Family Ties

More of our absorbing serial

Compass. And how do ye know my name?” “I’ve met Finn.”

Suddenly Norah groaned again.

“It’s me – Ronan,” he said, stroking her hair. “Ye had a bit of fall so keep still ’til the paramedics arrive.”

Norah settled just as Cara heard a siren. “Can ye direct the ambulance here?” She nodded, noting his softening tone. On the road, she saw the ambulance’s blue lights. Waving it over to the cottage, she led the paramedics to Norah. They decided to take her to hospital.

“I’ll go with Norah in the ambulance,” Ronan said.

“Of course. I’ll ask someone to lock up Tides Reach.”

It was only as they left that Cara wondered why Ronan was visiting Norah.

Once the ambulance disappeared, Cara called on Norah’s neighbour, a thin woman with dyed black hair. After called at first. It was Finn. Briefly, the sight of him robbed her breath. The wind was tangling his dark hair and there was a light in his deep blue eyes. He was smiling broadly. Was he pleased to see her, too? “Busy?” he asked.

She nodded. “I need to work to clear my head.” When he frowned, she briefly explained. “I’m so worried about Norah.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” he reassured, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Norah has a bad heart. She must look after herself but sometimes forgets her pills.”

“But you don’t understand – it’s my fault.” She felt sick. How would Finn react when she told him? “It’s my fault. Colin, the Dolphin’s landlord, told me Norah might know something about my Dad.” Finn frowned. “Your Da?”

She took a deep breath. “Paddy Byrne.” Instantly, his hands fell from her shoulders. “So that’s why you’re so interested in him?”

She nodded, saying in a great rush. “Dingle has something against him, but he was my Dad. I loved him. He was a good man. It hurts that everyone’s so… so hostile towards him.”

Finn fell silent, gazing across the bay. What was he thinking?

Daringly, she reached for his hand. When he felt her touch, he turned to her.

“Tell me, Finn, why is everyone against my Dad? You’d think he was the developer the way they act.”

He smiled, tightly. “You’re right, Cara. There is a problem. It goes way back.”

“What does?” she bit her lip, keen to hear, but scared in case her illusions, her memories of her dear Dad, were shattered.

He sighed. “Sorry, Cara. I can’t say. It isn’t my story to tell…”

Later, Cara headed to the Dolphin pub for the developers’ meeting. The day’s events filled her mind. Although she wanted to find out how Norah was, she longed to discover what Finn knew about her father. She hoped he’d be at the meeting – and not just because he’d information about Paddy.

The Dolphin was packed when she arrived. Rows of chairs filled the main

Tides Reach.

Knocking on the door, Cara felt nervous. Yesterday she’d so upset Norah, asking about her father, that she’d collapsed. If she’d known about her heart condition, she’d never have mentioned Paddy. The door was soon opened by Norah’s neighbour.

“Good afternoon – is Norah home?” “That she is,” smiled the lady. “Come in.” She led Cara to a small lounge. Norah, looking pale, was sat on the sofa with a blanket tucked around her.

“You’ve a visitor…”

“Have I? Oh, it’s ye.”

For a moment, Cara feared Norah’s reaction but then she smiled.

“How lovely to see ye. Please sit down.” Cara was confused. She’d imagined Norah would be cross. What was going on?

“I’ll put on the kettle,” suggested the neighbour.

“Thank ye, Eileen,” smiled Norah.

“How are you?” Cara asked, sitting beside her.

“Oh, I feel top of the morning. I’d the best treatment.”

“Glad to hear it… These are for you.” Cara handed her the flowers.

“Oh, they’re grand. Thank ye,” Norah looked touched. “But if anyone deserves flowers, it’s ye.”

“Me?” Cara frowned.

“Yes – for helping yesterday when I collapsed. Ronan said what ye did.”

“It was nothing.”

“And I should apologise. When ye came to see me, I wasn’t very helpful. I was feeling under the weather – that always makes me grumpy. I’m sorry.”

“No, I shouldn’t have asked about Paddy,” Cara said, hearing cups rattle as Eileen returned with their tea.

Norah patted her hand. “Come back in a few days when I’m on my feet. We’ll chat about… everything.”

Relieved she hadn’t caused Norah’s collapse and to have the chance to discover the truth about her father, Cara felt happier. As she walked to Dingle, her tummy rumbled; she’d missed lunch.

She pushed open the door to The Pot. Although the barista had been unfriendly when she’d last visited, perhaps it hadn’t been her questions about Paddy. After last night’s meeting she imagined word had spread that she was a conservationist, not a Compass supporter. Perhaps she’d get a warmer welcome now.

“Good afternoon,” Cara smiled. “Please can I have coffee and scrambled eggs.”

“That it?” It was the barista who’d

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served her before.

Cara nodded, unsettled by her abruptness. Sitting by the window, she reviewed the great shots she’d taken of Dingle to send to her editor Mo. An icon flashed. The camera’s battery was dying. When the barista brought her coffee, she asked if she could charge her camera.

“Sorry, no,” the woman plonked her cup on the table.

As the woman left to serve another customer, Cara noticed the man on the next table was using his laptop, plugged into the mains!

When the barista brought her eggs, she said, “Sorry to ask again but can I charge my camera? That gentleman’s using his laptop through your mains.”

“He’s a regular,” the barista said, tersely. Cara felt upset but could hardly insist on using The Pot’s electricity for free. Despite last night’s meeting and the positive response she’d got from Norah, it seemed Dingle still didn’t accept her.

After the euphoria of visiting Norah, Cara felt down as she left The Pot. She could only take the barista’s refusal to charge her camera personally. She wasn’t accepted in Dingle. Was that following her questions about Paddy or because the residents had feared she supported Compass’s planned development?

“Cara!”

She turned as Finn and Sammy ran towards her. “Hello, you two,” she smiled, patting the dog.

“We’re on a walk. Like to join us? Unless you’re busy, of course.”

“No – I’d love to. I need to take my mind off today.”

When Finn frowned, she explained. “Ah, don’t let it get ye down.” His blue eyes held hers. “They’re a great bunch but like any small town, Dingle takes a while to warm to newcomers.”

“Is that all it is?” she asked.

“Of course,” he smiled. “Who wouldn’t like you?”

His words made her glow.

Sammy trotted beside them as they walked along the promenade, the sun low in the sky where birds danced over the wild sea.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Finn sighed. “Beauty makes us protective.”

His tone made her look up. When she caught his eye, a delicious shiver trembled through her.

“Like I feel with ye,” he whispered, gently brushing her hair from her face.

Was he about to kiss her?

Suddenly Sammy pushed between

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