Page 64 of The Secret Bookshop in Ireland

‘I’ll go and close it when I’ve finished eating,’ Ronan offered. ‘And then we’ll head out there and do another search of the vicinity. Delicious lamb casserole, Maureen,’ he said between bites.

‘Yeah, it’s really yummy,’ Ciara agreed.

‘I’m glad you like it,’ Maureen said. ‘I won’t come with you this time, Ciara. Now that you have Ronan to help you look, I think I’ll stay here to wash up and then I’ll light the fire. You’ll need to get warm when you come back. I can hear the wind getting up again out there.’

‘Yes, it’s howling now,’ Ciara said, her eyes wide with worry. ‘Poor Brian. He hates the wind. He’s such a big chicken when it comes to bad weather.’

Maureen laughed. ‘You’re such a mother hen when it comes to that dog. He’s an animal and his ancestors lived in the forest. I’m sure he can cope with a little bit of rain and wind. I’d say he’s sheltering under a tree or in a cave right now, maybe even asleep, waiting for things to improve.’

‘Yes, but what if someone did steal him?’ Ciara asked.

‘I know I thought so initially,’ Maureen said, looking doubtful. ‘But who on earth would want to look after such a big lump of a dog?’

‘He’s not a lump,’ Ciara protested angrily. ‘He’s a total darling and I adore him.’

‘I know,’ Maureen soothed. ‘And I’m very fond of that big lump too, you know.’

Ciara finished eating and picked up her plate and brought it to the sink. ‘We’ll go out there now. Are you coming, Ronan?’

Ronan drained his glass of water and stood up. ‘Yes. Thanks for dinner, Maureen. It really hit the spot. Let’s go then, Ciara. We’ll drive down a bit of the road and then call the guards when we have a good signal.’

‘See you later, Ma,’ Ciara said as they walked out of the kitchen.

‘Good luck,’ Maureen called after them.

‘What a horrible night,’ Ciara said when they were in Ronan’s car heading down the road towards Enniskerry. The wind shook the car and twigs and leaves hit the windscreen. She scanned the road as they drove, trying to look into the woods but there was no sign of Brian. Once they were near Enniskerry and Ciara saw that she had a good steady 5G signal, Ronan pulled up while she searched for the number of the nearest Garda station and clicked on it. Then when someone answered, she explained briefly why she was calling and asked if anyone had seen or handed in an Irish wolfhound. They said no and noted down her name should anyone have seen him.

‘What did they say?’ Ronan asked as Ciara hung up.

‘Just that they took a note of a missing dog and they’ll contact me if he’s been seen or handed in. Not that anyone would,’ she said with a sigh. ‘If anyone saw him, they’d probably run a mile, thinking he’s dangerous.’

‘Well, his size is a little daunting,’ Ronan said. He turned to her with a serious expression. ‘I’m sure he’s okay wherever he is. But running around in the dark might not be a good idea. Wouldn’t it be better to go to bed and wait until morning when we can see where we’re going?’

‘You mean we should give up and leave him out there?’ Ciara asked, tears welling up. ‘I don’t think I could sleep anyway. I’m so worried about him.’ Then she couldn’t hold it in any longer and she burst into tears as Ronan held her tight, sobbing into hisjacket until she couldn’t cry any more. She pulled away from him and tried to find a tissue in her pocket.

‘Here.’ Ronan handed her a clean, newly ironed handkerchief.

Ciara took it and dabbed her eyes. ‘Why are you so perfect?’ she said, half between laughter and tears. ‘Trust you to have a clean hanky when I needed it the most.’ She blew her nose noisily. ‘Oh God, I’m such a mess.’ She pushed her hair back and dried her face. ‘And I soaked your jacket. Lucky it’s waterproof.’

‘Yeah.’ He ran his hand through his wavy blond hair and let out a laugh. ‘You’re a bit of a mess all right, but not in a bad way.’

‘I’m a mess in a good way?’ Ciara asked, suddenly aware of how close they were in the car. He smelled of something spicy and his skin was soft in the light from the dashboard. ‘How do you mean?’ she whispered.

‘Ciara,’ he said and put his hands on her shoulders, leaning towards her. ‘You’re adorable.’ Then his lips touched hers for a moment before he pulled back. ‘Sorry. I’m not sure you feel…’

She grabbed his jacket and pulled him close. ‘This is how I feel,’ she said and pressed her mouth to his in a kiss that didn’t end for a long while. When they finally pulled back, they smiled at each other and then kissed again, holding each other tight.

‘Oh, Ronan,’ Ciara whispered against his cheek. ‘You make me so happy. I suppose your girlfriend is no more?’

‘Who?’ Ronan whispered back. ‘Oh, her. No, she’s out of my mind and my life forever. There is only you.’

‘I’ve never felt like this before,’ Ciara said. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been in love, actually. Maybe there is something wrong with me?’

‘No. Everything with you is perfect,’ Ronan whispered as his phone rang. ‘Damn,’ he growled. ‘Elaine might need something.’ He pulled his phone from his pocket and peered at it. ‘No, it’s your mother.’

‘Put her on speaker,’ Ciara ordered when Ronan took the call. ‘Ma, what’s up?’ she shouted.

‘I found Brian,’ Maureen shouted back. ‘He’s here with me.’