Mastering Maeve Read online

  Larry’s father returned to the U.S. and Maeve spent as much time with Larry as she could spare. As she got to know more about him, he became less intimidating to her. She learned that he had gone to college, where he had studied business management, intending to go into the family business. Lawrence had gone into politics and Larry was supposed to take over from him. He had bought a ranch, intending it to be an investment initially, but he had gotten caught up in it and found it took all his time to turn it into a successful venture. In the end he had to choose one or the other and he opted for farming.

  After ten days, Maeve realised she hadn’t taken a day off and she was exhausted. She was pleasantly surprised in the morning when she went to the office to start her day to find Larry already waiting for her.

  “Good morning, Maeve, how are you today?” he asked with that boyish smile that seemed to appear quite a lot these days.

  “I’m good, thanks, and you?” she replied, rote-like. She was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear how tired she was; he had an investment to protect.

  “Today, you’re coming out and we’re going to investigate two of the successful hotels in Galway as guests. You might learn a few things, but at worst, you’ll spend the day being waited on instead of waiting on others, and before you protest, I know today was supposed to be your day off and there are extra staff in,” he announced out of the blue.

  “A busman’s holiday,” she smiled, “just what I need. Thank you, Larry.”

  “A busman’s holiday? What’s that?”

  “Where a bus driver takes a day’s vacation, I guess you’d call it, and takes a day trip on the bus. So what’s the plan?” She couldn’t help but smile; in theory they spoke the same language, but sometimes she wondered.

  “First a beauty treatment, then lunch, an afternoon on Salthill strand, followed by afternoon tea in the G Hotel and we can see if we can catch a movie later if you’d like.”

  Maeve could feel the grin spread across her face; she loved the cinema but rarely got the pleasure in summer season. And a facial would be heaven. It was music to her ears. For the first time since she had stupidly slapped him across the face, she allowed herself to be spontaneous and kissed him on the cheek. She noticed his stunned but pleased expression. She realised that Larry had put himself out on a limb to please her, but was probably nervous he would be knocked back. Maeve mentally congratulated herself on the spontaneity of her reaction as it had so obviously satisfied him.

  It occurred to her that by now she not only bore him no ill will any longer, but respected him for having stood up to her. And if she thought about it, she had enjoyed working with him. She had been tired this morning, but she had still opted to work with him on what was supposed to be her day off. And what he had proposed was way better than anything else she would have chosen for herself.

  The early part of the day was unbridled pleasure; she switched off while having the facial and when she came out she felt as if she’d had a week off work. Lunch was a delight; fresh fish chowder with doorstep slices of the finest brown soda bread. The fish tasted so fresh that she was almost afraid the clams were waiting to snap her nose. With their hunger sated, they walked along Salthill strand, the sun mercifully obliging. Maeve couldn’t help but smile as she heard the children shriek their delight in the background coming down those fearsome slides that lured but terrified youngsters in equal measure at the fun park. Memories of her own childhood with her parents came flooding back, and momentarily she felt nostalgic.

  “You look sad; what’s wrong, Maeve?” Larry asked.

  “Ach, nothing, I’m just remembering being here with my parents. Every now and then something triggers a memory and I really miss them.” She tried to make light of the moment, but she could feel the unbidden tears stinging her eyes. She avoided looking at him, but he gently placed his hand on her chin and turned her face towards him.

  “My mom died when I was twenty, but I still had my dad. I can’t imagine what it was like for you to lose them both when you were so young. I know your grandma loves you, but it’s not the same thing.”

  “It was my fault, the accident… we were supposed to go away and in the end I wouldn’t go. So they cut short their trip; they wouldn’t have been on the road that day if it wasn’t for me. I was a spoiled brat and as good as killed them,” she said, spilling her guilty secret.

  Larry didn’t give her the usual platitudes that everyone else gave her, the if your time’s up, your time’s up crap. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t. She knew he would understand her guilt. The relief of being able to just say it, to verbalise her culpability without being told she was stupid, was immeasurable. All he did was pull her into a firm embrace, giving her physical comfort. They stood like that for a while, as Maeve emotionally told him about the unexpected storm that her parents had been caught in travelling home a day early because of her, and how a tree had been hit by lightning and had freakishly fallen on their moving car, killing them both outright.

  “How awful, to think that you’ve been carrying that for all these years. Promise me you’ll go to see a therapist; it’s not too late. You need to deal with this,” he finally answered when it was clear she was finished talking.

  “Ach, don’t mind me, I’m grand, it was good to even be able to say it. Most people won’t let me; they tell me I’m talking rubbish. Thank you.” Maeve pulled away from his embrace, embarrassed now at having told him so much.

  “Is it time for food yet? The fresh air and confessions are making me famished,” she said, resolutely changing the subject.

  “Just on cue,” he agreed, checking his watch. He took her by the hand and headed towards the hotel. While Maeve felt unsure of this arrangement, she tried to accept it as the comforting gesture he was obviously offering in response to her distress of the moment.

