laughed, then noted that the comment had been made with a perfect bit of timing. “Ah, and there’s O’Brien’s,” she exclaimed as she spotted the pub. There was no mistaking its Irish heritage with its dark green sign with gold lettering. the same type of sign that could be found on nearly every corner back home. “You’ve captured the look of it exactly right,” she told Luke.
“Thank you. That was the idea.”
“Have you thought of adding window boxes overflowing with flowers beneath the windows?” Kiera asked. “That would add another authentic touch. We Irish love our flowers and any chance to display them in a profusion of color. I think they’re meant to counterpoint our gray and rainy days.”
Luke smiled. “There you are, already earning your keep as a consultant, Kiera.”
“I told you she’d be filled with ideas,” Moira said. “Just wait until you see inside, Mother. Luke imported an antique bar from a pub in Ireland that we visited. The son of the longtime owner had persuaded him to modernize. We didn’t waste breath telling him what a mistake he was making. Luke just made the deal and we rushed right out the door. You’ll swear you’re back home again.”
“And yet wasn’t the goal to give me a fresh start in a new place?” Kiera teased.
Moira regarded her with a serious expression. “But don’t you see? It will be easier if it feels at least a little bit like home. I’ve had hardly a pang of homesickness since I’ve been here.”
Kiera reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know. I was teasing you.”
To Kiera’s regret, Moira looked surprisingly startled by that.
“Really?” Moira asked, as if the concept were completely foreign to her.
Kiera sighed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked by your reaction. There wasn’t much lightness and laughter or teasing when you were growing up. Peter reminded me that I had buried my sense of humor down deep. He helped me recover it. He reminded me that laughter is a gift that gets us through the difficult times. I’d like to hold on to that bit of wisdom at least, now that he’s left us.”
Moira’s eyes immediately turned misty. “Mum, I’m so sorry he’s gone.”
“So am I. On my good days I’m determined to hang on to the positive memories and treasure the changes he brought to my life. At first I wasn’t sure I could do that, but it’s almost as if I hear him whispering in my ear that I must, that I can’t retreat back into my old ways.” She gave her daughter a knowing look. “Believe me, I know that’s a concern for you and your grandfather, as well.”
“We’ll help with it,” Moira promised. “And Kate will be the answer to your prayers. It’s hard to go more than a minute without smiling at something she’s done. She’s such a blessing.”
“I can’t wait to meet my very first grandchild,” Kiera told her. “Imagine me, old enough to be a grandmother. There was many a day I wasn’t sure I’d survive being a mother, and here you are, a mother yourself and a successful photographer.”
Luke stopped again in front of a storefront down the block from the pub. There were several stunning, very modern paintings in the windows. Though Kiera knew nothing of art at all, the wildness of these spoke to her on some level she couldn’t entirely explain. It was as if she’d experienced the emotions they evoked so vibrantly.
“This is where Moira’s works were first exhibited,” Luke said proudly. “I know Peter encouraged her, but my aunt Megan is the expert over here who discovered her photography.”
“And has nagged at me until I almost believe I have real talent,” Moira said. “I wake up some days pinching myself when I see an advertisement for my work in some famous gallery in New York or on the West Coast.”
“Peter was so proud of you,” Kiera told her. “He bragged about you to every customer who came into the pub and pointed out all of your pictures on the walls. Original works by Moira O’Brien, he’d tell them, then show them the programs from your exhibits in America. He was so pleased that you sent those to him. He loved you like a daughter, you know.”
“Stop or you’ll have me bawling,” Moira protested. “Let’s go home, Luke. I want Mum to see our house and meet our Kate. After flying all night, she’s no doubt anxious for a bit of a rest.”
“I would like nothing more than to hug my granddaughter, then have a hot shower,” Kiera admitted. “And perhaps a cup of tea. Then I’ll be ready to see your grandfather and Nell and see whatever else the day has in store.”
“Nell has invited the whole family for an afternoon barbecue in your honor,” Moira told her. “I tried to tell her it might be too overwhelming after your long flight, but she insisted. She wants you to feel welcome. And Grandfather is anxious to see for himself that you’re doing okay after everything that’s happened.”
“When am I to begin working for you, Luke, beyond suggesting window boxes as I just did? If I’m going to be here for a while, I want to pay my own way.”
If she hadn’t been watching her son-in-law so closely she might not have noticed just the slightest hesitation, the quick glance between him and Moira. “Is there some problem you haven’t mentioned?”
“Just a bit of a delay on the paperwork,” Luke said hurriedly. “My cousin says there’s nothing to worry about. Things like this are just taking longer these days. You might have to wait before officially starting on the job.”
Kiera’s spirits sank. Her fresh start was clearly more precarious than they’d led her to believe. “There’s no job?”
“Of course there’s a job,” Moira said, casting a defiant look at Luke. “It will just be unofficial for the time being. You’ll still be consulting.”
“But this consulting work will be an unpaid position?” Kiera asked, determined to clarify her status. “I’ll be living here on your charity?” It was exactly what she hadn’t wanted, to be a burden on her daughter and Luke. She’d agreed to come for a lengthy stay only because of the promise that she’d be earning her keep.
“You’re family, Kiera. There’s no charity in this,” Luke quickly assured her. “You’ll be paid for the work you do, just not as an official employee until we can work out the legalities.”
“How long might that take?”
“Connor is certain it will go smoothly,” Moira insisted.
“A few weeks at the most,” Luke said.
Kiera sighed heavily. “I see.” She’d cut her ties with home, only to find herself with an uncertain future.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Moira said. “And you’re wrong. This is going to work out. You’ll see.”
“Perhaps we should have been more certain of that before I came,” she replied wearily.
“Kiera, you can talk to Connor yourself later today,” Luke said. “He’ll be able to reassure you.”
She was suddenly far too exhausted to argue. “Then I’ll wait and see,” she said, then amended silently, and try not
