had the money and offered to fix the leaking roof. We had to take the offer before he took his money someplace else."

"You just want Kelsey to go sniffing around on your behalf so you can pass on the gossip to Mary Sue." Maeve reached for her father's glass of water and took a swig.

Sarah shook her head and laughed. "Fine, let's talk about something else."

Conversations expanded and plates emptied. Most of the questions were directed at Kelsey, and she answered them all, but didn't go into too much detail.

At last, Maeve stood. "I need to leave. I'm meeting someone in fifteen minutes."

Sarah looked up, excitement written all over her face. "Will you introduce me to this someone?"

"No, Mom, I won't. When I meet the right guy, you'll be the first to know." Maeve kissed both her parents and waved at Kelsey. "Kelsey, we should go out sometime."

"Sure," Kelsey said to her retreating back.

Twenty minutes later, dinner was over, and Kelsey discussed the rent with Brian and Sarah. With a small smile, she pulled out her purse and paid them for three months.

Chapter Three

An unfamiliar cream ceiling with a border of blue forget-me-nots was the first thing Kelsey saw when she opened her eyes. She sat up quickly, heart beating fast. Then she remembered where she was.

Taking a deep breath, she swung her legs out of the squeaking bed and went into the bathroom. An old footed tub leaned against one wall, facing a basin with a heart-shaped mirror above it.

There was nothing fancy about the bathroom. The basin was stained in some places, and the mirror was cracked on one side of the heart. The cottage, like her, had gone through a lot, and it had the scars to prove it—scratched floors, cracked walls, stains, and creaky stairs. But it still stood. So would she. Craig's actions had hurt her and made her feel foolish, but she was ready to turn over a new leaf and take control of her life.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she went back into the bedroom to call her best friend.

"Have you met any gorgeous guys yet?"

"That's not what I came here to do, Delia."

"Fine, then tell me about your cottage."

"It's perfect. It's small, with a worn-out dining table and a windowless bathroom."

Delia laughed, and the ringing of her laughter mingled with the background noise of a blaring TV.

When Delia laughed, she held nothing back. Her laughter was as pure and unpolluted as a baby's breath. Almost as if the problems of adulthood hadn't caught up with her.

It gave Kelsey hope. She used to laugh like that, a very long time ago. She could learn to again. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"I find it amusing that instead of a nice hotel, you prefer to stay in a cottage with a worn-out dining table."

"I knew you wouldn't like it." This time Kelsey laughed, but her laughter was short and controlled.

"Is it a money problem? I could send you some. You could be staying in a nice hotel by tomorrow evening."

"I have enough money saved up to keep me for a while, but this place is worth more than a hundred luxurious hotels." Over the years, Kelsey had invested her money well, and her savings would carry her along until she figured out what she wanted to do.

"I guess God made a mistake then, darling. You were meant to be born into a poor family."

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Delia Nolan. Not all people who live in cottages are poor."

"If you say so. Sweetie, let's talk later. I have to leave for work."

"Okay. I'll call you in the evening."

Kelsey often envied Delia, who had followed her dream of becoming an interior decorator, a job she was fantastic at. Kelsey had initially considered studying something other than accounting and her father had almost had a fit. After a bitter argument, which went on for months, Kelsey gave in and followed her father's orders. She studied accounting and worked in the family business. She did everything he wanted. Until now.

The next place Kelsey called was home.

Maria, the housekeeper—who also used to be Kelsey's nanny—answered. "Your father is in his office. He's... busy."

Kelsey winced, feeling like a small stone had been thrown at her heart. "It's okay, Maria. You don't have to hide anything from me. I know he doesn't want to speak to me."

"Don't worry, love. He'll come around. It might take some time, but he will."

"Maybe," Kelsey said, unconvinced. But she couldn't care less. This was her life and he had to learn to accept her decisions. She'd bent to his will for way too long. She would start her new life with or without his blessing.

After a few minutes of small talk with Maria, she hung up the phone and unzipped her suitcase. She spent the rest of the day unpacking and getting acquainted with her new home.

At eight p.m. her stomach grumbled, and she pushed a frozen pizza into the oven. Just as she turned it on, the doorbell rang.

Maeve stood on the stoop, dressed to kill in a tight red miniskirt and black spike heels. "I was hoping you'd be home." She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. The cottage
did
belong to her family, Kelsey supposed.

