Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
My forehead still smarted a little, and I was pretty sure I spotted a bruise blossoming when I saw myself in the bathroom mirror.
“Charli!” Nuala called, waving her hand in the air. “Over here.”
I smiled and tried not to grimace at the rank taste in my mouth. I really needed to brush my teeth and take a shower. I just hoped Nuala didn’t get a whiff of me.
“Hey, thanks so much for coming,” I said, smiling because, despite being exhausted, I was genuinely happy to see her. She was so bubbly and fresh that it was impossible not to feel better in her company.
“It’s no problem at all. I wanted to come. I’ve been so excited to see you. I can’t believe it’s been almost ten years. Madness!” She pulled me into a hug, and it was like being embraced by a fairy who smelled like Chanel. Her long hair fell in envious waves down her back while my thick mop was currently tied in a messy, frizzy knot.
“I’ve been excited to see you, too,” I said as she pulled away and reached for my suitcase.
“Let me take that for you. Come on. A car is waiting down below.”
My eyebrows rose. “A car?”
“Dad’s driver Stephen brought me here. I haven’t got my licence yet since I only started taking lessons a few weeks ago. Hopefully, I’ll be driving by the end of summer. Hey, maybe you and I could go on a road trip before you leave for home. Ah! That’s a great incentive for me to pass the test.”
I was gathering that Nuala was a bit of a golden retriever, full of smiles and cheerful chatter. “Not sure going on a road trip with someone who just passed their test is at the top of my to do list,” I deadpanned, and Nuala chuckled, slapping me on the arm.
“You cheeky bitch!” She paused, surveying me with a smile. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Her accent was lovely. Since my mother was Irish and never really lost her accent, I was used to hearing it—and doing a few impressions of it when Mom got on my nerves. Yes, I inherited the smartass gene from my dad. Anyway, Mom’s strict tones weren’t as pleasing to listen to as Nuala’s lyrical laughter.
“Can you drive? I bet you can. All Americans get cars when they’re, like, sixteen, right?”
I chuckled. “I can drive. I’ve never owned my own car, though. My mom lets me drive hers sometimes when she’s feeling generous, which isn’t very often.”
“Ah, right, your mother. Is she as much of a wagon as my parents say she is?”
I shot her a confused look. “Wagon?”
“Um, kind of difficult to deal with, you know, like a, a—”
“A bitch?” I supplied, and she winced, looking apologetic.
“I mean, well, I wouldn’t put it quite so bluntly.”
“She can be challenging, so yes, I suppose you could call her a wagon, but she’s all heart underneath, I promise.”
Frowning, I considered what Nuala said, feeling a little defensive. I was allowed to complain about Mom because she was my mom. I didn’t like the thought of other people being rude about her. Maybe this trip was a bad idea. “Your parents said that?”
Nuala’s eyes widened. “Oh, no! I mean, well, yes, Dad called her a wagon, but in a loving way. He didn’t mean any harm by it. He just thinks she’s stubborn. I know he cares for her a lot even though they had that big fight.”
“Yeah,” I said, somewhat assuaged. “Did he ever tell you what that was all about?”
“Nope. Did your mother tell you?”
I shook my head.
Nuala sighed. “It’s like some highly guarded secret. Anyway, let’s not let our parents’ drama get in the way of us being friends.” She linked her arm through mine as we entered the pickup zone. Nuala led me straight to a shiny black Range Rover, and my eyes bugged. I knew my uncle was loaded, but it was different seeing it in person. It made me wonder what their house was going to be like. I’d grown up in a small two-bed townhouse, so I suspected my uncle’s place would be a lot more luxurious than that.
The driver, Stephen, was a middle-aged man with ginger hair and a medium build. He took my suitcase from Nuala and gave me a polite nod.
“Charlotte, I take it?”
“That’s me, but you can call me Charli.”
“I’m Stephen. Pleasure to meet you,” he said and shook my hand. “Welcome to Dublin. I hope you had a pleasant flight.”
I resisted the urge to grimace. “It was … tolerable.”
Stephen chuckled. “Well, let’s hope the rest of your summer is better than tolerable.”
Nuala and I climbed in the back while Stephen returned to the driver’s seat. I put on my seatbelt, and we were off. I was immediately struck by the fact that we were driving on the opposite side of the road, which was going to take some getting used to. There wasn’t much to see at first, just a boring highway, but as we reached the seaside town of Malahide where my cousins lived, I started to see what all the fuss was about.