  Afternoon tea was one of those decadent affairs where it was too early to be really hungry, but the food was so tantalisingly tasty that one simply couldn’t resist it. A multi-layered cake stand arrived: delicate little triangles of sandwiches with the crusts removed filled the bottom tray; crackers with caviar and crabmeat and cream cheeses filled the second layer. On the third there was a tray of bite-sized, cream-filled pastries. And on top, a small circle of handmade pralines. And of course the obligatory pot of tea to go along with it all, a veritable feast. Maeve made it clear that the earlier topic had ended by studiously talking only of the food in front of them.

  “So, what have you seen today that you can take with you to your place, or what do you think you do better?” Larry asked her as they tucked in.

  “You’re always working, aren’t you, even on a day off?” Maeve commented.

  “When you run your own business, Maeve, you are always on duty, as you will soon learn. You don’t turn it off just because you’re not physically there. I have countless calls with my ranch manager daily, just to keep in touch and make sure everything is doing fine. Not to mention the emails. I don’t know how people managed before Smartphones. And while we’re on that subject, you need to get one so I can keep in touch wherever you are.”

  “I can email you from the laptop. I don’t want one of those things; they’re too heavy and complicated.”

  “You need one; what if I want an instant reply to something? The world doesn’t wait because you don’t like technology, young lady.”

  “Ok, ok, I’ll think about it.” Maeve was torn between a desire to laugh at how easily he switched back into uptight mode and an urge to tell him to get stuffed. It took all her self-control not to show any emotion as either reaction was likely to annoy him and she was still wary of his temper. She preferred the current camaraderie.

  “No, straight after we eat, we’ll go buy you one. I need to return to Texas tomorrow for a while and I want to be able to keep in touch.”

  Maeve got a jolt; she hadn’t known he was leaving. Now faced with the prospect of his not being around, she realised just how much she had actually enjoyed his company.
/>   “I didn’t know you were leaving so soon,” Maeve said almost accusingly. “I’ll miss you,” she added so softly that she wasn’t sure if he heard it. If he did, it seemed he was choosing not to comment, keeping the conversation light.

  “It’s not for long; there are some things that need to be taken care of on the ranch. I’ll be back as soon as it’s resolved. I also need to see my lawyer to get the contract finalised before I can transfer funds to you.”

  She was only vaguely aware of his reassuring tone and smile; all she could focus on was the fact that he was leaving. She should have felt relief, not disappointment. After all, he had been a hard taskmaster and she was still slightly nervous of his temper. And yet she couldn’t help that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “You were about to tell me your observations on the different services today,” he prompted, changing the subject yet again.

  * * *

  Larry was glad Maeve couldn’t read his thoughts. He was really pleased that she seemed concerned about his leaving. Although they had learned to work well together, he knew she was still wary of him and he understood that. Overall, he didn’t regret his actions that fateful day as it had brought them to this point, but he did regret the barrier it had erected between them. It meant that so much time was wasted in gaining her trust. He had largely invented the reasons for his return to Texas. He was afraid he was getting far too attached to her, and yet she drove him insane with her independence and challenging nature. On the one hand he’d love to tame her, teach her not to be so damn antagonistic, and yet it was those very characteristics that he wanted to subdue that made her so attractive. The irony of it wasn’t lost on him.

  Although she had to challenge everything, she was quick to learn and he had faith in her ability. And she was too pretty for her own good. Men buzzed around her like bees at a honeypot. She might too busy to act on it at the moment, but he was sure that once the manic few weeks of peak season were over, she would start noticing the local lads who came into the hotel bar to flirt with and admire her. And there was that one guy who seemed to be getting someplace with her as she had stayed out with him all night.

  Even thinking about it made him feel angry, but he knew he was both too old for her and their lives were too different. He had really wanted to kiss her on the beach earlier; she looked so sad and vulnerable that he was overwhelmed with an urge to protect her, to make her sorrows go away. She felt so soft in his arms, and she had smelled so good, her perfume and body scents mixing with the sea breeze, sending his senses into overload.

  What a stupid move that would have been; he had promised to keep his hands to himself and he would honour that promise. He couldn’t afford to slip up again, not with so much money at stake. She may have been making him lose his sense of reason, but not his sense of financial responsibility. He looked expectantly at the pretty face sitting opposite him. He could see she was thinking about his question and trying to form a reasoned and intelligent reply.

  “I don’t think we’re big enough to accommodate a salon and don’t have enough clientele to make it pay, but it is nice to be treated to a pampering session while you’re on holiday. I was thinking we could either negotiate a discount and priority basis with one of the local salons, or even try offering treatments in the hotel maybe two mornings a week. Lunch was delicious, but no better than you can get at our place and our prices are more reasonable.”

  “Good ideas on the salon; you need to look into both options and see which would work best. And you’re right about lunch—actually yours is better in quality, quantity, and value. But the service in your hotel is slower as you’re often understaffed.”

