Overcomer - The Journey, Judy Colella [book reader for pc txt] 📗

Eileen and Celeste went into the kitchen, leaving Katie with Cian. Taking the chair across from him, she studied his expression for a moment. “Are you okay? I mean, we had no idea your life had been so awful, and talking about it must have been really hard.”

He gave her a half smile. “Thank you. It means a lot to me when someone expresses genuine concern. But yes. I’m okay.”

She was silent for a moment, not sure how to phrase her next question. She didn’t want to pressure him or anything, but... “Cian, what – do you know what’s suppose to happen now? Like with Celeste and you and all that?”

“Not in any detail, no. I do know that she has to be taught the Songs of Light on the Harp, and that she must travel with us to the Hub. But what will be done after that, I have no idea.”

“Uh, is, um, any chance I might be allowed to go with you guys?”

“I’m sorry, Katie, but that’s not my decision to make. Of course, if the Keeper says you may go, I’ll be delighted to have you with us.”

“The Keeper… oh! You mean Mr. Croghan. I forgot that was his title thingy. So you’d be delighted? Really?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

She frowned, another thought demanding answers, and leaned forward. “Listen, not to be nosy or anything, but... how do you feel about Celeste?”

He frowned. “Not sure what you mean. Feel? In what way?”

“Do you, I mean, you like her of course, yes?”

“I like you both.”

“Well, no, I mean do you also like her maybe a little more than that?”

He ran a hand through his hair and sat back. “Well, I do like you, Katie, but you know you can be absolutely infuriating.” His pleasant smile made her think he’d have added “lol” had he texted his answer. Or even known how to do that.

“Yeah, I am. But what about Celeste?”

“Honestly, I haven’t had a whole lot of time to think about that. But, well, I’ve never really... I don’t know.”

“Oh, don’t look so tragic! I’m not going to burst into tears and run off into the night if it turns out you care more about her than me. Or even the other way around. I want to know, is all.”

He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t answer.

“Cian, seriously. If Celeste is happy, I’m happy.” She got up and stretched. “I have to tell you, though, right after that whole weirdness outside school – you know, with her scaring the crap out of me by blurting out a sentence in Gaelic – we both were a little afraid of you. We couldn’t figure out who or what you are, and – Ha!” She plopped down again on the edge of the chair, pointing a finger at Cian. “She even said something about the possibility that you were a time traveler! How’s that for, whatever, being prophetic?”

“Uh, awesome?”

She laughed. “You’re really picking up the slang stuff!” She sat all the way back, sighed, and then leaned forward once more. “Let me ask you this. You mentioned how you saw me and Celeste at the mall, so like, what was your first impression? What were you thinking when you saw us?”

He crossed his arms and looked down. “Well,” he said after a moment or two, “I recall getting the feeling I was being stared at, and when I went toward the receptacle to take out the trash barrel, I glanced over at you, hoping you wouldn’t catch me looking. And I thought you were both very pretty and probably good friends.”

“Why’d you think that?”

“Because of the way you were talking to each other, I guess. Anyhow, you looked up at me, then away quickly, and I had a momentary... relapse, I guess, and thought you were revolted by what you saw. But then Celeste looked up and smiled and I tried smiling back.”

“What do you mean, ‘tried?’”

He looked away for a second, biting his lower lip.

That is so sexy!

He looked back and shrugged. “I was so – I – for some reason I’m not sure I understand, I suddenly couldn’t breathe. It’s kind of hard to smile when you’re trying to catch your breath.”

A slow grin spread across Katie’s face. I knew it! He likes her! Yesss! “You ever been in love?”

“Huh?”

“Right. Like when did you have a chance to get involved with anyone? Sorry. Do you even know what that is?”

“I know about love, but how can a person be ‘in’ it?”

She sighed, nodding. “Okay. I can see I have my work cut out. When a guy reaches a certain age,” she started, totally not believing she had to explain the birds and bees to this boy, “he finds himself attracted to girls – at least most of the time.”

“What else would he be attracted to?”

“Uh, you know what? Never mind – that’s a discussion for another day. Anyhow, you talked about the way your parents looked at each other, remember?”

He nodded.

“Well, they were in love!”

“They were – ”

“When you’re in love with a girl, you think about her all the time, and she’s the only person you ever want to spend time with. You even dream about her, and everything she says and does is magic. You, uh, you get protective and want to do everything for her, get her anything she desires, and swear you’d walk through fire for her. In fact, you’d gladly jump in front of traffic to keep her safe. Okay? That’s being in love.”

“Huh. Sounds dangerous.”

“Very funny. But for real, Cian, do you experience any of that with Celeste?”

“Like I said, I haven’t thought about it, probably because I was so busy trying to figure out if she was the person I was sent to find, and... blast it, Katie! Why did you have to make me start thinking about her like that?” He got up and began pacing.

