Free Catch Me a Catch by Sally Clements Page A

it.
    The
conversation over, she replaced the phone in its cradle on the wall, and
returned to the table. “She’s ready.” Annie’s excitement was infectious. “I
think it’s going to work. They seem a good match.”
    “Well done,
Annie.” Bull patted her arm. “Now, what have you two got planned for the
evening?”
    “I’m taking
Jack to check out the village nightlife. I just need to change first.” No more
tempting legs then. The thought was oddly depressing. She turned her chocolate
gaze to him. “I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”
    ****
    She parked in
a tree-lined square up the hill from the restaurant they’d lunched in. People
were everywhere. They sat on benches under the leafy chestnut trees and at
tables outside bars and cafes. Music swelled from open doorways, drifting on
the warm evening breeze. It all made for a cosmopolitan scene. Not one he’d
imagined finding on Ireland’s west coast.
    “We have
thousands of visitors during the festival. It’s the biggest event of the year.”
Annie strolled toward a café. “The food’s good here.”
    He nodded, and
she bagged the last available table and sank onto a chair.
    “How long has
the festival been running?”
    “About forty
years. In the early days it was all about the matchmaking, now it’s the perfect
excuse for everyone to get together and have a good time.” She brushed her hair
back from her animated face. “A ceili is organized by the community council.”
She laughed at his confused expression. “That’s a dance, Jack. Everyone goes.”
    He nodded,
enjoying the flirtatious note in her voice.
    “There is a
film festival in the cinema, and all the bars and restaurants offer festival
specials. It’s a great place to be for a couple of weeks.”
    “I fell on my
feet then, arriving when I did.”
    “Well, you
won’t find a better time in any town in Ireland. Not this week anyway.” She
grinned, gazing out at the couples, who strolled with arms around each other in
the square.
    A waiter
approached with two menus. Jack ordered a bottle of Chianti to start the
evening off, and glanced at the food on offer.
    “The risotto
is to die for.”
    “Two.” Jack ordered.
Her eyes glowed in reflected lights strung along the café’s awning. Warm,
inviting.
    “So, tell me
about your work.”
    “I work in
advertising. I have a potential client I’m giving a presentation to in Dublin
on Monday. I have a few other small things to take care of while I’m here.”
Small things. What an understatement. Finding the woman who’d rejected him was
one of the biggest things he’d ever done.
    “An airplane
would be faster,” she teased, leaning closer. She’d changed into jeans and a
sparkly top, which revealed acres of creamy cleavage. His gaze dipped, until he
dragged it up to her mouth.
    “Yes, it
would. But the client I’m meeting has a special interest in sailing, so it made
more sense to sail.” He grinned. “And I love the sea, so…any excuse.”
    “You need to
follow your passions.” It was one of those loaded comments. His current passion
was Annie, he’d made that only too clear. He picked up the wineglass and drank.
If she wanted him, she’d have to be clearer. He wasn’t putting himself on the
line for rejection again.
    The waiter
arrived with flat dishes of creamy risotto topped with slivers of parmesan. He
picked up a fork and started eating.
    “Tell me about
your people, Jack. Where are your parents from?”
    Jack
swallowed. Even after so many years, he couldn’t talk about his past without
pain piercing his chest like a dagger. “My parents are both dead,” he answered
flatly. “But they were Irish.”
    “I’m sorry.”
Annie’s eyes were full of compassion. “That must be hard for you.”
    “It was a long
time ago.” She was silent, waiting for more. There wasn’t any. Talking about
his childhood would be a complete downer.
    “I’ve moved
on.”
    “This must all
seem alien after New York.” She