Poppy's Fall

Chapter 18

“Sorry!” Poppy yelled out of the drivers’ side window.

How people drove on the wrong side of the road was beyond her, she just couldn’t get used to it.  True she had only been driving for about an hour, but this had been the third time she’d drifted off into the other lane and onto oncoming traffic.

Poppy looked in her rear-view mirror knowing full well she wouldn’t see Doolin.  By now they’ll all have figured out she was gone, and Ellie was probably having a cow about it too.  A pang of guilt washed over her when she wondered when they were going to tell Ryan, then the phone call from the night before came back to her.

When are you coming home?”

"Kyle?” Poppy couldn’t hide her confusion. 

When Mrs. C had called her down for a phone call, she thought she would hear Marley’s voice on the other end.  Now, somehow hearing Kyle’s she didn’t know what to say.

"Yeah, who else could it be?” Kyle almost sounded exasperated with her.  “Poppy?”

 “I’m here,” She answered him.  “I’m just surprised.”

That call had brought on her sudden departure from…well…everything.  She had been so sure of her decision to go back home to Kyle, but something was making her hesitate, or was it someone?  Poppy couldn’t deny she had feelings for Ryan but were her feelings real?  When she met Ryan, she thought Kyle had cast her aside and Ryan had been sweet and attentive.  The two were like night and day.

What she needed was time to herself to gather her thoughts and feeling without any distraction.  She had a notebook in her bag that would be useful to jot down whatever she was feeling.  A soft smile played on her lips thinking about Ellie who had given her that notebook.  She had first scoffed at the thought of it.  Ellie was the one who wrote not her. 

“What a freaking disaster.” Poppy mumble to herself. 

She didn’t know what to believe.  Talking to Kyle that first time made her want to go back but what about Agnes and what she had seen that morning.  She wished she would have taken a step back and figured out what was going on before jumping on a plane to Ireland.  She was known to be spontaneous but even this had been unlike her.  Last night’s call however, made her question things again.  He had sounded indifferent and almost annoyed with her.  If that was the case, then why did he want her home so bad? 

She couldn’t concentrate and so pulled over to what seemed like a little rest area.  “I can barely drive as it is.” She mumbled again as she turned off the ignition then got out to stretch her legs. 

When Poppy turned around her breath caught in her throat.  Rolling hills as far as the eye could see, so many shades of green speckled here and there with white with what she assumed were sheep.  A little way down the road she spied a gas station and decided to walk there.  It was a nice day, the sun was out, birds chirping.  The walk wasn’t terribly long, but she enjoyed it all the same and if she looked back, she could still see the car, so she wasn’t far. 

Inside she picked up a few items that struck her fancy.  But just as she was about to leave, she saw a pay phone and picked it up on a whim.

“Hi.”

                                                                                    *** 

Ryan drove to Doolin that evening with a whistle at his lip. 

The day at the docks had been great, they had been able to finish early and so he decided to take a last- minute drive to see Poppy, maybe get her to have dinner with him.  She would be surprised and hopefully happy to see him.  He wanted to kiss her again, draw her in his arms and never let go. 

He knew her time in Ireland was coming to an end so he needed to convince her she would miss it and maybe even him if she left it all behind.  It’s not like she’d be alone, Ellie was here and from what he knew she wasn’t all that particularly close to her family. 

He never thought he would feel this way again after Fiona and now look at him!  A spring in his step, a goofy grin on his face and when he looked over, a bouquet of poppies on the passenger side.  He wondered if she would find it sweet that he brought them for her, he knew his mother wouldn’t mind sharing her favorite flower. 

“I wish you could have met the woman who has captured my heart.” He whispered into nothing then felt his face go slightly red.  His father had hated when Ryan “talked” to his mother.  While he knew his father loved him, he was also a practical man and talking to someone who was dead was not practical.  Ryan felt close to her when he talked to her about his day, his accomplishments, his failures but he learned to keep it to himself quickly enough.

Ryan ran his tongue over his bottom lip nervously.  He wasn’t going to propose marriage, that would be ridiculous, but he was going to ask her to stay which was equally nerve-wracking.  She could either jump in his arms with glee and say she would stay; which was the preferred scenario, or she could very well laugh in his face and ask him why in the world he’d think she would ever want to do that.  That one was not such a preferred scenario.

Up a small hill and around the bend Ryan could see Doolin in the distance.  He was so close his hands were suddenly clammy, and he had half a mind to turn right back around and forget the whole thing.  What was he thinking asking a woman he had met only a few weeks ago to stay in a strange place?  Essentially asking her to trust that he would take care of her and lover her as she deserves. 

Instead of turning around he gripped the steering wheel tighter, pursed his lips and adjusted himself in his seat.  When he got into Doolin he stopped at the pub rather than going straight to the B & B.  There was something he needed to do first.

                                                                                    ***

“What is he doing here?” Ellie asked Fiona when the bar manager popped her head in Aidan’s office to tell them Ryan had just appeared in the pub.

“I don’t know but someone will have to tell him she’s gone.” 

Ellie’s heart ached for him when she came out of the office to greet him.  His smile widened making her wonder if he thought Poppy wasn’t far behind.  She then grew confused when she realized he was looking behind her…to Fiona.

He nodded to the dark-haired beauty and then to Ellie. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a word with Fiona.”

“Of course,” Fiona turned to Ellie quickly giving her wide eyes. “We can step out.”

Fiona led the way out of the pub to a small bench underneath the awning.  It was foggy, misty and the air felt heavy.  What could Ryan possibly have to say to her?  Since she had left and come back, they had been on friendly terms, but they had never actually discussed what had happened.  She figured the time would come when he would ask why then finally gave up on that day ever coming. 

She sat and waited for Ryan to do the same, but he just stood with his back to her looking out to the river his hands deep in his pockets.  A few minutes passed before he glanced down and sighed.  Fiona held her breath as he slowly turned to face her.  She was instantly transported back to a time not so long ago when she loved him. 

“Did you regret it?”