BRIDGER (8 page)

Memaw stepped forward and gave me a hug, whispering in my ear.
 
“Keep that necklace safe and the phone on you at all times.
 
If you can’t scoot, that’ll come in handy.”

I laughed and hugged her back.
 
It was becoming easier, more natural.
 
“Skype, Memaw, Skype.”
 
Stepping away, I pulled the straps of my backpack tighter, suddenly nervous to leave.
 
“I love you guys.
 
We’ll be back soon.”

“Be careful.
 
Call me as soon as you touch down!” Mom called.

I waved once more, blowing a kiss before walking through security.
 
This was going to be an adventure.

* * *

Four thousand, one hundred eighty four miles and seventeen hours later, we touched down at the Cork Airport.
 
It had been fairly uneventful if you considered Jamie becoming a blubbering mess in Manchester no big deal.
  
She’d been fighting with the luggage handler about stowing her carry-on below the plane for the last leg of our trip.
 
She had attempted in vain to yank the bag back from the handler who was three times her size.
 
Without warning the bag erupted, causing her hair straightener to snap in half when it met the blacktop.
 
The ensuing histrionics had almost gotten us a trip back to the US before we even arrived in Cork.
 
I was so embarrassed; I doubt anyone had ever seen someone blush a deeper shade of red.

“I can’t believe that idiot.
 
Why would I have to stow my carry-on below the plane?
 
What’s the purpose of a carry-on if it’s not a carry-on?” She fumed as we received our bags on the way into the airport in Cork, completely unharmed and intact.
 
Well, except for Jamie’s hair straightener.
 
That bit the dust in Manchester.

“James, it’s over.
 
We’re here.”

Sighing, she closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again, seemingly over her rant. “You’re right.
 
This is amazing.
 
We’re actually in Ireland!
 
Can you believe it?
 
Oh I can’t wait to meet a cute boy with an accent.”

I wasn’t paying attention to her.
 
Scanning the small crowd outside of customs, I looked for anyone who looked remotely like a McVean.
 
My cousins weren’t hard to find.
 
Not only were they the loudest, rowdiest crew there, but they all looked exactly the same.
 
Strawberry blonde hair and emerald green eyes was the staple of the McVeans.
 
Strong genes, Memaw called it.
 
I thought it was just a serious case of inbreeding, though I’d never say it out loud.

A young man that seemed to be two of me in height and four in weight bounded forward.
 
Scooping me up without so much as an introduction, he squeezed the air out of my lungs.
 
He began rattling on like we were best friends. “Ashlyn, you’re here!
 
I didn’t really think you’d come, but Emily said you would.
 
We’ve got loads of things planned; you’ll never forget your trip to Ireland.”

“I doubt I’ll ever be able to,” I coughed out, trying to give my brain enough oxygen to think in straight lines again.
 
There was a small gaggle of guys behind him.

He gave me a once-over. “Emily was right; you don’t look like a McVean at all. You must have got your mom’s genes.” I looked down in embarrassment, feeling as though I’d lost points on a test that I hadn’t been told to study for.
 
Auburn hair and colored contacts made me stand out like a sore thumb in the family. If Mom wasn’t around, I could pass as being adopted.

Ignoring our conversation, Jamie’s eyes glazed over.
 
She was taking in the sight that must have been glorious in her opinion.
 
She crossed the distance between her and the boys in three strides, taking out two old ladies with her massive bags in the process.
 
She didn’t seem to notice.

Looking back at the man who had practically assaulted me in his excitement, I smiled.
 
“Sorry about Jamie, she’s a little boy-crazy.”

He laughed, the sound rich and homey.
 
He felt like a long lost friend as he winked conspiratorially. “It’s alright, they were looking forward to your friend coming.
 
They have a thing for American girls.
 
But where are my manners?
 
I’m Jesse. We’re third cousins or something relationally, but we don’t really keep count.” He waved behind him to prove his point. Jamie was now entertaining the throng of guys with wild gestures.
 
I was scared to know what she was telling them. “Everyone’s family to us.
 
Even ones that technically aren’t.”

There were three guys on the outer ring of the circle.
 
These must be the ones we weren’t related to.
 
It was easy to see the difference.
 
While the rest of the group was as loud and excited as Jamie was, these three seemed more reserved.
 
All of them had darker hair, two of them chestnut in color and the other jet-black.

“Who are they?” I asked, taking in the sight.
 
Jamie was well on her way to being best friends with all of them by the looks of it.

Jesse shrugged. “Oh, friends of the family.
 
They go wherever we go.
 
Maybe not unlike the friend you brought over with you?”

Jesse smiled while watching the antics of Jamie. She was so excited she was practically levitating off the floor.
 
She would need to be reined in if I wanted to survive this trip.
 
I smiled, nodding to confirm his guess.
 
“Yeah, Jamie’s pretty much the sister I never had.
 
I love her to death.”

“It’s good to have a friend like that.
 
I don’t know what I’d do without Liam.”

