"Of course," Colleen said. "I cannot wait to hear all about Ireland.""It's a beautiful country."They carried some platters into the living room. With the food settled onto the coffee table and their wine glasses filled, Meg sat on her loveseat. Colleen chose her usual spot on an antique rocking chair. Meg's grandfather had made it when she'd been adopted by her parents. "I bet. Do you at least have pictures?"Meg pulled out her phone. She found her Irish Trip folder before handing the phone to Colleen. Her friend swiped to look at each picture while Meg sipped her wine. "It is beautiful. I am so going there this year.""You haven't taken a vacation in five years."Colleen laughed. "I know, but I plan on one this year. My boss has insisted. I have too much accumulated.""I'd go back in a minute." Meg settled back in the cushions. "It felt like home.""Mm. I've never been anywhere that felt like that besides home, of course."Colleen brushed her reddish-blonde hair out of her eyes. M
"Is that comfortable?" Tex said from behind Donal.Donal glanced over his shoulder. "What?""Being perched like that.""Uh, yes."Donal hadn't thought about how he was crouching. It was just something that gargoyles did. He'd never questioned it. Being tall, they wanted to make themselves less visible from a distance. Tex leaned against the low wall surrounding the roof. "Can I ask you a question?""Sure.""I've been going over and over what I thought I saw last night," Tex said. Uh. Oh. "Yes?""You did fly onto the roof."Donal weighed telling the man the truth. He'd been his only friend so far. "Yes. I did."The man didn't flinch. "What are you?""A gargoyle.""Like on Eastern State Penitentiary? Come to life?"Donal didn't know the place the man was talking about, but he could explain his story. "I'm not from there. I'm from Ireland.""Well, yeah. The accent. I get it."Donal smiled. He listened to the girls' conversation winding down. Meg would be asleep soon. "Do you want to hea
In Ireland, people were friendlier. Meg had to remember as much as it was the City of Brotherly Love, it was still a city.He smiled at her over his newspaper. How odd. She hadn't seen someone close to her read the newspaper in ages. Must be an old soul. There was something familiar about him, but she didn't think she'd seen him before today.She smiled back then pushed open the door to outside. A crowd of people waited at the bus stop. When it finally arrived, she climbed on only to see the guy in the coffee shop sitting in the back. He must have gotten on at the back door. This could be fate, not that she believed in such flights of fancy. Still. She could sit next to him.She traversed to the back. He still had his paper in his hand, but no briefcase. Seemed odd, but she was on the bus with lots of people. "Hi," she said. She motioned to the seat next to him. "Anyone sitting there?""Not that I can see."His words carried the slightest lilt of Ireland. She sat. "You're from Irelan
"If we put the plant there, we would be right by the sheep. We would have a close source of wool. That is what we want."Harriet frowned. "With a spot that remote we might have environmental issues.""None that I was able to discern. There is a lot of green land in Ireland. They are more worried about people having jobs than anything else," Meg said.She'd talked to enough locals to know that if they didn't farm there wasn't anything else to do. The pubs only employed a few people."Is there a town nearby?""Leenane. A small town, but it has several roads that feed it. Tour busses go through there so they aren't too small."Meg's heart sped up. Maybe Harriet would listen to her. Her heart fell when Harriet handed her the photo back. "No. We are going in a different direction completely. We're finding a domestic spot.""Why? This company built its reputation on Irish wool. Not American wool.""It's cheaper this way," Harriet said. "I didn't make the decision. Someone higher up did.""W
Donal grimaced. "It's crazy, learning a new job, but I think I'll adapt.""Good. Figure out the politics.""You think so? I'm a simple man. I'm not into game playing."She nodded, liking more things about him as time went on. He was a handsome man with an enticing accent. Too bad she wasn't in the market for a man. She'd bet Donal would be a lot of fun."It isn't game playing. It's survival. All companies have politics. It's just part of the culture. You get good at it and you get ahead.""Can't I just get ahead on my abilities?" Donal quirked an eyebrow.Was he new to the work force? "No, you can't. Competition is tough. You have to be tougher and have an edge."He nodded, but she didn't think he was truly listening. His problem, not hers, but for some reason, she wanted to help him. "How does one figure out the politics?""It takes time," Meg said. "You have to keep your mouth shut and listen. You'll know who the players are and who isn't ever going to get far in the company.""So j
He'd spent his life protecting fairies and he probably knew every way to get out of a situation. He could even talk his way out of a fight. But not with a goblin and the females were even fiercer than the males. A short guy with whatever beer courage was wouldn't be hard to take down."Aye."The waitress came back with their beers. Meg touched her glass to his. "Cheers.""Cheers."He sipped and immediately liked the dark brew in his hand. It did speak to him of his homeland. Something about the richness of it made him think of the richness of the culture of Ireland."Not as good as home, I bet," Meg said."It'll do.""Have you been in America long?""No. Only a few weeks," he said. "Are you from Philadelphia originally?""Sort of. I was born in Ireland, but was adopted as a baby by an American couple.""Are your parents still alive?"A darkness crossed her face and Donal wished he hadn't said anything. "No, they died in a car crash a few years ago."Donal wondered if that was on purpo
Not in the real sense. He'd paid for someone else's crime. "No, sir.""Are you wanted by the law?""No, sir," Donal said.Jeremy sighed. "Okay. I won't ask. As long as you haven't broken the law I'll keep you on. You have an edge to you that the others don't.""Thank you."***Tex had found a suit at a homeless shelter that also had a shower and he now accompanied Donal to his job. Donal wasn't sure that there was a spot for Tex at Jenkins Security, but he was going to try.Tex fidgeted next to him on the bus. "Do I look okay?""You look fine. That haircut I gave you is okay. You can get a better one, but some of the guys have long hair. Don't worry, Tex. You'll be fine."Tex nodded then stared out the window. Meg had gotten on the bus that came before this one, but Donal couldn't leave Tex. He just crossed his fingers that Meg would be okay. He doubted the goblin would attack her in front of other people. "Your boss is Jeremy?" Tex said."Yes. He's a good guy."Tex nodded.They reach
Hold on! That was a problem. "We are not siblings, but I can explain our connection."She rested her elbows on the table. "Go ahead.""I need you to have an open mind.""Okay."He took a deep breath. "When you want something good, does it come your way?""Well, not my boss' job, but until then, yes, I guess so. I've never wished for anything unrealistic. I didn't want a pony when I was a kid," she said.She took another sip of her beer, studying him. "Do you know anything about your birth parents?"She put down her pint of beer. "Only that they were Irish and they might have been killed.""Have you tried to trace them?" he said.He leaned his elbows on the table, mirroring her posture. She leaned back, her eyes getting a little warier. He'd have to tread carefully in this conversation. He didn't know what people believed in this day and age. At a disadvantage not knowing that he was going into this conversation blind. Not a good stance tactically and it chafed at him."The adoption w