"Hi." Kelsey closed the door and followed Maeve into the kitchen. "You're dressed up. You going out?"

Maeve didn't answer. She stood at the kitchen window, holding the curtain aside with one hand. "Lucky thing."

"Who?" Kelsey asked warily. She was drained, and had been looking forward to eating her pizza and going to bed early.

Maeve snapped her gum. "You, woman. I can't believe you live next door to Mr. Sex on Legs and you're not at his cottage licking his door right now. You said you saw him. Didn't he set your panties on fire?"

"Licking his door, really?" Kelsey laughed out loud. She liked Maeve already.

Maeve threw her hands in the air in resignation. "Fine, his rented truck then. Or his shoes. That's of course only if you can't lick the man himself." Maeve paused and glanced at the oven. "What's for dinner?"

"Pizza?" Kelsey was a terrible cook—despite wishing otherwise—so she usually had to rely on frozen foods.

Maeve switched off the stove. "It will still taste good in the morning. Tonight, you're coming out with me to a pub."

"I really don't feel like—"

"You don't need to feel like it now. Wait until you step into Conaire's Corner. They have good music and alcohol. Get dressed. I'll do your hair."

Kelsey didn't resist when Maeve gently shoved her toward the stairs. She had the feeling Maeve would drag her to Conaire's Corner if she had to.

Upstairs, Maeve sat down on Kelsey's bed. "Have you brought any party clothes?"

Opening the wardrobe, Kelsey peered inside. "I hope so." She pulled out a pair of jeans and a sleeveless ivory silk top.

"That will do. Now, where are your hair accessories?"

"In the bathroom."

"Perfect. Let's make you even prettier than you already are."

***

The moment she stepped inside Conaire's Corner, Kelsey’s sleepiness was instantly banished. It was the kind of pub people went to when they wanted to leave their dreary lives behind. The warm wooden interior, low lighting, and old-fashioned furniture made it a good place to meet friends for a drink and a laugh after a long day at work. Music piped through hidden speakers, and laughter filled every corner.

Kelsey blinked from the sting of cigarette smoke as she followed Maeve toward one of the tree stump tables in the back.

"What do you want to drink?" Maeve asked.

"Just some green tea, thanks."

Maeve weaved her way around the tables to the front of the pub. When she came back, she placed a cup of tea and a chocolate brownie in front of Kelsey. "The brownie's on me."

"Thanks."

Maeve drank some of her beer. Then she folded her arms on the table in front of her. "So, what's your story? I read in the paper a while back that your father's loaded. But that's all I know and it's not important to me. I want the juicy stuff. Do you have a boyfriend waiting for you back in Saulery?"

Kelsey shook her head. She would be honest with Maeve. She made her feel comfortable, and Kelsey could use a friend in town. "I was engaged, but the wedding didn't happen. He was not the man I thought he was."

Chapter Four

Right before everything came crashing down around her, Kelsey had been picking out flowers to decorate the honeymoon suite at the Muriel Hotel. She and Craig would spend their first night as a married couple there before leaving Ireland for their honeymoon in Venice.

Her favorite flowers were white hydrangeas, but she mixed them up with pink peonies for variety.

Humming a tune under her breath, she stepped out of the flower shop and walked the short distance to the hotel. After dropping off the bouquets, she'd pass by the office to sign some important documents. Just like her to go to the office the day before her wedding. But as chief operating officer for Glocal COM Europe, a lot of responsibilities rested on her shoulders. That was the main reason they were only going on honeymoon for a week.

Delia kept insisting that Kelsey's workaholic tendencies were born of the deep-rooted need to please her father. She was probably right. It certainly didn't come from her liking her job. She could never shake the feeling that something was missing. Just as she suspected something was missing from her relationship with Craig. The spark had never been that bright, but she did her best to stifle the thought whenever it popped into her head. Despite the emptiness in her heart, she was dedicated to her job, and she was dedicated to Craig.

Kelsey's mother died when Kelsey was thirteen, and after that, she had done everything to please her father, to make him see her and be proud of her. Deep down she had hoped that if she was good, her father wouldn't hurt so much. It became her way of life, and he came to expect it from her. She studied what he wanted, went into a profession he had envisioned for her, and was about to marry his right-hand man. Craig was handsome, well educated, and brilliant as chief financial officer of the company.