The Rose Garden (36 page)

KIM LOOKED AT THE SCREEN. SHE WAS UPLOADING SOME MORE
photos of Mossbawn House on to the gallery: the firework display and more wedding photos with quirky details; a photo of Daisy chasing a butterfly and some kids playing in the maze. It all looked great. She had put up a few photos she had taken in the rose garden two weeks ago and had got a huge response on the blog. Two gardening clubs had contacted her, asking her if it was possible to arrange to come and see the garden over the next few weeks. Lots of people were constantly asking about coming to see it and it was something her aunt should consider – opening the gardens for a few weeks or months of the year …

Kim was very proud of this site and it was proving very popular. The event calendar for Mossbawn was filling up bit by bit. She kept busy, dealing with enquiries and helping Gina and Molly with the day-to-day running of ‘the house’. She was also designing a site for Jenny Costello, a young florist whose work was pretty amazing, as she used a lot of wild flowers and Irish-grown flowers and leaves. She had contacted Kim after seeing the site for Mossbawn House. The business was growing in a way she hadn’t expected; for once, work seemed to be finding her!

Her thirtieth birthday was in ten days’ time and she was dreading it. How had she gone from celebrating being twenty-one to now being almost a decade older? She had wasted so much time
over those years! At least now she was happy and had found Luke, her life turned around so unexpectedly.

Alex and Evie begged her to come to Dublin for the weekend to party with all the old gang, but she wasn’t sure that’s what she wanted any more.

‘Let’s have a party here in the house,’ suggested Luke. ‘All our friends here and your friends from Dublin too. It would be fun! You have to celebrate it!’

‘Why don’t we just go away somewhere quiet and romantic for the weekend?’ she asked, trying to persuade him to change his mind. She really didn’t want to think of getting older.

‘We can do that another weekend – but this is your birthday!’

Somehow, between Luke and her friends and family, it all snowballed. There would be a barbecue in the house they rented on the Saturday night, with Molly insisting on hosting a big family lunch for her the next day in Mossbawn.

‘Kim, if you hadn’t come along to stay here, heaven knows what would have happened. The house would be sold or I would be run ragged trying to keep it. You’re the one who has given me such encouragement and support and helped to put Mossbawn House on the map,’ her aunt said gratefully. ‘So the very least I can do is to hold a birthday lunch for you.’

Beginning to get in the party mood, Kim organized accommodation for all her friends in the Woodlands Hotel. Andrew gave them a good rate.

‘Am I invited too?’ he asked.

‘Of course!’ she laughed.

The party was shaping up to be really good and she was beginning to look forward to it.

‘I told you that you would!’ said Luke smugly.

Kim had been busy talking to a locations person from one of the Irish film companies who had spotted Mossbawn on the website and was now interested in hiring the house and gardens for a full
month in the winter for shooting a new three-part historical drama. She tried to remain calm and composed at the amount of money being offered.

She would need to check if they had events already booked in during that period, and also it would mean closing the house for events, but the money was incredible! She couldn’t wait to tell Molly about it.

Driving home to Kilfinn, she couldn’t believe that somehow she had created a job of her own that was fun, rewarding and, best of all, interesting. Her party was shaping up well too, with most of her friends coming down from Dublin for the weekend. Liz and Joe would stay with them.

‘I think we should have our own private little celebration on your actual birthday day,’ insisted Luke.

‘Can we afford it?’ she asked, worried. They were already spending a lot on wine and beer and food for the barbecue and the next day’s lunch. ‘Maybe we could just get a takeaway and a bottle of wine or something?’

‘No, I’m taking you to dinner,’ he insisted.

When she woke on Friday morning, Luke had cooked her breakfast and gave her a birthday present of a beautiful silver chain with a circle of gold and silver. She had admired it in the designer workshop in Kilkenny one day when they were wandering around the town.

‘Luke, it’s stunning – thank you so much!’ she said, hugging him.

‘I’ll see you tonight for dinner,’ he told her, kissing her again.

All through the day she was getting text messages and calls to wish her happy birthday. Her dad got emotional on the phone when they talked.

‘I wish your mum was here at times like this,’ he said.

‘So do I, Dad,’ she said, conscious of the enormous lump in her throat. ‘But listen, I’ll see you on Sunday.’

