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Not that it stopped him.
Apparently, the man had decided to take her at her word about being friends and continued to show up every day.
Every day.
It was like being stalked by a golden retriever.
While he didn’t help her with as many projects, and Iris drew the line at having him spend too much time in her space, he’d infuriatingly bring her a cup of coffee made just the way she liked it and engage her in mindless chat as though her heart wasn’t bleeding for him.
Last week, he’d brought her a fresh batch of spring onions because they were the first thing he’d managed to grow himself and wanted her to have them.
The week before that, he’d brought her a lumpy, misshapen pottery bowl he’d made at the art center down the street. To hold her crystals, he’d said. She’d squirreled it away in her apartment so he couldn’t see she was using it and had put it in a place of honor on her windowsill to charge her crystals in the moonlight.
Yesterday, he’d asked her if she thought a group of sharks was called a shiver because they were intimidating. How was she supposed to answer these questions? It was like he’d completely forgotten everything she’d said and carried on like usual.
In front of the whole town, nonetheless.
Since she wasn’t letting him in the shop, lest he took up residence and never left, they’d have these conversations on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore. Soon, Iris learned that everyone had become curious about their relationship. Which was exactly what she’d been worried about, Iris fumed, glaring down at the book that Beatrice had left at her front door.
Relationships for Dummies.
“Real funny, Beatrice,” Iris called across the landing to where the bookstore door was open. She could just see Bubbles lying in her bed on the counter, her tail swooping lazily.
“I can’t imagine what you’re talking about,” Beatrice called, and Iris pinched her nose before crossing to the front door of the bookshop.
“I don’t need this,” Iris said, brandishing the book. She laid it on a stack of books by the front counter and danced her fingers down Bubble’s back. The cat arched, rolling over, and pawed lightly at Iris’s hand.
“Is that right? Seems to me you could use all the help you can get.” Beatrice sniffed. Reading glasses perched precariously on her nose as she worked a crossword puzzle.
“I’m doing just fine, thank you very much.” Iris was not doing fine, but that was nobody else’s business. In fact, Iris was so far from fine that she was starting to wonder if she’d made a huge mistake by coming to Ireland at all.
“You’re not. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, and you’ve been avoiding the pub, much to Cait’s annoyance. The woman is ready to come down and drag you out of your hole. You’re losing weight. I know heartbreak when I see it.”
“It’s not…I’m just…” Iris sighed. She was hanging on by a thread these days and hated how heartsick she felt. She’d made the decision to walk away, hadn’t she? And it was a smart one. For both of them. Why couldn’t anyone see that? “I’m busy putting the finishing touches on everything. I’m also buried in all the paperwork that goes with opening a business in another country. Visa, residency, licensing, opening a bank account. It’s not like I can waltz in here, set up a table on the street corner, and take cash for payment.”
“No, that’s not really an option, is it? Sure, and I can certainly understand why setting up a business takes so much of your time. But that’s not what has you losing sleep at night, is it, honey?”
At Beatrice’s term of endearment, tears pricked Iris’s eyes.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Beatrice. It won’t work. Why can’t everyone just accept that so I, no we, can move forward?”
“Because from where I’m standing, you are the only one standing in your way.”
Would it be wrong to tackle an old woman? Or maybe just kick her a few times and run? Iris narrowed her eyes as she thought about it.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m stronger than you think, girlie.” Beatrice pushed her glasses up on her nose and marked another word down on her puzzle. “Why don’t you take the afternoon off? My car’s out back. Go for a drive. You haven’t left the shop in weeks. If you don’t want to socialize, then go be in nature. It has a mighty restorative effect, you know.”
“I…actually, you know what? I’ll take you up on that. Are you sure you don’t mind?” Iris agreed, simply to get away from her nagging for the afternoon.
“Keys are right there.” Beatrice pointed at where a set of keys hung on a hook by the counter.
“I’ll be back before dark.”
Beatrice waved her on, nibbling on her pencil as she stared at her crossword, and Iris felt the first bit of excitement she’d felt in a while. Maybe she had been working too hard. A break wouldn’t kill her.
Soon enough, Iris was driving the sporty little sedan along the narrow road that led toward Gracie’s house. Iris had thought to visit the nature center or something of the like, but she’d forgotten about the whole driving on the other side of the road. Now she gripped the wheel tightly and muttered curses until she saw the turnoff for the cove. Swinging the car along the dirt path, Iris let out a sigh of relief. Her back was damp with sweat, and she could’ve kicked herself for not remembering how precarious the drive was. Getting out, she dragged herself to the picnic table and plopped down, her chest heaving as she waited for nature to work its supposed miracle on her.
The cove took her breath away.