She held back a giggle. “I only asked.”

Cian came to a sudden halt, glared at the floor, and then stalked into the kitchen. Katie followed on tiptoe.

Celeste was cutting tomatoes, the tip of her tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. Cian waited until she was done and had wiped her hands on a kitchen towel tucked into the waistband of her jeans

“Excuse me, Celeste?”

She looked up and her eyes crinkled with her smile.

“Never mind.” His voice was tight, and Katie knew he’d been rendered breathless again.

Giggling, she went back to the family room, sat in the other part where the entertainment center was, and turned on the TV.

Cian walked in front of the set, blocking the screen.

“Uh, do you mind – ?”

“Does this ‘falling in love’ thing honestly involve an inability to breathe, something I believe I mentioned before?”

“It can.”

“But not all the time.”

“Right.”

“Only sometimes when the person looks at you a certain way, or, uh, whatever.”

“Exactly.”

He stood there for a moment, arms crossed, breathing heavily through his nose.

“Um, Cian?”

“What.”

“I can’t see through you.”

“I would hope not.”

“I mean, you aren’t made of glass.”

“What are you getting at?”

She thrummed her fingers on the arm of the chair, and then exploded. “Move!”

He took a step to one side, apologizing.

“Thank you.” She gave him a sweet smiled. “Ever watch reality shows?”

“Watch them do what?”

“Extreme stuff, usually.”

He stared at her for a moment. “Can you make a list of things like that for me, and explain what they all mean? And what do I do about Celeste?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know – next time you’re alone, tell her how you feel.”

“But what if – ”

“Cian!!! I’m trying to watch TV. Please go away.”

“Are you angry with me?”

She gave up and tore her gaze away from the screen. He looked miserable. “Of course not.” How could she ever be angry with him – he was so innocent about so many things, yet so hurt and... and so... so stunningly handsome... and from another century! He could even use a sword, for heaven’s sake! “Anyway,” she continued, this last thought having taken all of a tenth of a second, “you’re too cool.”

“Oh. I am?”

“You know what that means?”

“I do.”

“And you blush! I love it!” she crowed.

“Oh yeah? Well, well, so do you!”

“I do not.”

“Yes you do – you blushed in the mall that first night I saw you.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Celeste had come into the room, wiping her hands on a towel. “I heard a little of what you were saying, and wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be alarmed.”

“Don’t worry,” Katie answered, grinning at Cian. “We’re being stupid. I’m afraid I’ve embarrassed him.”

“Over blushing?”

Katie stood up and gave her friend a hug. “What’s for dinner?”

     

*******

 

The meal over, Niall thanked Katie and Eileen, the one for convincing him to stay, the other for the incomparable food. He told them he had eaten chicken before, but never prepared like this.

“Thank you!” Eileen loved this recipe – a large, clove-studded lemon baked inside the cavity of a whole roaster, the chicken seasoned inside and out with sage, coriander, lime zest and sea salt, glazed with a pomegranate and mango reduction, and cooked to moist perfection. A savory spinach soufflé, a lightly-seasoned Irish colcannon, a salad of tomatoes, butter lettuce and dried cranberries with a simple balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette, thick slices of home-made bread spread with sweet butter, and mulled apple cider to drink. For dessert, she’d thrown together a scrumptious bread pudding made with heavy cream, caramelized pears, nutmeg and real vanilla seeds scraped from the pod.

“Mr. Kelly,” said Niall, patting his formerly lean middle – there was a noticeable bulge now – “ye’re a man to be envied.”

“That’s pretty much what I told him myself,” Croghan added.

Donal smiled and gave his wife a huge smile.

Once the table had been cleared, dishes and pots dispatched, no one, including Eileen, seemed to want to move.

“You know,” said the Croghan, “it’s nearly seven o’clock, and our young friend here – ” he nodded at Cian, “has to be home by nine. So I would suggest I get back to telling you the rest of this account as soon as possible so it’s over and done, and we can get on with things.”

Murmurs of assent followed his suggestion.

“We can sit right here for this part, I think.” Eileen raised an eyebrow, settling back in her chair.

No one disagreed, and Croghan sat straighter. “Well, I’d best get to it, then, before you all fall asleep!”

TWENTY-FIVE

 

“You’ve heard how things went once Niall took them from the Hub and they began their journey forward in time,” said Croghan. “This is what happened from my side of things. After leaving the boy and his family in the capable hands of our local Brehon, I returned to the Hub to have a further talk with Celesta. We had to plan this properly to avert disaster in the future for both his family and those they touched. We decided that my other Harp, the one I used on journeys in and out of time, should be put someplace where it would be found by the right individuals, the ones who would take care of it, keep it, and eventually make it available to Celeste.

“She searched the pathways with her mind until she found a British