Molly had given her a beautiful antique photo frame, some
perfume and a massive bunch of flowers from the garden.

‘This frame was in the house; we found it in the sideboard when we moved here. I thought it might be nice for you to have it – a little piece of Mossbawn.’

‘Oh Molly, I love it,’ she said. ‘The perfume’s my favourite and the flowers will look wonderful in the house for my party.’

‘Emma and Grace picked the perfume out,’ admitted her aunt as they had soup in the kitchen.

Gina arrived with some special birthday cupcakes.

‘I’m making a big batch of them for your birthday lunch here on Sunday!’

Back at home, Kim put her feet up for an hour. It had been a busy day. Realizing the time, she wondered where Luke was. They were going for dinner at eight o’clock, but where was he? She texted him and called him a few times. He must be gone to the farm.

She got changed into her favourite cream lace dress and her nude-coloured heels. Her hair was longer than ever, but Luke liked it that way. She added a little vintage clip to one side as she glanced at the phone.

There was a message from Luke:

‘
I can’t pick you up so Jimmy Mac will collect you.
’

How strange, she thought. Why would he go and book the local taxi?

A few minutes later Jimmy McCarthy collected her, but he wouldn’t give her any idea of where they were going.

‘Which restaurant did Luke say?’ she quizzed him.

‘I’m saying nothing,’ he grinned. ‘My job is to drive you.’

She looked around. Well, they weren’t eating in Kilfinn. Jimmy took the turn outside the village to the road that ran along by the river. A mile or so later, he pulled up at a small jetty with a boat moored to it.

‘Why are we stopping?’

‘Because we’re here!’ he said, getting out of the car and opening her door for her.

Suddenly she saw Luke standing on the boat waving at her.

‘Be careful!’ he warned as she stepped on to the boat – these heels were definitely not a good idea.

Up on the deck a table was set for dinner and fairy lights, strung around the edge of the boat and over the mast and cabin, sparkled in the evening light.

‘It’s beautiful.’ Kim was almost overcome.

‘Sit down a minute while I cast off and we get going,’ he told her, laughing and hugging her close.

Sitting on the side, she watched as they left the jetty and moved into the middle of the river.

‘Whose boat is it?’

‘Justin’s.’

She stood beside him as they moved along the waterway until they reached a part where the river widened and he turned the boat left, stopping a few minutes later. They were totally alone, the bridge and roadway far in the distance, a group of swans dabbling in the reeds nearby. Luke dropped the anchor and poured her a glass of her favourite wine.

‘The day I fell totally in love with you was the day you were down by the river taking photos. Do you remember?’

‘Yes.’

‘That day I said to myself, this is the girl that I want to …’ Suddenly he was holding her hand, kneeling down on the wooden deck ‘… ask to marry me. Will you marry me, Kim?’

She felt the breath tight in her throat as he held her hand, his gaze on her.

‘Yes. Yes!’ she said, beginning to cry.

The ring in the palm of his hand was beautiful, white gold with a simple single diamond. It fitted her finger perfectly.

‘Why are you crying?’ he teased her, pulling her into his arms.

‘I’m so happy, Luke. I’m just so happy.’

She couldn’t believe it. She was going to marry Luke, be his wife …

‘Now we need to really celebrate!’ he laughed, making her sit
down at the table and pouring her more wine as he served dinner – rosemary chicken with salad and her favourite dessert, ice cream with a hot fudge sauce.

‘How did you do all this?’ she asked, incredulous. ‘I can’t believe it!’

‘I wanted it all to be a surprise for you,’ he said. ‘I’ve been planning it for ages. I’ve cooked on Justin’s boat before – mostly burgers and sausages, but a simple meal wasn’t too much of a problem. I knew you liked Killian Fields designs, so I commissioned him to design the ring for you and I went to Dublin three weeks ago and had lunch with your dad and asked him about marrying you.’

‘You are incredible!’ Kim burst out laughing. ‘I never guessed a thing!’

They sat watching the sun go down, the darkness falling around them, the water slapping against the side of the boat.

‘Wait till our friends hear! I can’t wait to tell everyone.’

‘Can’t we wait tonight?’ he pleaded, taking her hands in his. ‘Just enjoy it.’