“Which one is Liam?” I asked, assuming from our conversation that he was one of the darker haired guys.
 
They had cracked to Jamie’s antics; they were laughing along with the rest of the group now.

He pointed to the one farthest from the circle surrounding Jamie.
 
“That joker right there,” he said, laughing.
 
“He’s like a brother to me.”
 

Standing there smiling from ear to ear, Liam was the one with jet-black hair that looked like it hadn’t been brushed in a week. It hung in waves to his ears. It didn’t diminish his appearance, though; instead it gave him a sense of devil-may-care.
 
He seemed to be more guarded than the rest.

Sensing my gaze, he looked over to us and winked as he pulled one hand through his mop of hair.
 
I could tell he was simply humoring Jamie by laughing at the appropriate times.
 
He motioned for us to come join the group.

“Let’s get these girls back to the house, what do you say?” Jesse called out as we neared everyone.

Jamie clapped her hands together, as though she was having an epiphany.
 
“Is there a pub around?
 
I want to see an Irish pub!
 
Do you guys eat fish and chips like they do in the TV shows?
 
I want to try it all!”

One of the copper-haired boys laughed, clapping the other on the back.
 
Those two were definitely related.
 
“I like this girl already.
 
Ashlyn, you’ve got good taste in friends.”

Jamie beamed in exultation.
 
I was never going to get her away from here with the guys encouraging her like this. “Jamie, it’s probably not a good idea to hit the pubs. We’re not legal.”

The other copper-haired guy chuckled. “Ash, you’re responsible. You’re definitely a McVean even if you don’t look like one on the outside.”

It was strange to have everyone know me, yet not know any of them.
 
I tried to be polite while trying to learn names.
 
“Uh, thanks.
 
What’s your name?”

“Oh, sorry.
 
I’m Desmond and this is my brother, Issac.
 
That’s our friend, Liam, and those are your cousins Thing One, Two and Three,” he said, grinning and dodging a punch that came from Thing One, Two, or Three, although at this point I didn’t know which.
 
There was no way I was going to remember all of this.
 
They couldn’t all be staying with us.
 
If I knew who we’d be staying with, I’d focus on their names a little more.

Jesse shook his head.
 
He was obviously the leader of the group.
 
“Let’s take them home first before we set them loose.
 
There’s plenty of time to sight-see.”

We headed to the parking lot. I wasn’t sure what kind of vehicle we were going to find.
 
I always thought of Europe having those mini smart cars.
 
Those wouldn’t fit three of these guys in there, let alone all of our luggage and the extra “family.”

Instead of a smart car, Jesse directed us to the oldest, biggest jalopy of a car I had ever seen.
 
At some point, it had been a station wagon.
 
However at this stage in life, it could be better compared to a rusted toy wagon with a lawnmower engine.

Jesse introduced us to the car as though it were another person.
 
“Ladies, this is Queen Elizabeth.”

The guys chuckled behind us.
 
Jamie, on the other hand, looked like she might throw up as she watched Jesse start the car. The engine groaned to life and a cloud of black smoke erupted from the exhaust pipe. “Are you sure this is safe?
 
Don’t you have e-check or something over here?
 
This can’t be good for the environment.”

Waving the smoke away, I pulled on the trunk door.
 
Rust flecks covered the palm of my hand as I tried in vain to make the door open.

Laughing, Desmond came forward and yanked on the handle mercilessly.
 
The trunk popped open, more rust flying in every direction.
 
“Sorry about that, you can’t be gentle with her,” he said, grinning ear to ear.
 
The happiness that emanated from this crew was infectious.
 
I grinned in spite of myself, already feeling at home.

Packing all of our belongings in the back, we moved to get in the car.
 
Literally sitting on one another, I laughed at what we must look like in this wagon.
 
We could pass for clowns escaped from a low-budget circus.
 
Jamie had no problem sitting on someone’s lap.
 
One of my cousins seemed to have already taken an interest in her.
 
They were chatting away, getting to know each other. Jamie played the field with the best of them, regardless of whether she had a steady boyfriend or not.

“Don’t worry, it’s not too long of a drive,” Jesse called to us in the back, hitting another pothole in the road.
 
The shocks on the car were long gone.
 
The back bumper hit the ground, rattling the entire body of the car.
 
I was going to lose fillings on this trek.

It didn’t feel like we had been in the car for very long.
 
The conversation flowed so easily.
 
I was enjoying getting to get to know the family I hadn’t even known existed.
 
They felt more like family than even Memaw had before our mending a few days ago.
 
I loved it.

Half of our welcoming party left in search of the fish and chips Jamie was so excited about while we got settled into the house. Jamie watched wistfully as the rickety old car pulled out of the driveway onto the muddy road once more, bottoming out as they turned off the driveway.
 
Sparks flew off the exhaust pipe as it connected with the blacktop.
 
I wondered how they had kept the car in one piece this long, even with the liberal amounts of duct tape and bungee cords they’d used.