arm as the man sauntered—that was the word for it, sauntered—away.
“Who? What?”
She just shoved her gift bag at Marco and ran. Not away, not this time, but after. That struck her not as impossible, but as liberating.
She sprinted—or tried to—in and around people who admired the village, those taking videos and snapshots, or kids racing to see the donkey.
She kept him in sight, was no more than seconds behind him when he turned a corner.
She turned it.
And he was gone. Simply gone.
Not possible, she thought, fighting to catch her breath. Just not possible.
“Breen.” Marco raced up to her, grabbed her arm. “WTF!”
“I saw him, Marco, I swear I saw him.”
“Who? Plus, you just reminded me why I used to push at you to join the track team. You’ve got some fast feet, girl.”
“The man—the man on the bus, and outside the apartment, and at Sally’s. At the airport, too. I just saw him again.”
“Breen—”
“I know how it sounds, Marco.” She shoved a hand through her hair. “I know, but I also know what I saw. He’s about six feet—maybe six-one or -two, and lanky. He’s always in black, and he has silver hair—not white, not gray, it’s shiny and luxurious.”
Marco put an arm around her, a protective gesture that wasn’t lost on her. “But you don’t see him now?”
“I’m not crazy or delusional. I chased him to this corner, and he went around the side, and . . .”
Vanished like a puff of smoke, she thought.
“I don’t know where he went. There are a lot of people. But I saw him, and it doesn’t make sense.”
“Okay. Let’s walk.” He kept his arm around her as he drew her away. “You’re shaking.”
“It’s not anxiety. I’m pissed off,” she realized. “I’m really pissed off. It feels like he’s taunting me. It feels so arrogant.”
“I can dump rocks on him if you see him again.”
She didn’t laugh, but she did tip her head toward his shoulder. Then she straightened. “Would my mother have someone follow me?”
“I didn’t think of that.” Now he did as he guided her along the path. “I guess she could, but why?”
“I don’t know, just to keep tabs. But that doesn’t make sense, since I saw him on the stupid bus before I found out about the money. And hell, she could read my blog if she wanted to know what I was doing. She could just freaking ask if she wanted to know.”
As they walked, he rubbed her back in that soothing way he had. “It’s a wide world of coincidence, but you said you saw him at the airport.”
“I did.” Or she thought . . .
“I bet we’re not the only people from Philadelphia in Ireland, or even in this park right now.”
“He looked at me like he knew me,” she added, then shook her head. “Maybe because he recognized me like I did him. Maybe. The first time, on the bus, it felt like he looked at me, but I was already worked up. Getting dumped, hating my job, hating that I was on the bus going to my mother’s. But I guess—in the wide world of coincidence—he could have seen me today and thought: Hey, she looks familiar.”
She didn’t believe it. She realized as she said it, she didn’t believe it at all, but there was comfort in saying it.
“We could walk around more, see if you spot him again.”
“No, it’s silly. Let’s go get some fish and chips.”
“I’m all about it.”
But he kept his arm around her as they walked back to the car. And he kept his eye out for a man with silver hair.
She put it behind her, and with Marco revived from lunch, explored ruins and round towers, explored another castle in the rain that swept in, and out again just as quickly.
She sat on a seawall with the Atlantic wind in her hair, walked the moonscape of the Burren. They rounded it out with another pub meal and music before taking the winding roads back to their last night at the castle.
“It’s still light out. Let’s have a drink in the bar. You’ve earned another Kir Royale on me. Last night here,” Marco pointed out before she could make an excuse.
“You’re right—last night, and I earned it. I’m just going to drop Morena’s gift at the desk, then change my boots. Meet you there.”
She detoured to the desk.
“Good evening, Ms. Kelly, and how was your day?”
“It was wonderful. I wonder if I can leave this with you to send to