Kim knew he was right. This was their time.

‘We’ll see everyone at the party – let’s wait till then,’ she agreed.

They stayed on the river for another two hours, planning the future, then Luke turned on the engine and brought the boat back to the jetty to moor. The night was warm and starry as they walked hand in hand along the river path towards home.

THE SMALL HOUSE ON MILL STREET WAS CROWDED. KIM AND LUKE
were in the middle of it all, welcoming their guests, everyone absolutely delighted to hear that not only was Kim celebrating her thirtieth birthday but that she and Luke had just got engaged.

The night was warm and everyone moved outside to the garden where they had put up a few tables with candles and lanterns and tea lights. There was chilled prosecco and beer and lots of wine for everyone. Burgers and sausages were cooking on the barbecue, with big bowls of salad, baby potatoes and plates of crusty French bread.

‘Let me see your ring!’ screamed Evie the minute she heard the good news. ‘I can’t believe you’re getting married!’

‘Neither can I!’ laughed Kim. ‘It’s all happened so fast, but maybe that is the best way. We are mad about each other and just want to get married and be together for ever.’

She was glad to see that Evie and Fergus seemed to be a real pair. Two artists together!

Alex and Vicky and Lisa and Mel and the gang, all her friends had come.

‘I can’t believe I dragged you all away from Dublin!’ she joked.

‘We wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ Alex said, serious, hugging her and shaking Luke’s hand.

Liz and Joe were so delighted for them.

‘I can’t believe my baby sister is getting married!’ Liz cried, her eyes welling with tears.

‘I want you to be my bridesmaid and Ava to be my flower girl.’

‘Of course,’ sniffed Liz, wrapping her in her arms.

Molly was so delighted for her. ‘Your mum would be so happy for you, Kim. Luke is one of the good guys, and they are a pretty rare commodity these days.’

‘I know. Molly, imagine if I hadn’t come to stay with you – I would never have met Luke!’

‘I’m glad to have had a little hand in this romance,’ her aunt laughed. ‘And you know, if you need a nice place for a wedding, Mossbawn is there for you.’

‘Oh thank you, Molly. We haven’t got around to even thinking that far yet, but you know how much Mossbawn means to me.’

Emma and Grace were delighted that she was going to be staying and living in Kilfinn.

‘We’ll have our favourite cousin living here! Brilliant!’

‘Luke is such a cool guy to marry!’ said Grace, slightly enviously.

More and more friends kept arriving, all surprised to find it had become a double celebration.

‘When he asked me for the loan of the boat, I guessed something big was brewing!’ Justin teased them.

‘And you never said a word,’ joked his wife, Claire.

‘I was under orders!’

‘He’s not usually good at secrets,’ laughed Luke’s sister, Melissa.

His parents arrived a little later and came over to them straight away.

‘We are both very pleased for you and Luke,’ his mother said, smiling as she took Kim’s hand and admired her ring. ‘Such a beautiful ring. I love the simple design.’

‘Thanks!’

‘You know that you have made our son very happy,’ added his dad. ‘And we are both very much looking forward to meeting your family.’

Kim introduced them to Liz and Joe and was delighted to see
her dad and Carole suddenly appear. Bill O’Reilly, wearing a blazer and tie, looked so handsome. She could see the emotion in his eyes when he came over towards her.

‘Well, my little Kim – celebrating a special birthday and now engaged! I can’t believe it. Where have all the years gone?’

‘Dad, you never said a word to me about meeting Luke!’ she teased.

‘He swore me to secrecy. I remember when I had to go and ask your grandfather about marrying your mother … My knees were shaking, I was so scared of him!’

‘Pops was a bit of a tyrant and a grump, I have to admit,’ she laughed.

‘But thank heaven he said yes, otherwise Ruth and I would have had to elope!’

‘And at least when we came to marry, Bill, we were two middle-aged birds who’d been through it all before!’ said Carole softly, squeezing his hand.

‘I’m a lucky man,’ added her dad, ‘to have found love again.’

‘Two is so much better than one,’ Carole agreed. ‘Kim, I’m so glad that you and Luke have found each other.’

‘Thank you, Carole,’ Kim said, understanding exactly what she meant. She was so glad that her dad had found Carole and that they made each other happy.