Page 38 of Beneath the Quiet

She scrunches her nose. “But…”

“No buts, Katie.”

My voice is firm, and she knows I’ve reached my limits, and thankfully, she stops talking about it. Still, her words repeat in my mind while we finish getting dinner ready. I make a salad with spinach, radishes, and beetroot mixed together. Katie adds the carrots to the pot simmering on the stove behind the makeshift kitchen island.

“Don’t forget to stir it,” I murmur.

She nods and smiles back at me. “I won’t forget.”

I try to switch the mood back to something lighter. “How’s that pony, Crystal?”

“Oh, she’s wonderful! I learn so much every week, plus Maggie, our trainer, said I might be ready for my first competition in July.”

“Wow, that’s great.” I turn back around and bend to give her a one-armed hug. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Red tinges her usually pale cheeks. “Thanks, Dad.”

I lean back and open my mouth, but I don’t get my next words out.

“Hello? Where’s my favourite lad?”

I walk towards the hallway to get to the door, but my parents beat me to it.

I lean down and give my dad a hug. “I’m your only lad, and an adult.”

Seamus grins back, tilting his head to meet my eyes. My dad’s almost as tall as me, but having been a farmer most of his life himself, he can’t straighten to his full height anymore.

“Doesn’t mean you’re not my favourite.”

“Grandad!” Katie shuffles over to us, and I take a step back, giving her room to hug him.

“And there’s my star.” Dad reaches down and groans as he lifts her. “Blimey, you’re getting so tall, young lady. Soon, you’ll outgrow me and you da.”

“No, I won’t.” She giggles and hops down. “Where’s Granny?”

“Right here, pet.” Mum cranes her neck behind my dad’s upper arm and taps his shoulder. Since she’s so much shorter than he is, it’s a comical sight. “But your brute of a grandfather still hasn’t learned any manners.”

Dad immediately turns to Mum. “Now, hold on, Rose. What do you mean by that?”

“I mean,” she pokes him in the chest, and I can sense she’s gearing up for giving him a good talking to, “that you always forget that ladies must go first. Always. That’s the gentlemanly way.”

“Aah, but you forget that I’m not a gentleman.”

I groan, almost unable to stop from gagging when Dad advances on her, tickling her sides. She giggles like a schoolgirl, and I dart out my hand to cover Katie’s eyes.

“Errr, Dad? Mum? Not in front of the children, please.”

Mum lets out one more squeal and dashes away from Dad. She gives me an exasperated smile and moves up on her tiptoes to give me a hug. To accommodate our height differences, I bend to wrap my hands around her back.

“Aidan, dear, how much food have you made tonight?”

I frown as I let her go. “Why?”

“Well, we bumped into Maeve and brought her with us.”

My eyes shoot up in shock, then sweep around her. And there she is, the object of my desires, giving me a small wave and a crooked grin. It doesn’t reach her eyes, making my frown deepen.

“I’m sorry for intruding on your family dinner.”