Free The Mighty Quinns: Riley by Kate Hoffmann

my car,” he said. He pointed to a Toyota SUV parked at the curb. The back hatch was open and Katie, the cook, was retrieving small crates and setting them on the sidewalk. “Thanks, darlin’.”
    â€œYour car? This is what you drive?”
    â€œYeah. I have to haul a lot of gear when I have a gig. And this morning, I hauled mussels from Bantry.”
    â€œIf this car has an automatic transmission, I’m going to murder you,” she said.
    He chuckled as he opened her door. “Sorry. It’s gota gearshift. And no, I’m not going to let you drive this one until you’ve mastered the clown car.”
    â€œI’ve decided that I’m not going to learn how to drive that car. I’m just going to have you chauffeur me everywhere I want to go.”
    He closed her door, then got in the driver’s side. “I think that’s a grand plan. And where would you like to go this morning?”
    â€œI need to buy some groceries.”
    They took off out of town, the morning breeze blowing through the sunroof of Riley’s SUV. As they drove up into the hills, the roads grew more winding and the landscape more rugged. “Why are there no trees?” she asked. “I expected forests.”
    â€œAh, that’s a long and complicated story,” he said.
    â€œTell me,” Nan said. “I want to know.”
    â€œIreland is a great rock of an island. Many years ago, the land was covered with trees, but people started to clear the higher land for pastures, mostly because there weren’t as many trees up high to clear. But without the trees, the good soil washed down to the lowlands and the only thing that would grow up high was heather. The heather doesn’t decompose and the new just keeps growing on top of the old and it makes peat. Peat soaks up water and turns land into a bog. And trees won’t grow in a bog.” He shrugged. “And pretty soon, all the trees were gone, high and low, cut for fuel or furniture.”
    â€œI still think it’s beautiful,” she said. “Just the way it is. It’s wild and natural. Kind of uncivilized.”
    â€œDid you bring your camera?” he asked. “We’ll stop at Healy Pass. There’s a grand overlook there that Ithink you’d like. Though the Cahas aren’t the Alps, they’re the highest in Cork.”
    She reached in her pocket and pulled out her camera, but the photo fell out onto the console between them. Nan quickly picked it up, but not before Riley saw it. “What’s that?”
    She held it out to him, hoping he’d forgive her for taking it from the pub. “It’s a photo of my mother,” Nan replied, holding it out to him. “I found it at the pub. I didn’t mean to take it, but I wanted to look at it more closely.”
    â€œI’m sure it won’t be missed,” he said. “Those photos were in the pub when my folks bought it, so I can’t tell you much about them.” He stared at it. “Which one is she?”
    â€œThe one in the middle with the red hair,” she said. “At least I think that’s her.”
    â€œPretty,” he commented. He handed it back to Nan. “It’s easy to see where you got your fine looks.”
    Nan frowned. “I don’t think I look like her at all. I think I resemble my dad. He had dark hair when he was young.”
    They drove on, Nan staring at the photo and ignoring the landscape. All of the people in the photo had known her mother. And some of those people might have lived in Ballykirk. She flipped the photo over, hoping there might be an inscription on the back identifying the subjects, but it was blank.
    If any of the people were from the village, someone would have to recognize them. And that might lead her to another person who might have known her mother.Nan ran her fingers over the photo. They all looked so young and happy. Her mother’s smile was