  “I don’t think that’s fair,” Maeve started to object to the criticism, her natural instinct to protect her own kicking in. He could see the fire in her eyes that he dared to criticise and immediately the urge to spank that defiance out of her came back unbidden. She frustrated the hell out of him. She must have sensed his annoyance, because within a moment she was considering his comment more carefully.

  “Maybe you’re right, we do our best but we’ve had to keep overheads to a minimum to be able to meet the bank loans. I’ll look into it and see if we can improve it now. This is delicious but it’s a bit pricey and I don’t think it would be in the range of a lot of our guests. Maybe a more economic version might be worth looking at; again though there might be a staffing problem.”

  “Your repayments are going to be lower, and you’ll have more working capital. I think you should consider hiring some part-time staff. Customer service is the most important thing in a hotel. Yours is friendly and pleasant but just understaffed. And you need time off once in a while; you’re young and I’m sure you must have a personal life,” he probed, dreading the answer but half hoping she was unavailable, thus killing his silly ideas about her.

  “No, not really. I go out with Sean every now and then, but it’s not serious. More a convenience to both of us.”

  “And does the young man see it that way?” he asked disapprovingly. He’d seen how Sean was around her. It was obvious he’d like to be much more than a convenience.

  “Oh, God, yeah, we’ve known each other forever. He’s like a friend with benefits.”

  Larry was biting his tongue; he hated how she could be so blasé about sex, or indeed about another person’s feelings. Again, that restless feeling took over his palm; there were times that young lady was simply begging for an attitude adjustment and he’d dearly love to administer it to her. The memory of her blushing bottom was already piquing his interest and making him feel even more irritable. He knew he really should get onto a safer topic as a matter of considerable urgency. But of course he didn’t.

  “Is sex always so casual to you then?” he asked. He could have kicked himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. It was none of his business and his mom had always warned him not to discuss three topics in company: sex, religion, and politics. Rule one was just broken.

  “Lord, you didn’t think I’d be saving myself ‘til my wedding night, it’s 2013.”

  “Not exactly, but surely it should mean something.” His cheeks were feeling decidedly flushed, mostly from anger, but he hoped she’d mistake it for embarrassment.

  “Larry, I’m nearly twenty-five, it’s my body and I will do what I like with it. You only get to comment on my working life,” she warned.

  “Sorry, you’re right of course, it is none of my business. I’m just surprised. I thought Irish women were more restrained, shall we say.”

  “More controlled by the church, you mean, and yes we were, for way too long. But now it’s changed, and I’m glad it has. You know what misery our old ways brought your grandmother; you can hardly lament the loss of that order.”

  Damn, that was rule number two. And he was not going there, especially not as he was a regular church attendee; he felt they would certainly end up at loggerheads on this one. “So, what do you do in your spare time?” He swiftly changed the subject, continuing the pattern they had formed of dodging sensitive topics. Her face showed her confusion, but she took the hint.

  “I enjoy lots of things, but my favourite pastime is playing or watching football…”

  Larry nearly choked on his praline. “Play football? That figures…” He could visualise her giving it hell on a football field. No wonder she looked so strong. And boy, had she the temperament for it.

  “What’s wrong with that?” Maeve retorted. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those chauvinist men who think women can’t play football?”

  “Don’t you ever think before you speak, Maeve? I do think that Irish football is very rough, and no sport for a woman, not because she can’t but because she’ll likely get hurt.”

  “God save us, I play with other women, for heaven’s sake. Not that I’d object to a mixed team, might be fun, but they don’t encourage it for some reason. So what do you do then? Knit?” she asked with a cheeky grin.

  “I don’t have mu
ch time for leisure activities but I do enjoy water sports, especially water-skiing.”

  “Water-skiing, that sounds like fun, I’d like to try that. What else? What do you like to read?”

  “Lots of things—history, biographies, thrillers, educational books, just whatever catches my eye.”

  “That figures too,” she grinned. “I bet it’s heavy on the world of politics and economics.”

  “I guess it is a bit. Now let’s go and purchase your Smartphone before the store shuts.” He didn’t like the slight taunt in her tone.

  He led her into the first phone shop they came across. Without thinking to consult with Maeve, he asked for the latest iPhone, had her old cell phone number switched over, told her to sign on the dotted line and then she was operational. She had a face as long as a wet weekend in Galway when they left the shop.

  “What are you so sulky about?” he asked. Sheesh, he was beginning to wish he hadn’t promised not to spank her again. She was really asking for it.

  “I have a mouth, I can speak for myself, I don’t take kindly to being railroaded. I’m going to be using the phone, do you not think I might have had a say? I may be a woman, but I think if you look up those educational books you read, you might find they discovered that women have a perfectly functional brain, somewhere towards the end of the 19th century.”

  “And I read somewhere else that their asses are perfectly shaped for spanking,” Larry spat back. The day trip was over. Neither felt like going to the cinema now. It seemed he was destined to leave on an argument tomorrow, which saddened him. He was sorry he had intimidated her as it only drove a deeper wedge between them, but hot damn, she had been asking for it for the last hour or so.