Read Online It's All About Him by Colette Caddle - Free Book Online
Authors: Colette Caddle
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hassle from his friends. Probably not. Guys didn't talk about stuff like that, did they?
'He won't hang around for ever, Dee,' Lauren was saying. 'He's not getting any younger and you can see that he's the kind who'd like to settle down.'
'Can you?' Dee asked curiously. She wasn't sure she could see that.
'Salt of the earth, as my dad would say,' Lisa laughed. 'They don't come much straighter than Conor.'
'So why don't you?' Lauren urged. 'You're not still hankering after Neil, are you?'
There was an awkward silence around the table at the mention of Sam's father and Sheila and Lisa shot Lauren reproachful looks.
'Course she's not!' Lisa said staunchly as Dee drained her glass and reached for the bottle.
'Then what are you waiting for, Dee?' Lauren said undeterred. 'Is there someone else?'
Dee bit her lip. 'No.'
'Then why not, love?' Sheila said gently. 'He'd make you so happy, you know he would.'
'Because,' Dee said softly, 'he never fucking asked me, okay?'
The women sat in stunned silence as Dee got up from the table and made her way through the restaurant.
'Shit,' Lauren muttered.
'Why did you have to push her like that?' Sheila said.
'I was only having a bit of fun. Anyway,' she nudged Sheila, 'you joined in.'
'I'll just go and make sure that she's okay.' Lisa stood up and hurried out to the loo after her friend.
'Well, well, well.' Lauren sipped her drink thoughtfully. 'I wonder what's going on there.'
Sheila shook her head. 'I don't understand it. I got the impression he was mad about her and she was the one holding back.'
'Maybe Conor doesn't want to be saddled with someone else's kid.'
Sheila's eyes widened. 'Oh, no, he's not like that and Sam's a great little lad.'
'Yeah, but not his little lad. Some men can't get past that.'
'I don't believe Conor's like that.'
Lauren shrugged. 'He hasn't asked her to marry him, have you any better ideas?'
'Should we go after them?'
Lauren shook her head and topped up the glasses. 'No. The best thing we can do is pretend it never happened and get her totally pissed.'
'Dee, are you okay?' Lisa rapped on the loo door again. 'Please come out.'
After a moment the door opened and Dee emerged, red-eyed and sniffing. 'Sorry.'
'Don't be silly, what have you to be sorry for?'
'Making a scene and spoiling the evening.'
Lisa grabbed some hand towels and shoved them into Dee's hand. 'You haven't spoiled anything. We shouldn't have been winding you up.'
'How come Lauren was going on at me about Conor and not you about Ger?' Dee protested.
'I would have been next,' Lisa assured her. 'Would you like to marry him?' she asked gently.
Dee sniffed. 'Of course I would.'
'I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he asks you because he is definitely mad about you. Has he ever used the L word?'
Dee shook her head and dabbed half-heartedly at her eyes. 'No. Maybe he's just staying with me until someone better comes along. Or maybe he already met her. All of those years he spent in Clare, Lisa – what if he met the love of his life down there?'
'Did he have a girlfriend down there?'
'I don't know; all he ever talks about is his mate Aidan, the farm and Aidan's mother's wonderful cooking.'
'I doubt if he lived like a monk when he was in Clare, Dee, but even if there was anyone special, he's not seeing her now, he's seeing you.'
'But he could be settling for me,' Dee insisted.
'Rubbish, the man is mad about you, it's obvious to everyone but you. Is he the right guy for you, though?'
Dee considered the question. 'I didn't think I'd ever be happy with another man after Neil left but with Conor everything's so . . . easy. Oh, lord, that doesn't sound very romantic, does it?' she chuckled.
Lisa shrugged. 'Ger isn't exactly 007 but he's mine and I love him.'
Dee nodded. 'Conor's like my other half. He understands me, we like the same things, have the same values, and, of course, he's great with Sam. We fit, if you know what I mean.'
'Have you told him you love him?'
'He won't hang around for ever, Dee,' Lauren was saying. 'He's not getting any younger and you can see that he's the kind who'd like to settle down.'
'Can you?' Dee asked curiously. She wasn't sure she could see that.
'Salt of the earth, as my dad would say,' Lisa laughed. 'They don't come much straighter than Conor.'
'So why don't you?' Lauren urged. 'You're not still hankering after Neil, are you?'
There was an awkward silence around the table at the mention of Sam's father and Sheila and Lisa shot Lauren reproachful looks.
'Course she's not!' Lisa said staunchly as Dee drained her glass and reached for the bottle.
'Then what are you waiting for, Dee?' Lauren said undeterred. 'Is there someone else?'
Dee bit her lip. 'No.'
'Then why not, love?' Sheila said gently. 'He'd make you so happy, you know he would.'
'Because,' Dee said softly, 'he never fucking asked me, okay?'
The women sat in stunned silence as Dee got up from the table and made her way through the restaurant.
'Shit,' Lauren muttered.
'Why did you have to push her like that?' Sheila said.
'I was only having a bit of fun. Anyway,' she nudged Sheila, 'you joined in.'
'I'll just go and make sure that she's okay.' Lisa stood up and hurried out to the loo after her friend.
'Well, well, well.' Lauren sipped her drink thoughtfully. 'I wonder what's going on there.'
Sheila shook her head. 'I don't understand it. I got the impression he was mad about her and she was the one holding back.'
'Maybe Conor doesn't want to be saddled with someone else's kid.'
Sheila's eyes widened. 'Oh, no, he's not like that and Sam's a great little lad.'
'Yeah, but not his little lad. Some men can't get past that.'
'I don't believe Conor's like that.'
Lauren shrugged. 'He hasn't asked her to marry him, have you any better ideas?'
'Should we go after them?'
Lauren shook her head and topped up the glasses. 'No. The best thing we can do is pretend it never happened and get her totally pissed.'
'Dee, are you okay?' Lisa rapped on the loo door again. 'Please come out.'
After a moment the door opened and Dee emerged, red-eyed and sniffing. 'Sorry.'
'Don't be silly, what have you to be sorry for?'
'Making a scene and spoiling the evening.'
Lisa grabbed some hand towels and shoved them into Dee's hand. 'You haven't spoiled anything. We shouldn't have been winding you up.'
'How come Lauren was going on at me about Conor and not you about Ger?' Dee protested.
'I would have been next,' Lisa assured her. 'Would you like to marry him?' she asked gently.
Dee sniffed. 'Of course I would.'
'I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he asks you because he is definitely mad about you. Has he ever used the L word?'
Dee shook her head and dabbed half-heartedly at her eyes. 'No. Maybe he's just staying with me until someone better comes along. Or maybe he already met her. All of those years he spent in Clare, Lisa – what if he met the love of his life down there?'
'Did he have a girlfriend down there?'
'I don't know; all he ever talks about is his mate Aidan, the farm and Aidan's mother's wonderful cooking.'
'I doubt if he lived like a monk when he was in Clare, Dee, but even if there was anyone special, he's not seeing her now, he's seeing you.'
'But he could be settling for me,' Dee insisted.
'Rubbish, the man is mad about you, it's obvious to everyone but you. Is he the right guy for you, though?'
Dee considered the question. 'I didn't think I'd ever be happy with another man after Neil left but with Conor everything's so . . . easy. Oh, lord, that doesn't sound very romantic, does it?' she chuckled.
Lisa shrugged. 'Ger isn't exactly 007 but he's mine and I love him.'
Dee nodded. 'Conor's like my other half. He understands me, we like the same things, have the same values, and, of course, he's great with Sam. We fit, if you know what I mean.'
'Have you told him you love him?'
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