Two Days in Biarritz (31 page)

Damien swallowed hard. “It wasn’t exactly like that. Kate before I tell you this I need you to know how much I love you and have always loved you – every bit as much as Philip.”

Kate had never seen her father so nervous. “What?”

“Kate, your mum was pregnant when we got married.” Damien swallowed hard and put his hand on his daughter’s for support. “But not with my child.”

Kate pulled away. He wasn’t making sense. “What are you saying?”

“Kate, I love you like my own and I reared you like my own but your mother was already pregnant with my friend’s child, Liam’s child,” he paused. “You are Liam’s daughter.”

Kate felt a thud hit her like a deep blow to her cheek. She wanted to retch. Her head lightened and her stomach cramped up. This was the last thing she expected to hear her father say. Her mouth widened with disbelief.

“Kate, are you okay?” he asked softly.

Words failed her and all she could do was stare at the floor where her father’s feet rested. At least she thought this man was her father until a few seconds ago.

“Kate, I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Kate said pulling away from him and staring through eyes filled like wells to the brim. “You are my dad.”

“Thank you, Kate,” Damien’s voice was shuddering. “You have no idea what it means to hear you say that.”

Kate looked on at her father with pity. It was no wonder he had fallen in love with Annabel while her mother was preoccupied with her long distance love affair. But there was something odd about the situation and she needed a question answered.

“Did you know that I was Liam’s child when you married mum?”

Damien didn’t want to answer. He shook his head slowly.

“Betty told me that you were mine. It was sometime afterwards that she admitted it.”

“She tricked you?” Kate was shocked that her mother would do such a thing. “How did you feel?”

“By then it was too late. I’d fallen in love with you!” Damien’s big brown eyes arched.
“Kate, are you going to be alright?”

“Of course, you are my Dad. I never met this Liam person.”

“Do you want to try and get in touch with him?”

“There’s no point.” She didn’t want to hurt her father’s feelings but she was keen to find out more about Liam.

“Maybe you should take the letters with you.” Damien suggested.

Kate was amazed at the graciousness of her father. He was a wonderful man and she was very lucky to have him as a role model.

“I might put them away for posterity then,” she said as she sat up on the bed beside Damien and rubbed the palms of her hands down her thighs. “Dad while we are coming out with truths I have something to tell you.”

Damien tilted his head. What more shocking news could they have to share?

“I’m pregnant.”

Damien’s mouth opened with surprise. The time for delicate conversations was obviously not over. “Who…?”

“Someone you don’t know. It happened in France.”

“Are you in a relationship with this guy?”

“I don’t even know where he is!”

“Kate!” It was Damien’s turn to be appalled.

Kate felt embarrassed and wished she could lie.

“It was a one night stand when I was on that trip with Annabel.”

Damien shook his head. “That trip seems to be responsible for an awful lot of upset already in your life, Kate. What are you going to do? You can’t bring a child up on your own.”

“I was on my own with the twins, remember?”

“That was different circumstances though.”

Kate didn’t want to go into it any further. They had both enough to deal with for one day.

“I’m big enough to look after a tiny baby. I will be fine.”

Damien caressed the side of Kate’s cheek, dragging her hair back off her face.

“You have had a tough time Kate. It’s a pity things didn’t work out with Shane.”

“He doesn’t know about the baby. I couldn’t have him bringing up a child that wasn’t his.”

“It might not be such a bad thing for him you know.” He smiled deeply. “I wouldn’t change my situation if I had my life to live again. I have the best daughter in the world.”

Kate threw her arms around her father and hugged him tightly. “Thanks Dad,” she whispered softly, “for everything.”

* * *

Annabel breezed past the stall traders. She placed a batch of humus onto her stand and went back to the jeep to get the rest. As she leaned across the back seat of the jeep she heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Would you like a hand with that?”

Annabel turned around to see who it belonged to. A tall guy with shaggy blonde hair smiled at her. His eyes were so blue, they were almost transparent. She looked down at his Timberland boots and black drainpipe jeans. How could any
one dress so scruffily and still looks so good, she wondered.

“Em, eh, thank you.” Annabel wondered who the stranger was.

“Hi! I’m new to this market but I saw you last week,” he said lifting the box from the back seat of the jeep.

“I’ve only been doing this a couple of weeks myself.” Annabel blushed.

“Gary’s the name, by the way,” he said.

“I’m Annabel, Annabel Hamilton.”

“What’s your speciality Annabel?”

“Humus and dips. I started doing quiches recently and they’re a great success.”

“Nice, I’m smoothies and shakes.”

Annabel wasn’t surprised. He was amazingly cool and equally smooth. The two walked over to her patch of the market.

“I have to admit I love smoothies.”

“I’ll drop you over one later! Are you a creamy banana kind of girl or something more passionate with strawberries and raspberries?”

Annabel couldn’t hide the naughty smile that was developing across her face.

“Why don’t you choose?”

“I just know the morning is going to fly by while I work that one out!”

“See you later then.”

“You will indeed.” He put her box of humus onto the market stall and walked off slowly, looking back every now and again and giving a little wave. Annabel saw him disappear into a bright orange van with fruit painted all over it.

