Part 20 (1/2)

Holly dived onto her bed in embarra.s.sment. ”It's Holly Kennedy? Declan's sister?”

”Oh Holly, hiya, hold on a second while I go somewhere quieter.”

Holly was stuck listening to 'Greensleeves' again and she danced around her bedroom and started singing along.

”Sorry Holly,” Daniel said, picking up the phone again and laughing. ”You like 'Greensleeves'?”

Holly's face went scarlet and she hit herself across the head. ”Em, no, not really.” She couldn't think of what else to say, then she remembered why she was ringing.

”I was just ringing to invite you to a barbecue.”

”Oh great, yeah, I would love to go.”

”It's Ciara's birthday on Friday week; you know my sister, Ciara?”

”Eh...yes, the one with the pink hair.”

Holly laughed. ”Yeah, stupid question, everyone knows Ciara. Well, she wanted me to invite you to the barbecue and to subtly tell you that she wants to marry you and have your babies.”

Daniel started laughing. ”Yes...that was very subtle all right.”

Holly wondered whether he was interested in her sister, if she was his type.

”She's twenty-five on Friday week,” Holly felt like adding for some unknown reason.

”Oh...right.”

”Em, well, Denise and your friend Tom are coming as well, and Declan will be there with his band of course, so you'll know plenty of people.”

”Are you going?”

”Of course!”

”Good, I'll know even more people then, won't I?” he laughed.

”Oh great, she'll be delighted you're coming.”

”Well, I would feel rude for not accepting an invitation from a princess.”

At first Holly thought he was flirting and then she realized he was referring to the doc.u.mentary, so she mumbled some sort of incoherent answer. He was just about to hang the phone up when a thought suddenly popped into her head, ”Oh, there's just one more thing.”

”Go for it,” he said.

”Is that position behind the bar still available?”

TWENTY-FIVE.

THANK G.o.d IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL day, Holly thought, as she locked her car and walked around to the back of her parents' house. The weather had drastically changed that week and it had rained and rained continuously. Ciara was in hysterics about what would become of her barbecue and she had been h.e.l.l to be with all week. Luckily for everyone's sake the weather had returned to its former splendor. Holly already had a good tan from lying out in the sun all month, one of the perks of not having a job, and she felt like showing it off today by wearing a cute little denim skirt she had bought in the summer sales and a simple tight white T-s.h.i.+rt that made her look even browner.

Holly was proud of the present she had bought Ciara and she knew Ciara would love it. It was a b.u.t.terfly belly b.u.t.ton ring that had a little pink crystal in each wing. She had chosen it so it would coordinate with Ciara's new b.u.t.terfly tattoo and her pink hair, of course. She followed the sounds of laughter and was glad to see that the garden was full with family and friends. Denise had already arrived with Tom and Daniel, and they had all flaked out on the gra.s.s. Sharon had arrived without John and she was sitting chatting to Holly's mum, no doubt discussing Holly's progress in life. Well, she was out of the house, wasn't she? That was a miracle in itself.

Holly frowned as she noted Jack was once again not present. Ever since he had helped her carry out the task of cleaning out Gerry's wardrobe, he had been unusually distant. Even when they were children Jack had always been great at understanding Holly's needs and feelings without her having to point them out to him, but when she had told him that she needed s.p.a.ce after Gerry's death, she didn't mean she wanted to be completely ignored and isolated. It was so out of character for him not to be in contact for so long. Nerves fluttered through Holly's stomach and she prayed that he was all right.

Ciara was standing in the middle of the garden screaming at everyone and loving being the center of attention. She was dressed in a pink bikini top to match her pink hair and blue denim cutoffs.

Holly approached her with her present, which was immediately grabbed from her hand and ripped open. She needn't have bothered wrapping it so neatly.

”Oh Holly, I love it!” Ciara exclaimed and threw her arms around her sister.

”I thought you would,” Holly said, glad she had chosen the right thing, because otherwise her beloved sister would no doubt have let her know about it.

”I'm gonna wear it now actually,” Ciara said, ripping out her current belly b.u.t.ton ring and piercing the b.u.t.terfly through her skin.

”Ugh,” Holly shuddered. ”I could have gone without seeing that, thank you very much.”

There was a beautiful smell of barbecued food in the air and Holly's mouth began to water. She wasn't surprised to see all the men huddled around the barbecue with her dad in pride of place. Hunter men must provide food for women.

Holly spotted Richard and she marched over. Ignoring the small talk she just charged right in. ”Richard, did you tidy my garden?”

Richard looked up from the barbecue with a confused expression on his face. ”Excuse me, did I what?” The rest of the men stopped their conversation and stared.

”Did you tidy my garden?” she repeated with her hands on her hips. She didn't know why she was acting so angry with him, just a force of habit probably, because if he had tidied it he had done her a huge favor. It was just annoying to keep returning home to see another section of her garden cleared and to not know who was doing it.

”When?” Richard looked around at the others frantically, as though he had been accused of murder.

”Oh, I don't know when,” she snapped. ”During the days for the past few weeks.”

”No, Holly,” he snapped back. ”Some of us have to work, you know.”

Holly glared at him and her father interjected. ”What's this, love, is someone working on your garden?”

”Yes, but I don't know who,” she mumbled, rubbing her forehead and trying to think again. ”Is it you, Dad?”

Frank shook his head wildly, hoping his daughter hadn't finally lost the plot.

”Is it you, Declan?”

”Eh...think about it, Holly,” he said sarcastically.

”Is it you?” she turned to the stranger standing next to her father.

”Um...no, I just flew into Dublin...um...for the...um, weekend,” he replied nervously with an English accent.

Ciara started laughing. ”Let me help you, Holly. Is anybody here working on Holly's garden?” she yelled to the rest of the party. Everybody stopped what they were doing and shook their heads with blank expressions on their faces.

”Now wasn't that much easier?” Ciara cackled.