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Grace had a wonderful time with Declan that week, enjoying his company with no pressure. She accompanied him when he drove the minibus on a rowdy pub crawl to Killarney with the hen party, and they spent a day in the sunshine back at Ballybunion beach with his nieces and nephews, who obviously adored him, even venturing into the sea caves at a time Declan assured her was safe from high tide. She did some exploring on her own, too, on days when he was busy with the tours. But now she wanted to go home, so she could do the mind work to get over Mark while laying the foundation for an ongoing friendship with Declan. And who knew? Maybe in the future it could blossom into something more.
Declan insisted on driving her to the airport in Dublin, even though it was a three-hour journey. Initially, he was quiet on the ride up.
“Do you know when you’ll go back to Australia?” she asked, trying to get him to talk.
“Actually, I’ve been offered a job here, working on the Aisling Manor refurbishment.”
“That’s wonderful! You must be happy about that.”
“Oh, I am. I’ve given my boss in Australia my notice, but eventually I’ll have to go back to sell my car and get rid of my apartment.”
“What will you be doing at your new job?” she asked.
“Construction, mainly,” he said. He explained to her what he’d be doing. She could tell that he was excited about it and she was happy for him.
“When do you start?”
“Next week,” he smiled.
A silence fell between them that lasted for a few long minutes.
“It’s not like you to be so quiet,” she remarked.
“I’m trying to get the nerve up to ask you something,” he said with a laugh. It was amazing how a week alone with someone could break the ice. She felt more comfortable with him now than she had on the tour group. She felt as if she’d known him for a long time.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she asked with a reassuring smile. Or she hoped he found it reassuring, anyway.
“Really? You’re asking me that? Your answer could be no,” he said.
“If you don’t ask the question, the answer will always be no,” she countered.
He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Touché.”
For another mile, he didn’t say anything and Grace didn’t push him. She was willing to let it all play out the way it was supposed to.
“I was wondering if you wanted to keep in touch when you go back to the States?” he asked. His head turned back and forth between keeping his eyes on the road and looking at her.
“I would like that very much,” she said. Two weeks ago, her wedding day had been the worst day of her life. But today she was feeling oddly content and satisfied. The despair had been replaced by hope.
“Whew, that’s a relief,” he joked, mimicking wiping his hand across his bow.
“Actually, I have a question of my own,” she said.
“Go for it,” he said.
“Would you like to come to Boston to visit me?” she asked.
His eyes widened in surprise, but the easy smile on his face told her he was delighted. “Yeah, sure! I’d love to.”
“You’ve been such a great guide that I’d really like to return the favor,” she said.
“When?” he asked.
She laughed again; he sounded so eager, like a kid. She shrugged. “Whenever you can. Just let me know.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
When the sign for the airport came into view, Grace shifted in her seat and bit her lip. She liked Declan’s company more than anything and felt sad that they had to part ways. But she wanted to see how she felt about him three thousand miles away. Was this just a holiday state of mind? She hoped not.
When they pulled into the airport, Declan dropped Grace off at the curb. He pulled out her backpack and handed it to her.
“I’ll go park the car and meet you inside,” he said, offloading her suitcase to the curb.
She went inside and got in line to check her suitcase and get her boarding pass.
By the time she was finished, Declan was waiting for her by the departures screen with his hands in his pockets.
“All set?” he asked.
She nodded. A lump had formed in her throat. They walked silently toward the security gate. Grace eyed every sign she passed and her muscles felt twitchy. Finally, the security gate loomed before them.
“This is where I head off,” Grace said. She went over in her head all the things she wanted to say. She wanted to thank him for introducing her to the beautiful country of Ireland. But there was still so much more of the country she wanted to see. She wanted to tell him that the trip had rescued her from falling into a deep pit of depression. She wanted to tell him how much she was going to miss him. She wanted to tell him how much she was looking forward to seeing him again. And she hoped it would be soon.
As she was going through this mental review, Declan stepped forward, took her in his arms, and lowered his head. Grace’s eyes widened.
“If it’s all right, Grace Kelly, I’m going to kiss you goodbye.”
Grace gulped and nodded quickly because she couldn’t find the words.
Declan pulled her tighter to him and laid his lips on hers. Grace could feel her heartbeat in her throat and hear it in her ears. She slid her arms underneath his and wrapped them around his back. He kissed her good. By the time he pulled away, she was dizzy. She put her hand on her head.
“There was no way I wanted to let you leave without kissing you goodbye,” he said solemnly. His eyes were serious, his face appeared somber.
Grace was still trying to get her bearings. She nodded. “Yeah, I’m glad you did.”
Declan’s eyebrows knitted together. “Are you all right?”
Grace’s laugh was shaky. “Never been better, actually.”
And that was the truth.