The morning did pass briskly and Annabel found it difficult not to peek over every now and again at
Gary in his fruity van. He couldn’t be more than about thirty-five and he gave the impression that he was single. Annabel thought she probably gave off that impression too. She wasn’t used to flirting with men. Was it because she was single now that men noticed her more? Or was it because she had a newfound confidence that came from breaking her attachment to Colin? Either way, life was certainly becoming more interesting.

When
Gary did finally come over with a large pink-coloured smoothie in his hand Annabel felt her heart beat a little bit faster. He had put a stripy straw and fresh raspberry on the side.

“Hello again!”

“Is that my smoothie?”

“Yes, but don’t tell anyone else about it. It’s made from a very special recipe –  it’s top secret. I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you!”

“Top Gun!” Annabel exclaimed.

“Very good. I like a girl who knows her movies.”

“You don’t look old enough to be a Top Gun fan!”

“How old do you think I am?”

“Thirty-five tops.”

“You’ve made my day,” he said with a grin. “I’m forty-one.”

Annabel was impressed. She discretely looked at his left hand but there was no sign of a wedding band.

“So, do you do all the markets or just this one?”

“I started out with the Pheonix Park market and then I did Malahide and before I knew it I was addicted. Gave up the fulltime job in UTA insurance and I can come and go as I please. The fruit’s easier to work with.”

Annabel laughed. She couldn’t picture this guy in a regular job.

“By the way you wouldn’t have Sean Doonan’s number would you? I seem to have lost it and need to settle up my rent.”

“Sure,” she said, taking her phone out of her pocket. “I’ll text it to you. What’s your number?”

She tapped his details into her phone and sent the text.

“You’re a star. That’s worth another smoothie next week!”

“Maybe even a shake?” she said flirtingly.

“Maybe a smooth shake!”

He walked off slowly, looking back every now and again. The market was full of pleasant surprises. She hoped she hadn’t seen the last of Gary.

* * *

“Safe journey,” Damien said giving Kate a big hug at the departure gates. “Look after your mum, boys.”

Ciaran looked up from his Gameboy and gave a nod. David was listening to his ipod intently and hadn’t even heard his grandfather.

“I’ll see you in September,” Kate assured her father. “Are you sure you don’t mind flying over so soon?”

“The past couple of months have cured me of my fear of flying – life’s too short. I want to see as much as possible of you and the boys from now on.”

Kate wrapped her arms around her father’s shoulders warmly. This had been the hardest trip home of her life. Everything had changed. She had lost her mother, a mother it now seemed she never really knew. And her father wasn’t who she thought he was either. One thing for certain, the bond and love between them was stronger than ever.

“Thanks, Dad. Are you going to be okay on your own?”

Kate had mentioned the unthinkable. She could read his mind. It had been hanging over Damien like a heavy fog since his daughter started to pack her bags for her return to France.

“I’ll be fine, honestly. You’re only a couple of hours away. Don’t worry about me!”

Damien ruffled the heads of his grandsons and gave Kate a peck on the cheek, then stood back and watched as his family walked through security. Then he solemnly made his way to pay for his parking space. The airport was a depressing place after saying goodbye. He couldn’t stand the thought of going home. The house was going to be very lonely – it was much too big for one man. He might sell up and move into one of the apartments he had built recently. The Oaks in Howth were nice.

* * *

Shane had to get his act together. He needed somewhere to live. Rob had been very good letting him stay in his apartment in Swords but it was too small and the scruffy first officer didn’t rate hygiene high on his list of priorities. He had got used to living on the Southside of the city but secretly missed the Northside and it was nice to be back. Rob’s place was much more convenient for work. For the time being a move back to familiar territory did seem like a good idea. But could he stand seeing all the familiar places that reminded him of Kate everyday of the week?

He took out the property section of the Irish Times and breezed through the lists of new properties on show at the weekend. A small development of apartments on Howth beach caught his eye – built by
Carlton developers. He couldn’t let that stop him going to see them at least. He looked at his watch. It was open to the public until five o’clock today. He had plenty of time to see them before his overnight in Köln.

He folded the newspaper and settled into the seat of his BMW. The day was warm enough to leave the roof off and he drove with the radio blaring along the coast road past Raheny. He had to get over Kate once and for all. He had to get his own life back on track.

His car seemed to know exactly where it was going. Even the scenery he past on the way made him feel as though he was finally going home.  

A slim girl in a black business suit and severely tied blonde-hair stood outside the show apartment with a batch of brochures resting in the crook of her arm. She smiled a dazzling set of white teeth at Shane as he approached.

“Hello, would you like a brochure?” she asked, holding out a shiny magazine.

“Thank you.”

“We only have four units left and one of them is the show apartment.”

Shane took the brochure from her and smiled as he walked through the door. He took a quick look at the guiding prices – they weren’t cheap. He could realistically only afford the one-bedroom on the second floor. The two-bedroom would stretch his salary too much if he kept the payments up on Natasha’s cottage as well. He could of course try to sell the cottage but he didn’t want to cause Natasha anymore distress or upset than he already had.

The show apartment was stunning. The furniture was an eclectic mix of different woods and leathers that gave the apartment a natural feel as he looked out the window at the wonderful views of the beach. The show apartment was way out of his reach but he consoled himself that he didn’t need three bedrooms anyway.

“Can I see the one-bedroom by any chance?”

“It’s not officially on view but if you are really interested I could give you a quick peek,” the estate agent said.