then I don’t understand why you need a lock on your door.”
Erin contemplated banging her head on the table but knew it wouldn’t do any good. “I need my privacy.”
“But I’m your mother.”
“The one who read my diary when I was thirteen!”
Her mother looked guilty. “I know, I know. I guess you’ve the right.” Her mother tapped her nails on the kitchen table thoughtfully. “I could help you.”
“Say again?”
“Look at fellas,” her mother said, her voice growing animated. “If you found some you liked, you could run ’em by me, and I could give ’em the old thumbs-up or thumbs-down.”
“I love you, Ma, but you’ve lost it.”
“I’ve lost it? I’m not the one who refuses to take a good look at what’s right under her nose. You need some guidance is what I say.”
Erin groaned. “Not Jake again. Please.”
Her mother pursed her lips disapprovingly. “It doesn’t make sense to me. He’s lovely, and what’s more, he’d treat you right. Already has.”
“I know that. But we work best as friends.”
“Ah, you barely dated him.”
“Because I didn’t feel what you’re supposed to feel.”
“Relationships aren’t all moonlit nights and roses, you know.”
Erin was becoming prickly. “Really, Ma? Why don’t you tell me more about relationships, since I’ve never been in one.”
Her mother’s expression remained serious. “Let me ask you something.”
Erin sighed.
“Pretend—do not interrupt me, please—pretend you’ve never seen Jake Fry in your life. Ever. And then he walks into the Oak. What would you think?”
“I’d think he was handsome. So what?”
“And suppose he started to chat you up and asked you on a date. Would you say yes or no? Remember: you’ve never seen or talked to him before.”
“Mam—”
“Yes or no.”
“I’d probably say yes,” Erin admitted.
“Well, that’s what you need to do. Look at him with fresh eyes.”
Erin was silent.
“D’you know how many women would give their eyeteeth for someone like Jake? He’s a good man, and he loves you to death, that much is obvious. He was there for you when the chips were down.”
“I know he’s a great guy and all, but I just can’t—”
“Get past that bastard Rory Brady,” her mother cut in bitterly.
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“I know what I know, and it’s a desperate woman looks to find fellas online when there are good men in her own town. Rory’s turned you against all men in Ballycraig.”
“You’re addled. You know that, right?”
“I know what I know.”
Erin grit her teeth. “I hate when you say that.”
“You know what I think the problem is with you girls today?”
“I’m twenty-five, but go ahead, tell me.”
“You’re all for the action and adventure. You’d prefer a bloke who treats you like shite, because you’re all caught up in the melodrama of ‘he loves me, he loves me not.’ You don’t give a nice fella like Jake the time of day because there’s no drama there.”
Erin put her hands in her lap, digging her fingernails into her thighs. “Rory only turned out to be a shite in the end. You know that.”
Her mother looked teary. “You should have given that one walking papers years before. For him to break up with you…”
“Can we please get off the subject of Rory? And before you say it, yes, I know, he’s back in town. I saw him yesterday.”
Her mother looked alarmed. “You did?”
“I was coming off the bus and he was taking the PJ Leary tour. He spotted me and said hello, I said hello, andhe kept yappin’ on. I told him to leave me alone, and he did. So you needn’t worry about him trying to charm me.”
Her mother looked dubious. “We’ll see. He’s got charisma, that one.”
She began to rise from the table, but Erin asked her to please sit down. “You’ve had your say. It’s my turn now.”
“This’ll be rich.”
“It will and all,” Erin shot back.
“Right, I’m sat
Erin contemplated banging her head on the table but knew it wouldn’t do any good. “I need my privacy.”
“But I’m your mother.”
“The one who read my diary when I was thirteen!”
Her mother looked guilty. “I know, I know. I guess you’ve the right.” Her mother tapped her nails on the kitchen table thoughtfully. “I could help you.”
“Say again?”
“Look at fellas,” her mother said, her voice growing animated. “If you found some you liked, you could run ’em by me, and I could give ’em the old thumbs-up or thumbs-down.”
“I love you, Ma, but you’ve lost it.”
“I’ve lost it? I’m not the one who refuses to take a good look at what’s right under her nose. You need some guidance is what I say.”
Erin groaned. “Not Jake again. Please.”
Her mother pursed her lips disapprovingly. “It doesn’t make sense to me. He’s lovely, and what’s more, he’d treat you right. Already has.”
“I know that. But we work best as friends.”
“Ah, you barely dated him.”
“Because I didn’t feel what you’re supposed to feel.”
“Relationships aren’t all moonlit nights and roses, you know.”
Erin was becoming prickly. “Really, Ma? Why don’t you tell me more about relationships, since I’ve never been in one.”
Her mother’s expression remained serious. “Let me ask you something.”
Erin sighed.
“Pretend—do not interrupt me, please—pretend you’ve never seen Jake Fry in your life. Ever. And then he walks into the Oak. What would you think?”
“I’d think he was handsome. So what?”
“And suppose he started to chat you up and asked you on a date. Would you say yes or no? Remember: you’ve never seen or talked to him before.”
“Mam—”
“Yes or no.”
“I’d probably say yes,” Erin admitted.
“Well, that’s what you need to do. Look at him with fresh eyes.”
Erin was silent.
“D’you know how many women would give their eyeteeth for someone like Jake? He’s a good man, and he loves you to death, that much is obvious. He was there for you when the chips were down.”
“I know he’s a great guy and all, but I just can’t—”
“Get past that bastard Rory Brady,” her mother cut in bitterly.
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“I know what I know, and it’s a desperate woman looks to find fellas online when there are good men in her own town. Rory’s turned you against all men in Ballycraig.”
“You’re addled. You know that, right?”
“I know what I know.”
Erin grit her teeth. “I hate when you say that.”
“You know what I think the problem is with you girls today?”
“I’m twenty-five, but go ahead, tell me.”
“You’re all for the action and adventure. You’d prefer a bloke who treats you like shite, because you’re all caught up in the melodrama of ‘he loves me, he loves me not.’ You don’t give a nice fella like Jake the time of day because there’s no drama there.”
Erin put her hands in her lap, digging her fingernails into her thighs. “Rory only turned out to be a shite in the end. You know that.”
Her mother looked teary. “You should have given that one walking papers years before. For him to break up with you…”
“Can we please get off the subject of Rory? And before you say it, yes, I know, he’s back in town. I saw him yesterday.”
Her mother looked alarmed. “You did?”
“I was coming off the bus and he was taking the PJ Leary tour. He spotted me and said hello, I said hello, andhe kept yappin’ on. I told him to leave me alone, and he did. So you needn’t worry about him trying to charm me.”
Her mother looked dubious. “We’ll see. He’s got charisma, that one.”
She began to rise from the table, but Erin asked her to please sit down. “You’ve had your say. It’s my turn now.”
“This’ll be rich.”
“It will and all,” Erin shot back.
“Right, I’m sat
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