Wild Irish Dreamer - Tricia O'Malley Page 0,11
to the gossip chain.
They’d turned down a cobblestone street that fronted the harbor, where a long row of semi-detached homes and apartments clambered over each other for prime water views. Each place was painted a different color, creating a vibrant and fun atmosphere, and Fi had spent many a day strolling this waterfront walkway and admiring the beauty of her town. That was the thing of it: Although she craved adventure and world travel, her heart of hearts still belonged to Grace’s Cove. It would always be home.
“Here we are then,” Shane said, stopping in front of a neat two-story building painted a cheerful burnished yellow, its windows and shutters done up in a pretty red trim. Flower boxes lined the windows, though it was still too early in the season for any buds to be peeking out. An arched doorway, painted a shiny red with a doorknocker in the shape of a gargoyle, was tucked to the left of the windows.
“And who lives here?” Fi asked, stepping back to look up at the building. “It’s lovely.”
“You do,” Shane said, barely containing the glee that flashed across his face as he waited for her reaction.
For once in her life, Fi was truly and honestly gobsmacked. It was as if someone had doused her with a bucket of ice water, and she gasped for air.
Cait gripped her hand, worry etching her pretty face. “See, I told ye it would be too much for her.” She glared at Shane.
“It’s not too much. Just give the lass a chance to catch her breath.”
Fi stepped back and looked at the house once more as emotions crashed through her – the most surprising of which was that she wanted this house. How could that be? She’d never thought she’d live here full-time. It wasn’t time for her to settle, her brain argued, though her heart screamed, “Take it!”
“I… I honestly don’t know what to say. You’ve gone and left me speechless, you have,” Fi said. “You can’t possibly mean you’re gifting me a house.”
“I am. Well, it’s more of an apartment building. It’s two flats. Want to take a look and I’ll tell you what I’m thinking?” Shane asked, pulling a key from his pocket.
“This is prime real estate. On the water. You should keep this for your portfolio,” Fi argued.
“Bah, that man has enough properties. He can’t even keep them straight.” Cait waved her concerns aside.
“That doesn’t mean you just give them away,” Fi said.
“It does when it’s for your daughter.” Cait grabbed her hand and tugged her inside the stoop. “Just have a look around before you tell us no.”
“This has to be the most extravagant birthday present anyone has ever been given. You can’t possibly think I can accept this,” Fi protested, refusing to step inside.
Cait turned to Shane. “I told you her pride would stop her.”
“You’ve never let us pay for anything,” Shane said, his eyes on Fi. “Not even your rent when you were in uni. You’ve worked since you were a child, saving and scrimping and never once asking us for anything. We’re incredibly proud of you, and it would be an honor if you would let us gift you with this property.”
“You don’t make it easy for a girl to say no,” Fi said, tears springing to her eyes.
“Don’t you start,” Cait warned.
“I’m not, I’m not.” Fi swiped the back of her hand across her eyes. “Well, let’s at least have a look at the place then.”
“Wonderful. Just have a look around, see what you think. I’ll tell you why I thought of this property for you.” Shane clapped his hands and turned so he faced the entryway. The arched door opened to reveal a small entry hall, with a narrow staircase on the left and a door on the right. In the hall sat a small table with a pretty ceramic lamp in shades of blue and cream. “As you can see, the house is split into two flats. Each is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat with its own kitchen and living space, and there’s a shared backyard garden.”
“Two bedrooms and two bathrooms? That’s unheard of around here,” Fi said, following her father up the staircase.
“I had extra bathrooms put in years ago. I used to holiday-let these and I realized that many couples traveling together wanted their own bathrooms. They aren’t glamorous, but they are serviceable.”
“You don’t need much in a bathroom, really.” Cait shrugged.
“This is the top floor, which I thought you might like for your