New Girl in Little Cove Damhnait Monaghan (best ebook reader android .txt) 📖

“Rachel,” he said. “What are you doing here? I thought you went home.”

I pulled off my tea cozy and balaclava.

Doug had a wounded look on his face, but before I could speak to him, Eddie passed me a beer and said, “Not bad for a mainlander.”

Sheila clinked her bottle with mine. “We mainlanders are all right, once you get to know us,” she said.

I wasn’t really listening; instead I watched Doug go over and talk to Phonse. I started to follow him, but then Geri arrived with another woman I didn’t recognize, and the pair of them went over to talk to Doug.

I turned my attention back to Sheila, introducing her to Lucille. Sheila gave her a big hug. “Thank you for taking such good care of my best friend, Lucille.”

“Ah, go on with you,” said Lucille. “She was no bother.”

Phonse came over to talk to me. I kept looking past him for Doug, but couldn’t spot him.

Sheila batted her eyes at Phonse. “I’ve heard so much about you from Rachel. I think you practically run that school.”

Lucille whispered in my ear, “She’s flirting with Phonse. You better tell her he’s a . . .”

“Confirmed bachelor,” I replied. “Don’t worry, Sheila flirts with everyone, but she’s harmless.”

Lucille raised her glass to toast me. “You’ve come a long way since that first day you pitched up all high and mighty,” she said.

I flinched. “What do you mean?”

She reached over and tugged one of my curls. “Just that you’re after loosening up a bit, girl. And it’s some good to see.”

Eddie’s kitchen was similar to Lucille’s but more cluttered. Over by the stove, a rangy brown dog lay oblivious to the noise. The party was in full swing now and empty beer bottles stood beside bottles of rum and whiskey. Big ceramic bowls of chips and pretzels were filled and refilled.

Clusters of people stood talking, their heads together, and bursts of laughter would periodically fill the room. Judy was in high spirits. She and Bill were waltzing in the hall. Naturally, Sheila was surrounded by admirers. She had a knack for getting men to riff off one another, rather than compete with each other. When Doug came by, pushing through the crowd, I grabbed his arm.

“Come and meet my best friend Sheila.”

But just as I introduced them, Phonse handed me a fiddle. “People are asking if you’ll play. Will you?”

I took the fiddle and joined the musicians in the corner. As we tuned up, I thanked Phonse for the cassette he’d given me for Christmas.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, girl,” he said. “I never gave you a cassette.” While I wondered who had, the accordion player addressed the room.

“The teacher’s gonna join us but she only knows the one song, right?”

Phonse corrected him. “She’s after picking up a few more, b’y.”

I caught sight of Doug, who was no longer talking to Sheila but standing on his own, leaning up against the wall. Before I could look for Geri, the music started and I had to concentrate. It was much more intimate playing there than it had been up on stage that night, but I closed my eyes and tried to relax into the music.

After playing several songs, we took a break and I went to find Sheila. She was deep in conversation with Eddie Churchill, who was filling her in on the history of Little Cove. People kept arriving, and the house grew so crowded that the party spilled out into the cold air. I saw Geri leave with her friend but there was no sign of Doug.

Hours later, Sheila and I walked back to Judy’s to share her spare bed. The stars were out and the night was cold, but there was a warmth in my heart big enough to heat the whole of Little Cove.

I was tired and wanted to sleep, but Sheila wanted to do a party debrief. She was convinced that Lucille and Phonse would make a cute couple.

“Really?” I said. “I can’t see it.”

“Well, I’ll tell you who doesn’t make a cute couple,” she said. “Doug and Geri. They barely spoke all night.”

“Maybe they had an argument?” I said.

“No,” said Sheila. “It wasn’t like they were mad at each other. More like”—she yawned and rolled on her side—“indifferent.”

I thought about how Geri and Doug had been apart all evening. Maybe Sheila was right.

“Sheila,” I whispered, but she was fast asleep.

23

On New Year’s Eve morning, Sheila and I sat on opposite ends of a loveseat, sipping tea. “I can’t believe you’re leaving so soon,” I said.

“Relax,” she said. “I’m not leaving until next year.”

“Ha ha, well that’s tomorrow. But speaking of next year, any resolutions?”

She put down her mug and stretched. “The usual, exercise more and eat less.” Then she snagged the last chocolate chip cookie from the batch I’d baked earlier that morning. “So listen, what can we do in this joint that doesn’t involve alcohol?”

“It’s New Year’s Eve! Who are you and what have you done with Sheila?”

“Seriously. I need to go to bed early. The taxi arrives at ridiculous o’clock tomorrow morning. I’d like to drive out to Little Cove in the daylight, break into the school and maybe have some fish and chips.”

“Deal. Well, maybe not the break and enter part. I have a key. But I hope you’ve had a good time, Sheila.”

“Rach, I’ve loved every minute of it. And best of all has been seeing you so content. When I saw you playing the violin the other night . . .”

“Fiddle.”

“Whatever. You fit right in with that music.”

She reached out and touched my hair, which I hadn’t straightened in days. “I love these curls, you never used to let them go. You’re happy here, Rachel.”

I smiled. “I guess I am.”

Then she smacked her forehead. “Wait, no! You’re really happy here. Don’t you dare try to stay here any longer than June. You’re on a one-year contract and that’s final, missy.”

“Sir, yes sir. Now,